War Memorial #1643 ~ Langley EarthCache

The EarthCache

Langley War Memorial is made from Darley Dale sandstone, which is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized silicate grains, possibly formed in the Devonian period when Great Britain experienced a much more arid and desert-like climate being much closer to the equator. The term 'clastic' means the rock is composed of fragments or grains of pre-existing minerals or rocks, which have broken off other rocks through processes of physical weathering.

Sandstone can be found in a wide range of colours due the effects of impurities and other compounds within the minerals. Sandstone that contains a significant amount of clay or silt is known as agillaceous sandstone and is usually a shade of grey/blue. Sandstone containing enough potassium feldspar, such as feldpathic arenite, will take on a pink colour, and sandstone that contains iron oxide will display tones of yellow, brown or red depending on how much of it is present.

Most sandstone is composed of quartz or felspar, because they are the most resistant minerals to weathering processes at the Earth's surface and therefore remain intact for longer. The silicate sand grains from which the stone is formed are the product of physical and chemical weathering of bedrock, and these sand grains are transported by rivers or by the wind from their source locations to depositional environments where tectonic actvity has created spaces for sediments to accumulate.

The texture of the stone is impacted not only by the composition of grains, by also by several other factors such as the size, sorting and shape of the particles. A scale of 4 textural stages has been defined to measure texture.

• Immature sandstone contains a lot of clay, with angular and poorly-sorted sand grains of varying non-unifrom sizes. Such sandstone is created in stagnant areas where a lot of sediment is dumped and then settles, not agitated by waves or currents (e.g. lagoons, abyssal seabeds, swamps, glacial margins, etc.).
• Submature sandstone are created by the removal of clay through action of water currents, however grains are still angular and of non-uniform sizes in these rocks. Such sandstone is commonly created by unidirectional currents in rivers or shallow tidal channels.
• Mature sandstone is clay-free and grains are or a more uniform size, but still quite angular. This type of sandstone is typically formed in environments of continual changes to water currents and a constant 'washing' action, such as on beaches.
• Supermature sandstone is clay-free with smaller grains of near uniform size, which are also rounded in shape instead of being angular. Sandstone of this type probably formed from desert dunes where constant and intense aeolian abrasion over a long period of time would wear sand grains to nearly spherical shapes.

Over time, as more sediment continues to accumulate, older sand is buried by younger sand and the processes of mechanical and chemical compaction increases the pressure on underlying sediment. This deforms the grains and closes the microscopic gaps between them, effectively cementing the grains together. The assocated process of lithification due to increased temperatures at increased depth hastens the cementing processes that binds together the silicate grains, eventually creating sandstone.

Evidence of this his repetetive process can be seen in the stereotypical layers or strata of sandstone all around the globe.

To claim this EarthCache, please message or email me through my Geocaching profile the answers to the following questions.

1. Describe the colour of the sandstone used for the cross. Why do you think the sandstone is this colour?
2. Examine and describe the texture of the sandstone used for the cross. What does this tell you about the maturity of the sandstone?
3. Given your answer for question 2 and other information referenced on the cache page, what do you think is the most likely explanation for the process by which this sandstone was formed.

As per standard process you may log your find immediately and I will contact you with any questions about your answers. Any logs not supported by answers (or with pending questions) will be deleted without notice, and please avoid including any spoilers in your logs or photos.

The Memorial

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever, with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was unveiled at Langley on 30 October 1921 by the Marquis of Lincolnshire and dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Buckingham as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.  Initially created to honour those who fought and died in World War I, the memorial has subsequently been amended to include later conflicts. It commemorates 88 local servicemen who died during the First World War and, in 1999, 25 names were added for the fallen of the Second World War and one name from Northern Ireland.

The cross is made of Darley Dale stone and stands on an octanganol base up to which lead three steps. In now stands in Langley War Memorial Park having been moved from a traffic island site which made annual Remembrance services difficult and left the memorial vulnerable to damage by traffic. The memorial was originally created in the form of a Lantern cross however, following damage caused by a vehicle in 1980, it was rebuilt as a Latin cross with the shaft and cross head being replaced.

In 1999 a conservation project was undertaken on the memorial which included its relocation to Langley Memorial Park. War Memorials Trust gave £150 towards the cost of moving the memorial and restoring it to its former glory.

Langley War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following reasons:

• Historical interest, as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the 20th century.
• Architectural interest, as a striking and well-executed Darley Dale stone Latin cross.

Kind permission for the creation of this EarthCache has been provided by the Parks & Open Spaces Officer for Slough Borough Council.