Unlock all the shrouded mystery in such a remarkable site. Get to see the remains of a bygone volcanic age and the rare organisms there too. The site has been a marvel for countless visitors over centuries. It has been admired for the rugged symmetry of the columns that served as a natural protective barrier against storms raging from the Atlantic.
“You are standing on, or are about to visit, one of my favourite places. The jewel in the crown of the fabulous coast of Antrim. A site of World Heritage and therefore ranked alongside Mount Everest and the Giant Redwoods of California for it’s importance to humankind.Volcanic activity helped Finn Mc Cool forge this wonder of the World some 60 Million years ago. It is today the habitat of rare plants and animals. Please treat their home with the pride and the care it deserves”. David Bellamy
Ready to go?
Visit Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland and easily get to this amazing place that lies in 44 Causeway Rd, Bushmills BT57 8SU.
How did it all begin?
The story began when one of the Trinity College’s fellows, Sir Richard Bulkeley, officially informed the Royal Society with such a phenomenon in 1693. Such a discovery provoked a widespread attention among the upper and middle classes. And three years later, a draughtsman was sent to draw such an astonishing site from every angle. In 1740, Susanna Drury was another artist who also visited the place and stayed there for months to picture the glamor of the Giant’s Causeway. Moreover, she made sure the site would gain fame on The Grand Tour. In 1771, Demarest, a French man, brought big news to the whole world when the Causeway was declared as a phenomenon that had resulted from a previous volcanic activity.
Later in 1986, the UNESCO considered the area as a World Heritage Site and the Department of the Environment announced it as a national nature reserve in 1987. In addition, it was announced the fourth greatest natural wonder in 2005. However, there’s a great debate about who was behind building or forming the site—Mother Nature, men with primitive tools, or a giant.
Be steeped in the Geology
Since that Antrim had been exposed to intense natural catastrophes, volcanoes in the Paleocene Era about 60 million years ago, a large-scale lava plateau appeared on the surface when fluid basalt thrust into the chalk beds in that area. Then, contraction occurred due to cooling lava, giving cracks that gradually increased underground and taking the shape of pillars. Eventually, those structures were cracked horizontally with a concave-shaped bottom surface and a convex-shape upper surface. Their size was controlled by the cooling speed of lava. Such network of prolonged structures formed today’s columns that the whole world has been astonished with their beauty.
Comments
Great Post! :)