To claim this cache you must visit the park and answer some simple questions at the bottom of the page.
In the 1800s, Horton Bank Quarry was one of the most famous stone quarries in Bradford – indeed many of the older local houses are built with stone from this very quarry. In 1871 plans were made for the quarry to be filled in with water and used as a reservoir, providing clean water to the people of Bradford. The reservoir took three years to build and had an earth dam. The reservoir supplied water to the city every day for over a century. In the 1980s, Yorkshire Water made an inspection and discovered major problems with the dam - 100s of local people were at serious risk of potentially deadly floods. The culvert, which would take water away in an emergency, was blocked with tonnes of silt. A landslide or earth movement would have endangered the villagers below.
In 1989 the reservoir was finally closed when it became infected with bacterial algae. Later the site was landscaped as a conservation area and contains shallow lakes with woodland and natural vegetation. Horton Bank Country Park opened July 15th 1997.
The rock exposures on the south side of the site give good views of two Upper Carboniferous sandstones (the Greenmoor Rock and the Grenoside Sandstone for the experts among you) and the silts and shale in between. The sandstones contain structures such as ripple marks and cross bedding, which are easily observed from the many footpaths which cross the site. The shale and silts contain iron nodules in places.
To claim this earthcache as a find please email me via my profile your answers to the following:
1) At the posted coordinates a number of slabs have been laid up the slope of the old dam. These slabs have roman numerals on. What is the topmost roman numeral? (I will accept guesses for those unable to climb the slope)
2) Use your GPS to work out the height of the old dam.
3) Walk the path around the lake. What is the approximate circumference?
4) Using your answers, work out how many millions of gallons of water the reservoir would have held (this will be an underestimate because the lake is much smaller than the reservoir would have been - double the number to get a better answer!)
5) Go to one of the waypoints to find one of several rock exposures. Describe how the sandstone looks and the texture of it. Describe the direction of any cross-bedding or ripples through the rock. Bonus points if you can find any iron nodules (look for the reddish coloured areas).
6) (OPTIONAL) Upload a photograph of something interesting at the park (even if it is just the view of Bradford!)
Feel free to claim a find as soon as you email the answers above - no need to wait for my response.
Many thanks to Bradford Council for permission to place this Earthcache.