Little Pinnacle
Sea stack in Dorset, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little Pinnacle, also known as The Haystack or Turf Rickrock, is a sea stack located off Ballard Down on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, southern England.[1] It is the shortest of two stacks in The Pinnacles, the other stack being The Pinnacle.[2]
Little Pinnacle at Handfast Point, seen from Ballard Down | |
 Interactive map of Little Pinnacle | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | English Channel |
| OS grid reference | SV9978 |
| Archipelago | The Pinnacles (Dorset) |
| Total islands | 1 |
History
Formation
About 65-100 million years ago, this region was home to a warm, shallow tropical sea. Chalk developed as a result of the build-up of the small, calcium-rich skeletons of microscopic algae found in the sea, called coccoliths.[3][4]
These eventually built up into thick bands as a result of compaction over millions of years. Thick bands of flint, with siliceous spicules of sponges, were present within these bands and offered some degree of structural strength to resist erosion. Eventually, due to tectonic activity, these layers of chalk rose above sea level. At this point a ridge of chalk existed to connect the Isle of Purbeck with the Isle of Wight, specifically the Needles. After the last Ice Age, due to rising sea levels and the breaching of this land bridge 7,000 to 10,000 years ago, these two landmasses were separated.[5][6] To form Little Pinnacle, the sea gradually eroded along the joints and bedding planes where the softer chalk meets harder bedrock of the rock formations to create a cave. This eventually eroded right through to create an arch. This arch subsequently collapsed to form Little Pinnacle.
Folklore
The stack, along with Old Harry Rocks, has long been associated with the 14th-century pirate Harry Paye. Local folklore has it that the pirate hid his ship in the vicinity of the stacks and used the position to attack merchant vessels.[7][8]
World War II
During World War II, Little Pinnacle, along with other stacks in the area- including the nearby Old Harry Rocks were used by Spitfire and Hurricane pilots for target practice.[9] Divers still occasionally find shell cases on the seabed nearby.[10]
Etymology
The stack is generally known as Little Pinnacle but has also been locally referred to as The Haystack, Turf Rickrock and The Wedge, which refer possibly to its rectangular and agricultural appearance.[11]
The clifftop location above the stacks is named "Old Nick’s Ground," which is derived from the traditional English term "Old Nick," meaning the Devil.[12]
Ecology
Little Pinnacle, similarly to The Pinnacle, serves as a critical nesting site for several species. The Pinnacle South Cliff is an important breeding spot for cormorants, with up to 16 active cormorant nests.[13]
Peregrine falcons are common on Little Pinnacle and the adjacent Pinnacle. They use these stacks as a nesting site as well as others in the area such as Durdle Door.[14] Little Pinnacle is also home to various species of fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, seagulls, and razorbills.[15][13]
The base of the stack is home to a rich marine ecosystem, which is protected as part of the Studland to Portland Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The intertidal zone on the lower chalk areas is highly colonized by barnacles and limpets as a result of being exposed at low tide.[16] Barnacles and limpets can also be found at the base of the stack on the wave-cut platform and in rock pools. Seaweed and various crab species are also found in the surrounding tidal areas. The surrounding waters within the subtidal areas are home to rocky reefs and seagrass beds within Studland Bay, which are used as nursery grounds for commercial fish species and seahorses.[17][18]
Geology
The downlands of Ballard Down are formed of chalk with some bands of flint and were formed approximately 66 million years ago. The bands of stone have been gradually eroded over the centuries, some of the earlier stacks having fallen while new ones have been formed by the breaching of narrow isthmuses.[19] Across the water to the east the Needles on the Isle of Wight are usually visible. These are also part of the same chalk band and only a few thousand years ago were connected to Ballard Down.
Geography
Little Pinnacle lies directly east of Studland, approximately 200 metres south of Old Harry Rocks and about 4 kilometres northeast of Swanage.[20] The chalk headlands of the Ballard Downs are owned by the National Trust. The rocks can be viewed from the Dorset section of the South West Coastal Path.