On the rocks

Year Six field trip to Lulworth Cove

On Wednesday 9th November, all of Upper Two (Year Six) took a trip to the famous Lulworth Cove. It was a fun and educational day. It started with a long coach journey into Dorset. We then split into small groups of seven or eight. After that each group was sorted into one of two larger groups. Our group first went into a classroom where we learnt all about why Lulworth Cove is a World Heritage Site; this is because it is completely and utterly natural. Lulworth hosts 36 of the 52 species of butterfly that live in the UK; it also provides safety for a jumble of other creatures.

We also learnt about the five sedimentary rock types in Lulworth Cove. Firstly Portland, the toughest, heaviest and oldest of the rocks, for which you need a diamond-tipped drill to get it out of the ground. There is Purbeck, which is also known as the stripy beds due to its mixture of mudstone and limestone. Next is Wealden; which is just like orange mud - it is the weakest of the rock types. After that comes greensand, which is sandstone that has a chemical that turns it green. The youngest of the rocks is chalk, a commonly known and very useful rock.

Afterwards we went on a walk to Lulworth Cove, stopping at Stair Hole to sketch and label the scenery. We then were taken to the rock that proclaimed it as a World Heritage Site. The rock was chosen because of a dinosaur footprint that we saw on the rock. We then walked on to the beach and we were told to find things that caught our eyes. James Gibb found a sea anemone that was particularly special. Lots of people found a variety of strange things. After that we walked back to the bus and had lunch. We then drove off after having a spectacular day out.

Daniel Cole and Sam Fernley (U2A)