The Wren’s Nest, West
In and around Marsh’s Quarry
These first two photographs below are from the late 1950s and provide rare images of this exposure before it was decimated in 1961 when the pillars supporting the roof of the underlying cavern were blown out with the use of opencast gelignite and dynamite.
This shows the succession of rocks from the Coalbrookdale Formation (far left under trees) through the Lower Quarried Limestone Member and Nodular Member to the ripple beds that dip into the Upper Quarried Limestone Member (fossil) trench on the right.
After 1961 the now dislodged beds still showed the Lower Quarried Limestone Member/Nodular Member succession but in 1984 concerns were raised about the stability of the rock face and consequently the exposure of the Lower Quarried Limestone Member was demolished with the use of explosives.
Devil’s Mouth Cavern entrance into the Lower Quarried Limestone Member was situated at the base of the exposure and can be seen (partly hidden) behind the bush on the left side of the photograph (above).
Devil’s Mouth Cavern.
The irregular rock formation around the opening suggests this mine entrance was driven through a large bioherm. Stromatoporoid and coral structures can be seen more clearly in the Express and Star photo of the Devil’s Mouth Cavern (below).
Devil’s Mouth Cavern, Wren’s Nest, 1956. © Express & Star. BCGS is grateful for permission to use this photo.
For more information on Express & Star photos go to http://photosforsale.expressandstar.com/ES
View from inside Devil’s Mouth Cavern. Photo taken in 1957 by Tony Ashwell. We are grateful to Tony for permission to use this photo.
The next photograph provides a rare image of the interior of Devil’s Mouth Cavern and shows some of the roof supporting pillars that were (along with the first two Seven Sisters Pillars – see below) demolished by explosives in 1961. Although the Marsh’s Quarry entrance can be seen in the background (top right), the main source of illumination of this scene was another opening situated in the vicinity of the first two Seven Sisters Pillars.
Devil’s Mouth Cavern. Photo taken by Tony Ashwell in 1957. We are grateful to Tony for permission to use this photo.
The first two Seven Sisters pillars view looking north west. Marsh’s Quarry is situated just beyond this (now demolished) exposure (top right corner of photo). Photo from the early 1950s.
In 1984 the attention of the authorities was drawn to the large crack (the result of the collapse of the underlying cavern) in the dislodged beds of the Lower Quarried Limestone Member and it was quickly decided to demolish the exposure.
This shows the Lower Quarried Limestone Member/Nodular member as it was after the 1961 collapse of the underlying cavern. Photo taken in the early 1970s by Peter Parkes.
Closer view of the Lower Quarried Limestone Member showing the crack that caused concern a decade later (23 years after the event that caused it). Photo taken in the early 1970s by Peter Parkes.
The shattered remains of the Lower Quarried Limestone Member soon after demolition in 1984. Photo taken in 1984 by Peter Parkes.
Panoramic view of Marsh’s Quarry showing rocks of the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation including a large reef mass (bioherm) on the right. Photo taken in 1984 by Peter Parkes.