Welcome to Filey Brigg
PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO VISIT THE LOCATION AT HIGH TIDE OR DURING BAD WEATHER
Filey Brigg is a long narrow peninsula situated about a mile north of Filey, North Yorkshire.
Its steep cliffs are 15 metres high and consist of a variety of material.
The landward end of the peninsula of Filey Brigg is known as Carr Naze, whilst the long neck of rock at the seaward end is called the Brigg.
The existence of the entire structure of Filey Bay and the Brigg is caused by the fact that the rock on the south side of the Brigg slid down, causing the overlying clay to lie either at or below the level of the sea, which eroded it to form Filey Bay.
The hard rock on the northern side juts out to form the Brigg. The structure still erodes and large rock slips caused by constant rapid erosion of the clay cliffs of Carr Naze have been witnessed.
The rocks of Filey Brigg are said to look like the tail of a dragon which terrorized the area but was outsmarted by the townsfolk, who drowned it when it dived into the sea to wash parkin (a Yorkshire cake) from between its teeth.
Geology
The area is a haven for observing different aspects of geology, from the clay cliffs, sandstone strata, the layering of rocks in the cliffs or the large rocky limestone features close to the sea.
Limestone
Limestone is a hard sedimentary rock consisting of calcium carbonate, formed by the deposition of animal remains or coral on the sea floor and is thus known as a calcareous rock.
Limestone is formed in layers or ‘beds’ separated by ‘bedding planes’ these are formed during changes to the rates of the material that are deposited in them.
The Brigg is formed of limestone and has a variety of different shapes and textures in the rock as you explore this location.
Some of the shapes that have been formed here are known as honeycombe weathering, this is is a form of cavernous weathering that consists of regular, tightly adjoining, and commonly patterned cavities that are developed in weathered rock and resemble a honeycombed structure.
It really does look like the middle of a famous chocolate bar!
These formations can be generated by marine abrasion; wind corrosion; chemical weathering of the interior of the rock (core-softening) and salt weathering.
Salt water weathering is a common explanation for the formation of the honeycombe appearance, hence their prescence at this location.
Limestone can offen be an ideal rock to also see fossils, keep an eye out for some here.
Limestone is formed in a marine environment and can be seen to have shell fragments and other small organisms present on the surface of the rock.
This rock can be used in all different forms in the modern day, such as, paving, walls, building construction, farming and industry for steel making.
Clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals.
Pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impurities, such as a reddish or brownish colour from small amounts of iron oxide found in it.
Clay is a very common substance and can be seen in the cliffs of the Carr Naze, the deep red colour can clearly be seen.
The fine-grained, clay-rich soil can absorb large quantities of water after rainfall, becoming sticky and heavy, they can also become very hard when dry, resulting in shrinking and cracking of the ground.
This hardening and softening can then cause subsidence by the movement of the ground with changing weather conditions, for example dry summers or wet winters and with help from the sea and wind the cliffs erode away.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a common sedimentary rock and can be found all over the world, with red sandstone being found in large areas of England and Wales.
Sandstone may be any colour due to impurities within the minerals, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow, red, grey, pink, white, and black.
Although resistance to weathering may vary in sandstone, it is an easy rock to work with and this makes it a common building and paving material.
Besides construction, sandstone can be used for decorative use, such as stautes, monuments and other ornate features.
The EarthCache
In order to log a find you are required to complete the following questions and tasks and send your answers to us via the email address on our profile or via the message centre.
Any finds logged without completing the tasks and sending us their answers will have their log deleted.
1. At the listed coordinates examine the rock, now describe its colour, texture, any markings you can see and what rock is it?
2. Now move on to stage 2, here describe the rocks colour, it's texture and explain how it differs from the rock at the listed coordinates.
3. Is the rock sedimentary, metamorphic or igneous?
4. Explain how the rock was formed.
5. In order to evidence that you have visited the location a photo of you/GPS/other personal object at the listed coordinates with the Carr Naze behind you.
A photo on your found log is a logging requirement of this EarthCache, anyone logging a find without a photo will have the log deleted.
Please do not add any answers to your find log.
Enjoy the wonderful location and happy EarthCaching.
Congratulations on the MGowners for being FTF