Long before Dinosaurs inhabited the land, a gigantic river cascading down from mountains in France carried these pebbles across a desert and deposited them across the large bed that makes the East Devon pebblebeds. The pebbles in these cliffs are approximately 240 million years old. There are two rock sequences that can be seen at Budleigh Salterton; The Budleigh Salterton Pebble Beds and the Otter Sandstones.
These pebble beds are a conglomerate formed from large rounded pebbles of a hard stone called quartzite and can be seen to the west of the village along the beach. The size and shape of the pebbles indicates they were carried by fast flowing water and deposited quickly, while the red colour shows that the layers of pebbles formed on land. The Pebble Beds are overlain by the Otter Sandstones, which are seen along the sea front at Budleigh Salterton and to the east over the mouth of the River Otter. They are easily recognised by the deep eroded hollows, rhizocretions (fossil roots) and cross bedding. The overlying Otter Sandstones formed after a brief very dry period and indicate the return of large braided rivers, but this time depositing sand. With rivers offering a source of water in an arid landscape, ancient reptiles and plants could colonise the desert.
There are some wonderfully patterned pebbles here, why don't you have a look and see.....
I can also recommend the pebbles web site www.pebblebeds.org.uk all about the pebble heathlands.
To Claim this cache;
1/ On the board at 50°37.690'N, 3°19.506'W, How long did it take for good things to come?
2/ 350 million years ago the pebbles were not pebbles and were not part of the UK, which country did they stem from though?
3/ Where can you see specimens and fossils on display in Budleigh?
4/ As you walk along the beach at what coordinates do the pebblebeds first become visible in the cliff?
5/ Please go to the headline coordinates and estimate the height of the cliffs. (you could find out the height of the cliffs at this point by walking up the footpath above the cliffs and using your gps)
6/ At the same point please estimate the thickness of the pebblebed layer.
Please email me the answers to me via my profile, no answers, and your log WILL be deleted. Thanks.
Please do not dig pebbles out of the cliffs, and please be careful at all times, both on the beach by the sea and near the cliffs, you assume all responsibility for any dangers that may exist whilst doing this cache!!
Thankyou to East Devon District Council for allowing the cache.