Category:Andover - the geology of the area

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This page is part of a category of pages providing a summary of the geology of the Andover district (British Geological Survey Sheet 283), which extends over approximately 600 km2 of north-west Hampshire and a small part of eastern Wiltshire. Links to other pages in this category can be found at the foot of the page.
Authors: J Thompson, K A Lee, P M Hopson, A R Farrant, A J Newell, R J Marks, L B Bateson, M A Woods, I P Wilkinson and N J Smith.

Introduction

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<img src="https://bgsintranet/asset-bank/action/directLinkImage?assetId=396131&width=304&height=325">
Figure 1 Andover district and bedrock geology. P807819.

This Sheet Explanation provides a summary of the geology of the Andover district (Sheet 283), which extends over approximately 600 km2 of north-west Hampshire and a small part of eastern Wiltshire Figure 1. The district covers an area from the A338, through Tidworth, in the west, to Overton and Kingsclere in the east. The district is traversed by major roads with the north–south A34 and the east–west A303 connecting the area to Newbury, Winchester, Basingstoke and Salisbury (see also Jukes-Browne, 1908).

The small market town of Andover, that developed significantly as an overspill for London in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, is the only urban area within the district and has a population of around 52 000. The town is the home of Defence Logistic Organisation and the Headquarters of Land Forces but also has a considerable light industry. Elsewhere the district is rural with arable farming and forestry being the principal industries.

The Andover district is founded for the greater part on Cretaceous strata; the area is characterised by broad gently dipping slopes and short, steep scarps which are cut by the valleys of the River Test and its tributaries.