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Weald Bridge Puddingstone (site of), MORETON, Epping Forest District, TL506066, Historical site only
Site category: Boulders - puddingstone Site name: Weald Bridge Puddingstone (site of) Grid reference: TL 506066 Description of site: A.E. Salter, in his 1914 paper "Sarsen, basalt and other boulders in Essex" ( Essex Naturalist. Vol. 17. Pages 186-199) refers to a giant boulder of Hertfordshire puddingstone that cannot now be located. He states that "Lying across the bed of the Cripsey Brook, 1/4 mile west of Weald Bridge at about 120' O.D., is a large flat table of Herts-conglomerate 9' 3" x 7' 2" x l' 8". This seems to be the largest Essex boulder". There is a local story that the boulder was broken up because of fears that it was a 'growing stone' and would eventually block the stream and flood the fields (Lucy 2003a). ---------------------------------------- Hertfordshire Puddingstone Hertfordshire Puddingstone was formed around 55 million years ago when the climate of Britain was hot and a layer of pebbles beneath the surface of the ground became cemented with quartz. They are thus very resistant to erosion and have survived the rigours of the Ice Age. They originated in Hertfordshire, hence the name, and were probably carried to Essex by the River Thames when it flowed north of its present course. However, the distribution and abundance of Hertfordshire puddingstone in parts of Essex suggests that some occurrences may have a local Essex source. The formation of silcretes (which includes sarsens and puddingstones) has been the subject of recent scientific debate. Research has compared the conditions under which sarsens and puddingstones may have been formed with the present day climate in the Kalahari Desert and parts of Australia.
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Reference: Salter 1914, Lucy 2003a
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