{"product_id":"fru-clu-2","title":"Orwell Clunch (England, UK)","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrwell Clunch\u003c\/strong\u003e - Orwell Clunch Pit, Orwell, Royston, Cambridgeshire, England, UK\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"4\"\u003eThe \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"87\" data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003eOrwell Clunch Pit\u003c\/b\u003e is a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), known for exposing the Upper Cretaceous Chalk. \u003cspan class=\"citation-24 citation-end-24\"\u003e\"Clunch\" is a traditional English term for a harder, more durable variety of chalk often used as a building material in East Anglian churches and cottages.\u003csup data-turn-source-index=\"1\" class=\"superscript\"\u003e\u003c!----\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Here we are dealing with pure \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"173\" data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003eCretaceous Chalk\u003c\/b\u003e, or \"Clunch.\" This material is a specific, hardened variety of limestone composed almost entirely of the microscopic skeletal remains of \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"327\" data-path-to-node=\"0\"\u003ecoccolithophores\u003c\/b\u003e (ancient marine algae). Unlike the soft, crumbly writing chalk most people are familiar with, clunch is a more consolidated, \"blocky\" rock that has been a vital building stone in East Anglia for centuries. These specimens represent the compressed, 85-million-year-old seafloor of the Santonian age, free of the silica nodules that often characterise the wider region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eThis specimen shows the classic \"blocky\" fracture of high-quality clunch. It features a clean, off-white colour and a remarkably fine-grained texture that feels smooth and almost powdery to the touch. This piece highlights the structural integrity that made clunch a popular choice for carved architectural details in local churches. You can see the subtle bedding planes where layers of marine sediment settled in a calm, deep-sea environment. Its value lies in its purity as a representative sample of the \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"520\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eUpper Chalk Formation\u003c\/b\u003e, providing a perfect tactile example of a biogenic sedimentary rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"136\" data-end=\"147\"\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Orwell Clunch Pit, Orwell, Royston, Cambridgeshire, England, UK\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"196\" data-end=\"199\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"199\" data-end=\"213\"\u003eRock type:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Clunch \/ Chalk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"236\" data-end=\"239\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"358\" data-end=\"367\"\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e ~5-7(L) x 6(H) x 5(W) cm (see scale cube), 247 g\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Frugeo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52760167645521,"sku":"FRU-CLU-2","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0885\/9749\/6145\/files\/FRU-CLU-2a.jpg?v=1767743015","url":"https:\/\/frugeo.science\/products\/fru-clu-2","provider":"Frugeo Geology Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}