Monday 21 July 2008

Clints and Grykes

I was up in Yorkshire at the weekend staying with friends. One of them casually asked me during our walk through horizontal rain: "Do you know what clints and grykes are?".

I was tempted to reply "I'll show you my clint if you will show me your gryke" but because they are polite people I meekly said that no, I didn't. I'll show you, says he.


This is an example of a clint and gryke. The clint is the bit of rock and the gryke is the space in between. I was given a geology lesson about glaciers, water, limstone, carboniferous thingies, but basically they are bits of rock that form a sort of pavement, and very useful they are too when it is wet and the bog is coming through your boots, your socks are wringing wet and the pub is still another four miles away and you are getting more intelligent conversation from the sheep than ... oh I could go on. They are nice and hard and you don't go squish into them and loose your boot on the pull out.


Here's some more of them.


And some more.


And yet more.

So now we know what clints and grykes are. Bully for us.

17 comments:

simon said...

yes I'd rather see a clint ahahahahahahahahaha.......

lorenzothellama said...

You rude man Simon!

Anonymous said...

woah....that's cool.

Shammickite said...

Clints and grykes?
Never 'erd of 'em.
But don't keep us in suspenders, tell us all about how and why they were formed. And are they only in Yorkshire?
OKAY I'm heading to Wikipedia....

The Lone Beader® said...

Those are real geological terms?? Anyhow, you shoulda replied with that question! LOL!

simon said...

I meant as in Eastwood!

Eg "go ahead make my day!"

lorenzothellama said...

A likely story Simon!

Maria said...

Cool, the weathering limestone. Never heard clints and grykes, but I saw something similar in Salzburg (Loferer Steinberge). More like in the first picture. Was a bright day when we were there, fortnuately.
:)

Martin Stickland said...

"Go ahead punk, may my tomatoes on toast"

You learn sumting every day man!

How are you me old fruit?

Maalie said...

I don't seem to be able to see the pictures. Limestone pavements are botanically very diverse habitats.

Maalie said...

Ok, I can see the piccies now - nice!

Anonymous said...

Great photo's! Thanks for sharing with us! *HUGS*

Martin Stickland said...

I will be a fairy queen if you go as a fury queen again!

Merisi said...

Those fissures look like they could take a whole load of Full English (the fish may even find their way back to the ocean). ;-)

madretz said...

Oh my goodgracious! You are hilarious, I am almost in tears laughing from this, "I'll show you my clint..."
The geological earthy stuff is really interesting, too.

Anonymous said...

thank you so much for answeering my sons homework in basic english!!!!!

lorenzothellama said...

Thank you anon! Always ready to be of service!