An erratic is a piece of rock that is not native to the area in which it rests. The Soulbury erratic was deposited 500,000 years ago during the Anglian glaciation. The erratic is made of carboniferous limestone, native to Yorkshire. It was transported here and deposited as the ice sheet retreated. Local folklore has it that if ever the rock is moved then ill-luck will befall the village. So, there it sits in the middle of the road.
Over the past 40 million years the earth has been subjected to periodice ice ages. The polar ice caps have grown, and continental glaciers have extended, to cover the land with ice many hundreds of meters thick.
One of the most extensive ice advances was known, in the UK, as the Anglian. About 500,000 years ago ice, up to 1km thick, covered much of the UK; as far south as Bristol and London. The Anglian glaciation had quite a dramatic effect to the landscape of Britain. The river Thames was diverted on to it's current course and the river Severn was created after the ice retreated.
Evidence for past ice ages can be gleaned from the landscape. Features such as drumlins, eskers, cirques and of course erratics point to the action of ice and its' retreat.
In order to complete this cache you must perform a series of tasks and answer some questions and mail them to me through my profile.
1. Take a photo of yourself near to the boulder with your GPSr and post them to the page - please be careful crossing the road.
2. Estimate the volume of the boulder itself - I paced it out using my feet; again please be careful! Length X height X width.
3. Nearby is a post box, the other side of the street from the charity house - what is the post box number?
4. In which geological period did the Anglian glaciation take place?
Good luck - and please be careful. The erratic is in the middle of the road and caution must be taken at all times. Please take care especially if caching with little ones and pets.