Fossil Grove
The Fossil Grove is a group of plant fossils located within
The site, Glasgow's most ancient visitor attraction and the remnants of an extensive ancient forest, is viewed from within a building constructed to protect the fossils from the elements.
Description
The Fossil Grove is on a 23 m (75 ft) by 10 m (33 ft) floor of an old quarry, and belongs to the same geological time period as several other groups of
The stumps themselves are
The sandstone in the Grove is covered with shale that was deposited as mud in a major flooding episode, and this deposition of sediment knocked over and killed the lycopsids. The soft tissues of the cortical meristem and inner
Besides the fossil stumps, the only other indications of organic life in the strata of the Fossil Grove are Arenicola burrows found in some sandstone beds.[2]
History
In 1885 part of the Scotstoun estate was leased to create a park, and the Fossil Grove was discovered in late 1887 when a pilot channel was cut through an old quarry in preparation for the construction of a road in the park.[3] In April 1888 members of the Geological Society of Glasgow suggested to leave the fossils in situ and construct a building around the fossils. The commissioners of Partick elected to leave the fossils where they were uncovered and in 1889, at a cost of about £400, constructed a building to contain the fossils. On 1 January 1890, the Fossil House covering the Fossil Grove opened to the public. The wooden roof timbers of the House were replaced with metal trusses in the 1920s. A bomb damaged the roof and a single trunk during World War II, and a concrete spacer replaced the center of the damaged trunk. The windowed roof was replaced with regular roof panels in the 1970s. Today the building continues to be maintained by Glasgow City Council. The Fossil Grove Trust (along with Historic Scotland) are working with the Council to improve the drainage, ventilation, and interpretation of the site. Friends of Victoria Park are establishing a fernery in the adjacent quarry area. The fossil lycopsids are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[3][2]
Visitor information
As of July 2022[update], the Fossil Grove is open from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. only on the third Sunday of the month, from April to October, and the surrounding park is always open. The Fossil House has stone and tarmac paths and a few stone steps, and is wheelchair accessible. The walk around the entire quarry is about 400 m (1,300 ft) long. Admission is free.[6]
About 50 m (160 ft) east of the Fossil House is an oak sculpture of a
See also
References
- ]
- ^ S2CID 129167422.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-901514-51-3.
- ^ Albert Charles Seward (1898). Arthur E. Shipley (ed.). Fossil plants: a text-book for students of botany and geology. Vol. 1. C. J. Clay and Sons, Cambridge University Press. p. 57.
- S2CID 129501496.
- ^ "Fossil Grove". Geological Society of Glasgow. 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
External links
- Media related to Fossil Grove at Wikimedia Commons
- Fossil Grove website
- Images of the Fossil Grove and its fossils at The Glasgow Story