Church Micro 10350...Great Yarmouth - St Nicholas

The Norman-era Minster Church of St Nicholas in Great Yarmouth remains, due to its floor-surface area, England's largest parish church. It was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop of Norwich, and consecrated in 1119. Since its construction, it has been Great Yarmouth's parish church. It is cruciform, with a central tower, which may preserve a part of the original structure. Gradual alterations effectively changed the form of the building. Its nave is 26 feet (7.9 m) wide, and the church's total length is 236 feet (72 m).

In December 2011, the Bishop of Norwich officially designated it a Minster Church. It is not only used for religious services but is a hub for various other regional and civic events, including concerts by choirs, orchestras and other musical ensembles, art exhibitions and, during festivals and fayres, the church opens permitting stalls and traders inside.

Flintstone, quartz or chert?

Flint or flintstone is a cryptocrystalline form of quartz found as nodules within *sedimentary rocks, principally within chalk and limestone, and is a form of chert. Flint nodules may be almost any colour, including black, dark grey, white, brown or green and have a waxy or vitreous lustre and a concoidal fracture. The outer layer of flint nodules is typically dull and is white or light grey.

What is flint, and how does it form?

As noted above, flint is a hard, tough chemical or biochemical *sedimentary rock that breaks with a conchoidal fracture. Flint is a form of microcrystalline quartz that is typically called “chert” by geologists. It often forms as nodules in sedimentary rocks such as chalk and marine limestones. The nodules can be dispersed randomly throughout the rock unit but are often concentrated in distinct layers. Some rock units form through the accumulation of siliceous skeletal material. These can recrystallize to form a layer of bedded flint. Flint is highly resistant to weathering and is often found as pebbles or cobbles along streams and beaches. However, the exact mode of formation of flint is not yet clear. It is currently thought that flint is formed as a result of chemical changes in compressed *sedimentary rock formations, during the process of diagenesis. One hypothesis is that a gelatinous material fills cavities in the sediment, such as holes bored by crustaceans or molluscs and that this becomes silicified. This theory is able to explain the complex shapes of flint nodules that are found. The source of dissolved silica in the porous media could arise from the spicules of siliceous sponges. Fossils are often found within flint nodules and may act as nuclei for nodule growth.

The hard and brittle nature of flint causes it to splinter into sharp fragments and led to flint being used to create neolithic tools. Later flint was used to ignite gun power since it produces sparks when struck against steel. Flint and pyrite can also be used to ignite kindling to start fires. We will have a look at that future down!

* Sedimentary rocks

Erosion breaks down rocks into small pieces known as sediment. This sediment is carried away by wind or water. The sediment eventually lands somewhere as sand or mud. Over time, new sediment piles on top of the old. The older layers become compressed and hard. In time, the sediment turns to rock. Sedimentary rock is rock that is made up of minerals, sand, mud, and even the remains of living things.

Some Sedimentary facts:

• Sedimentary rock often contains fossils of plants and animals millions of years old. The mudstone cliffs along the southern coast of England have many fossils from the time of the dinosaurs.
• Sedimentary rocks are extremely important resources that give us clues about the Earth's past.
• The majority of chemical sedimentary rock comes from minerals left behind by evaporated water.
• The majority of chemical sedimentary rock comes from minerals left behind by evaporated water.
• Flint is a hard, sedimentary form of the mineral quartz.
• Examples of sedimentary rocks include limestone, sandstone, mudstone, greywacke, chalk, coal, claystone and flint.

Flint, a source of making fire and weapons.

As a sedimentary rock, flint can be transformed much more easily than other types of rocks. Flint is not as soft as obsidian but is still a preferred rock for many applications. In fact, it was the chosen rock to create tools during the Stone Age. These included spears, hammers and other implements.

To manipulate flint into the shapes needed, people use a knapping technique. This technique includes hitting flint with another rock, which will break pieces away and create the tool from the original rock. Some of the pieces are big enough to serve as a piece of the weapon on its own.

Another important property of flint is its ability to generate sparks of hot material when it is struck against steel. This property allows flint to be used as a fire-starter.

Flint as a Construction Material

Where flint is abundant it is sometimes used as a construction material. It is very durable and resists weathering better than almost any other natural stone. It is common to see walls, homes, and larger buildings that are built partially or entirely with flint as a facing stone in southern England and many parts of Europe. The wall that you can see here at gz is a type of wall that can be seen all around the city line.

To log this cache.

To get to log this cache you will have to read the cache text and visit the coordinates given. After that you will have to answer the questions which are related to the text and the coordinates given.

When answers are collected, send them to CO for verification. I will accept answers sent via email or through the Message Centre.

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Please do not include pictures in your log that may answer the questions.

Questions

1. Answer the questions under by visiting the Coordinates.

A. The coordinates given will lead you to the right hand side of the entrance of the church door. With a little re-search at gz, can you say anything on what is the dominant type of rock you find here? Why do you think this type of rock was used?

B. What average size are the stones in the wall? And how are they shaped?

C. When you study the gz you will see that the stones has an inside and outside color. What is the dominant stone color here in the wall?

D. What is the rock most known used as? (For millions of years ago)? And why?

2. It’s voluntary to post a photo in your online log. Without revealing any answers!

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