This EarthCache takes you to the centre of Settle, the EarthCache location is connected with the composer Elgar.
Sir Edward Elgar frequently visited Settle, and he would stay with his friend Dr Charles William Buck who was the town’s physician. This house is the one he stayed in.
They met back in the 1880s was when the British Medical Association held their 50th anniversary at the Shire Hall in Worcester. The 25 year old Elgar was the leader of a local orchestra which provided music for their final soiree. However, Buck was also roped in as he happened to be a keen cellist.
One of his favourite places was said to be Catrigg Force, near to Stainforth. I gave been there and played Nimrod, which he composed, a truly magical experience.
The below photograph shows the EarthCache location. It is small, but well worth visiting, especially if you are here on a day trip, and not heading up the Dales to see the geology there.
🤔 So, what are we here to look at?
We are here to examine one of the stones indicated in the photograph. The stone has a type of coral fossil in it, that is not usually found in the immediate geology around Settle. It is likely a stone that has been washed down the Ribble, or transported by a glacier from further up Upper Ribblesdale. In the geology of Upper Ribblesdale and Upper Wharfedale, there is a distinct band of limestone which has a lot of fossils coral in it. Limestone is a sedimentary rock, which formed originally as sediment in a shallow tropical sea. The sediment was lime mud and the shells of ancient sea creatures. It was deposited during the Carboniferous Period. If you look over towards Castleberg Crag (where the flagpole is), you will notice a cliff, this is formed from limestone.
🤔 Undertaking an EarthCache is about seeing and learning.
We are going to look at the fossil coral, and then decide what type. There is already a nearby Earthcache about horn corals, so we can discount that type, we shall be looking at colonial corals. This means they lived in a colony, or in simple terms, all together. It is a complex subject looking at corals, so we shall stay simple, and look at two types, Siphonodendron and Lithostrotion. Now, to be exact, Siphonodendron is actually a sub species of Lithostrotion coral, but there are subtle differences which will help us.
Siphonodendron Coral.
This coral has an appearance of spaghetti.
Lithostrotion Coral.
This being an EarthCache, in order to log it, I ask that you complete the above tasks. Please send the answers to me, and do not include them in your log. You can send them to me by using the message facility or email, both of which can be found by looking at my profile.
1. Please identify the type of fossil coral.
2. What type of stone is it, and please describe the colour.
3. Why is there fossil coral in this stone?