This basin, exploited for limestone, is the oldest area in the territory of the Transmanche Geopark. It is an open-air showcase of the geology of the territory, telling a story that is 400 million years old, from the Devonian to the Carboniferous.
Marquise
Open all year round, with guided tours available on request.
Free access, but a fee may apply for guided tours.
Visitor information available
Facilities
Car parking
Viewpoint
Geosite details
This basin, exploited forlimestone, is the oldest area of the Transmanche Geopark territory. It is an open-air showcase of the geology of the territory, telling a story nearly 400 million years old, from the Devonian to the Carboniferous. This site is a clear example of how geological history can influence the economic activity of a region. The geological deposits present have not only sculpted the landscape, but have also allowed the development of local industries. In addition, this basin, one of the largest in France, has four extraction sites that testify to the historical and economic importance of this resource in the region.
The 'Big Bang'
13.8 billion years ago
Earth formed
4.6 billion years ago
540 million years ago
The Cambrian explosion of life: animals evolved and diversified as never before on Earth.
Devonian
419 million years ago
390 million years ago the oldest rocks you can see in the Geopark date back to the Middle Devonian. They are still quarried today in the Marquise basin in France.
Carboniferous
359 million years ago
Around 325 million years ago the Geopark was near the equator. The swamp forests from that period are preserved as coal, which was formerly mined in the Marquise basin in France as well as in East Kent and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Permian
299 million years ago
Triassic
252 million years ago
210 million years ago the Geopark was in the centre of the Pangaea supercontinent, and dinosaurs roamed the land!
Jurassic
201 million years ago
150 million years ago the Geopark was submerged under the sea, the sands, clays, limestones, and sandstones that compose the Boulonnais region in France were deposited.
Cretaceous
145 million years ago
Over about 40 million years from 100-60 million years ago, Chalk formed at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea where the Geopark is located today. This was the first step towards the formation of our distinctive chalk landscape, which defines much of the Geopark.
Palaeogene
66 million years ago
Tectonic activity around 40 million years ago uplifted the territory of the Geopark by dozens of metres, creating an extensive chalk landscape that connected France and Great Britain.
Neogene
23 million years ago
Quaternary
2.6 million years ago
450,000 years ago, a megaflood destroyed the chalk ridge connecting Calais and Dover, creating the iconic white cliffs of the Geopark we see today
