This Railway viaduct was built 1849 by A S Jee Huddersfield and Manchester Railway Co. The viaduct is a fantastic example of Victorian engineering and has been a grade 2 listed viaduct since 1986. Each of the 23 arches is semi-circular, the stone is cut as rusticated voussoirs, and is supported on a rectangular pier with projecting plinth and springing band. In classical architecture rustication is a range of masonry techniques giving visible surfaces a finish that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared-block masonry surfaces called ashlar. The visible face of each individual block is cut back around the edges to make its size and placing very clear. In addition the central part of the face of each block may be given a deliberately rough or patterned surface. Rusticated masonry is usually "dressed", or squared off neatly, on all sides of the stones except the face that will be visible when the stone is put in place.
The stone used to build the viaduct is a type of sandstone known as Millstone Grit-this is the name given to any of a number of coarse-grained sandstones of carboniferous age- around 320 million years ago, which occur in Northern England.The sediments that formed the Millstone Grit were laid down by a series of rivers flowing from the north creating large river deltas. These rivers deposited a cyclic succession of shales, siltstones, and cross-bedded sandstone. Millstone Grit specifically refers to such sandstones within the Peak District and Pennines and neighbouring areas of Northern England..
In front of you is a bridge. This is made from Sandstone which is much softer than the Millstone Grit used in the viaduct, but of a similar age. Sandstone (sometimes known as arenite) is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are: tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, pink, white, and black. Sandstone was a popular building material from ancient times. It is relatively soft, making it easy to carve. It has been widely used around the world in constructing temples, homes, and other buildings.
If you look behind you at the lock you might notice that the channel behind the far lock gate is actually an aqueduct. This Grade II listed structure carries the canal over the River Tame.The Saddleworth or "Old Sag" aqueduct name arose from the pronounced sag which occurred in its single span at an early stage after completion. In 2000 some structural repairs were done to make it structurally sound by constructing a new channel in lightweight concrete. You can see the sag better by standing near the river and looking up to it.
What do you need to do to log this Earthcache?
Please email me the answers to the first 3 questions through my profile. Please don't include the answers in your log.
1. Look at the rusticated voussoirs near the bench at the corner of the stone arch. Please describe the colours you can see within the stone.
2. Please describe what the face of the stone feels like.
3. On the top of the bridge where the co.ordinates take you there are marks in the stones. Please count the marks, all depths, and tell me how many there are and what you think might have made them?
if you would like to take a picture in the area feel free to post it with your log but please avoid posting pictures that might give away the answers to the questions.
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I hope you enjoyed coming here and have learnt something new. This is my first earthcache and I look forward to reading about your experience.