About us

Last updated 19/12/22
List of Contributors
Sheila Alderman (SA), Malcolm Balmer (MB), Pete Bath (PB/PJB), Alan Holiday (AH), Kelvin Huff (KJH), Geoff Rowland (GR), Pat Snelgrove (PS), Jo Thomas (JT), Geoff Townson (GT/WGT), John Whicher (JW), John Lowe (JL)
​Chris Webb (CW)

Jo Thomas  (JT)
Jo started exploring the quarries in Dorset in the 1970’s, working with other geologists under the National Scheme for Geological Site Documentation, for the Dorset Environmental Records Centre, who hold all the records on paper. The paper forms included ‘History of the Site’, but this needed historical research, not geological. As a volunteer, Jo researched in the Dorset History Centre but found that there are very few written records of quarrying, and the OS maps drawn in the 19th century were the earliest that showed quarries. There are thousands of historic stone buildings in Dorset, so to find the history of the quarries we must look at the buildings. The published results of Jo’s research are noted in the reference list.

Geoff Rowland (GR)
Geoff is a semi-retired lecturer in computer science and information technology and a former research biochemist. He has a lifelong interest in geology stemming from childhood holidays on the Dorset coast.
Currently enjoying practical work with a range of regional geoconservation and conservation groups: Dorset's Important Geological Sites, the Jurassic Coast Trust,  the South Dorset Ridgeway Landscape Partnership, the Dorset Dry Stone Walling Association and EuCAN.
Geoff has a particular interest in using emerging web-technologies to visualise geoconservation information in 2D and 3D.

Malcolm Balmer (MB)
Malcolm is a retired engineer and amateur photographer. He is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the IET and holds an LRPS qualification from the Royal Photographic Society. From late 2020 Malcolm brought his expertise in Digital Image processing and post-production to our website and publications.
John Lowe (JL)
John has been a member of the RIBA since 1974:  A life member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, a member of the Vernacular Architecture Group since 1980, of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation since 1985 and also a Friend the Royal Academy and member of the Society of Authors. He's had a long professional career stretching over 45 years as a trained architect, 37 of them in public service as Conservation and Design Officer, at Burnley, then at Dorset County Council.

Alan Holiday (AH)
Alan is a retired teacher of geography and geology having also taught on an architectural stone conservation degree. He was chairman of Dorset Geologists’ Association Group and chairman ofDorset’s Important Geological Sites, the latter being a conservation group which looks after sites of geological interest across Dorset.

Sheila Alderman (SA)
Sheila Alderman  has been interested in geology all her life, stemming from picking up funny shaped stones on Charmouth beach in her childhood. She became very actively involved in wanting to find out more about geology in the 1990’s and joined the DGAG committee and Open University Geological Society (OUGS) Wessex branch Committee in 1996. She  studied Geology at A Level evening class with Alan Holiday and also has studied geology through the Open University. She has recently retired after many years as Branch organiser for Wessex OUGS . Sheila has developed a specific interest in the identification and use of stone in buildings and of discovering if possible where the stone was quarried.

Pat Snelgrove (PS)
Pat studied for a degree at the Open University whilst working at Stafford College as a physics and computer technician. As part of her studies, she joined the Open University Geological Society in the Midlands. When she moved to Dorset after retiring she transferred to the Wessex Branch, joined the Dorset Geologists’ Association and became a member of the Dorset’s Important Geological Sites Group where she met the other members of the Church Buildings Group. Like Sheila, she has had an interest in geology since she was a child when she picked up interesting stones on the beach at Portsmouth. When she was invited to be a geology volunteer at Dorset County Museum she found an ideal habitat for her interests. 

Chris Webb (CW)
 Geoscientist (Geology and Geophysics) Graduated with M.Sc. in Geology from Auckland University, New Zealand in 1980. Currently enjoying “retirement” and further exploring aspects of geoscience exploration and wildlife that involves volunteering skills, time and enthusiasm! Over 40+ years of exploring and integrating geology and geophysics into interpretation and prospect generation in various companies namely; Kite Exploration Ltd, Beach Energy Ltd, BG/QGC, Petro-Canada/Veba/Wolgademinoil/Deminex, BP/Britoil and Premier Consolidated Oilfields.  Experience of exploring for and finding hydrocarbons in many basins in the world for example Australia, Kazakhstan, Africa, North Sea, Russia, China, Thailand, New  Zealand. Chris is an active volunteer geology guide at the Etches Museum and also volunteers at Dorset Museum, plus a member of the Dorset Geologists Association Group.

 Kelvin Huff (KJH)
Kelvin taught Geography and Geology for nearly 40 years in Sussex and Dorset.
He is Secretary of the Dorset Geologists’ Association Group and Dorset’s Important Geological Sites group. He also runs several U3a groups, including geology. Geology is one of his many interests, which also include genealogy, art history, walking and playing around with websites!
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John Whicher (JW)
John is a retired doctor who pursued a career in medical science and research.  He has had an interest in geology since collecting fossils around Sherborne as a child.  In his retirement he is studying the geology and palaeontology of the Inferior Oolite of Dorset about which he has published a number of papers.

Geoff Townson (WGT/GT)
Geoff was a retired international petroleum exploration geologist who studied the Upper Jurassic of England and Northern France for his doctorate at Oxford, following BSc. in Geology and Zoology at Kings, London. He had experience in the sedimentology of limestones and described various samples under the hand lens and microscope for this website.  Geoff lived in West Dorset and ran U3A Geology courses as well as being a volunteer at Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.  He was a member of the Dorset Geologists Association Group, a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and was a Chartered Geologist.  He was also a semi-professional Visual Artist .

Pete Bath (PB/PJB)
Pete was a publisher’s agent and teacher, who took up geological interests on retirement.   A born sceptic, he took to making rock thin sections to find the "truth behind appearances" of building stone, as well as for geological specimens.  Modern access to eBay has additionally allowed him to also build polarising microscopes with computer-tethered cameras allowing him to share images of what is revealed in thin section.