A 150m-year-old ammonite gazes silently from between the windows of a tapas restaurant in London's Square Mile. The ancient cephalopod fossil, embedded in limestone alongside other prehistoric sea creatures, is almost invisible to passersby. As people hurry by, their feet tread on the very stones that hold secrets of the Earth's past.
For Dr Ruth Siddall, an urban geologist with a passion for discovering hidden stories in London's architecture, every stone has a tale to tell. Her enthusiasm began with cataloguing ancient rocks from Greek ruins in Athens, where she realized that even the most mundane structures held fascinating histories.
London, however, presents a unique challenge. The city is built on clay, meaning all its stones have come from elsewhere. Yet, amidst the urban landscape, Dr Siddall has identified an array of geological wonders, each with its own story to share. From York stone, 310m years old, which once formed a prehistoric riverbed, to serpentinite from the Italian Alps, she guides her group through the city's hidden geology.
Their journey takes them past sedimentary rocks from Australia and Brazil, igneous rocks from Norway, and metamorphic rocks from China. Each stop offers a unique window into the Earth's history, with stories of natural disasters, climate change, and human ingenuity woven throughout.
At the Monument column, they uncover Jurassic oyster shells and prehistoric shrimp burrows in its Portland stone base. The building's exterior is constructed from gneiss from a meteorite impact crater in South Africa, featuring black impact glass veins that contain extraterrestrial minerals – a reminder of the Earth's ancient, cosmic history.
As they explore, Dr Siddall shares her knowledge, pointing out hidden fossils and explaining the geological processes that shaped the city. Her passion is infectious, drawing glances from onlookers who may not have noticed the world around them before.
For Dr Siddall, urban geology is more than just a subject – it's an opportunity to reveal the unseen stories of our cities. As she leads her group through London's streets, they uncover the rock biography that underpins this great metropolis. With each step, the city reveals its secrets, and Dr Siddall shares them with infectious enthusiasm.
For £20 adults on a group tour, you can join Dr Siddall and discover the hidden geology of London for yourself. Take a walk in the footsteps of history and uncover the stories that lie beneath your feet – at London Pavement Geology, where every stone has a tale to tell.
For Dr Ruth Siddall, an urban geologist with a passion for discovering hidden stories in London's architecture, every stone has a tale to tell. Her enthusiasm began with cataloguing ancient rocks from Greek ruins in Athens, where she realized that even the most mundane structures held fascinating histories.
London, however, presents a unique challenge. The city is built on clay, meaning all its stones have come from elsewhere. Yet, amidst the urban landscape, Dr Siddall has identified an array of geological wonders, each with its own story to share. From York stone, 310m years old, which once formed a prehistoric riverbed, to serpentinite from the Italian Alps, she guides her group through the city's hidden geology.
Their journey takes them past sedimentary rocks from Australia and Brazil, igneous rocks from Norway, and metamorphic rocks from China. Each stop offers a unique window into the Earth's history, with stories of natural disasters, climate change, and human ingenuity woven throughout.
At the Monument column, they uncover Jurassic oyster shells and prehistoric shrimp burrows in its Portland stone base. The building's exterior is constructed from gneiss from a meteorite impact crater in South Africa, featuring black impact glass veins that contain extraterrestrial minerals – a reminder of the Earth's ancient, cosmic history.
As they explore, Dr Siddall shares her knowledge, pointing out hidden fossils and explaining the geological processes that shaped the city. Her passion is infectious, drawing glances from onlookers who may not have noticed the world around them before.
For Dr Siddall, urban geology is more than just a subject – it's an opportunity to reveal the unseen stories of our cities. As she leads her group through London's streets, they uncover the rock biography that underpins this great metropolis. With each step, the city reveals its secrets, and Dr Siddall shares them with infectious enthusiasm.
For £20 adults on a group tour, you can join Dr Siddall and discover the hidden geology of London for yourself. Take a walk in the footsteps of history and uncover the stories that lie beneath your feet – at London Pavement Geology, where every stone has a tale to tell.
I mean, it's crazy to think about how much history is just... beneath our feet, you know? 
Like, Dr Siddall's tours are literally uncovering the stories of the Earth's past right in the middle of London! And it's not just about ancient rocks and fossils - it's about understanding how the city was shaped over millions of years. I love that she's sharing her passion with people who might not even realize they're walking on geologic history 
. £20 for a tour is pretty reasonable, especially if you think about all the cool stories you'll hear... 
. Maybe they should add some interactive elements to make it even more engaging? Would love to see what other secrets London's got hidden beneath its surface 
anyway, im all for learning about geology in urban areas, its crazy how much history is hidden beneath our feet. and £20 group tour sounds like a solid deal to uncover some rock secrets 
i wanna take one of her tours ASAP! £20 is like a steal for all that knowledge 
The way this ancient ammonite fossil is just chillin' between some windows in a tapas restaurant is actually pretty cool. I mean, it's like the Earth's past is literally embedded in the city's architecture and we're just walking around on top of it. As someone who's into geology (and I am, tbh), it's awesome to see how Dr Siddall is making this stuff accessible to everyone. The fact that she's got a group tour thing going on for £20 is also super reasonable – who wouldn't want to learn about the hidden stories of London while getting a bite to eat? It just goes to show that even in the middle of a bustling city, there's still so much to discover and appreciate. 
It's crazy to think about how our city was built on top of so much history 
.
. Who knows, maybe one day I'll discover a hidden story too 
I think it's so cool how people like Dr Siddall are sharing the hidden stories behind London's architecture. It's amazing how much you can learn just by looking at the stones and rocks that make up the city. The fact that everything in London is built on clay from elsewhere is wild! 
It's not just about learning science, it's about experiencing history and having fun while doing it.
i mean who knew our streets had so much history?! 
. Can't they just use a decent template instead of this clunky grid? It's like they want us to look like we're still in 2008 
.
. I'm intrigued by the idea of tracing the history of rocks through the city's architecture. It's like uncovering a new story every time you walk down the street.
. We're so used to seeing buildings and streets without thinking about the geology beneath them. Dr Siddall's tours are like a wake-up call, reminding us that there's more to urban landscapes than just aesthetics.
. It sounds like an amazing way to see the city in a whole new light. And at £20, it's not too shabby either 
. Maybe this is the kind of thing we need more of – people exploring and sharing the hidden stories behind our cities.