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Site effects have caused significant damage to structures even in small magnitude earthquakes. However, in countries such as the UK where the seismic risk is perceived to be low, little site-specific seismic characterisation has been carried out, potentially reducing the resilience of infrastructure design. Research is being undertaken to develop a cost-effective method that produces detailed shear wave velocity profiles and hazard classification for previously uncharacterised sites. This paper reviews the application of this method as it is carried out on three strong ground motion stations in the UK. For each, a geological profile is determined through desk study, previous in situ measurements and walkover surveys. This profile is correlated with a database of worldwide shear wave recordings, using similarity of lithofacies and geological deposition. A shear wave velocity range is developed for each site, which is classified according to Eurocode 8 criteria. Microtremor testing was subsequently carried out, validating the theoretical results.