Visit to Geological Society of London
Afternoon visit to Geological Society of London (GSL)
When: Tuesday 15 September 2026, 2.30 pm to 4.30pm
Where: Geological Society of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 9EJ. It is a short walk from Piccadilly Circus and Green Park Underground stations.
Who: IMCoS members and their guests
What’s on: An afternoon hosted by John Henry, IMCoS member and Fellow of the GSL and Caroline Lam (Archivist) and Paul Johnson (Map Librarian) at GSL.
The visit will begin with a talk by John Henry about the creation of two of the earliest geological maps of the UK – William Smith’s famous ‘Delineation of the Strata of England and Wales’ (1815) and George Bellas Greenough’s ‘Geological map of England & Wales’ (1820).
The group will then be shown a small selection of historical maps in the Society’s Upper Library. Amongst these will be examples of late 18th-century ‘petrographical/mineralogical’ maps which pre-date modern geological mapping, as well as examples of other mapping works showing why the British Isles was central to the beginnings of modern geological science.
The visit will finish with a rare visit to the Geological Society’s Map Room, which holds c. 40,000 modern maps which are the most heavily used by the Society’s Fellows. Paul Johnson, the map librarian will give an overview of the collection and show examples of the more interesting 20th-century maps.
Practicals: The GLS is in a heritage building with a lot of stairs, however there is a small lift. Seating is limited with a small number of folding seats which can be used in the hallway during John’s talk. Chairs are available in the Upper Library but there is no seating in the Map Room.
Refreshments are not included but the Royal Academy Café and Fortnum and Masons, as well other eateries are close by.
Cost: There is a charge of £10.00 per person, to be paid in cash or cheque on the day to Mark Clark, the event organiser.
Joining instructions will be given post application
Application to be made by email to Mark Clark IMCoS UK Representative to markclark368@gmail.com. Please provide your name and email address in your application and a contact phone number. There are only 15 places so early application is advised. A waiting list will be maintained once there are 15 applicants.
Closing date: 31 July 2026
