Avon Gorge

gorge, England, United Kingdom

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June 18, 2026

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The Avon Gorge is a picturesque gorge formed by the River Avon cutting through a limestone ridge below Bristol, England. It is known for its wooded cliffs and the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge. The River Avon itself originates in the Cotswolds and flows through Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset before meeting the River Severn estuary at Avonmouth. The name "Avon" is derived from a Celtic word meaning "river".12

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Carboniferous Period
Mississippian subsystem
…units exposed at the famous Avon Gorge section at Bristol, Eng., include (in ascending order): Shirehampton beds, Lower Limestone Shale, Black Rock Limestone, Gully Oolite, Clifton Down Mudstone, Goblin Combe Oolite, Clifton Down Limestone, Hotwells Limestone, and the Upper Cromhall Sandstone. Other well-known Mississippian formations outside North America include: limestones…
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…units exposed at the famous Avon Gorge section at Bristol, Eng., include (in ascending order): Shirehampton beds, Lower Limestone Shale, Black Rock Limestone, Gully Oolite, Clifton Down Mudstone, Goblin Combe Oolite, Clifton Down Limestone, Hotwells Limestone, and the Upper Cromhall Sandstone. Other well-known Mississippian formations outside North America include: limestones…
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