This memorial commemorates both the First and Second World Wars and is listed and protected by English Heritage. It was moved to this location in 2018, after being refurbished thanks to the kindness of local businesses and voluntary contributions. The previous site on the busy A638 was inaccessible, so it was decided to move it here where it is accessible to all including wheelchair users. It stands on a resin bound surface which reduces noise and gives a more tranquil feel to the area.
The memorial remembers Lieutenant Raymond Peake, his son and thirty six local men of Bawtry, Austerfield and Misson, from WW1 whose names are engraved on a square plinth which sits on an Octagonal base. A tapered column, with the names of three lives lost in WW2 has a cross with pitched roof. It was erected prior to 1929, with little known about its manufacture, and re-dedicated in 2003 after the cross blew off in a storm. The entire memorial is constructed from Limestone.
LIMESTONE was formed in warm, shallow tropical seas by the accumulation of tiny sea creatures and Limestone rich mud. Eventually, after millions of years of compaction and the squeezing out of any fluid, a hard rock formed. Today, if we are lucky we can see traces of a past life in the form of fossils, not always whole or intact, but sometimes fragments of shell or patterns. Once compaction has taken place, the body parts of an animal or living organism are slowly replaced by Calcium Carbonate. Close inspection can reveal the outline of fossilised creatures, even plants, and in some cases a 3d version of the subject can be collected or gently prised out of a rock sample.
BIVALVES are a class of aquatic molluscs which include Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Scallops and many more. They live on the sea bed and filter sediment and plankton by way of two hinged valves which open and close to feed and excrete waste. A hard outer shell composed of Calcium Carbonate protects the soft fleshy living part which processes food and operates muscles and ligaments. Bivalves come in all shapes and sizes, think about shells on a sea shore, from a few millimetres to many centimetres, some have shells which are very smooth, while others have serations or striations. They can attach themselves to the sea bed or hard surface, using a specially designed flexible foot or move freely as in the case of Scallops which actually swim.
BELEMNITE fossils are 'cigar shaped' shells of a marine animal that swam in warm tropical seas during the Jurassic and Carboniferous periods. Like Ammonites,we only usually find the hard internal skeleton that supported the tail ( The Rostrum). The soft fleshy head with eyes, mouth, and arms is usually lost during fossilisation, as is the Phragmacone or body, which is also quite soft. Related to Squids and Cuttlefish, Belemnites were fast voracious feeders, hence their streamlined appearance, but also food for predators and an important part of the food chain during this period. The Phragmacone also contained a buoyancy system which was central to the body mass for stability. The arms, of which there were usually 10 had hooks which could grab and devour food items quickly, some arms had suckers, similar to an Octopus. Like many animals, there were many variations in size and shape and the largest Belemnite recorded was around 3m long. The average length in the UK for a Belemnite fossil is around 150mm, this obviously excludes the head section and Phragmacone.
AMMONITES, coil shaped, gradually becoming smaller towards the centre, these curious sea creatures are one of the most common fossils known. The hard shell is usually the only trace we find, the softer tissue becoming destroyed during transformation. Ammonites lived in the sea and had the ability to control buoyancy in their search for food. The shell is made up of a series of separate Chambers, with the largest and last formed, housing the soft body parts, brain, eyes, mouth, tentacles etc, and further segments could be filled with gas to regulate buoyancy. Ammonites can be found in many Sedimentary rocks, with the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and the North Yorkshire Coast being very productive for collectors.
In order to log a find against this EarthCache, you will need to visit the location, carry out some observations and answer the questions, the answers should be sent via the message or e-mail facility in our profile. Please note, there is no physical container.
A photo as proof of visit is welcome (and now mandatory), but please, no spoilers, i will delete them.
AI has been used in the creation of this EarthCache.
Any images used in the creation of this EarthCache are from my own collection taken in the field.
Q1, Describe the colour and texture of the Limestone.
Q2, From the information given, identify any fossils in the tapered column.
Q3, Does the whole monument contain fossils or just a certain area.

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The series is dedicated to those who fought for their country. "We will remember them!”
If anyone would like to place a War Memorial Cache of your own then please do so. We would ask if you do so please contact Just-us-Two through their profile page or justustwo1013@gmail.com</font>
so they can keep track of the numbers
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*****PLEASE NOTE IMPORTANT *****
****PHYSICAL CACHES ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE PLACED ON THE ACTUAL MEMORIAL OR WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF SUCH MEMORIALS. AT ALL TIMES TREAT LOCATIONS OF MEMORIALS WITH RESPECT. ****