A chine is a steep-sided river valley where the river flows to the sea through, typically, soft eroding coastal cliffs of sandstone or clays.
Below the car park, you can see the Blackgang Chine amusement park, which has been here since 1843. Blackgang Chine was, historically, a spectacular ravine (in 1800 a "steep gaunt ravine" descending 500 feet over about three-quarters of a mile). The chine itself was destroyed by landslides and coastal erosion during the 20th Century.
The location is based on unstable terrain owing to the underlying Gault Clay strata, resulting in a succession of huge landslips giving the area a very rugged appearance akin to the better known Jurassic Coast. Currently the cliffs are eroding at a rate of about 3.5 metres per year, although this process is not gradual. The areas most recent and destructive cliff falls occurred in 1928, 1961 and 1994. Continuing landslides and coastal erosion swept away the paths in the early 1900s, and have since obliterated the chine itself and repeatedly forced the park owners to move the clifftop facilities inland.
Your tasks
To log this cache, you will need to complete the tasks below. Please message us with the info (rather than post it on your log). You can log a find once we have been sent a message. We may delete your log if your answer is way off the mark.
- Find a suiteable vantage point and look down at the road leaving Blackgang Chine which carries on along the coast into the distance (ie Military Road). Estimate how far it is from the coast in metres. Using the information above, how long do you think it will be before the road is threatened by coastal erosion?
- The rate of erosion is not constant. What might cause greater collapse of the cliffs?
- Do a little research and find the names of 3 other chines on the Isle of Wight.
- As an optional extra, post a picture on your log of yourself and / or your GPSr with the fabulous view from the car park.