A large rock that had rolled down from the top of the cliffs at Seatown in Dorset was lying on the pebbles of the beach. It was yellow and rusty coloured. At this point along the shore, called Ridge Cliff, the rocks belong to the Dyrham Formation of the Liassic/Jurassic period. The lower section of the cliff is the Eype Clay Member of pale, blue-grey micaceous silty mudstone and shale. Above that is the Down Cliff Sand Member mostly of silts and fine sands with thin lenticles of hard calcareous sandstone. On top of this is the Thorncombe Sand Member with yellow-weathering, heavily bioturbated sands, with several horizons of large rounded calcareously cemented concretions. This boulder obviously came from one of these upper sandstone layers but I cannot say which one. Its broken edge revealed lovely abstract patterns and beautiful crystals.
What a lovely find Jessica!
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Why don’t I find things like that?
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I don’t know – but I am sure your turn will come soon.
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What a beautiful find! Looks almost big enough for Merlin to live in! 🙂
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Thank you, Jo. It was a lucky find. In reality the whole rock was just about 30 cm across – so it would have to be a Mini-merlin.
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Brilliant spotting for the crystals Jessica – looking closely with your inquisitive eye paying off 🙂
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They were pretty, Adrian. I did not expect to find such perfectly formed crystals in rock like that.
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That definitely struck me – how distinct they were.
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