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Weathering the weather at Holy Trinity EarthCache

Hidden : 11/19/2017
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

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Geocache Description:


This is an EarthCache. There is no physical box or log. To claim a find you need to read this cache page, visit the site and look at the geology, then message or email the cache owner (through the link at the top of this page or through the links on my profile) with answers to Questions 1 and 2 below. You may then log your find.

Holy Trinity Church was first built in Gothic Revival style in 1850-1851, to serve a growing community around the quarrying industry, but also has later additions, alterations, and repairs. It's been a Grade II listed building since 2008. The octagonal turret is an easily recognised local landmark.

Landmark octagonal turret and spire, Holy Trinity Church

Most of the walls of Holy Trinity Church are built of igneous "rubble" stones such as diorite and granite from quarries nearby in the Malvern Hills. These igneous rocks were formed by volcanic processes deep in the earth's crust approximately 680 million years ago. The local diorite tends to be grey or greenish-grey, while the granite tends to be pink or red, because of differing mineral content in the rocks. These igneous rocks are dense and difficult to cut into neatly squared blocks so less dense sedimentary stone, mostly limestone from the Cotswolds, has been used for shaped cornerstones and carved decorative stonework. This limestone is also less resistant to weathering and erosion. The sedimentary Cotswold limestone you'll be looking at was formed from sediments deposited in shallow tropical seas approximately 175-164 million years ago. It's called "limestone" because the mineral content is mostly calcium carbonate, although it also contains iron which gives its characteristic creamy yellow colour.

New replacement building stone by the west door, Holy Trinity Church

Weathering is the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces, and erosion is the movement of that weathered material. There are three main types of weathering: physical, chemical, and biological. Physical weathering causes the breakdown of rocks without chemical changes to those rocks. Chemical weathering causes the breakdown of rocks by changing them through chemical reactions. Biological weathering causes breakdown of rocks through the effects of organisms living on the rocks. The four main agents of erosion are water, ice, wind, and gravity.

One form of weathering can be visible as blistering when over time acidic moisture, such as rainwater, penetrates limestone and reacts with carbonates in the stone. This chemical reaction leads to the weathering and then erosion of exposed stone. More sheltered stone first forms a skin on the outside which traps more droplets of water that freeze in winter and expand which then causes blistering on the limestone. Over the years this process of blistering repeats, especially in colder winters, and weathers the stone which then erodes away.

Question 1. Look at the stone leaf carvings on either side of the south door. Are the carved shapes clear? Is the surface smooth or rough? Is there any damage by weathering and how do you think this occurred?

Question 2. Look at the carved stone arch around the west door. Is there any evidence of other weathering, such as blistering, and if so then what type or types of weathering would this be?

Photos are welcome but no close-up spoilers for the answers please.

Please park with consideration for local people. If you are looking for several caches in this area then you might find it easiest to park at one of the two free car parks on Link Common (Cockshot Road) or the pay car parks at North Quarry (B4232 North Malvern Road) or Tank Quarry (be aware this is sometimes locked at dusk). There are also stops nearby for several bus routes.

Disabled access: there is step-free access to the church down a sloping tarmac path through a pedestrian gate with stone gateposts from the B4232 North Malvern Road at the lower end, near the junction with the A449 Worcester Road, with roadside parking usually available for a car. There is also step-free access up a straight but sloping tarmac path from Trinity Road. Close access to the geological points of interest on the building is relatively flat on wide tarmac paths.

Holy Trinity holds weekly services on Sundays and Thursday mornings, and the church interior is also currently open to visitors most weekdays from 9am to 3pm. More information can be found on the parish website: http://www.holytrinitymalvern.org.uk

Thanks to the Vicar and Church Warden of Holy Trinity Church for permission to place this EarthCache.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Lbh fubhyq or noyr gb svaq rknzcyrf bs jrngurevat naq rebfvba va gur pernzl-lryybj yvzrfgbar oybpxf ba gur jrfg naq fbhgu fvqrf bs gur ohvyqvat arne gur znva qbbef naq ba gur pbearef orgjrra gur znva qbbef. Lbh pna nyfb frr pbzcnengviryl arj ercynprzrag fgbar ng tebhaq yriry ol gur jrfg qbbe.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)