This microtectonic study has been carried out in the central and northern parts of England and in southernmost Wales. It has allowed us to point out several tectonic stages during the Permian-Cenozoic period. These have been tentatively correlated with the tectonic evolution of offshore basins. (1) The Permian/Early Triassic tectonic phase is characterized by a NNW-SSE trending extension probably associated with transcurrent faulting. (2) During the Late Triassic to Early Malm, an E-W to ENE-WSW trending extension was acting, as revealed by syn-sedimentary faulting in the Keuper, Liassic and Middle Dogger series. (3) The following tectonic event probably started during the Malm and was particulary active during the Early Cretaceous; it was characterized by a N-S to NNE-SSW trending extension associated with transcurrent faulting. The tectonic structures formed during this last extensional event are sealed by chalk formations of the Albian to Late Cretaceous. (4) Prior to the next tectonic regime, some local sites registered NW-SE trending compression which is thought to correspond to the ＇＇Laramian＇＇ inversion phase of the Middle Paleocene. (5) The later tectonic event which affects a Paleocene dyke (Cleveland dyke) is characterized by a N-S trending compression and is supposed to be partly synchronous with the so called ＇＇Pyrenean＇＇ and/or ＇＇Helvetic＇＇ compressional events of the Eocene to Early Miocene. Both of these two events are widely registered in the Western Europe-an shelf and could be related to inversion tectonics observed in the North Sea basins.