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The Open University Geological Society Wessex Branch Newsletter

Website http://ougs.org/wessex July 2012

CONTENTS Branch Organiser’s Letter Page 1 Branch Organiser’s Letter , Sept 2011 Pages 2-3 The DIGS Group Page 3 Dear All , Nov 2011 Pages 4-5 Two more excellent trips since our last New books and other resources Page 5 newsletter. In May, at the White Horse of A3 Hindhead road scheme, 2009 Pages 6-8 Uffington and Wayland Smithy, Dr Jill Eyers Wessex Branch committee Page 8 linked the geology, human occupation, scenery and archaeology of the area. At Dr Forbes-Leslie Page 9 Bay Steve Etches took us around his fossil Tips for field trips, no. 2 Page 9 hunting area and showed us his world class From the Editor Page 9 Kimmeridgian fossil collection. Steve also Forthcoming Wessex Branch trips Page 10 talked about oil exploration and industrial Other organisations’ events Page 11 archaeology in the shales. OUGS events listing Page 12 th On Sunday 8 July Dr Ian West will show us the geology of Hurst Spit at the entrance to the hope with a fossil/Jurassic theme). There is a Solent. Rock armour means we do have some visit to either a quarry with dinosaur footprints metamorphic rock in Wessex area! Do look at on Sunday or if the weather is awful then a look his website: at the building stones in Oxford with Phil Powell. http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Hurst- Look out for details on http://ougs.org or ask Castle-Spit.htm Mark on [email protected]. Book your Our annual conservation day is on 2nd own accommodation and Mark will arrange for September with Alan Holiday with real hands people to meet for a meal on Saturday evening. on rock by clearing Poxwell Quarry near If you feel like a day off from geology on Weymouth, one of the Important Sunday I can recommend a visit to the Geological Sites (DIGS). Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. On the 16th September we go to Chichester to There has been a suggestion that Open see building stones and architecture with David University Ecology and Environmental Science Bone, who will also take us fossilling at the end students may benefit from joining us on field of the day at Bracklesham. trips if we can incorporate some of what they study in our pursuit of geology. This should be th Prof Chis Wilson’s trip is now on the 30 quite easy as we tend to be quite diverse in our September looking at the Corallian at interests and there are numerous sites of in our Mills in Dorset. Contact Jeremy branch area of interest to geologist and Cranmer for details [email protected] ecologists/environmentalists. If any of you Gwenda Brewer represented OUGS Wessex at a know potential leaders who have a link with meeting about “Valuing and conserving these wider interests please let me know so we Hampshire’s geology”. If any of you are can see if this is viable. interested in developing this and know of good The Northampton Symposium 17th to 19th geological sites in the county please email me August sounds great so hope to see a lot of and I’ll forward your email to her. you there. Mark Barrett has confirmed details for a Winter I look forward to seeing you on future events Weekend 24th and 25th November in Oxford with a guided tour of the Natural History Sheila Alderman, Branch Organiser Wessex Museum (see http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/) on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Saturday morning and lectures there in the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx afternoon (lecturers to be confirmed but we E-mail: [email protected] Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 1 WESSEX OUGS FIELD TRIP TO ABBOTSBURY & RED LANE QUARRY, 18 SEPT 2011 Leader – Alan Holiday Report by Pat Snelgove A big ‘thank you’ to all who participated in this field trip which included a session rescuing the Dorset Important Geological Site at Red Lane (SY 575 855) from the vegetation overwhelming the rockface in the quarry. The group spent two hours cutting, hacking and clearing, including fallen trees (see right), and some high rise lumber-jacking by Jeremy, despite the best efforts of the weather to deter us. The outcome was most impressive. The locals appeared The big heave. Photo courtesy of Pat Snelgrove afterwards to admire the result. The afternoon, also somewhat damp, was spent looking at Abbotsbury buildings, the landscape and another iron ore exposure at Blind Lane (SSSI) with our leader, Alan Holiday. Red Lane is a 19th century ironstone working. The Abbotsbury Ironstone forms the earliest strata of the Kimmeridgian Stage, Rasenia Zone, in the Upper Jurassic. It is very limited in extent and only outcrops in the locality of Abbotsbury. Attempts to quarry the deposits commercially in the 19th century failed as the ore contained too much silica and phosphorus to smelt successfully, despite its high iron content. A branch line railway linking Abbotsbury to Weymouth was built on the promise of a successful outcome but this was never a profitable venture.

Before … and after Photos courtesy of Pat Snelgrove

Abbotsbury lies in the hollow of a syncline. rocks (Sandsfoot Grit and Osmington Oolite) form the hills to the south of the village. The Abbotsbury Ironstone underlies the village itself and is seen at the surface on the north side of St Catharine’s Hill to the south of the village, and the fields immediately to the north of the village. The outcrop ceases abruptly where it meets the Abbotsbury Fault which developed in the mid- Cretaceous. On the southern side of the fault, the rocks have slipped down about 460 metres so that they are against much older Section through the strata at Abbotsbury strata (in this case the Abbotsbury Iron Ore is (M. Cosgrove) alongside the much older Forest Marble). A largeThe big landslip heave of Photo Gault/Upper courtesy of GreensandPat Snelgrove dating from the Palaeocene covers the fields immediately to the north of the fault so that the underlying Forest Marble is only visible in a few places.

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 2 The ironstone at Abbotsbury is a clay-rich sedimentary rock characterised by an abundance of iron in the form of the hydrated iron silicate mineral, berthierine. Much of the berthierine is now oxidised to red-brown limonite. Un-oxidised ironstone is dark green. The bertheirine is present as spheroidal concretions (ooids), and as discrete particles in the fine grained quartz sandstone matrix. It is fossiliferous but the quality of the fossils is poor. In an exposure towards the back of the quarry can be seen a small ammonite, brachiopods, gastropods and bivalves. The deposit is thought to have formed in a marine Ironstone showing ooids (scale mm) near-shore environment saturated with iron salts, possibly a Photo courtesy of Pat Snelgrove barrier bar where gentle wave action rolled the ooids around building up concentric layers of iron minerals. Our afternoon excursion saw us dodging rain showers while examining the buildings in and around the village. Abbotsbury grew up around a Benedictine abbey founded in the middle of the 11th century. After the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII the monastic lands came to Giles Strangways of Melbury Sampford. They have been in the family ever since as part of the Ilchester Estates. Many of the buildings in the village are still Estate-owned. Although many of the houses are predominantly the local Corallian limestone, many were rebuilt due to fires in the 17th and 18th century. Consequently, as the villagers used whatever was to hand, there is an excellent mixture of other building stones to be seen including various Purbeck and Portland limestones, Ham Stone and Forest Marble. Although the ironstone was unsuitable for smelting, it made a good building stone and can be seen peppering many walls in the village. The very fossiliferous steps up to Strangways Hall (Grade II listed), built in 1858 as the village school, were thought to be Purbeck Unio Bed. The effigy of a 13th century priest in the porch of St Nicholas parish church is of Purbeck Marble. The stone is much discoloured by weathering but the gastropods can be seen where weathering has broken the surface. A very large bivalve in a block of Portland limestone was seen in the west wall of the tower, and ripples were seen on the surface of paving stones in the churchyard. From the vantage point of St Catherine’s Chapel, Alan pointed out various features of the landscape including the white blocks of Upper Greensand on the northern horizon and the locations of other RIG sites in the area. The final visit of the day was to an ironstone exposure at Blind Lane (SSSI) adjacent to Jubilee Coppice. The lithology is similar to that at Red Lane but stringers of darker The Blind Lane exposure iron deposits fill fissures which criss-cross the exposure. Photo courtesy of Pat Snelgrove Many thanks again to all who participated and to Alan for leading the field trip. P A Snelgrove

MORE ABOUT THE DIGS GROUP EARTH HERITAGE MAGAZINE Dorset Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites This twice-yearly publication is The DIGS group, active since 1993, is one of a number of geological designed to stimulate interest in conservation groups around the country. The Dorset group designated a broad range of geological and over 60 sites in the county after liaising with land owners. landscape conservation issues. The group holds monthly conservation sessions, such as the one at Red It is a UK publication and the Lane described above, and meets every two months at the Dorset voluntary geoconservation Wildlife Trust HQ at Forston to discuss issues and organise activities. sector is a major contributor. Anyone interested in joining the group or taking part in its activities Current and back issues of the should contact Alan Holiday at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. magazine are available for free download in pdf format from Wessex Branch will be running another joint conservation/field trip www.earthheritage.org.uk with DIGS on Sunday 2 September 2012 – see the back page for details.

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 3 WESSEX OUGS FIELD TRIP TO WORBARROW BAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2011 Introduction to Geology I Leader – George Raggett George Raggett will be leading another trip to Worbarrow Bay on Report by Susan Graham Sunday 4 November 2012. Open to all but particularly suitable for students of S104, S276 etc. A COVE OF TREASURES AT See back page of this newsletter for details. WORBARROW BAY I was looking forward to my first geology field When we stopped for lunch and I added all this trip, hoping to gain both enthusiasm for up, it dawned on me that I was eating my geology in general and practical help with the sandwiches in what was once – 140 million first block of S276 in particular. I was given years ago – a tropical lagoon! Further both in abundance. There really is no substitute exploration revealed ostracods, which give an for the wonders and beauty of geology in situ! indicator of the salinity and temperature of the environment they represent and on the Portland Following an introduction to the area Beds were seen impressions of two large and a look at various rock specimens which ammonites, more than half a metre in served to whet the appetite, we headed for diameter, confirming a marine habitat. where our leader George Raggett gave an overview of the regional As if that wasn’t enough to get my imagination geology, explaining the progression from east working overtime, the Purbeck Beds on the to west of Portland, Purbeck, Wealden, other side of Worbarrow Tout revealed more Greensand and Chalk beds and how the wondrous treasures! A precarious scramble resistance to weathering and erosion of the over wet, slippery rocks proved well worth the different rock types have shaped the bays, effort when we saw the dinosaur footprints – coves and headlands we see today. Climbing to five very clear three-toed prints. With my a vantage point on the hand inside a dinosaur Tout afforded magnificent footprint, my day was views over Pondfield now complete. The rocks Cove looking towards revealed still more and St. treasures, however. Aldhelm’s Head to the Below the footprints there east and over Worbarrow was the Cinder Bed Bay looking towards the formed from masses of to the oyster shells stacked one west. In bright sunshine on top of the other. Fish on this promontory of teeth gleamed black in Portland and Purbeck adjacent beds, while Beds, we were shown other rocks were full of how to interpret the BGS piddock holes, gauged sheet and estimate the out and enlarged by apparent angle of dip of Sermon at Pondfield Cove Photo by Alan Holiday present-day boring the exposed strata in bivalves rotating their Pondfield Cove which enabled us to compare it shells as they grow. There were mud cracks to the true dip measured later. We also looked showing that the surfaces had been exposed to at the anticlines of which the Purbeck and the air and numerous sinuous burrows, traces Portland Groups form a part. As an S276 of animal feeding trails from 120 million years student I found it very instructive to be able to ago. The marvels were not confined to fossils, put into practice the new concepts I had been though; beautiful boulders of snowy white grappling with in the text book and to do so in gypsum rose up from the shoreline looking for such a stunning location was an added bonus. all the world like icebergs glinting in the sun. The third and final section of the trip took us The next stage was a hands-on examination of back over the treacherous rocks to the safety of the rocks in Pondfield Cove. We observed the beach and we re-joined those group herringbone cross stratification in some of the members who had stayed to explore the rocks rocks, suggesting current flow in shallow water. there. The Wealden Beds soon revealed their Symmetrical ripple marks in other beds treasures: 100 million year-old lignite in the revealed the tidal direction at the time of grassy cliff of sand behind the bay; the coarse formation. Some beds contained evaporites in and fine layers of the coarse quartz grit the form of raised cubic shapes (salt containing quartz and tourmaline eroded from pseudomorphs), suggesting a tropical climate. Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 4 granites in Cornwall or Brittany and illustrating note, it was good to see so many Rock Pipits in the different conditions in which the coarse and the cliffs! Indeed, the day ended for me with a fine layers of sediments were deposited; the chorus of bird song walking back to Tynham layers of iron, forming beautiful patterns of through the woods at dusk. colour in the sands. Continuing westwards In summary, it was a magical day of along the beach we came to blocks of exploration on the Jurassic (and Cretaceous) Greensand and Chalk where we examined flint, coast with a great bunch of people all eager to echinoids and worm holes. Unlike the piddock help us see the abundant treasures. Thank you holes in the limestone of the Portland Beds, George for leading the trip and sharing your these worm holes were formed by the secretion knowledge. Thanks also to the organisers and of acid which dissolved the calcareous rock so to the tutors who all helped to make the day that the worms can ingest the ions. There was both instructive and memorable. no time for more as the sun was sinking towards the horizon and we started the trek Susan Graham back along the beach. On a less geological

JURASSIC COAST GEOLOGY OF THE The , Weymouth to Studland BGS Special Memoir Paul Ensom and Malcolm Turnbull British Geological Survey (BGS). (Compiled by M.A. Coastal Publishing, 2011, £9.95 Woods) 2011. Geology of South Dorset and South-East and its World Heritage Coast £24 Commissioned by the Jurassic Coast Trust, this 128 This key reference work, which replaces Arkell page book. with a wealth of photos, maps and (1947), covers the whole of the World Heritage illustrations, is a detailed guide to the geology of the Site from Orcombe Rocks near Exmouth to Old Dorset coast between , east of Weymouth, Harry Rocks, as well as some inland areas and Studland. (The Trust has already published a guide to the Red Coast of ). The Memoir describes areas covered by the following 1:50,000 geological maps: The Trust uses the proceeds of all its book sales to 326 and 340 support conversation and education programmes for 327 the World Heritage Site. 328 Dorchester http://www.jurassiccoast.com 329 (part) (to Hengistbury Head) 339 (part) Newton Abbott. 341 and 342 (part) West Fleet and Weymouth 342 and 343 (part) LIFE IN JURASSIC SEAS by Steve Etches and Jane Clarke GEOLOGY OF THE DORSET COAST This new book tells how Steve Etches turned himself Geologists’ Association Guide No. 22 from a curious fossil collector into an internationally recognised expert on Kimmeridge Clay fossils. It John C Cope, The Geologists’ Association, 2012 has 141 plates of illustrations - most specimens are £14 (£11 for GA members), p&p £3 identified but some are new to science. This up-dated edition of Michael House’s seminal To obtain a copy please send a cheque for £12 50 guide is in a handy spiral-bound format with lots of [incl. £2.50 P&P] made out to Jane Clarke at xxx colour photos, maps and diagrams. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

COUNTY BUILDING STONE ATLASES Don Cameron of East Midlands Branch has told us about a project by English Heritage and the British Geological Survey to produce building stone “atlases” for each of the English counties. There is a wealth of information which is available for free download from: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/mines/stones/EH_atlases.html Each county atlas comprises:  A report describing each of the geological divisions and formations of the area, along with the use made of the various stones for building purposes and the quarries from which they were (and are) sourced.  Excel spreadsheets containing: o Known building stones used within the county o Representative examples of stone buildings and villages constructed from those stones o Known building stone quarries This is an excellent resource and it’s well worth exploring the website. EH and BGS have asked for feedback on it and one of our members has already notified them about some Dorset quarries which have been omitted.

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 5 Wessex OUGS visit to the A3 Hindhead Road Improvement, 16 February 2009 Report and photos by Bob Alderman This road improvement scheme is one of the major road works being undertaken in Britain. It has two aims: relieving the congestion in Hindhead at the junction of the A3 and A287, both single carriageways; and removing the route of the A3 from around an area of outstanding natural beauty called the Devil’s Punch Bowl to the south of Hindhead. The solution to this has been to create a twin bore tunnel approximately 2km long under the hill to the south of Hindhead. The tunnel entrance to the south lies in an approximate westerly direction but then curves to emerge pointing in a northerly direction. The entry to the tunnels requires 2.5km of new dual carriageway to the west of the tunnel and a further 2km to the east of it. These join with already improved highway. The group met at the site office of Balfour Beatty the http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/3834.aspx main contractors for the work. This map is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Here we saw a display that shows the route of the tunnel through both the local geology and local topography. The curvature of the tunnels could be plainly seen, also their rise and fall so as to remain in specific strata. This also keeps the base of the tunnel above the local water table.

Photos of the Section and Route illustration in the Visitor Centre.

We then went on to visit the western end of the excavations. This had to be done in a company minibus having donned not only hi-vis and helmets but also gloves and eye protection. Here we saw the works of what will become Hammer Lane Junction. The A3 is carried over Hammer Lane on a reinforced concrete bridge. The piling for the bridge was created by boring into the soil and sub soil and filled with reinforced concrete. These form a near joined series of columns for the bridge to sit on. The bridge was installed on top of these piles and the underpass then excavated exposing the piles alongside the road under the bridge. These piles can be seen as the rather rough columns. They were to be subsequently faced with concrete to give a smooth wall. New route for Hammer Lane passing under the new road. Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 6 Nearby we had the opportunity to see one of the drainage sumps that had been excavated to receive surface water runoff. The sides of the sump were being sprayed with fibre reinforced concrete. The concrete was being built up to a thickness of around 600mm. A scrap of concrete with the reinforcing is being held by my glamorous assistant. [Flattery indeed! Borg] The fibres in this instance are polypropylene strands about 100mm long. In the tunnels the fibres are in steel. From here we were taken to the southern portal of the tunnels. As can be seen in the picture there has been a minimum of disturbance to the local environment, notwithstanding the massive cutting on the approach to the portal. You can make out the ends of the rock bolts stabilising the area. The face has also been stabilised with sprayed concrete. Each bore has ventilation ducts pushing air in to remove the exhaust fumes of the excavation machinery. The bores are dug; no explosives are needed due to the nature of the material, a sort of sandy clay. The machines have an arm with a small bucket that is used like a hand to pull down the material – remember digging tunnels in the sand at the seaside. The material is removed from the bores by conveyor belts. The southern faces had advanced to their limit and the conveyors removed. The lengths of the southern and northern bores were partly determined by the amount of excavated material to be stored at the ends. The bores advance in 3 metre stages. At the end of the stage rock bolt reinforcing was inserted radially around the bore. Imagine the spokes of a partly open umbrella facing into the bore. These overlap This illustration extracted from the Highways Agency descriptive leaflet on the scheme. in succession along the bore. The finished section is then concrete sprayed.

Sketch section of the boring progress At the northern portal we were able get a little nearer to the bores but regrettably not enter them. Tunnelling was continuing here, witnessed by the material leaving on the conveyor belt system. The material coming off the conveyor was being pulled away from the initial pile and then distributed onto another holding pile in the already excavated entry cutting. The northern portal showing ventilation and conveyor system and the conveyor discharge.

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 7 Approximately in the centre of the picture at the edge of the woodland there was a watercourse and spring system that had to be protected. To ensure that water is able to flow unrestricted under the new embankment a layer of crushed glass is emplaced. This was typical in a number of areas around the site. The heap to left of the picture will be moved to make the embanked roadway leading away to the distance. The Highways Agency makes the point, and I quote, that: “Everything excavated during the construction of the scheme, unless contaminated, will be re-cycled and used in embankments, screening bunds, landscaping or as special fill material.” As the excavated material is redistributed to make the roadway every 300mm layer is rolled to consolidate it. At the eastern end the recovery of the local environment had already begun. Gabion retaining walls and replanted slopes were in evidence though recent heavy rain had had an effect as can be seen where the topsoil had slumped. Deer proof fences bound the roadway and associated areas. In some places very steep cutting slopes were made. These were reinforced with geo-fabric and planted with small deep rooted shrubs to stabilise the slope. This is the new route of a lane that will pass under the new road. Once again the bridge is in place long before the roadways that go under and over it. Note the drainage cess at the foot of the slope. The completed bores will be linked with a series of cross tunnels and each will be fitted with a succession of ventilation fans. Illustration extracted from the Highways Agency descriptive leaflet on the scheme. The road surface and associated works will be completed during 2010. An initial section to the south nominally up to the tunnel entrance will be opened in that year. The final testing of the tunnel systems will be in the early part of 2011 with a planned opening in August that year. With the new road open the route of the old A3 will be returned to nature. [The southbound tunnel was opened to traffic on 27 July 2011 and the northbound on 29 July 2011. Ed.] Bob Alderman

WESSEX BRANCH COMMITTEE Branch Organiser Sheila Alderman [email protected] Treasurer Rhiannon Rogers [email protected] Day Trip Organiser Jeremy Cranmer [email protected] Newsletter Editor Hilary Barton [email protected] Weekend Trips Mark Barrett [email protected] Website Manager Colin Morley [email protected] Librarian Jeremy Cranmer [email protected] Ordinary members: Gwenda Brewer, Lawrie Bubb, Mike Grover, Ian Hacker, Linda Morley

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 8 MORE ABOUT DR FORBES-LESLIE In her report on Kilve in the last newsletter, Taryn Clements asked whether anyone had more information about Dr Forbes-Leslie’s attempts to extract oil from the Kimmeridge Clay (Wessex Footnotes, May 2012, page 3). No sooner had the newsletter been despatched than Dr Ramues Gallois e-mailed to say his extensive article on the subject had been published in the January 2012 edition of the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association*. Forbes-Leslie was quite a character and it’s a fascinating story. In his article, Ramues notes that Forbes-Leslie was jailed for fraud in 1935 but there is no evidence that this was related to the failure of the Shaline Company. Information about oil shales in general is on Ramues’ website, http://www.geologist.co.uk/ * Ramues Gallois, The Norfolk oil-shale rush, 1916–1921, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, Volume 123, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 64-73, ISSN 0016-7878, 10.1016/j.pgeola.2011.07.003.

TIPS FOR GEOLOGY FIELD TRIPS No. 2 by Jeremy Cranmer I hope that these tips will help you get more out of a trip and enjoy the experience. On Arrival  Arrive in good time.  Change into suitable clothing.  Check in and pay.  Spend a penny (while you have the chance!).  Have a quick read of the handout.  Get out your equipment (handlens, camera, etc) now rather than at the first location.  Introduce yourself and talk to other people – learn by sharing.  Listen to the introduction. We when we get going  Try to keep up and together. It`s much easier for the leader if he does have to repeat his description for late arrivals. If you are a slow walker try to walk with the leader rather than be the last to leave each location.  Help each other if the “going” is difficult and with gates, stiles, etc.  Stand still while the leader is talking – particularly on shingle which is very noisy.  You will hear better if you can stand downwind of the speaker.  Don`t talk when he is but please do ask questions – leaders expect it. Don`t be shy – other people will be thinking the same questions!  Take care when hammering.  Watch out for people taking photos – don`t get in their way and remember your shadow!  If you do have to leave early, please tell the leader/organizer.

FROM THE EDITOR ARIZONA - BASIN & RANGE 18 - 25 March 2013 Contributions to the newsletter are very welcome – please feel free to send me anything you think would be of Leaders: Colin & Linda Morley

interest to other members. Based in Tuscon, this will be a small group I will try to include all submissions, subject to space to explore copper mines, the silver mine in constraints. Please note that the author is responsible for Tombstone, the Chiricahua mountains obtaining any copyright permission needed. (volcanics), and the Catalina gneiss as well Don’t hesitate to contact me for advice on submitting as ecology and wildlife. material. Or check the “Notes for Contributors” on the Cost approx. £750 plus airfare per person. News or Newsletter tab at: http://ougs.org/wessex (The expected cost of around £750 includes all If you’re reading the printed version of this newsletter and transportation in Arizona, accommodation and would like to see it in colour, the above link will take you breakfasts plus some picnic lunches. Your flight

to it. Or just let me know if you’d prefer a copy by e-mail. and evening meals are not included.)

Hilary Barton, Newsletter Editor Contact: Colin Morley at [email protected] [email protected]

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 9 WESSEX BRANCH FIELD TRIPS - DETAILS

Near Weymouth, Dorset Sunday, 2 Sept 2012 CONSERVATION AT POXWELL QUARRY - with Alan Holiday To book a place, contact: Jeremy Cranmer at [email protected] or tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx Alan Holiday taught geography and geology in Weymouth. He is now retired but spends much of his time leading field trips! Over the years he has been involved in a range of OUGS activities as well as now being Chairman of the Dorset GA Group and Dorset RIGS Group. In the morning we shall carry out some very necessary work at this disused quarry (although, in fact, it may have been recently re-used to obtain stone for renovating a listed house locally) which is designated as a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS). The quarry contains good quality Upper Portland beds with fossils and stromatolites and the Lower Purbeck beds. It is part of the renowned Poxwell pericline. In the afternoon Alan will lead a trip around the Poxwell pericline. This is a classic feature which is well displayed. The walk also contains some stunning scenery.

Chichester, West Sussex Sunday, 16 Sept 2012 BUILDING STONES OF CHICHESTER & FOSSILS AT BRACKLESHAM - with David Bone To book a place, contact: Jeremy Cranmer at [email protected] or tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx David Bone lives in Chichester and has extensively studied the geology of Sussex. He is an experienced leader and has led the OUGS trips many times. He is a past Chairman of West Sussex Geological Society and is a member of the grant-awarding Curry Fund of the Geologists' Association. David received the Foulerton Award from the Geologists' Association in 2007. We shall look at the wide variety of building stones used in the city centre from Roman times to the present day following a stone trail in preparation by the leader. We shall then move on to Bracklesham for a fossil hunt as the tide falls (Eocene molluscs & sharks’ teeth).

Osmington, Dorset Sunday, 30 Sept 2012 (note new date, originally 14 Oct 2012) THE CORALLIAN ON THE DORSET COAST AT OSMINGTON (near Weymouth) with Professor Chris Wilson This trip is limited to 30 members To book a place, contact: Jeremy Cranmer at [email protected] or tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx Professor Chris Wilson joined the OU in 1969 as a founding member of the Faculty of Science and Department of Earth Sciences. He retired to Dorset in 2003. Chris first visited the county in 1958 on a sixth form geology trip, returned to undertake his degree mapping project, and completed his PhD on the Corallian Beds of Dorset in 1965. We shall study the Upper Jurassic geology; clays, sandstones and limestones of the Upper Jurassic Corallian Group with body and trace fossils exposed in boulders; see an active oil seep; view the intra-Cretaceous unconformity. The walk is about 5 km, about 1 km of which is along the beach covered by round boulders up to 2 m across, followed by about 1 km of shingle beach. Return along fairly easy clifftop path. Don’t miss opportunity to visit outstanding part of the “Jurassic” Coast. Chris’s field trips are always memorable because of the vast amount you learn – you’ll be amazed.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE OS SHEET FOR A FIELD TRIP Sometimes members have problems finding a location because they don’t have the OS sheet for the area – and they are expensive to buy for a one-off occasion. You can go to http://www.streetmap.co.uk and then:  click where it says “click here for the old site”.  click on “OS grid (enter as x,y)” and enter the grid reference as it appears on your OUGS risk assessment sheet.  use the plus and minus buttons below the map to set the zoom level you need.  click on “printer friendly version” if you want to print it out. I hope this helps, Jeremy

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 10 OTHER LOCAL EVENTS – PLEASE CONTACT THE ORGANISERS DIRECT

DORSET GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION GROUP (DGAG) LULWORTH RANGE WALKS www.dorsetgeologistsassociation.com & TYNEHAM VILLAGE 21 July 2012 Chairman’s field trip and picnic, Stonebarrow Opening times 2012 11 Aug 2012 Fossil and Minerals Fair, Allendale Centre, Wimborne. Further information tel. 01929 404819 29 Sept 2012 Corfe Castle area. Leader: John Chaffey OPEN EVERY DAY OVER HOLIDAYS: OUGS members welcome but check beforehand that spaces available. 28 July – 9 September 2012 Contact: Doreen Smith tel. 01300 320811 or 22 December 2012 – 1 January 2013 [email protected] OPEN EVERY WEEKEND EXCEPT: 29 - 30 September 2012 17 - 18 November 2012 Dorset Natural History & Archaeological Society GEOLOGY LECTURES AT DORSET COUNTY MUSEUM High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA DIGS - DORSET’S IMPORTANT GEOLOGICAL SITES GROUP 12 Sept 2012 Alex Dunhill Sampling Dorset fossils Contact and more details from Alan Holiday: 10 Oct 2012 Dr Falcon-Lang Darwin’s Lost Fossils xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx All welcome. Lectures start at 7pm. 14 July 2012 10.30am Portesham Quarry & lime kiln Donation of £3 suggested to cover speakers’ expenses. 18 July 2012 5pm Swanworth Quarry Liaison Group Further information: tel. 01305 262735. 25 Aug 2012 10.30am Upwey Road cutting 2 Sept 2012 10.30amPoxwell Quarry – see back page

BOURNEMOUTH NATURAL SCIENCE SOCIETY 39 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH1 3NS SOUTHAMPTON GEOLOGY GROUP http://www.bnss.org.uk Meetings start 7.30pm at the National Oceanography Centre, 14 July & 11 August 2012: Saturday open mornings Dock Gate 4, Southampton SO14 3ZH 8-9 September 2012: open weekend 21 Sept Prof Elco Rholin Sea levels changes, past and future The Society covers all the branches of natural science, 19 Oct Steve Etches Kimmeridge fossils including geology and palaeontology. It has an extensive, Everybody welcome. For directions, please contact: and very impressive, collection of fossils, rocks and Lawrie Bubb tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx or minerals which can be viewed by appointment and also Tony Holmes tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx has a full programme of lectures, study groups and field meetings. For further details, see the Society’s website. If you would like to attend a lecture or meeting, GEOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING tel. 01202 553525 or e-mail [email protected] th DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION’S 150 ANNIVERSARY RIVERS THROUGH GEOLOGICAL TIME

13-14 October 2012, Exeter DORSET BUILDINGS GROUP Saturday, 13 Oct 2012: lectures and posters followed by conference dinner. 7-8 July 2012: Display of local building stone and their uses, Corfe Castle (National Trust Rural Fair) Sunday, 14 Oct 2012: field trip to , Lympstone, Brampford Speke 5-13 Sept 2012: Architectural Heritage Week incl. 7-10 Sept (10am-4pm) Water Mills Exhibition, Coombe Cost: £25 for lectures, £10 for field trip. Keynes Church, near Wareham Booking essential, via Sarah Stafford at GA: Tel. 0207 434 9298 The Group aims to promote the preservation of Dorset’s E-mail: [email protected] building traditions and so takes a practical interest in building stones and local geology. For the full programme, contact John Imber, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tel. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx SOUTHAMPTON MINERAL & FOSSIL SOCIETY http://www.sotonminfoss.org.uk RUSSELL SOCIETY, SOUTHERN BRANCH Gary Morse: [email protected], tel. 01489 787300 The Society runs indoor meetings, field trips and other http://www.russellsoc.org/sbranch.html activities relating to the collection of minerals and Gary Morse: [email protected], tel. 01489 787300. fossils, and the sites where they are found. Monthly For anyone interested in minerals, the Branch runs summer field evening meetings are held at The Friends' Meeting trips plus winter lecture meetings on the second Thursday of the House, Ordnance Road, Southampton. The full month at Wyvern Technical College, Fair Oak, near Eastleigh Hants. programme, and more information about the Society, can be found on its website or from Gary Morse.

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 11 THE OPEN UNIVERSITY GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY (WESSEX BRANCH) FORTHCOMING EVENTS

This listing covers events in the Wessex area and general Society events. However, members can attend events organised by any OUGS branch - the full listing is at http://ougs.org/events/index.php?branchcode=ouc Wessex Branch field trips Places are filled on a first come, first served basis. Non-members are welcome to attend events, but members will be given priority if places are short. Please contact the organiser to confirm details and to ensure there are spaces. Packed lunches, hard hats, strong footwear and waterproofs are usually required plus reflective clothing in working quarries. Please take note of the safety issues, which the leader will outline at the start of each trip. For day trips there is usually a charge of £1.50 per person to cover expenses. Events shown in italics are joint ones – please contact the host organizer as shown.

Last-minute contact on the day, if you’re not coming or late: Jeremy’s mobile xxxxxxxxxxxx

DATE EVENT LEADER(S) CONTACT via OUGS website 17 - 19 August 40th Anniversary Symposium, OUGS http://ougs.org or 2012 Northampton (Don Cameron) [email protected] Sunday Jeremy Cranmer DIGS Maintenance and field trip 2 September Alan Holiday [email protected] Poxwell Quarry, Weymouth 2012 tel. xxxxx xxxxxx Sunday Jeremy Cranmer Chichester & Bracklesham, 16 September David Bone [email protected] West Sussex 2012 tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx Sunday Jeremy Cranmer Corallian at Osmington, Dorset 30 September Professor Chris Wilson [email protected] (Limited to 30 members) 2012 tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx 19 – 21 October Professor Rory London branch, John Lonergan Isle of Wight 2012 Mortimore xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 1 – 10 November Colorado Plateau in Northern Colin Morley Linda and Colin Morley 2012 Arizona [email protected] Sunday Introduction to Geology I Jeremy Cranmer 4 November Worbarrow Bay, Dorset George Raggett [email protected] 2012 (suitable for S104, S276, etc) tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx Winter weekend in Oxford based Details to be confirmed Mark Barrett 24 – 25 at Natural History Museum, (self-book [email protected] November 2012 Parks Road, Oxford accommodation) tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx Sunday Jeremy Cranmer Fossil-hunting at , 16 December Sam Scriven [email protected] Dorset 2012 tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx Prof Roger Falconer on Wessex Branch AGM and day of Tidal Power, Dr James Saturday lectures: Geology’s role in Sheila Alderman Pyrah on Carbon [email protected] 26 January 2013 Sustainable Energy Recapture and a third tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx D’Urberville Centre, Wool, Dorset lecture tbc. 18 – 27 March Colin Morley Basin and Range, Arizona Linda and Colin Morley 2013 [email protected] Dorset GA Group Weekend in 12 - 15 April Alan Holiday, Alan Holiday Pembrokeshire xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 2013 Chairman of DGAG (open to OUGS members) tel. xxxxxxxxxxxx INFORMATION ABOUT INSURANCE ON FIELD TRIPS AND EVENTS Each person attending a field meeting does so on the understanding that he/she attends at his/her own risk. The OUGS has Public Liability Insurance Cover for field and indoor meetings, but Personal Accident Cover and Personal Liability cover remain the responsibility and personal choice of the participant. There may be an element of appropriate cover included in house insurance or in travel insurance: although OUGS activities are not particularly dangerous, members are advised to check whether exclusions apply to activities in which they plan to participate in case they wish to arrange further cover. Annual travel insurance may be the best solution for any member who regularly attends field events: this again is a matter of personal choice. Please note however that all members participating in overseas events will be required to have travel insurance for the duration of the event: this is so that participants are covered for Medical, Repatriation and Personal Liability expenses. The Personal Accident element remains the personal choice of the member and again members are advised to check exclusions so that they can make an informed decision about the cover. Sheila Alderman, Branch Organiser Jeremy Cranmer, Branch Day Events Organiser

Wessex Footnotes July 2012 Page 12