Apatite fission-track and vitrinite reflectance data from Central England demonstrate how these techniques can reveal otherwise unrecognized tectonic and/or palaeothermal episodes in apparently tectonically stable areas. The results document the transition from an inverted basinal region in the north (East Midlands Shelf), to a tectonically stable platform in the south (Midland Platform). AFTA data from the region reveal two discrete cooling episodes, in the Early and Late Tertiary. Maximum palaeotemperatures from AFTA and VR data in outcrop samples define a consistent increase from <=50degC in Lower Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic units in the SE to around 80–90degC in Triassic and older units in the NW...