The weather gods blessed us today! In the face of a yellow warning of rain, Jonathan, Andy and myself assembled mid-morning in perfect autumnal weather.
Our task was to tidy up Evershot Pit, where the main geological interest is an erosion surface of phosphatized Upper Greensand, overlain by a fossiliferous clay band and Middle and Upper Cenomanian Chalk.
We cleared away fallen branches and some encroaching ivy, then set to exposing the erosion surface by removing the chalk and soil. Our last visit to this site was a couple of years ago, so the accumulation was deep. The task was not made easier by the overnight rain – we made a mental note to visit in the summer next time.
Working away gave us plenty of time for chatting: topics included the fossil fish of the Tibetan plateau, exhumed Triassic landscapes in the Mendips, the probability of two people in a group having the same birthday, and the badgers asleep beneath us in the Foxmould.
Eventually the promised rain arrived. We finished off by erecting a new “DIGS” sign at the site. With a bigger party, we’d be able to extend the exposure to the left.
Many thanks to Ilchester Estates for allowing us access, and to Andy Bradley and Jonathan Stiby for taking part.
Richard Barrett
If you’d like to help conserving Dorset’s Local Geological Sites, then contact either:
Geoff Pettifer geoff.pettifer@gmail.com
or
Richard Barrett richard.barrett.uk@gmail.com
web https://dorsetrigs.org
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