Astonishing Ashdown EarthCache
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Ashdown House was built in 1661-1662. The house is now owned by the National Trust, and open to the public on Saturday & Wednesday afternoons. The estate is open all year daily from dawn til dusk, except Fridays when essential maintenance work is done.
Between 60 and 40 million years ago, silt and sand were laid down, either as river-borne alluvium or as marine sediments, across parts of southern England. Then, around 35 million years ago, these layers
of sand were covered up by additional deposits and were subsequently saturated with silica-rich groundwater.
Over time, the concentration of silica increased further – possibly as a result of increases in acidity or the evaporation of the water in which it was dissolved. When the water could no longer hold the silica in solution, the mineral precipitated out and filled the pores between the grains of sand. As the precipitation continued, the silica began to act as a mineralogical glue, sticking trillions of grains of sand together to form a two-metre-thick layer of solid rock, known as sarsen, immediately below what had originally been the water table.
Over the past three million years – particularly during the last ice age – water erosion and freeze-thaw processes exposed, eroded and broke up this crust of sarsen into millions of loose boulders that remained scattered across the landscape. Many of these massive rocks gradually slid down valley sides, accumulating at the bottom of the slope.
This bizarre, boulder-strewn terrain survived until medieval and early modern times. But as agriculture increased and became more intensive, water erosion washed soil from ploughed fields down onto valley bottoms, burying huge numbers of sarsen stones. Many of the remaining rocks were then cleared in order to increase the amount of arable land. And as towns developed and grew, large numbers of sarsens were broken up for use as building material. Today, only a few small areas are left.
This field is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated for it’s fine example of Sarsen Stones. Known locally as Grey Wethers, they resemble grazing sheep when viewed from a distance.
On a walk around Ashdown Park, you will see lots more built into walls and scattered within the woodland.
Historically Sarsens ( as at Stonhenge and other spiritual sites around Wiltshire) have been viewed as Mystical and Spiritual. The most ancient – the pre-Christian, prehistoric phase – includes stones that were seen as being spiritually alive. They were perceived as being able to move, speak, drink, dance and even bleed. Indeed, according to ancient tradition, the stones of Stonehenge itself originally danced, while two standing stones in Oxfordshire are said to ‘walk’ down to a local river to drink.
In order to log this cache, please complete the following 3 "tasks".
1. At N 51.32.328 W001. 25.496 there is an information board. Please read the information and post a photo with your log of the stones in the nearby field.
2. At co-ords N51.32.402 W 001.35.568 you will find a Lone Sarsen. Please include in your email to me the approximate size length, height and width of this stone, and tell me what interesting features you see on it.
Maybe this stone " walked" away from the others left around the tree one night.....
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)