Newton St Loe - Geography

Geography

The land around the village is used for arable farming and grassland. The soil overlies Lias Limestone with shallow well-drained calcareous clays and clay loams.

To the south west of the village and close to the route of the Wansdyke is the Newton Park campus of Bath Spa University. The site includes the Michael Tippett Centre, named after the composer, with a modern concert hall. The campus is based in Newton Park in grounds designed by Capability Brown and leased from the Duchy of Cornwall. The site has a lake, nature reserve, woodland and farmland.

Newton St Loe SSSI is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) close to the River Avon, also featured in the Geological Conservation Review. The site is designated as an SSSI because it represents the only remaining known exposure of fossiliferous Pleistocene gravels along the River Avon. In conjunction with other sites within the wider area, it has aided the development of a scientific understanding of the history of early glaciation within South West England. The bodies of mammoths (Mammuthus) and horses (Equus) have been found at the site.

Carrs Woodland between Newton St Loe and Twerton is designated as a Local Nature Reserve.