2011-10-29


Charmouth, UK		Week 39 20th January 2012

		Stopped at Abbey Gate Farm, near Axminster for a couple of nights. That's Axminster of carpet fame, still making carpets. This thatched house was on the lane we walked up to a nearby (3-4km) nature reserve.

		Cloudy bright in old camera speak. A bit chilly but the sun came out late in the afternoon.

		The view of Axminster from the top of the ridge.

		There just had to be a rainbow.

		But the sky remained dark.

		We have come this way to go fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast! The cliffs east of Charmouth are typical of the coast. "From the top" there's chert, flint, limestone, pyrite, shale, and beef rock. It took a while to realise that while the cliffs are grey the beach is yellowish. The fine grey clay like stuff is washed out by the sea leaving the coarser silica stuff. (that's about as technical as it needs to be!).

		An fossil ammonite encased in the shale. The "rock" is so soft it crumbles in the hand.

		The cliff is prone to rock falls and subsidence. The bit in front has slid down. Behind the strata can be seen, dipping very slightly to the east.

		As well as the fossils there are geodes. This one broken open on the beach.

		When the cliff collapses, or simply when its rained a lot, its quite muddy and clingy. RIP one wellie.

		Walking across the fields we met a grey squirrel. There were red ones on the Isle Of Wight but we didn't see any. In most of England the imported grey squirrels have taken over from the red.

		Our campsite at Abbot's Gate Farm. Just 5 sites.

Dartmoor, UK		Week 39 21st - 22nd January 2012

Gateway

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