Thornton Quarry Earth Cache EarthCache

An earth cache located in a disused limestone quarry.

Walking is on clear paths but there is a very steep path into the amphitheatre of the quarry head so terrain 4.

There are vertical drops if you leave the path so…………………. Don’t.

The quarry head is a bit of a mess now but is still a stunning location.

To claim this cache you will need to read the information below, visit the location and message the answers to me.

You are invited to take a photo to add to your log if you like and you may log your find at the same time as sending your answers.

There is a mini-series within the quarry too belonging to another CO.

This is a limestone quarry

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Most limestone is composed of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera.

At the location given you will see a steep paths and as you run down (you won’t be able to stop yourself), the rock face on your left and at the bottom, is the focus of this cache.

Limestone makes up about 10% of the total volume of all sedimentary rocks. The solubility of limestone in water and weak acid solution, in which water erodes the limestone over thousands to millions of years. Most cave systems are through limestone bedrock.

At this location I would like you to study the rock face and look for evidence of water ingress and even little cavities. Where water has flowed through this rock it will have caused fissures and cracks (especially in winter, because of freezing) and may even have brought other materials, such as vegetation or minerals, into the rock strata.  This makes the rock face crumbly and easy to quarry with simple hand tools.

Also it will have exposed fossils but these are difficult to spot because they will be small. 

These fissures make the rock face unstable and also make it easy to quarry.

Limestone has numerous uses: as a building material, as aggregate for the base of roads, as white pigment or filler in products such as toothpaste or paints, as a chemical feedstock and soil improver in acid soils .

Limestone was being quarried at Thornton in the 19^th century and was largely used to improve fertility of the land because it wasn’t suitable for building material form this location.

This outcrop is part of an extension of the southern extremes of the North and Middle Craven Faults, which also appears above Ingleton and in Ribblesdale and occurred in the Carboniferous age.

This limestone quarry offers quite a bit of climbing, up to ?? feet in all grades on an easily angled slab. The protection is not too great, though, so bring a top rope if you want to be safe and enjoy yourself.

So to the questions;

You may need to do a little homework before you answer the last question.

1)Please look at the rock face and describe what it looks like and why it would be easy to quarry as a powdered fertiliser.

2)What evidence can you see of water ingress and what does this do to the rock face?

3)How tall do you think the rock face is at this location?

4)This is an extension of the southern edge of the North and middle Craven Fault, Ingleton close to the northern edge. How long was this fault?  (An internet map search will help)

If you feel willing and able please include a photo in your log and if you are able to find a fossil for your photo that would be awesome.

Thanks for vising the location and I hope you were as amazed by the quarry as I was