Hassium

The Hemlock Stone sits on a hill in a park in Stapleford. The 28ft tall two tone monolith is something of a mystery as no-one knows for sure who it got there. It is formed of a layer of Nottingham Castle Sandstone overlying a layer of Lenton Sandstone. Both layers are members of the Sherwood Sandstone Group.  The Nottingham Castle Sandstone is a medium to coarse-grained sandstone in which the grains are strongly cemented together by baryte. The Lenton Sandstone is very fine-grained but less well cemented together. As a result, the lower part of the stone is more vulnerable to erosion than the upper part, resulting in differential erosion that has given the inselberg its current "waisted" shape.

The theory about why it still stands has been investigated by geologists who believe the stone was left over from quarrying of the surrounding stone.

Every year the ‘Hemlock Happening’ takes place in the park with music and activities for the local community.

Hassium was discovered in 1984.

Hassium is a synthetic element about which little is known. It is presumed to be a solid metal, but since only a few atoms of it have been created, it is difficult to study.