Wonderful Wootton Bassett Mud Springs EarthCache
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Wonderful Wootton Bassett Mud Springs
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Wootton Bassett Mud Spring is situated on low boggy ground in a small coppice called Templars Firs approximately 1 km south-east of Wootton Bassett. Parking is available at N 51.31.917 W001 53.953 off Marlborough Road, at the Wilts & Berks Canal Car Park
The Wootton Bassett Mud springs are unique in Britain. They well up through limestone, Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian clays, bringing up with them extremely fine mud particles which, for some reason, stay in suspension up to the surface. This mud forms oozing mounds with all the consistency of quick sand.
In amongst the grey slime are exceptionally well preserved fossils of species which swam around when Wootton Bassett was covered by a tropical sea some 150 million years ago.
The spring consists of several vents which emit liquid mud all year round and at accentuated rates after periods of prolonged rainfall. This mud dries and then accretes around the vents forming mud “blisters”.
The spring emerges from clays (the Ampthill Clay Formation) through five vents described above. It is most active during the winter and also about a month after a period of heavy rain.
The vents have been shown to contain liquid mud to a depth of about 6 m. Geochemical evidence indicates that the water contained in the mud appears to originate from an aquifer in the Coral Rag Formation, the top of which underlies the Ampthill Clay Formation at a depth of 20 m, and has a sufficient hydrostatic head to drive the spring.
Augering in the vicinity of the springs revealed that the area is underlain by very soft clay at depth, possibly up to 20 m, indicating that the coppice may be underlain by large pockets of soft clay and mud.
Wootton Bassett Mud Spring is an example of an hydrogeological phenomenon which is only represented by a few other examples in Britain.
Visitors are asked to exercise extreme caution due to the depth and potential dangers of the mud
From the Parking Area, please walk along the designated Canal Path, where you will see all kinds of wildlife. Either path ( canal side or field side ) will take you to N 51.32.027 W 001.53.386 where you will need to take the path along the side of the hedge nearest to you as you approach.
In order to log this cache, please complete the following tasks;
1. Take a photograph of the Mud Springs from Co-ords N 51.31.990 W 001.53.362 to include your Gps and upload with your log.
2. Please email (through the Profile Link) the approximate width of the “Blister” visible from that spot, or the width of the pool if no blister is visible.
3. Please also include in your email the names of 2 more fossils from tropical areas found in Britain.
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