A brief history of Watchet
Roman
The west of Somerset, along with Devon and Cornwall, was named Dumnonia under the Roman rule. Archaeology has identified the presence of the Roman army locally with remains of a look-out on Steep Holm to control shipping in the Bristol Channel. Roman lifestyle which could include building rectangular homes in place of Iron Age roundhouses.
Anglo-Saxon
During the Anglo-Saxon era Watchet became a town important enough to have its own mint. As the Danes forced inroads into Wessex, many towns provided greater security by constructing fortifications known as burghs under the rules of Alfred and his sons. Watchet became one of the ten important burghs of Wessex as it is listed in the Burghal Hideage. Excavations at Dawes Castle above Watchet suggest the burgh and its mint may have been sited there. Silver pennies were minted and the Museum is fortunate to have an original on display, along with various replica coins, with an interpretation of the minting process. Silver pennies from Watchet have been unearthed as far afield as Scandinavia.
Post Norman Conquest
The Manor House of Watchet was Kentsford, which is undoubtedly the oldest secular building in the parish. It can be viewed after a pleasant meander along the old Mineral Line; a mysterious stone cross in the foot of the wall of the packhorse bridge which spans the Washford River there can also be seen. A well-known local legend associated with Kentsford involved Florence Wyndham, wife of John Wyndham, who resided at Kentsford Manor in 1559. A version of this legend can be seen in the Museum. Samuel Taylor Coleridge whilst stayed with Wordsworth at the Bell Inn in 1797 with the first verses of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, considered among the greatest works in English literature. As a tribute to this, the Market House Museum Society commissioned a statue of the Ancient Mariner and this was erected on the Esplanade in 2003.
EarthCache information
At the location given you will find a beautiful cliff overlooking the beach. To complete this cache you will need to traverse the concrete platform to get close to the rock face, you can get easy-ish access close to the slipway or climb up the steps.
There are two types of rock making up the rock face. Some of it is red sandstone and some is limestone. The rock is in layers.
Sandstone
Sandstone could be almost any colour, but it may all be a similar colour. At this location is it a deep red ochre colour. You will be able to identify lines which run all the way through the rock, where different seasons or catastrophic events have altered the composition of the deposits for a short time. These are called bedding planes and make up the strata. This type of rock can be quite durable but at this location is a very soft rock and feels rough to the touch and minute grains will come off when you rub it even gently. In fact of you wet your finger and rub it will come away looking like you have painted your finger.
Limestone
This is a common building material especially in ancient times due to the decorative look of the rock. This is a pale rock which is soft and often riddled with weaknesses. At this location however it is in quite thin stripes and riddled with numerous fissures and faults. This rock would be useless as a construction material. Since it is in the open this rock has suffered from significant weathering and has have deep scores or fissures in the rock where the rain has run over it.
Not all the rock has the same hardness, I'll be asking about the hardness so take note as you look.
The rocks are inter-bedded mud-stones and sandstone, some of which are limestone in nature (ie calcareous). The colouring is iron staining and doesn't match the bedding. Please note there are lots of layers with sediment that have had sediments run down over them from above - This makes looking at the rock face a little confusing, but you are concentrating on the clearly defined differences between the light and red rocks. .
Weathering is when actions of water, air, ice and wind wear away or change the appearance or texture of (something) by long exposure. In fact it can be described as any mechanical or chemical breakdown of rocks
Erosion is the wearing away of sand, soil, or rock by water or wind. Both erosion and weathering will break down softer rock faster than hard rock.
Right so now you have loads of information about the stone you are looking at so here are some questions I would like you to answer.
1) Describe how the rock face looks and feels, concentrate on
a) The feel of the layers
b) The angle of the bedding planes or strata
c) The look of the rock face.
2) Which colour layers have eroded or been most effected by weathering ?
3) Try to explain why some layers are protruding from the rock face.
4) Look at the white/grey layers and tell me how roughly many you can see that are more than 10cm thick.
If you feel willing and able please include a photo with your log but don’t give away any information which will reveal answers.
Thanks for visiting the location and be very careful with geo-kids/pets.