Fossil tree Stump - Bradford, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 48.881 W 001° 46.513
30U E 580638 N 5963598
This fossilised tree stump and a timeline of sample fossils are in the grounds of Lister Park, a public park with free admission.
Waymark Code: WMHV2V
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/14/2013
Views: 1
Lister park was originally the grounds of a large house owned by Samuel Cunliffe-Lister, a local successful mill owner. After he moved to a village called Masham, and built an even larger house, he sold the grounds cheaply to Bradford Council on condition that it became a public park.
After many years the park had become a little run down and major changes to the landscaping were made in the early years of the 21st Century.
This display of a large tree stump is surrounded by a spiral of sample fossils embedded into the floor. Information about both is on a nearby metal information board that that has the following text.
The Fossil Tree Stump
The fossil was uncovered in 1889 in sandstone quarries at
Clayton near Bradford.
This stump and roots (called Stigmaria) are all that remain of a
giant tree.
It grew in forests in Carboniferous times 330 million years ago.
Yorkshire was a hot, steamy, tropical swamp near the equator.
The tree was 40 metres high. Can you see its huge spreading roots?
During a flood the trunk was snapped off. The decaying hollow
stump filled up with sand. The outer wood layers became coal.
Over millions of years the sand hardened into sandstone rock,
the tree stump became a fossil.
You can find other fossil stems and roots in the rocks
of the stream.
Leaves and stems of other fern like plants fell into the swamp
and decayed into peat.
The peat eventually turned into seams of coal. Coal has been
mined for fuel all around this area but is now exhausted.
There is also a numbered list of the fossils in the ground together with a picture showing their location.
| No |
age (Millions) |
Time (Million) | |
|
|
| 1 |
4555-545 |
4000 | Pre-Cambrian |
Sea pen |
Charnia |
| 2 |
545-495 |
50 | Cambrian |
Trilobite |
Paradoxides |
| 3 |
495-443 |
52 | Ordovician |
Straight nautiloid |
Dawsonoceras |
| 4 |
443-417 |
26 | Silurian |
Sea Scorpion |
Mixopterus |
| 5 |
417-354 |
63 | Devonian |
Armoured Fish |
Cephalaspis |
| 6 |
354-290 |
64 | Carboniferous |
Lampshellsiorinoids |
SpirilenWoodocrinus |
| 7 |
290-248 |
42 | Triassic |
Dinosaur |
Massospondylus |
| 8 |
248-206 |
42 | Permian |
Reptile |
Sclerocephalus |
| 9 |
206-142 |
64 | Jurassic |
Marine Reptile |
Icthyosaurus |
| 10 |
142-66 |
77 | Cretaceous |
Ammonite |
Tropaeum |
| 11 |
65-2 |
63 | Tertiary |
Mammal |
Caenopus(rhinoceras) |
| 12 |
2-0 |
2 |
Pleistocen
Mammoth Tooth |
Footprint, flint axe
Mammulthus | Australopithecus |
Visit Instructions:At least one good photo you have personally obtained and a brief story of your visit. Any additions or corrections to the information about the Waymark (for instance, have the hours open to the public changed) will be greatly appreciated.