Post on 04-Jul-2020
transcript
Encouraging an understanding of the rocks and landforms of the county
Bedfordshire Geology Group
The Bedfordshire Geology Group was formed in 2004 by a group of enthusiastic amateur and professional geologists. We aim to encourage an understanding of the rocks and landforms of the county for the benefit of all. One of the main ways of doing this is by identifying and popularising Local Geological Sites, which are of scientific and educational importance.
Members enjoy field trips, clearing overgrown sites, lectures, workshops and social events – all aimed at getting familiar with local rocks and fossils. We also arrange guided walks in order to share our interest in the varied scenery of Bedfordshire.
We work closely with local companies, museums and country parks. Recently we have collaborated with The Wildlife Trust, The Greensand Trust, Natural England and English Heritage on different projects around the county.
Educational support for schools is arranged by request. This often involves classroom-based sessions that introduce pupils to exciting geological topics such as dinosaurs and volcanoes. Alternatively, we can organise outdoor visits to help students learn more about their natural environment.
Old St Mary’s and Clophill Lodge are managed by Clophill Heritage Trust.
www.clophill-lodge.com
For more information, contact us through our website or by email to
secretary@bedfordshiregeologygroup.org.uk
This leaflet has been funded by Clophill Heritage Trust
Dire
ctio
nsS
tarti
ng fr
om O
ld S
t Mar
y’s
Chu
rch,
whi
ch is
mad
e m
ostly
of
loca
lly q
uarr
ied
Wob
urn
San
ds s
ands
tone
, and
turn
ing
left
out o
f the
chu
rchy
ard,
wal
k do
wn
Old
Chu
rch
Pat
h un
til
you
reac
h th
e H
igh
Stre
et, t
urn
right
and
cro
ss th
e ro
ad.
Ret
urn
to th
e H
igh
Stre
et v
ia th
e fo
otpa
th, t
urn
left
and
cont
inue
unt
il yo
u re
ach
The
Cau
sew
ay.
At t
he c
orne
r of
this
sin
gle-
track
road
is C
loph
ill O
ld M
ill.
Wal
k al
ong
The
Cau
sew
ay a
nd p
assi
ng o
ver t
he le
at
befo
re h
eadi
ng to
the
mid
dle
of th
e va
lley,
whe
re y
ou
can
see
the
wid
e cl
ay v
alle
y st
retc
hing
Eas
t-Wes
t pe
rpen
dicu
lar t
o Th
e C
ause
way
. Fa
rther
alo
ng y
ou w
ill
once
aga
in c
ross
the
wid
er R
iver
Flit
. R
etur
n to
the
Hig
h S
treet
and
con
tinue
alo
ng to
the
A6.
Whi
lst w
alki
ng a
long
ther
e ar
e so
me
inte
rest
ing
old
build
ings
mad
e fro
m lo
cally
mad
e br
icks
and
spe
cial
gl
azed
bric
ks th
at, w
hen
new
, wou
ld h
ave
been
a d
eep
gree
n in
col
our.
At t
his
poin
t, yo
u ca
n re
turn
to th
e ch
urch
thro
ugh
the
villa
ge, f
ollo
win
g th
e H
igh
Stre
et.
Cro
ss th
e A
6 an
d tu
rn in
to C
loph
ill R
oad.
Con
tinue
al
ong
this
road
turn
ing
right
ont
o th
e P
ublic
Brid
lew
ay a
t th
e ju
nctio
n of
Clo
phill
Roa
d an
d M
auld
en.
Follo
w th
e br
idle
way
to th
e fo
ot o
f Mau
lden
Woo
ds, t
urn
left
and
track
the
tree
line,
not
ing
as y
ou p
ass
the
surfa
ce e
rosi
on
expo
sing
tree
root
s. A
t the
junc
tion
of th
ree
path
s, th
ere
is
a st
eepl
y in
cise
d dr
y va
lley
dow
n w
hich
flow
s a
seas
onal
st
ream
cut
ting
dow
n th
roug
h th
e ov
erly
ing
Oad
by T
ill, a
gl
acia
l dep
osit
cove
ring
the
Wob
urn
San
ds.
Wal
k up
this
dry
val
ley
follo
win
g th
e m
arke
d ro
ute.
At a
cr
ossr
oads
with
sev
eral
foot
path
s an
d br
idle
way
s co
ntin
ue
on, k
eepi
ng th
e st
ream
to y
our r
ight
han
d si
de.
A sh
ort w
ay
furth
er, t
he s
tream
ent
ers
a cu
lver
t and
goe
s un
der t
he p
ath
emer
ging
on
the
left.
At t
he n
ext c
ross
road
s of
pat
hs, t
urn
right
, wal
k up
the
ridge
to it
s hi
ghes
t poi
nt.
Con
tinue
stra
ight
up
the
risin
g rid
ge a
nd jo
in th
e m
ain
Woo
dlan
d C
entre
pat
h tu
rn le
ft an
d w
alk
until
you
reac
h Fo
rest
Lod
ge (k
eepe
rs c
otta
ge) a
nd th
e m
ain
inte
rsec
tion
with
the
Gre
ensa
nd R
idge
Wal
k (G
RW
).Tu
rn ri
ght,
follo
win
g th
e m
arke
rs fo
r GR
W a
nd h
ead
tow
ards
th
e A
6.
Cro
ss th
e A
6 an
d co
ntin
ue to
follo
w th
e G
RW
mar
kers
. Yo
u w
ill re
ach
a re
tain
ing
wal
l with
won
derfu
l loc
al s
tone
wor
k.
At t
he e
nd o
f the
reta
inin
g w
all,
turn
left
up a
ver
y st
eep
part
of th
e rid
ge a
nd c
ontin
ue to
follo
w th
e G
RW
mar
kers
. R
esum
e fo
llow
ing
the
GR
W m
arke
rs to
war
ds B
ack
Stre
et.
To y
our r
ight
, not
e th
e Vi
ctor
ian
quar
ry fr
om w
hich
man
y of
th
e lo
cal b
uild
ing
ston
es w
ere
extra
cted
, inc
ludi
ng th
ose
for
the
Sto
ne J
ug p
ublic
hou
se.
At t
he e
nd o
f the
pat
h tu
rn le
ft an
d Th
e S
tone
Jug
will
be
200m
furth
er o
n. T
his
is a
fine
ex
ampl
e of
loca
l bui
ldin
g st
one
cons
truct
ion
and
tradi
tiona
l re
al a
le!
Con
tinue
alo
ng B
ack
Stre
et a
nd b
ear r
ight
, the
n le
ft,
follo
win
g th
e si
gns
for t
he V
illag
e H
all.
Imm
edia
tely
on
your
le
ft is
a s
mal
l cul
-de-
sac
mar
ked
Nos
. 1, 3
and
5.
Con
tinue
up
Kiln
Lan
e, b
ear r
ight
and
upo
n re
achi
ng th
e G
reat
Lan
e ju
nctio
n tu
rn ri
ght.
Abo
ut 1
00m
on
the
left
is th
e G
RW
foot
path
that
lead
s ba
ck to
the
Eco
Lod
ges,
whi
ch a
re
nest
led
in a
n ol
d ga
ult a
nd m
arl p
it th
at c
ould
hav
e be
en
used
for b
rick
build
ing
or o
ther
use
ful r
esou
rces
, unt
il yo
u re
turn
to O
ld S
t Mar
y’s
Chu
rch.
Clophill
GEOTRAILS IN BEDFORDSHIRE
This leaflet has been developed by Bedfordshire Geology Group in partnership with Clophill Heritage Trust.Working together to bring our landscape and history alive.
TH
E G
RE
EN
HIG
H S
TR
EE
T
HIG
H S
TR
EE
T
A 6 B E D F O R D R D
A507
SH
EF
FO
RD
RD
J A C Q U E S LA N E
O L D C H U R C H P A T H
TOWN SHOTT
G R E A T L A N E
L I T T L E LA
NE
T H E C A U S E W A Y
M I L L L A N E
BA
CK
ST
RE
ET
T H E S L A D E
KIL
N L
AN
E
C A I N H O E R D
GRE
ENM
AN
THE
STO
NE
JUG
FLYI
NG
HO
RSE LO
CK U
P&
PO
UN
D
THE
OLD
FORG
E
CLO
PHIL
LH
OU
SE
CLO
PHIL
LW
ATER
M
ILL
MET
HO
DIS
TCH
URC
H
ST M
ARY
’SSC
HO
OL
ST M
ARY
’SCH
URC
H
OLD
CHU
RCH
Intr
oduc
tion
This
trai
l exp
lore
s th
e la
ndsc
ape,
geo
logy
and
land
use
s su
rrou
ndin
g C
loph
ill V
illag
e ov
er m
illio
ns o
f yea
rs, f
rom
the
Cre
tace
ous
(app
rox.
95
mill
ion
year
s ag
o) to
the
pres
ent w
ith th
e ch
urch
bei
ng b
uilt
in th
e 10
th
Cen
tury
. Th
e tra
il is
a s
tead
y w
alk
of a
ppro
xim
atel
y 9k
m o
r 5.6
mile
s. I
t be
gins
on
the
top
of th
e G
reen
sand
Rid
ge a
t Old
St M
ary’
s C
hurc
h, m
ap
refe
renc
e TL
1708
86.
N.B
. Tak
e ut
mos
t car
e w
hen
cros
sing
the
A6,
whi
ch is
a 6
0mph
road
.
In T
he n
orth
wes
t fac
ing
bank
of t
he R
iver
Flit
can
be
see
n sm
ooth
iron
ston
e ex
pose
d th
roug
h w
ater
er
osio
n.
The
lake
s at
the
end
of th
e fo
otpa
th a
re th
e flo
oded
Ful
lers
’ Ear
th
wor
king
s th
at w
ere
one
of th
e m
ajor
indu
strie
s in
Clo
phill
dur
ing
the
20th
Cen
tury
. Th
e ex
tract
ion
wor
ks c
lose
d do
wn
in 2
000.
You
can
hear
the
leat
tum
blin
g be
neat
h th
e m
ill w
here
the
unde
rsho
t whe
el w
ould
hav
e tu
rned
mill
ston
es to
grin
d w
heat
. A
lso,
on
the
corn
er o
f th
e m
ill b
uild
ing
is a
n ol
d O
S
mar
ker s
tone
.
The
Riv
er F
lit is
a m
isfit
stre
am, w
hich
mea
ns it
is m
uch
smal
ler
than
the
river
that
ero
ded
the
valle
y in
whi
ch it
sits
toda
y. D
urin
g pe
rigla
cial
con
ditio
ns, t
he R
iver
Flit
wou
ld h
ave
been
a m
uch
larg
er b
raid
ed s
yste
m o
f stre
ams
erod
ing
the
land
scap
e.
This
pat
h le
ads
you
past
sm
all p
onds
on
top
of th
e W
obur
n S
ands
cre
ated
by
hol
low
s in
the
Wob
urn
San
ds F
orm
atio
n pr
obab
ly
lined
by
the
impe
rmea
ble
Oad
by T
ill.
The
pond
s ar
e re
cogn
isab
le b
y th
e ch
ange
in
veg
etat
ion
and
the
tall
reed
-sw
eet g
rass
es o
n its
edg
es.
The
pond
s ar
e ei
ther
rem
nant
bom
b cr
ater
s fro
m th
e S
econ
d W
orld
War
, dew
po
nds
or p
ossi
bly
hist
oric
al p
its d
ug fo
r cla
y ex
tract
ion
to m
ake
bric
ks lo
cally
.N
ear F
ores
t Lod
ge is
a m
assi
ve fe
lled
tree,
evi
denc
e of
how
big
so
me
of th
e tre
es c
an g
row
on
the
nutri
ent-p
oor s
andy
soi
l.
Look
out
for t
he e
ngra
ved
ston
e de
pict
ing
the
insc
riptio
n “D
eadm
an’s
Hill
” and
a s
kull-
and-
cros
sbon
es, a
loca
l w
aym
arke
r sto
ne.
In a
dditi
on, y
ou c
an s
ee, i
n m
any
of th
e st
ones
, ge
olog
ical
feat
ures
incl
udin
g cr
oss-
bedd
ing,
gra
in
diffe
rent
iatio
n (1
), m
ud d
rape
s (2
) and
iron
-ric
h rip
ples
.
As
you
wal
k ac
ross
the
field
s no
te th
e ch
ange
in s
oil t
ype
and
vege
tatio
n re
late
d to
cla
y co
ver t
o th
e no
rth (O
adby
Ti
ll) a
nd th
e la
ck o
f cla
y to
the
sout
h (e
rosi
on o
f the
O
adby
Till
to re
veal
the
Wob
urn
San
ds b
edro
ck).
On
the
right
-han
d si
de o
f thi
s cu
l-de-
sac
is a
n im
pres
sive
, la
rge
and
beau
tiful
exp
osur
e of
Wob
urn
San
ds F
orm
atio
n sh
owin
g a
dist
inct
unc
onfo
rmity
, bed
ding
, ero
sion
and
ot
her g
eolo
gica
l fea
ture
s. T
his
expo
sure
is d
ue a
gain
to
quar
ryin
g, p
roba
bly
for s
and
extra
ctio
n an
d lo
cal b
uild
ing
ston
es.
Det
our 1
:Ta
ke th
e P
ublic
Foo
tpat
h on
the
left,
alm
ost o
ppos
ite
Tow
nsho
tt. A
long
this
pat
h, y
ou w
ill c
ross
two
bran
ches
of
the
Riv
er F
lit.
The
first
one
you
cro
ss is
the
dive
rted
leat
, w
hich
you
will
see
late
r in
the
wal
k, a
nd th
e se
cond
is th
e riv
er it
self:
a g
reat
pla
ce to
pla
y P
ooh-
stic
ks!
In th
e no
rthw
est f
acin
g ba
nk o
f the
Riv
er F
lit c
an b
e se
en
smoo
th ir
onst
one
expo
sed
thro
ugh
wat
er e
rosi
on.
The
lake
s at
the
end
of th
e fo
otpa
th a
re th
e flo
oded
Ful
lers
’ E
arth
wor
king
s th
at w
ere
one
of th
e m
ajor
indu
strie
s in
C
loph
ill d
urin
g th
e 20
th C
entu
ry.
The
extra
ctio
n w
orks
cl
osed
dow
n in
200
0.
Gui
ded
Det
our 2
:A
guid
ed to
ur c
an b
e ar
rang
ed th
roug
h th
e Tr
ust i
nto
the
sem
i-wor
ked
quar
ry o
n th
e A
6.