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The Wren's Nest Earthcache EarthCache

Hidden : 2/24/2005
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

An Earthcache is a virtual cache set to give visitors an insight into the geology of our world. This one is known throughout the world and is regarded by English Nature as the 'jewel in the crown' of its Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The Wrens Nest was declared as a geological National Nature Reserve in 1956. The establishment of the Reserve was in recognition of the exceptional international importance of the site as a source of fossils in Silurian limestones, deposited approximately 400 million years ago.

The limestones were quarried and mined, firstly as agricultural lime and then to support the industrial growth of the surrounding 'Black Country' during the Industrial Revolution. It was during this period that some of the finest fossils were discovered, many of which are found in museum collections across the world.

Fossils are still easy to find - my 6 year old found one - at the site they ask that you don't take too many away and that you restrict your hunting to the scree at the bottom of the slopes rather than hammering away at rocks.

The Wren's Nest today is dominated by the remnants of disused quarries and spectacular mined caverns such as the 'Seven Sisters'. The site is wardened, has a long established geological trail, with spectacular views of open caverns and rippled beds, and an on-site teaching facilitiy in the warden's base. The site is visited by students and researchers from all over the world. The coordinates will take you to a viewing platform that overlooks 'rippled beds'. To understand this feature, imagine, down at the beach, when those ripples appear in the sand. 400 million years ago these ripples were flat on a shallow sea bed.

The fossils are sea animals that lived in this sea and sank to the bottom when they died and slowly became buried under more and more layers of sediment and fossils. The weight of all the sediment and fossils on top compressed the lower layers into rock and these layers can be seen clearly if you walk to the north of the ripple beds to look 'underneath' the beds. The layers were originally flat, but were pushed up to this angle as land masses pushed up against one another as they slowly move. This process is still continuing.

If seeing anyone using hammers you could try contacting the Warden Service on 01384 812785

To claim this cache please e-mail me with the following information, some of which you may have to search the internet to discover

1) The common name of the fossil depicted on the signposts marking the Geological Trail

2) Can you find out it's latin name?

3) What is thought to be the nearest living relative of this type of fossil?

4) Please attach a photo of yourself / your team at the cache to prove you visted and didn't just Google for the answers

There is parking just off the A4123.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)