The pipes are set back in an area hewn out of the bedrock of Cheshire sandstone, towards the bottom of Runcorn Hill. This rock is not uniform in colour or texture, and even in a small area like this you can see differences.
To claim a find for this Earthcache, you should send me the answers to the following questions. Optionally, you may also want to take a photograph of yourself or your GPS by the pipes or rocks and post this with your log.
- Estimate the height of the cliff by the top of the pipes.
- On the left, by the 30mph sign, you should easily be able to see the strata in the rocks. Describe the colour and texture of these layers. How do you think they are formed?
- The presence of which mineral causes the reddish colour of some of the rocks?
- The rocks on either side of the pipes are quite different. The left-hand face is full of holes, and opposite this, on the right-hand side, most of the rocks are smoother and darker. What do you think has caused each side to have these characteristics, and why do you think they are not the same?
- In the corner to the left of the pipes, the sandstone is partly covered by some other substance. What do you think this is and how did it get here? Is it natural?
You can log the cache without waiting for my reply, but I may delete your log if I don't receive an email within a day or two.
You can park right by the pipes. If you're not arriving by car then please do not walk down the expressway! Instead, you can come down the path from Weston Road (see the trailhead waypoint) or under the expressway from Bankes' Lane in Weston Point. You won't be able to reach the cache if you come down Cheshyre's Lane without climbing over a chainlink fence and doing what I told you not to do!