Earth Cache Information
The bedrock geology of Lancashire is dominated by fine to very coarse-grained SANDSTONES of Carboniferous and, to a lesser extent, Permo-Triassic age. There are, in addition, locally important outcrops of LIMESTONE. The Carboniferous rocks occupy a broad swathe of the east of the county, wrapping around a Triassic ‘core’ in the lowlands of the west, which is largely buried under thick accumulations of glacial till (Quaternary).
Both these types of stone have been used extensively in the building of houses and other buildings in Lancashire, especislly in vicorian times.
SANDSTONES
There are about 20 types of sandstone in Lancashire, here are two of them.
The 'Pendleside Sandstone' includes some of the more important of the workable sandstone beds, and attained a local significance because the limestones present within the the area are much harder to dress and use for building. This rock is a grey to brown, fine to medium grained, micaceous sandstone that weathers to a darker grey-brown colour. In the Ribble Valley, the Pendleside Sandstone crops out on the western side of Pendle Hill between Whalley and Rimington, and also along the southern edge of the Bowland Fells between Chipping and Bolton-by-Bowland. Examples of buildings constructed of Pendleside Sandstone are the Parish Church, Chipping and Lower Coar Farm near Chipping . (You don't need to go to these locations to do this cache)
Sandstone of another type for building in the area is Pendle grit and this is typically even coloured, pale buff, and has a medium to coarse grained fieldpathic sandstone structure. It is commonly developed in massive beds of up to 4.5m in thickness, with little, if any, visible internal structure and sometimes called ‘Lancaster Freestone’ . This sandstone was very widely used in all manner of civic, ecclesiastical, commercial, industrial, domestic and agricultural buildings over a wide area of Lancashire, especially in towns and villages close to the outcrop, and was exported to the larger towns in mid-C19.
LIMESTONE
Limestone: A sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) grains such as ooids, shell and coral fragments and lime mud. Often highly fossiliferous. Numerous limestone reef knolls occur within this area, in a belt from Clitheroe north-eastwards to Rimington, and between Dunsop Bridge and Slaidburn. The limestone from the knolls is paler in colour than the bedded limestones, and is often fossiliferous, weathering to a pale grey to white colour. This is extensively used in the settlements around the knolls, for example Clitheroe, Worston and Newton. This stone is used to face the Calf’s Head, Worston.( you don't need to go there). The other limestones of the group have seen little use as building stones, having been used only in villages near to the quarries.
To claim a find at this cache you have to read the information above and answer the following questions in a message to the CO.(Same day please)
I assure you I read all your answers and logs and will reply to each one, if the email box it ticked.
Please do not include answers in your log.
1) What is the texture of the stone? (it is in a flower bed so I will accept answers based on look as well as feel)
2) What type of stone is the one in the park? (choose from the three above)
3) What is the height of the top of the stone from the ground?
4) Upload a photo of yourself, or you gps close to the stone or somewhere in the park. (be creative) (This is optional)
I hope you enjoy your visit to the park, it is a beautiful place for a visit or to play some games.
There are several other caches closeby and you could probably bag 10 with a nice stroll.