'Rainhill Stone' EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
'Welcome to Rainhill'
Just to answer your
questions about this 'unusual' type of Earthcache, we decided upon
this location as the area that we originally planned on using is
just far too dangerous due to having narrow/no
pavements.
The greater part of the Rainhill township lies upon the
pebble beds of the Bunter series (new red sandstone), but small
areas of the lower mottled sandstone of the same series occur on
the western side of Cronton Lane and half a mile to the north-west
of Rainhill Stoops.
Bunter beds are sandstone deposits containing rounded pebbles. They
are thought to be alluvial deposits and, judging from the rounding
of the mainly quartzite pebbles, to have resulted from prolonged
transportation in a large and turbulent river, resulting in
powerful abrasion. The deposits in the English Midlands are thought
to have been transported in this way Northwards from Brittany,
France. This supposed river has been called the "Budleighensis",
after the Devon village of Budleigh Salterton, a site where such
deposits were discovered. The depositions took place in the
Triassic period. Some newer conglomerates, e.g. in Warwickshire,
near Ryton are thought to have arisen from the Southward
transportation of older deposits by ice flows, in the Ice
Age.
The sandstone can be hard enough for building, yet easy enough to
"work", resulting in bridges, castles, cathedrals and churches
constructed of reddish sandstone, throughout the relevant areas of
Europe
Rainhill used to quarry sandstone, this was known as 'Rainhill
Stone' Not a great deal is known about the quarries that
exploited the Rainhill Stone, However, a small quarry (Mill Hill
Quarry) can be seen on the 1850's O.S. map along with the nearby
quarries themselves. All along Mill lane you will see Rainhill
stone walls and areas of the sandstone which have been cut away to
accommodate the road itself.
According to local legend, the
cross marks the burial site of Oliver Cromwell's horse - believe
this or not, as you wish.
In order to log this cache you must do the following:
1. Visit the location at the given co-ords, here you will
find a structure. Take a picture of yourself at this location with
your GPSr and post it with your log.
2. Calculate the volume of the solid sandstone block (top
block of base) in cubic feet: Length x Width x Height
3. Which famous Cathedral was Rainhill Sandstone used to
build its interior walls?
Email to us the last two answers,
please do not post them with your
log.
Rainhill Stone
 Kid Friendly  Lunchtime
Cache  Cache In -
Trash Out!  Dogs Allowed
 Available
year-round  Less than 500
ft. from car to cache
 Accessible
in Winter
 Beware of Muggles!  Historic Site  Park n Grab |
|
|
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)