Strata Multi-Cache
Hedgehunters: Decided to archive this one. Thanks to everyone who's visited.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache takes in a circular walk of just under 2km over undulating though gentle slopes. The route is almost entirely across pasture land and should take around 45 mins car door to car door.
This walk takes the cacher across part of the Somerset coal field, in particular the area of the old Mearns Pit, studied extensively in the late 18th century by William Smith, the father of the science of geology.
Smith worked as a surveyor for the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company at one of the older mines, the Mearns Pit in High Littleton. As he observed the rock layers or strata (a word originally coined by Smith) at the pit, he realised that they were arranged in a predictable pattern, and that the various strata could always be found in the same relative positions. Additionally, each particular stratum could be identified by the fossils it contained, and the same succession of fossil groups from older to younger rocks could be found in many parts of England.
In 1799 Smith produced the first large scale geological map of the area around Bath, Somerset. Before then he only knew how to draw the vertical extent of the rocks, but not how to display them horizontally. This problem was eventually solved. At the Somerset County Agricultural Society, he found a map showing the types of soils and vegetation around Bath and their geographical extent. Most of all, they were coloured. Using this technique, he was able to draw a geological map from his observations showing the outcrops of the various types of rocks. Taking initially a few rock types, each with its own colour, he estimated the boundaries of each of the outcrops of rock, filled them in with colour and ended up with the first crude geological map.
In 1801, he drew a rough sketch of what would become "The Map that Changed the World" and by 1815 had published the first ever geological map of any country. It covered the whole of England and Wales. Conventional symbols were used to mark canals, tunnels, tramways and roads, collieries, lead, copper and tin mines, together with salt and alum works. The various geological types were indicated on different hand coloured maps and remains remarkably similar to modern day geological maps of England.
For more information about William Smith read Simon Winchester’s excellent book entitled "The Map that Changed the World".
Now on to the cache itself. Ample parking is available in Rotcombe Lane at N51º 19.531 W002º 30.488. Leave the car and heads downslope toward N51º 19.584 W002º 30.355, where a footpath on the right hand side of the road takes you into the fields. Follow the path which runs parallel to the road/hedge, not the other one! There is often livestock in the fields so please ensure dogs are kept on a lead. As you cross the first field you will see the capped remains of two Mearns shafts – these were two of the shafts that Smith recorded.
From here head to N51º 19.547 W002º 29.894 where you will find a telegraph pole close to the footpath. One word is visible on the pole – how many letters has it? This answer is ‘A’. From here you get a good view of Smith’s former home, Rugborne Farm, called by him “the birthplace of geology”.
From the pole head down to N51º 19.463 W002º 30.016 near the corner of the field where attached to a stile is an old Avon County Council sign. Below the ACC logo there is a message – how many words are on the sign, excluding ‘Avon County Council’. This is ‘B’.
Cross this stile and head to the final cache location, using the following formula:
N51º 19.[A-1] [B-6] [B-9] W002º 30.[B/7] [A+2] [A-1]
There’s an appropriate FTF prize for the first finder.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)