Huntley Quarry Geology Reserve EarthCache
Huntley Quarry Geology Reserve
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A short walk on rough terrain, up and down a woodland hill side in a new reserve (2007), which has three quarries and at the right time of year, bluebells and daffodils.
TO CLAIM THIS CACHE YOU MUST SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO THE CO (see main description).
The Huntley Quarry Geology Reserve owned by Gloucestershire Geology Trust covers an area of 0.87 hectares, has three quarries as well as bluebell and daffodil woodland. It was officially opened in 2007 and is the first geology reserve in Gloucestershire. Driving past it, you wouldn’t know it was there, which is a real shame.
There is a mixture of deposits here from Triassic Bromsgrove Sandstone sediments (237 – 228 million years old) to early Silurian siltstones and sandstones (436 – 428 million years ago), as well as a fault line running through the reserve.
The world looked very different when the rocks seen at the reserve were formed. The rocks in Huntley Quarry and at Bright’s Hill Quarry were formed during the early part of the Silurian period. At this time the continents were a very different shape and gathered around the south pole.
The softer mudstones on the eastern side of the Blaisdon Fault, and the sandstones in Acker's Quarry, were formed over 200 million years later during the Triassic period, by which time the continents had amalgamated into the Supercontinent of Pangaea and spread out from north to south poles.
Acker’s Quarry is a small, newly conserved site, which exposes Triassic Bromsgrove Sandstone sediments, some 237 – 228 million years old. These sediments were probably deposited in a river or estuary that flowed across the deserts of the supercontinent Pangaea.
Bright’s Hill Quarry was re-exposed in March 2007 and can be found to the back of the reserve. Exposed here are early Silurian (Huntley Hill Formation) siltstones and sandstones, dating from 436 – 428 million years ago. These sediments were probably deposited in a shallow marine environment, which bordered a landmass called the Midlands Platform.
Huntley Quarry is the main quarry within the reserve and is a ‘geological gem’. Listed below are just a few of the reasons why this quarry is geologically very important:
• The only known exposure of the Huntley Quarry Beds. These have recently been dated to late Ordovician to early Silurian, 445 – 439 million years ago.
• The sandstones and siltstones that make up the Huntley Quarry Beds contain volcanic material, lava and ash fall deposits. These are volcaniclastic sediments.
• The Blaisdon Fault, part of the East Malvern Fault complex, is very well displayed within the quarry.
• The Huntley Quarry Beds appear to lie near horizontal near the A40, becoming obviously overturned in the main quarry.
• The Huntley Quarry Beds appear to form the core of the May Hill Dome. Evidence suggests that some of the folding of the Huntley Quarry Beds seen within the quarry is due to the folding of sediments to form the dome and that subsequent faulting moved along these folded beds as planes of weakness.
The Blaisdon Fault has moved in different directions over the course of its long history, displaying several phases of global tectonic plate movements from the closure of the Iapetus Ocean, the formation of the supercontinent ‘Pangaea’ and the subsequent pulling apart of that landmass. These movements can be seen to affect the bedding and sediments, as well as the overall structure of the rocks. There are a number of associated smaller thrust faults seen within the main face, and on the newly exposed ramp section, where the core of a tight fold is also evident.
Getting there:
Parking can be found at the entrance to Country Garden Centre at N51 52.477 W002 25.033 next to the church or at the Country Garden Centre car park. The public footpath at N51 52.448 W002 25.114 can be reached via the lane leading from the church to the school at N51 52.472 W002 25.074. The path heading north west, winds its way up the hill passing the school and some houses and entering the woodland. At a ‘crossroad’ of tracks at N51 52.490 W002 25.209, turn left and head south west for N51 52.456 W002 25.365 where you will find an information board and a sign post; this track can be muddy. Huntley Quarry is down hill, south from here. The quarry site itself, can be muddy even in dry weather due to its sheltered position.
DO NOT try and access the quarry from the A40, there is no pavement and the road can be very busy.
To claim this Earth cache you need to complete the following:
Please ONLY email me via my profile the answers to:
1) At the cache site, approximately how high in feet is the rock face at Site 2?
2) What geological feature is on the edge of Site 2 on the right hand side?
And take a photograph (optional) of yourself at the site with your GPS or just your GPS if you are on your own and upload the picture into your log.
TO CLAIM THIS CACHE YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ABOVE, IF YOU DO NOT YOUR LOG WILL BE DELETED. These requirements are due to the educational emphasis that the Earth cache type has been designed for.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)