Nose’s Point is situated just south of Seaham and was once the location of Dawdon Colliery – the mainstay of Dawdon’s economy.
Opened in 1907 the colliery employed 3300 men and in its lifetime broke national and European production records. It was one of the last pits in the North East to close in 1991, ending almost 85 years of production. Colliery waste was dumped onto Blast Beach below the site resulting in environmental devastation.
The site has now been reclaimed into one of the most stunning gateway sites on the Durham Heritage Coast. Wildflower meadows have been restored, ponds have been created for wildlife, seating areas, artwork and interpretation have been specially designed to reflect the heritage of the area. Marine life has returned to the area in abundance.
The England Coast Path runs through Nose’s Point and the car park here provides a great opportunity to explore the area. Just further south on the Coastal Path is Hawthorn Dene and Meadows, the views on this stretch of coastline are stunning and on a clear day there are clear views all the way to North Yorkshire.
In 2014 a fossil tree, believed to have been found in Dawdon Colliery by local miners was returned to the site and forms part of a seat giving great views along the coastline.
Please visit the Fossil Tree at the coordinates and answer the following questions:
1. What dimensions are the Fossil Tree? What does it feel like to touch? Describe the texture.
2. Do you think that what you see and feel now is the original tree? Please explain your answer.
3. Please tell me the three ways that a tree can be fossilised.
4. From your observations, which of the three was the method used to preserve this tree? Please explain how you reached that conclusion.
5. What type of tree is it and which geological period is it from?
You can send your answers by geocaching email or through the messaging system.
Please post some photos of yourself and this lovely view (this is optional)