When
a shortlist of 4 sites was selected by the teachers leading the XP School “Rock On” project, I did
have some reservations about going to Barnburgh Cliff, as I thought that the students would not have enough time to fully appreciate the points of interest here.
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| A view of the Dearne Valley in 2007 |
Although
the geology is excellent, and the geomorphology of the Dearne Valley can be
appreciated here, it is relatively remote and it takes a
moderately long walk before the Carboniferous sandstone and the best exposures
of the Permian limestone can be seen.
When I visited this site in February
2007, various geological features could easily be observed on a cloudy day.
 |
| An exposure of a Permian reef in 2007 |
Making
up for time lost at Cedar Road Quarry, the students concentrated on the
measuring and drawing tasks at Warmsworth Park and, by the time we arrived at Barnburgh Cliff, we only had 15
minutes to explore the site - before the group had to get back to school.
As
the students jogged past the bryozoan reefs, I noticed
that the undergrowth appeared to be much more hazardous
and all of the rocks looked very dark and dank - beneath a dense canopy of
leaves.
Stopping
at a cave, I was asked to give a short explanation of the geology
that the students could see behind me and then we had to leave, and I didn't take a single photograph.
On
the way back to the minibus, a couple of the students – including one who was
fascinated by the rocks at Cedar Road Quarry – told me that they had thought
that rocks were all the same, and very boring, but that they were now much more
interested in them. They had also noticed the Rock Art that can be seen here...
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