The Agglestone Earthcache EarthCache
The Agglestone Earthcache
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This geological curiosity is on Godlingston Heath, behind Studland on the Purbeck Heritage Coast. The National Trust have two car parks in the village, and there are several good paths to the rock, allow 45 minutes for a leisurely round trip.
This rock is made of a stone called Agglestone Grit, from the Eocene age. It is a good example of erosion of stratified layers of rock; as it was “left behind” when softer rocks surrounding it were eroded away by water and weather. It used to be a pedestal rock, sitting up like an anvil, but fell over onto one side in 1970. It now sits as a hill top tor, as it has protected the land just beneath it from erosion.
From the rock, there are fine views towards Sandbanks, Poole harbour, Studland Bay, and (with good weather) the Isle of Wight. There are signs of mans exploitation of the area over thousands of years, from Neolithic barrows, to stone quarries, clay extraction, bomb craters and current oil exploitation.
To log the cache you must complete the following tasks:
1 Post a photo of yourself/your GPS with the Agglestone
2 Email me with the answers to these questions:
What sort of rock is Agglestone Grit?
What direction did the rock fall over? (towards or away from Poole harbour)
Seen from the plateau the rock sits on, how many of the paths up have steps?
Rocks are classified into three main groups:
Sedimentary – eg limestone, siltstone, mudstone, shale, sandstone and coal
Igneous – eg granite, basalt, gabbro and andesite
Metamorphic – eg slate and marble
There is are two old myths about the Agglestone. The first that it was thrown by Old Nick from the Needles on the Isle of Wight at Corfe Castle, but he missed and the rock landed where it was. The second is that if you "keep tryst" with a lover at the Agglestone, a happy union is sure to follow.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)