The Ercall

Last updated

The Ercall
ErcallHill.jpg
The Ercall's quarries viewed from the south.
Highest point
Elevation 140 m (460 ft)(approx.)
Geography
Location Shropshire, England
Parent range Shropshire Hills
OS grid SJ643096

The Ercall is a small hill in Shropshire, England, between The Wrekin and Wellington. It is an internationally important geological site, part of The Wrekin and The Ercall Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The hill is managed by Shropshire Wildlife Trust and includes 540 million year old ripple beds and ancient pre-Cambrian lava flows in exposed quarries. [1] Quartzite from the neighbouring Wrekin is also visible. The Ercall bears the marks of extensive quarrying, although the quarries are now disused, safe and open to the public. When the M54 motorway was constructed in 1974, the road was built through the northern end of the hill.

Contents

Flora and fauna

The woods of the forest are important for various butterfly species. In the summer, the Ercall Woods which line the hill are a favourite habitat for the speckled wood and during spring when the forest is laden with bluebells, the dingy skipper can arrive in great numbers. The exposed quarries are popular with other butterfly species, including the green hairstreak and wall, which like to bask in sheltered spots.

On the upper slopes of the hill tall oak trees predominate. Acidic soils support such plants as bilberry, climbing corydalis and heath bedstraw. The green woodpecker is also present in the woods.

Access

The hill is accessed in much the same way as The Wrekin nearby; exit the M54 motorway at J7 (last exit) or the last junction of the A5 from Shrewsbury before it becomes the M54. From there The Wrekin is signposted; follow this road until you reach The Wrekin, then follow the sign for the Buckatree Hotel. There is a small car park across the road from this pub/hotel, and the entrance is clearly visible.

Geology

The Ercall Quarries are a SSSI and therefore care needs to be exercised when investigating this area. Upon entering the quarry from the main entrance near The Wrekin one encounters an old quarry with many distinctive geological features evident.

Ercall Quarry
Highest point
Elevation 140 m (460 ft)  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Geography
Location Shropshire, England
Parent range Shropshire Hills

This is the first quarry that is apparent in the Ercall, it comprises Uriconian Volcanic deposits of Precambrian age. Such volcanic deposits are noted to have been bimodal and potentially intraplate possibly induced by (and therefore close to a) subduction zone and possibly in an island arc setting. [2] The flow banding and fine to medium grained appearance of the deposit suggests a fairly rapid cooling event and appears to have been deposited in a submerged environment. In all likelihood, during such events the depositional environment would fluctuate between submarine and subaerial as sea-floor levels will have fluctuated as well as eustatic sea-levels. [3]

On the right had side of the picture (running vertical) a dark grey doleritic dyke is evident. The dyke trends at approximately 65 degrees. Dolerite is intrusive and is relative to basalt (extrusive). There is a significant alteration about the contact between the two rocks. The dolerite dyke was emplaced into the Uriconian Rhyolite. The rhyolitic rocks themselves are representative of explosive volcanic centres to the west of this site and beyond the Church Stretton lineament. [2] There is a clear distinction between the tuffaceous rocks of the Uriconican Volcanics (dark brown/black/grey) and the intrusive granophyre which is pink. The relationship between the Ercall Granophyre and the Uriconian is also clearly evident as the Granophyre intrudes the Volcanic rocks and is therefore younger. [2]

The Ercall Granophyre is overlain by shallow dipping Cambrian rocks (in relation to the steeply dipping Uriconian volcanics) which contain Atdabanian fossils. The Granophyre is dated at 560+/-1Ma and is thought to be related to the volcanic events in the area. [4] The thermal expansion of the area is likely to have assisted the formation of a sedimentary basin in which such volcaniclastic sediments accrued and were later folded. [4] This has given rise to the steeply dipping sequences exposed at places such as the Forest Glen car park. The folding event is thought to be contemporaneous with uplift and a date of 526+/-28Ma has been put forward for this. [3]

Twin Peaks chocolate bar

In 2017, the discount retailer Poundland launched a rival chocolate bar to the Toblerone, which is manufactured by Mondelēz. Poundland's bar, Twin Peaks, takes the design of its shape from The Ercall and Wrekin hills. Poundland is based in the West Midlands, and its founder, Steve Smith, lives near Bridgnorth in Shropshire. [5]

Related Research Articles

The Llano Uplift is a geologically ancient, low geologic dome that is about 90 miles (140 km) in diameter and located mostly in Llano, Mason, San Saba, Gillespie, and Blanco counties, Texas. It consists of an island-like exposure of Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks surrounded by outcrops of Paleozoic and Cretaceous sedimentary strata. At their widest, the exposed Precambrian rocks extend about 65 miles (105 km) westward from the valley of the Colorado River and beneath a broad, gentle topographic basin drained by the Llano River. The subdued topographic basin is underlain by Precambrian rocks and bordered by a discontinuous rim of flat-topped hills. These hills are the dissected edge of the Edwards Plateau, which consist of overlying Cretaceous sedimentary strata. Within this basin and along its margin are down-faulted blocks and erosional remnants of Paleozoic strata which form prominent hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francois Mountains</span> Mountain range in Missouri, United States

The St. Francois Mountains in southeast Missouri are a mountain range of Precambrian igneous mountains rising over the Ozark Plateau. This range is one of the oldest exposures of igneous rock in North America. The name of the range is spelled out as Saint Francois Mountains in official GNIS sources, but it is sometimes misspelled in use as St. Francis Mountains to match the anglicized pronunciation of both the range and St. Francois County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wrekin</span> Hill in Shropshire, England

The Wrekin is a hill in east Shropshire, England. It is located some five miles (8 km) west of Telford, on the border between the unitary authorities of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin. Rising above the Shropshire Plain to a height of 407 metres above sea level, it is a prominent and well-known landmark, signalling the entrance to Shropshire for travellers westbound on the M54 motorway. The Wrekin is contained within the northern salient of the Shropshire Hills AONB. The hill is popular with walkers and tourists and offers good views of Shropshire. It can be seen well into Staffordshire and the Black Country, and even as far as the Beetham Tower in Manchester, Winter Hill in Lancashire and Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Mynd</span> Heath and moorland plateau in Shropshire, England

The Longmynd is a heath and moorland plateau that forms part of the Shropshire Hills in Shropshire, England. The high ground, which is common land and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies between the Stiperstones range to the west and the Stretton Hills and Wenlock Edge to the east. Much of it is owned by the National Trust, and is managed by the Longmynd Commoners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabase</span> Type of igneous rock

Diabase, also called dolerite or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grained to aphanitic chilled margins which may contain tachylite.

The geology of Shropshire is very diverse with a large number of periods being represented at outcrop. The bedrock consists principally of sedimentary rocks of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age, surrounding restricted areas of Precambrian metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks. The county hosts in its Quaternary deposits and landforms, a significant record of recent glaciation. The exploitation of the Coal Measures and other Carboniferous age strata in the Ironbridge area made it one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. There is also a large amount of mineral wealth in the county, including lead and baryte. Quarrying is still active, with limestone for cement manufacture and concrete aggregate, sandstone, greywacke and dolerite for road aggregate, and sand and gravel for aggregate and drainage filters. Groundwater is an equally important economic resource.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Wales</span> Overview of the geology of Wales

The geology of Wales is complex and varied; its study has been of considerable historical significance in the development of geology as a science. All geological periods from the Cryogenian to the Jurassic are represented at outcrop, whilst younger sedimentary rocks occur beneath the seas immediately off the Welsh coast. The effects of two mountain-building episodes have left their mark in the faulting and folding of much of the Palaeozoic rock sequence. Superficial deposits and landforms created during the present Quaternary period by water and ice are also plentiful and contribute to a remarkably diverse landscape of mountains, hills and coastal plains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Jersey</span>

The geology of Jersey is characterised by the Late Proterozoic Brioverian volcanics, the Cadomian Orogeny, and only small signs of later deposits from the Cambrian and Quaternary periods. The kind of rocks go from conglomerate to shale, volcanic, intrusive and plutonic igneous rocks of many compositions, and metamorphic rocks as well, thus including most major types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Tasmania</span> Overview of the geology of Tasmania

The geology of Tasmania is complex, with the world's biggest exposure of diabase, or dolerite. The rock record contains representatives of each period of the Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. It is one of the few southern hemisphere areas that were glaciated during the Pleistocene with glacial landforms in the higher parts. The west coast region hosts significant mineralisation and numerous active and historic mines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Cape Town</span> Geological formations and their history in the vicinity of Cape Town

Cape Town lies at the south-western corner of the continent of Africa. It is bounded to the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north and east by various other municipalities in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Uriconian rocks are volcanic rocks found in parts of Shropshire, United Kingdom. The name relates to Uriconio, the Latin name for an Iron Age hillfort on the summit of the Wrekin, a hill formed of Uriconian rock.

The Longmyndian Supergroup is a 6,000-metre-thick (20,000 ft) sequence of Late Precambrian rocks that outcrop between the Pontesford–Linley Fault System and the Church Stretton Fault System in the Welsh Borderland Fault System. The supergroup consists of two major geological groups, the Stretton Group and the overlying Wentnor Group. The rocks are a generally regressive sequence from basinal facies to clastic sedimentation. The rocks are thought to be derived from Uriconian mountains that were formed during the southward subduction of an oceanic plate beneath a continental block. The rocks have since been folded due to fault movements and plunge gently to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrekin Terrane</span> Inferred basement rock terrane of the southern United Kingdom

The Wrekin Terrane is one of five inferred fault bounded terranes that make up the basement rocks of the southern United Kingdom. The other notable geological terranes in the region are the Charnwood Terrane, Fenland Terrane, Cymru Terrane and the Monian Composite Terrane. The Wrekin Terrane is bounded to the west by the Welsh Borderland Fault System and to the east by the Malvern Lineament. The geological terrane to the west is the Cymru Terrane and to the east is Charnwood Terrane. The majority of rocks in the area are associated with the outcrops that are evident at the faulted boundaries.

The Cymru Terrane is one of five inferred fault bounded terranes that make up the basement rocks of the southern United Kingdom. The other notable geological terranes are the Charnwood Terrane, Fenland Terrane, Wrekin Terrane and the Monian Composite Terrane. In this article the definition of terrane is that implying rocks associated with the composition of the Precambrian basement. The Cymru Terrane is bounded to the northwest by the Menai Strait Fault System and to the southeast by the Pontesford Lineament. The geological terrane to the west is the Monian Composite Terrane and to the east is Wrekin Terrane. The majority of rocks in the area are associated with the outcrops that are evident at the faulted boundaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of the Isle of Skye</span>

The geology of the Isle of Skye in Scotland is highly varied and the island's landscape reflects changes in the underlying nature of the rocks. A wide range of rock types are exposed on the island, sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous, ranging in age from the Archaean through to the Quaternary.

The geology of Wisconsin includes Precambrian crystalline basement rock over three billion years old. A widespread marine environment during the Paleozoic flooded the region, depositing sedimentary rocks which cover most of the center and south of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Latvia</span>

Geology of Latvia includes an ancient Archean and Proterozoic crystalline basement overlain with Neoproterozoic volcanic rocks and numerous sedimentary rock sequences from the Paleozoic, some from the Mesozoic and many from the recent Quaternary past. Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Snowdonia National Park</span> Overview of geology in Snowdonia, Wales

The geology of Snowdonia National Park in North Wales is dominated by sedimentary and volcanic rocks from the Cambrian and Ordovician periods with intrusions of Ordovician and Silurian age. There are Silurian and Cenozoic sedimentary rocks on the park's margins. The succession was intensely faulted and folded during the Caledonian Orogeny. The region was uplifted as the North Atlantic Ocean opened during the Cenozoic. The current mountainous landscape arises from repeated glaciations during the Quaternary period.

The geology of Pembrokeshire in Wales inevitably includes the geology of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park which extends around the larger part of the county's coastline and where the majority of rock outcrops are to be seen. Pembrokeshire's bedrock geology is largely formed from a sequence of sedimentary and igneous rocks originating during the late Precambrian and the Palaeozoic era, namely the Ediacaran, Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous periods, i.e. between 635 and 299 Ma. The older rocks in the north of the county display patterns of faulting and folding associated with the Caledonian Orogeny. On the other hand, the late Palaeozoic rocks to the south owe their fold patterns and deformation to the later Variscan Orogeny.

References

  1. "Welcome to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust Web Site". 20 November 2008. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 P. J. Brenchley, P. F. Rawson The Geology of England and Wales, 2006, 2nd Ed
  3. 1 2 W. Compston, A. E. Wright, P. Toghill, Dating the Late Precambrian volcanicity of England and Wales, Journal of the Geological Society 2002; v.159; pp 323–339
  4. 1 2 Tucker, R.D. & Pharaoh, T.C., U-Pb Zircon ages for Late Precambrian – early Palaeozoic plate tectonics evolution of England and Wales, Journal of the Geological Society of London 1991; v.148; pp435-443
  5. Kennedy, Thom. "Peaky blinder: The Wrekin inspires Poundland to launch Toblerone-rivalling chocolate bar". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 7 July 2021.

52°40′58″N2°31′46″W / 52.68291°N 2.52952°W / 52.68291; -2.52952