LEADING geologists from across the UK have paid a visit to a unique heritage site in Northwich.

Experts in geology and salt toured the Lion Salt Works, in Marston, which is one of the last four historic open pan salt works in the world.

Katherine West, Cheshire West and Chester Council's museums and arts manager, said the visit was important to add depth to the museum and put it on the map.

She said: "You get the impression when you open a museum that you're opening it to tell everyone everything there is to know about it but it's the start of a learning process for us as well.

"First of all there's local people coming in with a connection to it and we are constantly hearing their stories – we add in the stories we hear so the tour we have now is different from the one we opened with.

"By introducing more experts from different fields we get new angles on the site and find out more.

"I'm hoping these experts will make us think about the site from a different perspective."

She added: "It's also about putting the salt works and Northwich on the map as these people are very well respected in their field."

The group included leading salt tectonics experts, representatives from the British Geographical Survey, members of north west geological societies and the geological press.

The group had a tour of the museum following an introduction by Cllr Brian Clarke and a short film about the salt works, which opened in June after a three-year restoration.

Chris Jackson, professor of basin analysis at Imperial College London, said: "The basic thing underpinning this is the geology.

"Millions of years ago this was a lot further south – we were down at equatorial latitudes drifting northwards.

"There used to be a desert here where salt was deposited so this story starts not from the Romans but way before that.

"That's why I was interested because geology is vitally important.

"It's about the impact of geology on local history – there wouldn't be any settlement here without the resource to support a population."

Susan Brown, chairman of Rockwatch, a national geology club for children, said: "It's really important that people understand the geology and how important it is and the tremendous resource they have on their doorstep.

"I wish the salt works great success."