16 months after start on 1st August 2011 and after two recent inquisitorial meetings–the first, water-boarding by those two sweet ladies from LEADER, the second stretching on the rack by that nice gentleman from the Rural Payments Agency, the project, phase 1 has been signed off and the last payment will be released soonest.  This means that the team will not have to dine on potato and cabbage soup this Xmas and may well raise a glass in good cheer.  Congratulations and thanks are in order to all who have helped this project to success, from the cutting of the first sod (an old expression) to the locking of the door on our little store cupboard at Martley Memorial Hall.  To recap, Phase 1 was the development of Martley Rock, three geology courses, an audit of parish geology (excellent book now available–a few left), educational packs for schools, general publicity and of course the creation of a local geological society.

 

To all our readers–a Happy Xmas and Merry New Year–

No that can’t be right, but you know what I mean.

 

Pictures from the afternoon entertainment with the Silurian Morris Men under the leadership of Ian Cruigan, and the evening multi-media presentation by Ben Osborne–A Jurassic Journey

Trail Triallers are wanted for two NEW geology trails in Martley Parish, taking you around some of our many geological features.  The routes, one of 2.5 the other 5.8 miles, are prepared for testing: geological, nature and hopefully historical interpretations will be added, with maps, pictures, explanations but at this very moment and for the trial, you will just have a sheet of paper and a few turn left here, turn right there instructions.  Good luck–you will be helping us.

Thanks, John

ROCK DAY—PROGRAMME, BUY TICKETS,

Well it is almost on us—our second annual Rock Day and the start of our third year as a geological society.  Saturday 17^th November is when it all happens at Martley Memorial Hall.  We have a more ambitious programme than last year, so if you can, please do support it. There are generous discounts for members and the evening show is ‘unmissable’! It will be most enjoyable in the afternoon too, a merry time to be had by all, watching (taking part?) the Silurian Morris Men from 2.30pm, refreshments available. Dave Cropp, 01886 888398 / is managing ticket sales so best contact him. Meet for coffee and chat from 1030, with the (short) AGM from 11am followed by a ‘round table’ discussion about the Society’s future, all ideas welcome! Thereafter walks, with guides if we can find them, to local sites, hopefully also to our ‘new’ sites financed by the second funding award gained recently. These outings are to some extent weather dependent and we will need to drive part way to the outlying parts.

MARTLEY GEO-VILLAGE PROJECT

To mark the fact that we have been granted a second tranche of funding (£10300) to add to the first (£26310), we thought a change of name from The Martley Geology Project to The Martley Geo-Village Project would be appropriate, after all that is our aim, to make Martley the first geo-village in the country. This means that we will provide trails, trail guides, central information point, interpretation boards, local displays and international promotion.

PROJECT PROGRESS

The audit books are in printing as I speak and we hope in time for Rock to have these Day. Julie Harrald was responsible for these—thanks Julie. The end result is to be a very fine document indeed, beautifully illustrated and printed, can’t wait! A few copies will be available for purchase, others will be freely distributed to the library, local schools and so on. Education packs, with rock samples, magnifying glasses, charts, teaching resources and student worksheets will be presented to representatives from around a dozen local primary schools at a half day training session at Cob House 14^th November, We are most grateful to Bob Allison of Chantry for all of the work he has done to make this happen—thanks Bob. Dr Paul Olver, great friend of the Society and our December speaker (7.30pm 10^th), is nearing the end of the third and final geology course sponsored by LEADER,  well oversubscribed as usual. A few of us went up to Martley Rock last week to tidy it up for Rock Day—strimming the grass, cleaning up the trench and removing weeds and grass from the walkways.  We were pleased with our efforts as the site looked much more presentable when we had finished—only an hour and a half for three of us. We need to encourage a small group to meet at random times to maintain our (five) sites and I know that will not be a problem as there are at least six names on the list already, with al the tools we need to hand.

As far as ‘phase 2’ is concerned, work is just commencing and orders are being placed. These include work on the car park and Martley Rock, survey work for new trails and for the four new sites with their interpretation boards. This work will gather pace in the next few weeks, completion is scheduled for September 2013.

BUSINESS

The AGM is the time to renew your membership or the best time to join as you will then take advantage of the discounts all through the year that you are entitled to as a member. For example, we charge non-members £2.50 to attend an evening lecture and since we hold 5 or 6 a year you can work out the savings made on that alone. The same applies to field trips and also to Rock Day where members pay £8 in the evening, non-members 12—so it just has to be the best deal in town, doesn’t it? Maybe too good, so join now, before we change the rules!

FINALLY

Decemb er 10^th 7.30pm mulled wine and nibbles AND Dr Paul Olver for a slightly festive last meet of the year, do come, the topic is ‘Impact on the Earth—the Effect of Missiles from Outer Space’. Surely the evening will be a big hit (sorry).

First—please diarise–Monday 24th September, 7.30pm, Martley Memorial Hall–Dr Mark O’Dell–Ammonites—Introduction–all about them, Location–where they are to be found in UK, Preparation–how to prepare for display.  Mark will bring examples from his extensive collection.

Second–thanks to Kristina Grinnall (met at 3 Counties show–how good was that?), we have a Facebook presence–Teme Valley Geological Society–and are building this site as another up to the minute way of telling the world about TVGS

Third–Martley Annual Show–always find it very worth while and enjoyable to put up the stand with our display and meet people–old friends and new acquantances-we signed up another 15 for the email list!

Thanks to Dick Langley for this contribution; thanks to Black Country Geological Society for letting us ‘tag along’ and thanks too to Graham Worton, trip leader, for an excellent job.

The day was led by Graham Worton and commenced at the sycamore tree, site of Abraham Darby’s birthplace one of the fathers of the Industrial revolution. Interestingly the sycamore will soon be felled to make way for an excavation of the site to reveal more history of the home of Abraham Darby, his son and grandson dating back to 1678 . A visitor centre will also be completed on the site next year.

A brief explanation was given regarding the industrial and social history of the site where originally coppiced trees were used for the production of pure charcoal used in the iron making process. Alternatively coal was used and became increasingly more important as an alternative when trees were preserved by royal decree of Elizabeth 1st for the sole purpose of boat and ship building. It was the use of limestone found in abundance at wrens nest that enabled coal to be used where limestone removed the impurities found in coal . Approximately 20,000 tonnes of lime stone per year was removed from the site and distributed via the canal network to the developing iron and steel works nation wide.

The original community of the Wrens Nest area had a long tradition of working in the mines and all the work in setting up the national nature reserve for geology has been completed with the inclusion and involvement of the local residents. Interestingly all the work and exhibits provided by the community are kept in pristine condition unblemished with graffiti or any markings. A tribute to the way the site has been created for and by the community with a welcome for all who come from afar.

Our first walk through a 50 meter long cutting carved out seven years ago took us through layers of rock mud an limestone laid down 400 to 425 million years ago. Recent research has shown that some of ash laid down was from a volcano centred at Cheltenham. The 50 metre walk through the cutting gave a wonderful impression of the sea bed from the Silurian period 400 million years ago.

Over 650 fossils have been found with 86 being unique to the area. Best known of course the Dudley bug, a three lobe trilobite. There was evidence of ripple marking from the sea bed from the seas action on the sand. The study of the area has enabled an understanding of great periods of climate change taking place over a 5 million year period.

The walk proceeded up through the reserve via a butterfly meadow and soccer pitches once used for artillery ranges for gunner practice before the first world war and then on to the seven sister’s tunnel complex one of the best preserved examples of lime stone quarrying worldwide. Several caves have been in filled with loose sand and one with with blocks of ganite.

The Scottish Geologist, Robert Murchison from the mid 1830,s researched the area and befriended the quarry men and miners. For information and findings of fossils he could pay them a fine price. As a result Dudley became the world’s best known site for fossils.

The final cave was infilled but also preserved as a living habitat for a dense bat population where 7 of the nation’s 14 species have been found. The cool temperature suitable for bats is preserved with a damn sheltering the site from the warm southerly winds.

The day was well organised and the lecture brilliantly delivered, I would recommend a visit to the site and to the museum for members of your geological society at any time.

Dick Langley

Some of you are aware that TVGS has made two recent applications for funding from the European LEADER scheme.  LEADER funded the Martley Geology Project that will be completed at the end of 2012.

We applied for just over £10000 to complete our work for Martley as a geo-village–two more trails with leaflets, 4 more interpretation boards at important local geology sites, 2 practical, fun geology courses for young persons, completion of the car park at Martley Rock and a number of other items.

LEADER praised the bid contents but unfortunately, as their funding was oversubscribed by other groups and we had the previous funding, we were not successful this time.

The second application was for TVGS to link up with similar groups in Germany and France and this has yet to be decided, so will keep you posted.

TVGS committee will consider options open to the society, as we wish to do the work described in the (first) application above.