fossils, a different course should be pursued. The collector should
then, after having made his purchases at Scaps-gate, direct his steps
towards Minster church, passing which, he will proceed on the road
towards Warden. About three-quarters of a mile beyond the church there
is a lane on the left hand, leading towards the Royal Oak, in which
lives a woman named Mummery, and several others, who work upon the
beach, and from whom fossils are frequently to be procured. These
people will direct him to the cottage of a family named Crockford, who
have usually a good assortment of fossils; and to many other parties
who also work upon the beach, and reside between this point and
Hensbrook, to which place he must now direct his steps. At Hensbrook
inquiry should be made for a man named Pead, who has generally a
considerable number of good specimens in his possession. From this
point (Hensbrook) the collector must proceed along the top of the cliff
towards Warden, calling at the various cottages in his way, until he
arrives at Warden Point, at which place he must inquire for Mud-row,
many of the inhabitants of which work upon the beach, and from whom
a considerable addition to the specimens already collected may be
purchased. Beyond this point nothing will be obtained, and the best
way to return to Sheerness, is by the road which runs through the most
level portion of the country; the path along the north cliff undulates
very considerably more than the road.
"The course of proceeding thus sketched applies to the supposition
that the time is limited to three days, but if a longer period can be
spared, I should recommend the tourist not to leave Sheerness without
viewing the dock-yard; and the return to London may be made by the
way of Chatham and Gravesend, affording the gratification of a view of
the dock-yard and lines at Chatham, and of the fine old cathedral and
castle at Rochester; at the same time, enabling him to arrive in London
on the evening of the day that he quits Sheerness."
[Sidenote: HERNE BAY. GRAVESEND.]
If the student’s time will permit, a day or two may be profitably spent
at Herne Bay on his return; and search should be made for fossils under
Swale Cliff and Studd Hill, where numerous fruits and some unique
mammalian remains have been found by William Richardson, Esq. (see p.
791). Should he land at Gravesend, as recommended by Mr. Bowerbank,
he should proceed towards the lime-kilns which lie on the London side
of the pier, on the right bank of the Thames. To the left of the
lime-kilns he will perceive a road leading by some bold chalk cliffs to
the high ground above Gravesend; and on the right hand there is a row
of cottages, or rather huts, inhabited by the labourers that work in
the quarries and kilns. Many of the usual fossils of the Kentish Chalk
may be obtained of the women or children in these huts; and sometimes
_Cidares_, or turban Echinites (p. 314), with spines; and Star-fish
(p. 306). A visit to the chalk-pits at Purfleet, on the opposite side
of the river, is very desirable; many interesting fossils having been
found in that locality. The Kentish Chalk in this district is much
softer than that of Sussex, and the fossils may be easily cleared with
a penknife, or by brushing in water; care should be taken not to wash
them roughly, as they will readily separate from the chalk.
The fossils procured from the Isle of Sheppey, by such an excursion,
will probably consist of portions of stems and branches of trees, and
fragments of wood, perforated by Teredines (see p. 193); specimens of
the fruits of palms, resembling the recent _Nipas_ of the Moluccas (p.
188), and of plants allied to the Cucumber, Bean, Cypress, Laburnum,
&c. (p. 189); claws and fragments of the shields of Crabs (p. 512);
bones of Crocodiles, Serpents, and Turtles; bones and teeth of Sharks
(p. 591); Rays (p. 598), and other fishes; and several species of the
usual shells of the London Clay (p. 383), and a specimen or two of
Nautilus (p. 469).
NOTES FOR AN EXCURSION TO BRACKLESHAM BAT, ON THE WESTERN COAST OF
SUSSEX.
The line of low cliffs extending from Selsea Bill to the mouth of
Chichester Harbour exhibits a section of the Eocene deposits, varying
in height from five or six feet to ten or twelve; it is covered at its
base by a bed of shingle, fifteen or twenty yards wide, that extends
towards the sea. The space between the termination of the shingle and
the limit of low-water-mark is occupied by a bed of dark grey and
greenish sand; and at certain seasons, numberless specimens of the
fossil shells common in the Eocene strata of the London and Paris
basins are thickly spread over this area.
Mr. Webster first directed attention to this locality, in his
celebrated Memoir on the Tertiary Strata of England; and my friend, the
late John Hawkins, Esq. of Bignor Park, followed up the inquiry. In
1821 I made a fine collection of the Bracklesham fossils, and published
a list of them in _Foss. South D._ and _Geol. S. E._ Messrs. Bowerbank,
Saull, Dixon, Coombe, &c. have subsequently made considerable and
important additions to the catalogue; and besides many new species
of shells, the vertebræ and other bones of Turtles, Serpents, and
Crocodiles have been discovered. An excellent notice of this locality,
from the pen of Mr. Bowerbank, appeared in _Mag. Nat. Hist._ (1840);
and I am indebted to the kindness of the author for the following notes
for the guidance of my readers.
"The part of the bay most interesting to the geologist is that
immediately in the neighbourhood of Bracklesham Barn, especially at
about a furlong to the east of that spot, where there is a small
break or chine in the low clay cliff. At this place, and at a few
paces east and west of it, beneath about six or seven feet of clay,
there is a stratum of light green marly sand, abounding in remains
of _Venericardia planicosta_ and other shells, but which is often
entirely hidden by thrown-up shingle, and it is very rarely that more
than a few feet in length of this bed can be seen. It is from this
bed, or from one exceedingly like it, somewhat lower in the series,
that perhaps most of the interesting shells of this district are to
be procured. If we proceed from this little break or chine westward,
for about forty paces parallel to the coast, and then in the direction
of a line at right angles to the cliff, and at the time of low water,
we shall find, near the low-water-mark, the bed we have described as
abounding in fossils exposed by the action of the sea in the most
favourable manner. At this spot _Venericardia planicosta_ is found
literally by thousands, with the valves united, the shells resting
upon their edges, and packed close to each other, exactly in the
manner that we might expect to have found them, supposing them to have
been recent shells with the animals yet inhabiting them. Comparatively
very few are gaping, and their condition and position strikingly
impress upon the mind the idea that when alive they must have
inhabited the spot from which they are now disinterred; especially
as there are numerous small and fragile species of other well-known
London Clay shells, which could not have remained whole had they
been subjected to much attrition amid the larger shells surrounding
them. On the sands in the vicinity of this spot, I found large masses
of _Nummulites lævigatus_ cemented together, and numerous detached
specimens of the same shell.
"At the eastern extremity of this bed, which, at the time of my visit,
was opened for about fifty yards, I found _Sanguinolaria Hollowaysii_,
a rare and fragile, but very beautiful shell, in a fine state of
preservation. At about twenty or thirty yards westward of the western
end of this interesting patch of shells, there are large blocks of
this bed, which, being of a firmer texture than the surrounding parts
of the deposit, have suffered less from the action of the water, and
project about twelve or eighteen inches above the surrounding sand,
and, by presenting an obstruction to the ebbing tide, they usually
induce the formation of a small pool amidst which they stand. At the
south-eastern side of this pool on one occasion I found the stratum,
which is usually covered by the sand, completely exposed. At this
spot there was scarcely a specimen of _Venericardia planicosta_ to be
seen, but instead of this shell, _Turritella conoidea_ and _T. edita_
were imbedded in a dark green marly sand; and among them, together
with _Fusus longævus_ and other well-known London Clay shells, I
found _Venericardia acuticostata_ and _V. mitis_, and a splendid
specimen of _Conus deperditus_, fully equal in size to the one figured
by Deshayes. Westward of this point I did not meet with anything
particularly interesting.
"About midway between Bracklesham Barn and the Thorney coast-guard
station, a series of patches of a deposit of chalk-flints was exposed;
the first of these was nearly at low-water-mark, and the remainder
of them ran, at short distances from each other, in a diagonal
line towards the coast, nearly in the direction of a straight line
drawn from their western extremity to the Thorney station-houses.
Apparently, this stratum of flints has not, at any time, exceeded
eight inches or a foot in thickness; they are, indeed, so thinly
scattered, as rarely to occur piled upon each other: very few of
them have suffered from attrition, and the greater part retain their
original form and whitened surface. They are imbedded in the same
light green marly sand which I before described as occurring at the
bottom of the London Clay in the neighbourhood of the little chine
near Bracklesham Barn. Amongst the flints there are numerous remains
of the roots of trees, in the state of soft bog-wood; which indicate
that this portion of the strata has been very thinly covered by the
superimposed clay.
"Upon one of the bouldered flints, firmly imbedded in the marly sand.
I found the most interesting of the valuable series of fossils which I
had the good fortune to obtain during this excursion, namely, a fine
specimen of _Astræa_[786] attached to the upper and exposed surface of
a flint."
[786] _Astræa_, a species of coral; see p. 262.
As to the accommodation that may be procured near this interesting
geological locality, Mr. Bowerbank informs me that homely fare can be
obtained at the little inn at Bracklesham, but there is only one spare
bed. At Selsea, about six miles distant, there is a much better inn.
NOTES FOR AN EXCURSION TO THE TERTIARY STRATA OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
[See Geological Excursions round the Isle of Wight, and along the
adjacent Coasts of Dorsetshire, by the Author. 8vo. 3d edit. With
Prefatory Note by T. Rupert Jones. 1854. Bohn. London.]
Land at Cowes; examine the blocks of fresh-water limestone along
the shore, which abound in shells. Drive to Alum Bay (_Wond._ p.
241), taking Calbourn in your route, where there are quarries of the
fresh-water limestone, with innumerable casts of Paludina, Helix,
Bulimus, &c. Put up at Groves’ Hotel, on the summit of the hill,
commanding a glorious view of Alum Bay, with the Hampshire coast, and
the Isle of Purbeck on the right, and Portland Island looming in the
remote distance; and on the left, the vertical cliffs of Chalk, and
the Needles. The pathway that leads down to the sea-shore traverses a
chasm, separating Headon-hill on the right, from Alum Bay on the left;
in the former, fresh-water shells--in the vertical beds of clay, in the
latter, marine shells--may be obtained in great abundance and variety.
If you land at Ryde, the small quarries at Binstead are worthy of
constant research, for the chance of mammalian remains (see p. 791).
The following extract from the splendid work of Sir Henry Englefield
on the Isle of Wight describes certain geological changes still in
progress on the shore near Ryde, that are well deserving the visitor’s
attention.
"A great and very singular change has taken place within no very
distant period of time on the shores of the Solent, near to Ryde; and
which seems to be still sensibly proceeding. When Fielding, in the
year 1753, was at Ryde, on his voyage to Lisbon, he describes the town
as totally inaccessible by sea except at or near high-water; as the
tide, on its recess, left a vast extent of mud, too soft to bear the
lightest weight. This mud-bank is now entirely covered by a stratum
of fine white sand, smooth and firm enough to bear wheel-carriages,
and which renders the bathing at all times safe and agreeable. This
bed of sand now reaches to Binstead, having covered at least two miles
of the shore within the last half-century; and the inhabitants say
that it is still extending to the westward. On digging through the
sand, the old mud presently appears, the sand stratum being very thin.
To what cause this change is owing it is difficult to guess; but it
is an example of the alternation of deposits from the action of the
sea, in circumstances apparently unchanged, which may afford cause for
reflection to the geologist."[787]
[787] Sir H. Englefield’s Isle of Wight, p. 16.
If the visitor have leisure, he should make a tour of this interesting
island, from Ryde to Shanklin and Ventnor, along the beautiful scenery
of the Under Cliff, formed by the slips of the Lower Green Sand; to
Black Gang Chine, and Fresh-water Bay; visiting Brook-Point (_Wond._ p.
378) to collect fossils from the Wealden strata on the sea-shore.
CHAPTER XXII.
NOTES FOR A GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION, OVER THE CHALK AND WEALDEN FORMATIONS
OF THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND, FROM LONDON TO BRIGHTON, AND FROM
BRIGHTON TO ROTTINGDEAN.
In travelling from London to Brighton by the railway, the following
geological features of the country may be observed; by a reference to
_Wond._ p. 360, the structure of this remarkable district may be easily
understood.
Leaving the station at London Bridge, the _London Clay_, with its
characteristic fossils, is seen beyond Deptford, by New Cross,
Sydenham, &c.; and approaching Croydon, beds of gravel appear, with
interspersions of olive-green sand. These strata belong to the Eocene
formation, and lie above and upon the Chalk. The valley beyond Croydon
(Smitham Bottom), along the side of which the railroad is carried, is
composed of gravel resting on chalk; beyond the station called _Stoat’s
Nest_, there is a fine section of the chalk, with layers of flint, and
two parallel seams of marl, at the distance of six or eight feet from
each other. These extend, with but little interruption, several miles,
preserving their parallelism, although the strata in many places have
sustained considerable disturbance. The Merstham Tunnel, through the
Surrey chalk hills, is now entered. At Merstham the chalk, chalk-marl,
and firestone are intersected, and the Lower Greensand of Red Hill
appears; and from thence to Horley station, the lower sands and clays
of the Chalk formation are passed over or cut through; affording
sections of sandstone, ironstone, and fuller’s earth.
The strata we have hitherto traversed are of marine origin, and
contain fossil shells, fishes, Crustacea, &c., and remains of other
inhabitants of former oceans. But we now enter upon the series of
river deposits[788] which form the Wealden, and contain the relics of
terrestrial or fresh-water animals and plants.
[788] A limited intercalation of a marine character occurs in the
Hasting Sands of Swanage Bay; this was discovered by Mr. R. A. C.
Austen, and is noticed _Quart. Geol. Journ._ vol. vii. p. lix.
At Horley the weald clay appears, and is succeeded by sand, sandstone,
and shale, to Crawley. Passing through the tunnel of the Wealden
strata, we arrive at Balcombe, where sandstone in laminæ and in thick
beds, having the surface at the lines of junction covered with ripple
marks, is seen on each side the railroad; the dip of the strata is to
the _north-east_. After crossing the deep valley at Balcombe, over
the magnificent viaduct, the line runs along alternations of sand and
clay, dipping _south-west_; we have thus passed over what is termed the
anticlinal axis of the Wealden. Arriving at Hayward’s Heath station,
the tunnel exposes a good section of the Wealden sand, sandstone,
shale, and blue marl or oak-tree clay, to a depth of about thirty-six
yards. The strata are disposed in the same order and thickness as
in the quarries around Cuckfield; namely, fawn-coloured sand and
sandstone, like those of Little Horsted, with beds of calciferous grit
or Tilgate stone; and, beneath, layers of the blue clay. The strata are
very barren in organic remains; several hours’ research only afforded
imperfect vegetable relics, such as comminuted stems and leaves of the
various species of ferns, which occur in Tilgate Forest (see _Wond._ p.
392). Some of the grey laminated sandstones and shales at this place
very closely resemble certain strata of the Coal measures.
Proceeding over the Weald clay with the Sussex marble of St.
John’s Common, the line encounters the Lower Greensand of Sussex,
at Stone-pound gate. Here then we quit the fresh-water strata
of the Wealden, and again enter upon the marine deposits of the
Chalk-formation. At the foot of the northern escarpment of the South
downs, the Chalk is penetrated at the base of Clayton Hill, the
tunnel running through the lower members of the Chalk--the Galt and
Chalk-marl--and emerging at Piecombe through the White Chalk; from
thence to Brighton, the sections and tunnels intersect or perforate the
same cretaceous deposits.
[Sidenote: LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY.]
In our traverse we shall have seen that the various strata cut through,
are repeated on the north and south of a line drawn from east to west
through the Forest Ridge (see _Wond._ Geol. Map, pl. 1). Thus, the
railroad has to pass through two ranges of chalk hills by tunnels those
of Merstham and Clayton; two principal ridges of Wealden strata--at
Balcombe and Hayward’s Heath; and the Shanklin or Lower Greensand at
Red Hill, in Surrey, and near Hurstpierpoint, in Sussex. There is no
railroad in the kingdom that, in the distance of fifty miles, exhibits
geological phenomena of greater variety or interest.
If the student will refer to _Wond._ p. 362, the stratification above
pointed out will be better comprehended. The sections visible on the
turnpike road from London to Brighton are described, _Wond._ p. 363.
The neighbourhood of Balcombe station will afford some sections of
easy access; and from Hayward s Heath station, Cuckfield is about two
miles distant. The quarries on the hill above that town were formerly
very productive, and the usual Wealden fossils may still be obtained;
namely, casts of several species of fresh-water shells (p. 416), scales
and teeth of fishes (_Lepidotus_, p. 604), bones of reptiles, and
vegetable remains.
Chap. XXII.
GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF BRIGHTON CLIFFS.
"Yes! where the huntsman winds his matin horn,
And the couch’d hare beneath the covert trembles;
Where shepherds tend their flocks, and grows the corn;
Where Fashion on our gay Parade assembles--
Wild Horses, Deer, and Elephants have strayed,
Treading beneath their feet old Ocean’s races."
Horace Smith.
[Illustration: Lign. 267. Brighton Cliffs, near Kemptown,
From the Sea-shore, looking East, or towards Rottingdean.
_a._--The Elephant-bed.
_b._--An ancient Sea-beach, composed of shingle and boulders of granite, porphyry, &c.
_c._--The Chalk which forms the base of the cliff.
]
A stroll from Kemptown along the sea-shore to Rottingdean is replete
with interest, for the strata of which the cliffs are composed clearly
demonstrate that in very remote periods great changes have taken place
in the relative position of the sea and land along the Sussex coast.
Some years since, the bare face of the Cliffs, from the entrance to
the esplanade of the Chain-pier at the Old Steyne, to Kemptown, was
completely exposed, and presented a most interesting section of the
strata. But at the present time, as every one knows, no portion of the
cliffs is visible west of the _groin_ below Kemptown and the sections
in my first work (_Foss. South D._ pl. iv. and v.) are the only
records of the appearances formerly presented, and now concealed by
the sea-wall. Even the cliffs immediately beyond Kemptown are rapidly
diminishing from the action of the waves, which dash with greater
violence against their base in consequence of the means taken to
protect the adjoining terraces from the encroachments of the sea.
The appearance of the Cliffs east of Kemptown is shown in the sketch,
_Lign. 267_. But further along the shore, towards Rottingdean, in
a ravine excavated by the encroachments of the sea, the ancient
chalk-cliff behind the mass of strata seen above is exposed; this is
represented in _Lign. 268_. A description of the appearances at this
point will elucidate the nature of the strata of which these cliffs are
composed.
Upon examining the shore at low-water, masses of chalk, covered with
fuci (_sea-weed_), &c. are seen protruding through the sands; and
towards the base of the cliff a bed of sea-beach is spread upon the
sand; a low wall or terrace of white chalk constitutes the boundary
of this shingle, as seen in _Lign. 267, c_. Thus we perceive, that
the present shore is formed by the continuation of the chalk strata of
the neighbouring Downs, partially covered with sand and beach, which
are the detritus of the flints that have been washed out of previously
existing layers of chalk, and ground down by the action of the waves.
Now, along the eastern part of the coast, towards Rottingdean and
Newhaven, the chalk rises into mural precipices immediately from the
sea-shore; but at this place the cliffs are composed of very different
materials.[789]
[789] _Wond._ p. 113; and _Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc._ vol. vii. pp.
365, 396.
1. In the first place, there is, lying immediately on the terrace of
chalk that forms the boundary-wall of the base of the cliff (_Lign.
267, c_, and _Lign. 268, c c_,), a bed of sand (denoted by the
letter _o, Lign. 268_), of irregular thickness and variable extent:
from this sand marine shells and the jaw of a Whale (see p. 778), have
been obtained.
[Illustration: Lign. 268. Cliffs between Kemptown and Rottingdean: seen
from the West.
_a._--Elephant-bed; calcareous strata, containing teeth and bones of Elephants.
_b._--Ancient Shingle, or sea-beach.
_o._--Red of Sand; containing bones of Whales, and marine shells.
_c, c._--Strata of undisturbed Chalk, dipping towards the Downs.
]
2. Upon the sand is a bed of loose shingle--a regular sea-beach
appearing in no respect different, to the common observer, from that
forming at the foot of the cliffs at the present moment; this bed is
marked _b_, in _Lign._ 267, and 268. Upon examining this shingle, it
is found to contain numerous pebbles and boulders of granite, porphyry,
syenite, and other plutonic rocks (see p. 34), none of which occur in
the present beach. And in this ancient shingle, teeth and bones of
extinct species of Elephant, Horse, and Deer have been discovered.
We have here, then, unquestionable evidence that this beach has been
formed under conditions altogether different from those which now
prevail; for not only is this shingle-bed elevated above the present
sea-level, but its contents are of such a nature as could not have been
thrown up by the sea, in its present relation to the countries that
form its shores.
3. A series of loosely aggregated calcareous deposits, obscurely
stratified, rests upon this bed of shingle, and forms the upper portion
of the cliff, varying in total thickness from fifty to one hundred
and twenty feet. These strata are composed of chalk rubble and loam,
with flints partially water-worn, and boulders and pebbles of tertiary
sandstone; the whole promiscuously intermingled, and deposited in
nearly horizontal layers, from one to three or four feet thick. But
the face of the cliff generally presents a weather-worn and crumbling
aspect, and large masses are constantly falling down, in consequence
of the removal of the ancient shingle, by the effects of the waves
at the spring-tides. From the loose state of aggregation of these
beds, the fallen masses are speedily washed away, but here and there
blocks of great hardness, provincially termed _Coombe-rock_, remain
upon the shore; and, but a few years since, there was a group of high
rocks of this kind near the Chain-pier. This compact conglomerate has
been produced simply by an infiltration of calcareous spar, which has
cemented together the fragments of chalk, flint, &c. In some places,
this infiltration has reached the bed of ancient shingle below, and
large blocks are occasionally found, consisting of pebbles of flint,
granite, &c. held together by veins of calc-spar, in acicular or
needle-like crystals. In these sparry conglomerates, the teeth and
bones of the mammalia previously noticed are sometimes found.[790]
[790] My daughter discovered part of the lower jaw of a Deer, with
teeth, imbedded in this conglomerate, in a mass on the shore near
Rottingdean.
It is in this accumulation of calcareous strata that numerous bones and
teeth of the Mammoth, or fossil Elephant, have been discovered; I have
therefore designated it, the Elephant-bed, to distinguish it from other
loose calcareous deposits.
As seen immediately beyond Kemptown (_Lign. 267_), the cliffs appear to
be entirely composed of the materials above described; but farther on,
the face of the ancient chalk-cliff is exposed (see _Lign. 268_); and
if we extend our walk to Rottingdean, we find in many places the Chalk
alone forming the present cliff; the Elephant-bed and its associated
shingle and sand having been swept away. A like destruction awaits the
remainder of these interesting deposits at no very distant period.[791]
[791] See _Foss. South D._ p. 277, pl. iv.; and _Geol. S. E._ p. 30;
_Wond._ p. 113.
After collecting specimens of the Elephant-bed, both of the friable
varieties, and of the coombe-rock, and a few of the pebbles of granite,
porphyry, &c. from the ancient beach, and also some of the sand beneath
the shingle, to examine microscopically on our return home, let us
sit down on this mass of fallen chalk, and consider the nature of
those changes in the relative position of the land and sea, which the
phenomena before us appear to indicate.
We have seen that these cliffs are composed of the following
deposits:--1. The Elephant-bed (_Lign._ 267 and 268, _a_); a series of
calcareous strata, with bones and teeth of Elephants, Horses, Deer,
and Oxen. 2. An ancient sea-beach (_b_), with pebbles and boulders of
plutonic rocks, and bones of mammalia; and a bed of sand beneath,
in which cetacea and mollusca (apparently of existing species) have
been found. 3. Lastly, the regular Chalk-strata (_Lign. 268, c, c_),
extending far out to sea.
These appearances demonstrate the following sequence of physical
changes, namely--
1stly. The Chalk terrace (_c, c_), on which the ancient shingle-bed
(_b_) rests, was on a level with the sea for a long period; for this
beach must have been formed, like the modern, by the action of the
waves on the then existing chalk cliffs (see _Lign. 268, Chalk_).
But there must have been some cause in operation, by which pebbles and
boulders of granite, porphyry, and other rocks, foreign to our shores,
and bones of Elephants, &c. were thrown up on the strand, and imbedded
in the beach then in the progress of formation. These transported
materials may have been floated to the Sussex coast by icebergs; an
agency by which the delicate bones and teeth might be deposited without
injury, although surrounded by the water-worn detritus (see p. 43).
2dly. The whole line of coast, with the ancient shingle, must have
subsided to such a depth, as to have allowed of the deposition of the
calcareous strata, forming the Elephant-bed. And from the absence of
gravel and beach, and the circumstance of the chalk-rubble, of which
they are largely composed, often presenting angular fragments, it would
appear that this deposition took place in some tranquil bay or inland
sea.
Lastly. The land was elevated to its present level; and at this period
the formation of the existing sea-beach and line of cliffs commenced.
The reader must not conclude, from our remarks being restricted to the
cliffs before us, that the phenomena here contemplated were limited to
this district; on the contrary, if our space would permit, it might be
shown that they are referable to extensive geological changes, which
took place in the period immediately antecedent to the present. In all
the valleys of the South-east and East of England that open into the
sea, traces, more or less extensive and important, of similar deposits
exist. The level plain, called the _Steyne_, at Brighton, is entirely
formed of the Elephant-bed, which extends up the valley to Preston and
Patcham; in the latter place bones and teeth of Elephants have been
found. At Southbourn, the plain at the foot of the Chalk hills, called
"_The Wish_," containing remains of the Elephant, Rhinoceros, and
Hippopotamus, evidently belongs to the same epoch. At Folkstone, Mr. H.
Carr has discovered large blocks of _Coombe-rock_, and Mr. S. J. Mackie
abundance of bones; and at Dover, above the Chalk, similar masses
occur. On the opposite coast of Franco there are also indications
of these deposits. All these phenomena are no doubt connected with
the occurrence of immense quantities of mammalian remains in the
superficial loam, &c. on the eastern coasts of England, and are
referable to the same geological epoch.
Imbedded in the Chalk, which is exposed at low water along the
shore, very large Ammonites may sometimes be found between Kemptown
and Rottingdean; and numerous examples of fossil sponges and other
amorphozoa (p. 219).
The teeth and bones of mammalia are rare in these cliffs, and it is
not probable that any will be obtained in a first visit; but from the
fishermen and boys seen strolling along the shore, specimens may often
be purchased.
CHAPTER XXIII.
GEOLOGICAL NOTES OF VARIOUS PLACES ON THE LINE OF THE GREAT WESTERN
RAILROAD, FROM LONDON TO CLIFTON.
That splendid railway, the Great Western, by which the geologist may
be transported in five or six hours from the Tertiary strata of the
metropolis to the magnificent cliffs of Mountain limestone at Clifton,
exposes in its course several fine sections, and passes within a
moderate distance of some interesting localities of organic remains.
This railroad traverses the _Tertiary_ strata by Ealing, Hanwell, and
Slough, entering the _Chalk_ near Maidenhead, and pursuing rather a
circuitous route to Wallingford, beyond which station it passes over
the _Oolite_, and displays some bold sections of the limestones and
clays of that formation. Near Bath it emerges on the Lias, and crossing
a narrow belt of the _New Red_, passes on to the _Carboniferous_ strata
of the Bristol coal measures.[792] In this route, there are four
places particularly deserving a visit from the geological student, and
collector of organic remains, namely, Farringdon, Swindon, Caine, and
Chippenham.
[792] See Geological Map of England.
Visit to Farringdon.--The railway station is reached in from two to
two and a half hours from London; and an omnibus meets the morning and
evening trains, to convey passengers to the town of Farringdon, which
is about five miles distant.[793] There are two Inns in the town, the
Crown and the Bell, where comfortable accommodation may be obtained.
[793] As there is not a conveyance from Farringdon to meet every train
that stops at the station, the visitor who objects to a long walk
should previously ascertain the time when the omnibus or coach does
arrive, and select a train accordingly.
The town is situated in a valley, between Farringdon Hill, an eminence
seen from a considerable distance in the approach from Oxford, and
Badbury Hill (see _Lign. 269_). A small stream divides the town into
two tithings, called Port and West-port, and flows into the Thames on
the north. The summits of the highest eminences near Farringdon consist
of beds of sand and gravel, resting on Coral Bag and Kimmeridge Clay,
and belonging to the Cretaceous formation, being the littoral deposits
in this area of some sea of that period. The Lower Green or Shanklin
Sand, the Galt, Chalk-marl, and Chalk successively appear in the valley
below Coxwell Furze up to the White Horse Downs.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO FARRINGDON.]
I have not observed any organic remains in the strata on the top of
Farringdon and Badbury Hills, but from the pits in the low country
numerous fossil sponges and other _amorphozoa_ (see pp. 227-229)
maybe obtained. One of the most productive "gravel-pits," as they
are here termed, is situated on the road to Little Coxwell, about
three quarters of a mile from Farringdon. It lies on the left of the
road leading to the pretty village of Shrivenham. In this pit, the
strata consist of a coarse aggregate of siliceous particles, with some
lenticular masses in the state of compact conglomerate; the lower
beds are of a whitish grey, the upper of a deep ferruginous colour.
The Windmill public-house, close by, is kept by the owner of the pit
(Panting), and specimens of the "petrified salt-cellars" (see p. 228)
and other sponges may generally be obtained of the inmates; but the
collector, in a few hours, will be able to gather an extensive and
interesting collection; the pick-hammer, _Lign. 266, fig. 2_, will
be found the most convenient instrument. There are two other pits
within a moderate distance of Panting s pit, which are also rich in
fossils. The principal organic remains to be obtained from these
beds are the zoophytes figured p. 227, and _Wond._ p. 637. The reader
should recollect that the beautiful cup-shaped sponge, _Chenendopora
fungiformis_ (_Lign. 71_), is the "petrified salt-cellar" of the
quarry-men. As many specimens as possible of the interesting coral,
_Verticellipora_ (p. 227, _Lign. 70, fig. 4_,) should be procured,
to examine the internal structure at leisure. The cup-shaped sponges
should be collected uncleared, for they are often full of minute
corals, shells, echinital spines, &c. There are also numerous specimens
to be met with of _Terebratulæ_, _Ostreæ_, _Nautili_, and other shells;
also rolled _Belemnites_ from the Oolite, and bones of _Plesiosauri_
and _Ichthyosauri_.
[Illustration: Lign. 269. Section of the strata at Farringdon, Berks;
from Farringdon Hill to the Chalk Downs on the South.
The summits of Farringdon and Bradbury Hills, and Coxwell Furze, are
formed of sands and gravels of the Cretaceous period. The lines on the
Coralline Oolite are not intended to denote the dip of the strata.
Note:--See Memoirs on the Farringdon Sands, by Mr. R. A. C. Austen, in
_Quart. Geol. Journ._ vol. vi. and by Mr. D. Sharpe, _ibid._ vol. x.]
Fossils of the Coralline Oolite.--At a short distance from the town
there is a large quarry of Coral-rag, called Lamb-close-pit, from which
_Cidarites_ (p. 316) and spines, and several species of corals and
shells may be procured. Occasionally Ammonites and Belemnites are met
with in the limestone at this place.
_Stanford pit_, about three miles south-east of Farringdon, is well
worthy of a visit; it consists of the following strata:--
1. Uppermost; _Coral-rag_, three and a half feet.
2. Limestone, containing an abundance of shells, particularly
of Trigoniæ (p. 412), &c. four and a
half feet.
3. Portland sand, of an olive-green colour, three feet.
4. Kimmeridge clay.
Some shells are extremely numerous; principally of the genera
_Trigonia_, _Gervillia_, _Pecten_, _Ostrea_, _Terebratula_, &c.; fine
_Belemnites_ also occur. The oolitic structure is very apparent in the
upper beds of limestone.
Swindon, Wilts.--Fourteen miles beyond the Farringdon station of the
railway, we arrive at that of Swindon. About a mile from this station,
on the rising ground to the south, stands the little, and formerly
retired, town of Swindon. Here, when a schoolboy, my curiosity was
strongly excited by the so-called petrified "_ram’s horns_," and
"_oak_," so abundant in the solid masses of stone in the neighbouring
quarries, and which daily came under my notice in my rambles around
the town. It is indeed a locality most prolific in the Ammonites and
other shells, and in the fossil wood peculiar to the upper division of
the Oolite formation--the Portland beds; the hill on which the town
is built consisting of those strata; the Kimmeridge Clay, on which
they rest, is exposed in the railway cuttings in the valley on the
north. There are two little Inns, the Bell and the Goddard Arms, where
the visitor may meet with accommodation. The quarries, which are in
the immediate vicinity of the town, abound in Ammonites, Trigoniæ,
and other shells: and some layers are entirely composed of the casts
of several species. The Ammonites are principally of two kinds, viz.
_A. biplex_ and _A. triplicatus_, and vary in size from a few inches
to upwards of three feet in diameter; the specimens are casts only,
no vestiges of the shells remaining. At Aylesbury the same species
occur in clay, with the shells entire (see p. 481). A large collection
may be made in a few hours; and from some of the quarry-men the less
common forms may probably be obtained. Casts of the bivalves called
_Gervillia_ and _Perna_ abound in the quarry on the right hand of the
road. I have collected from this place, in addition to those above
mentioned, casts of the genera _Buccinum_, _Cardium_, _Cytherea_
or _Venus_, _Nerita_, _Terebra_, _Pullastra_, _Pecten_; and of the
large species of _Pleurotomaria_ which occurs in the Kimmeridge
clay of Hartwell, with the shell perfect (p. 428); also vertebræ of
_Ichthyosauri_.
A section of the strata from Swindon to the nearest point of the chalk
hills would pass over, in succession,--1. Portland Oolite; 2. Lower
Greensand; 3. Galt; 4. Upper Greensand; 5. Chalk-marl; and, 6. Chalk.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO CHIPPENHAM AND CALNE.]
Chippenham and Calne.--In from three and a half to four hours the
traveller from London reaches the town of Chippenham, ninety-three
miles from London, and situated on the Oxford clay; the locality
where Mr. William Bye obtained those interesting specimens of
_Belemnoteuthis_, that contain vestiges of the soft bodies and arms
(see page 459, and _Lign. 145_).
Calne, about six miles from Chippenham, stands on Oolitic limestone;
and the quarries around the town have long been celebrated for the
perfection and abundance of their fossil remains; particularly of
various species of the turban echinites (_Cidarites_, see p. 316), and
their spines. A day or two at each of these towns will be well spent by
the geologist and the collector of organic remains.
Bath and Bristol.--The immediate vicinities of these cities are rich in
interesting localities for the geologist. A visit to the public museums
in Bath and Bristol cannot fail to gratify the student, and will at
once point out to him the places most worthy his examination. That of
Bristol is admirably arranged, and contains, among other treasures,
the specimen of fossil _Squaloraia_ (see p. 596); the remains of the
reptiles of the magnesian conglomerate, the _Thecodontosaurus_ (p.
713); and the celebrated collection of Crinoidea (p. 283) formed by the
late Mr. Miller.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO CLIFTON.]
Clifton.--The stupendous rocks of mountain limestone which flank both
sides of the Avon in its course from Clifton to the Severn are too well
known to render a general description necessary, and our limits will
not admit of details. The geological student should first obtain a
_coup d’œil_ of the appearance and position of the strata, by sailing
down to the embouchure of the river in a steam-packet, and afterwards
visit on foot the most interesting localities. On the right bank of
the river, near the "Black Rock," the teeth of several kinds of fishes
of the genera _Psammodus_ (p. 587), _Hybodus_ (p. 591), _Ceratodus_
(p. 587), &c. may be obtained, and shells and corals of the mountain
limestone. Polished specimens of the coralline marbles may be purchased
at the shops.
_Portishead_, a pretty little village on the south-east bank of the
Severn, is well worth a visit; and, by going in the morning steamer
and returning in the evening, several hours may be agreeably spent
along the shore below the hotel; and fossil plants and shells, from the
blocks of millstone grit, and numerous rock specimens may be collected.
A sail to _Chepstow_, and up the Wye as far as Tintern Abbey, returning
on foot, or in a carriage, by Piercefield to Chepstow, is an excursion
replete with the highest interest and enjoyment. The picturesque
beauties of the Wye are dependent, like those of Clifton and Matlock,
on the disruptions which the strata of mountain limestone have
sustained. The magnificent scenery as we pass up the river, and the
interesting associations connected with the ruins of Tintern Abbey,
cannot fail to delight the traveller; but the enchanting scene that
bursts upon the sight from the heights of Piercefield is magnificent
in the extreme, and equal to the grandest views on the Rhine. Looking
down from those elevated pinnacles of rock, which are covered with the
most luxuriant vegetation, and crested with forests of pine, oak, and
beech, we perceive the Wye pursuing its tortuous course at our feet,
and winding along, around promontories of limestone, towards Chepstow;
while immediately beyond, and apparently separated from the opposite
bank of the river only by a precipitous rampart or mountain limestone,
the Severn appears as a vast inland sea, bounded in the remote distance
by the country around Gloucester, and extending on the right to the
Bristol Channel.
Among other interesting geological sites within a few miles of Clifton
and Bristol, may be mentioned--
1. Aust Cliff; a section of the Lias, from which many interesting
fossils have been procured.
2. Banwell Cave; which is particularly deserving of examination (see p.
809).
3. Cheddar Cliffs; which are equally interesting to the geologist
and to the lover of picturesque scenery. They are about twenty miles
from Bristol; and a carriage and pair will be required, if the visitor
intends to return the same day. The best arrangement is to visit the
cavern at Banwell, remain in the neighbouring town the following night,
and make an excursion to Cheddar Cliffs the next day.
There has lately been opened at Cheddar a cavern which surpasses in the
beauty of its stalactites any hitherto discovered in England. The Rev.
W. D. Conybeare states, that it is the only one that at all realizes
any idea we have of the far-famed _Grotto of Antiparos_. It consists of
one grand arch, or porch, and three or four lateral branches and narrow
fissures, about ten or twelve feet broad, and from thirty to forty feet
high, vested and draped with the most fantastic hangings of stalactite.
The floor is a mass of stalagmite, covering a bed of gravel of the
mountain limestone, which fills up about ten feet of the bottom. I am
not aware that any fossil bones have been observed.
When visiting Banwell, inquiry should be made if there be any Cave at
Hutton accessible to the visitor.
The above remarks must be regarded only as suggestions; for it would
require a volume to particularize the geological objects of interest
within a short distance of Bristol. The coal-mines in the neighbourhood
of Bath and Bristol should be visited, and fossil plants collected.
CHAPTER XXIV.
GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION TO MATLOCK.
------ "In famed Attica such lovely dales
Are rarely seen; nor can fair Tempè boast
A charm they know not."
Lord Byron.
The beautiful and romantic Dale of Matlock, although one hundred and
forty-two miles distant, is now brought within nine hours of the
metropolis. Leaving London from the Euston-square station of the
Birmingham Railway, at eleven o’clock (taking the precaution to have a
ticket that will ensure a passage from Rugby by the _Midland_ Counties
Railroad to Derby), we pass over in succession the clays, sands,
and beds of gravel, composing the _Tertiary_ strata of the London
basin; and at Watford, steep cuttings of these deposits are seen on
each side of the station. A long tunnel through the _White Chalk_ of
Hertfordshire is then passed; and at Tring we arrive at the termination
of the Chalk, and obtain a fine view of the north-west escarpment of
the Downs, which is seen extending on the right towards Ivinghoe, and
attaining an elevation of 900 feet. The railway then proceeds over the
Chalk-marl, Galt, and Lower Greensand, to near Leighton, where these
members of the Cretaceous system are succeeded by the _Oolite_ of
Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire; and the line crosses the Grand
Junction Canal near the emergence of the _Lias_; the Rugby station
being situated in the midst of that formation. We then enter the
Midland Counties line, and pass on to Stoney Stanton, where the Lias
terminates, and the _Triassic_ or _New Red_ strata appear; proceeding
towards Leicester, clays and marls of a dull red colour, denoting the
Triassic deposits, constitute the slopes on each side the railway. As
we approach Leicester, the craggy summits of Charnwood Forest appear in
the distance On the left, with here and there an isolated conical hill,
indicating the protruded masses of granite, porphyry, and syenite,
which belong to the group of plutonic rocks of the central county of
England. The granitic mass of Mount Sorel is seen along the railway
from Sileby to Barrow, Charnwood Forest appearing in the distance.
Leaving Leicester for Derby, the route continues along Triassic strata;
and a good section of the variegated marls, with veins of white fibrous
gypsum, may be observed at _Red Hill_, where a short tunnel perforates
a ridge of the same deposits. The railroad then emerges on the verdant
alluvial plain through which the Trent, its waters increased by the
confluence of the Dove and the Soar, pursues its course towards the
north, and joins the Humber at Alkborough, whence the united streams
flow on, and empty themselves into the German Ocean.
At Derby, where the train arrives at half-past five, half an hour is
allowed for dinner; and we then proceed by the _North Midland_ line, by
Duffield and Helper, through a beautiful valley watered by the Derwent,
which is seen winding its way towards Derby. The high grounds skirting
this valley are composed of the millstone-grit and sandstone of the
Carboniferous system (see p. 31). Ten miles beyond Derby, we arrive
at Amber Gate station, where an omnibus and other conveyances are in
waiting, to convey passengers to Cromford and Matlock.[794]
[794] As it frequently happens that more passengers are brought by
the train, than the omnibus or coach can convey, some activity is
necessary to secure an outside place, which it is most desirable for
the s geological tourist to possess, that he may command a good view of
the splendid scenery, which will be constantly opening on his sight,
through the romantic pass that leads to Matlock.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO MATLOCK DALE.]
The road from Amber Gate leads through a succession of picturesque
scenes of surpassing beauty. At Whatstandwell-bridge[795] (see _Lign.
273_), over which the Derwent is crossed, the view is most imposing.
The river is seen rapidly pursuing its course between richly wooded
ravines, fringed with luxuriant foliage to the water’s edge.[796] As we
advance, the bold mountain ridge of _Crich Hill_ appears on the light,
with the village of Holloway at a considerable elevation, and Lea
Mills near the base of the range; while on the left are the hills and
overhanging woods of Alderwasley. Ascending to the Inn at Cromford, the
road turns suddenly to the right, and by an opening cut through a mass
of strata twenty feet thick, called _Scarthing Rock_, conducts to the
southern entrance of Matlock Dale. On passing this chasm, the glorious
features of this enchanting region burst on the view. On the east is a
range of limestone cliffs, richly wooded, with Willersley Castle, the
seat of the Arkwrights, embosomed in trees on a commanding eminence;
and on the west, a rocky precipice, crested with forests, and its sides
partially covered with copses and brushwood; while the river, dashing
through the ravine on the right, completes the magic of the picture--
"So wond’rous wild, the whole might seem.
The scenery of a fairy dream."
Lady of the Lake.
[795] Hotstandwell in the guide-books; _Whatstandwell_ in the Ordnance
Map.
[796] The pedestrian should alight at the little Inn at Whatstandwell,
and walk on to Matlock the following morning.
At the distance of about half a mile, we pass the toll-gate, and a bold
mural precipice of mountain limestone suddenly appears on the eastern
bank of the river; while on the western, a steep slope, clothed with
verdure, rises rapidly to the lofty pine-clad eminence called Masson
Hill, an elevation of upwards of 1,000 feet. The base of this mountain
stretches directly across the dale in front, and apparently presents a
barrier to an egress from the valley on the north; but as we advance,
the road is seen to wind round its foot by a defile along the left
bank of the river; and the magnificent rock called the High Tor rises
in majestic grandeur on the right. The valley now gradually expands,
and, at the distance of about two and a half miles from the entrance
at Scarthing’s rock, terminates in the champaign country beyond
Matlock village.[797] From the precipitous nature of the escarpment of
mountain limestone which forms the eastern boundary of the dale, the
buildings at Matlock Bath are confined to the left or western side of
the Derwent, and are scattered here and there among the trees, on the
projecting plots and terraces formed by the fallen cliffs of sandstone,
which, during the lapse of ages, have become partially disintegrated
and are more or less concealed by vegetable soil; the projecting rocks
are covered with lichens, mosses, and ferns.
[797] The proper name of the hamlet in the valley, generally called
Matlock, is _Matlock Bath_.
The hotels, of which there are several, are all delightfully situated;
but the _Temple Hotel_, which stands on a terrace on the side of Masson
Hill, about a hundred feet above the river, has the preference in my
estimation; its elevated situation, its seclusion from the noise and
bustle of the village, and its bowers and hedge-rows of sweet-briar and
roses, imparting a character of sylvan beauty to the spot, peculiarly
grateful to the traveller who wishes to enjoy a quiet sojourn at
Matlock Dale. The local guide-books afford the necessary information
to direct the visitor to the celebrated picturesque spots of this
beautiful region; our immediate object is to point out the most
important geological phenomena.[798]
[798] The book entitled "The Gem of the Peak," by W. Adams, price Is.,
and the "_Brief Remarks on the Geology and Botany of Derbyshire_," by
the same author, price 1_s._, will be found to contain much valuable
information. The "_Derbyshire Tourist’s Guide_," with plates, 8vo., by
E. Rhodes, price 6_s._, is a delightful hand-book.
[Sidenote: LONDON TO MATLOCK.]
Geological Position of Matlock Dale.--That the reader may clearly
comprehend the geological character of the romantic district in which
he is now situated, we will briefly enumerate the several formations
over which we passed, in our rapid transit from London; by the aid
of the geological map, the following description will be easily
comprehended.
Our route from the metropolis commenced from the centre of the
_Tertiary_ strata, upon which London is situated, and which fills
up an extensive depression or basin in the Chalk; we then passed
over, or rather (by the tunnel) through the north-west boundary of
the _Chalk_ basin, and successively came upon the _Portland_ stone
and other beds of the _Oolite_, and the _Lias_; the strata of these
formations successively rising from beneath each other as we proceeded.
In Leicestershire, the beds of the _New Red_ or _Triassic_ formation
emerged from under the Lias; and at the Trent Junction the nature of
the deposits was concealed by the alluvial plains of the river. Beyond
Derby, we entered upon strata of the _Carboniferous_ system, the
_Millstone grits_ and _sandstones_, and finally reached the Mountain
limestone and its associated _Magnesian limestones_, which compose the
mountainous district of Derbyshire. The following diagram will serve to
illustrate this description.
[Illustration]
The immediate vicinity of Matlock is, therefore, a region of
Carboniferous limestone and millstone strata, which, as we have
previously explained (see p. 31), are of marine origin; and those beds
that contain organic remains abound in extinct species of shells and
crinoidea. These rocks are also the grand depository of the ores of
lead (see _Wond._ p. 681), calamine, &c., and contain a variety of
minerals of great beauty and interest. This district has also been the
theatre, in very remote periods, of great physical changes, and the
strata have been upheaved and displaced by volcanic action, the solid
rocks rent asunder, and beds of mineral substances, rendered fluid
by intense heat, have been injected between the layers, and into the
fissures of the sedimentary strata; to these revolutions, the present
bold and picturesque features of the country are attributable. Here
then are phenomena replete with the highest interest; the very beds
of lava may still be seen--the rents and fissures caused by their
explosive action, and now lined with rich metallic ores and spars, may
be examined--and the thermal waters, rising in perpetual fountains from
an incalculable depth, testify that the internal fires, the sources of
these catastrophes, though latent, are not extinguished.
[Sidenote: MATLOCK INCRUSTING SPRINGS.]
A Walk to the Incrusting Springs.--The so-called "petrifying springs
and wells" of Derbyshire are celebrated throughout England for the
incrusted birds’ nests, baskets, &c. which are very generally purchased
by visitors, as mementos of a trip into this county. The nature of this
deposition of calcareous matter has already been explained (see p.
39; and _Wond._ p. 75); and, although the objects above mentioned are
scarcely worthy of notice, the natural operations by which the tufa and
travertine are produced, are extremely interesting.[799]
[799] If the proprietors of these springs could be induced to follow
the example of the Italians at San Filippo (see _Wond._ p. 75), or
of the French, in Auvergne, or the Germans at Carlsbad, elegant
bas-reliefs and other beautiful objects might be obtained, for the
incrusting power of the Matlock waters is very considerable.
Our first stroll shall therefore be to the beds of tufa which have been
formed in remote ages by this operation and which now constitute the
terrace on which the Old Bath and two other hotels, and the elegant
modern Church are situated. Proceeding from our Inn, the tufaceous rock
may be seen protruding in masses on the right hand, in front of the
beautiful parterres of the hotels; and upon crossing the road, where
a narrow path leads down to the bed of the river, and nearly opposite
to the new church, the lower beds of tufa are exposed in a quarry,
from which large blocks of the coarse, porous stone are extracted for
grotto and rock-work. From this spot I collected very fine impressions
of the foliage of the oak, elm, and hazel, leaves of adder’s tongue
(_scolopendrium_), &c. and large portions of moss, beautifully
incrusted.[800]
[800] I could not obtain any specimens of this kind from the quarry-men
nor from the shops or museums, as they are termed; such objects not
being deemed "curiosities" by the good folks of Matlock; and the
workmen forbade me to search for more in the quarry!
The origin of this deposit of tufa, which covers so huge an area along
the western flank of the mountain range of Masson Hill, is attributable
to the thermal springs having, at some very remote period, issued from
a much higher source than at present, and flowing down the side of the
hill into the river at its foot, the water, as it cooled, deposited
the lime with which it was charged on the stems, branches, leaves, and
other extraneous bodies. At this time the springs escape from crevices
in the rocks at an elevation of about one hundred feet above the bed
of the river; the waters, at their source, have a temperature of from
66° to 68°, and contain free carbonic acid and minute quantities of
muriates and sulphates of magnesia, lime, and soda. Their origin is
now concealed, and the water conducted by pipes to the various baths
and fountains; but wherever a rill escapes, and flows down the hill,
the moss, &c. is quickly incrusted. I was informed, that in about eight
mouths a basket of eggs would be entirely enveloped in a thick mass
of tufa. The uniform high temperature of these waters shows that they
emanate from a very deep source; and it is probable that they originate
from steam, which is cooled and condensed as it approaches the surface
of the earth. The miners assured me, that the springs burst out from
beneath the volcanic rock, here termed _toadstone_, and that the water,
when it first issues, is of a higher temperature than the Matlock Bath
water; but its heat is reduced by the cool land-springs with which it
becomes intermingled.
Most waters that flow through limestone districts deposit travertine
more or less abundantly; and I observed several streams in my rambles
in the neighbourhood of Matlock which appeared to possess this property
in as great a degree as the thermal springs. There is a lovely
waterfall, which issues from the side of a mountain that flanks the
road leading by Via Gellia to Middleton Moor, at an elevation of two
hundred feet, and flows into the adjacent valley, bounding and dancing
from one mossy knoll to another, and appearing from the opposite hill
like a stream of molten silver, undulating through a carpet of emerald
green. The waters of this cascade have formed a thick bed of travertine
along the side of the hill; and the stone is of so firm a texture, that
the walls of a cottage hard by are constructed of it.
I gathered from the banks of this waterfall, bundles of moss and groups
of small shells incrusted with a beautiful white tufa; and impressions
of leaves, twigs, &c. were observable in the blocks of travertine
recently quarried.
In contemplating the effects produced by these limpid streams, by which
perishable leaves and fragile shells are preserved for ages in solid
masses of rock, we are reminded of the forcible and eloquent remarks
of Sir Humphry Davy, when observing similar phenomena in the volcanic
regions of Italy. "How marvellous are those laws, by which even the
humblest types of organic existence are preserved though born amidst
the sources of their destruction; and by which a species of immortality
is given to generations, floating, as it were, like evanescent bubbles
on a stream raised from the deepest caverns of the earth, and instantly
losing what may be called its spirit in the atmosphere!"[801]
[801] "Consolations in Travel; or, the Last Days of a Philosopher;" by
Sir Humphry Davy. See also _Wond._ p. 77.
[Sidenote: CAVERN OF THE HIGH TOR.]
Visit to the Cavern of the High Tor.--After the visitor has taken
a general view of the romantic scenery around him, a visit to the
cavern at the foot of the High Tor will enable him to comprehend the
nature of those physical changes which have imparted to this district
its picturesque character. Descending into the valley and passing
northwards, through the only street in Matlock Bath, along the banks of
the Derwent, which are beautifully overshadowed by copses and forest
trees, the bold cliff of mountain limestone, called the High Tor, the
most imposing feature in the dale, suddenly appears on the right bank
of the river. This rock rises to the height of four hundred feet; the
upper half forming a bare and nearly perpendicular wall of limestone;
the lower portion being concealed by brushwood and luxuriant foliage to
the river s edge. At this spot, a rude wooden hand-rail is stretched
across the Derwent, which is here of considerable breadth, and dashes
along over fallen masses of rock in its course towards the south. The
High Tor (_Lign. 270_) consists of a capping of Drift and of Millstone
grit (2); of a series of beds of limestone with encrinites and shells,
slightly inclined southward (1); of a layer of volcanic matter, termed
in Derbyshire _toadstone_, from its mottled yellow and greenish
appearance (3); and of a bed of _Trap_, or _toadstone_ (_b_), at the
base, and near the floor at the entrance of the fissure or excavation
in the limestone forming the cavern (_a_); which trap rock also appears
on the opposite bank of the river (_c_), beneath the highly inclined
and dislocated masses of limestone, forming part of the base of Masson
Hill. The upper bed of _toadstone_ (3) cannot be seen, for the face of
the cliff (although represented bare for the sake of perspicuity in
the plan, _Lign. 270_) is entirely concealed, half-way up, by dense
foliage; but an intelligent miner assured me that such was the fact,
and that, in sinking a shaft in the opposite hill, _toadstone_ was
found in a corresponding situation. Upon entering the cavern, which is
not of considerable extent, the first phenomenon to be observed is the
bed of _toadstone_, which protrudes near the floor, beneath a stratum
of limestone. The limestone in contact with the trap is in some places
changed to a light green colour, and has a slaty texture, from the
effects of intense heat under great pressure; it is often permeated
with veins of pyrites, and white calcareous spar. The inner recesses
of the cavern are literally covered, both on the floor and sides,
with very large rhomboidal crystals of carbonite of lime, of the form
commonly called _dog-tooth spar_; the cave surpasses, in this respect,
every other in Derbyshire.
[Illustration: _G. A. M. delt._ _J. Whimper, lignt._
Lign. 270. Section across the Valley of the Derwent, at the High Tor,
Matlock.
1.--The High Tor, composed of strata of Mountain Limestone.
2.--Capping of Millstone Grit and Drift.
3.--Supposed position of an intrusion of Trap.
4.--Cliff of limestone on the opposite side of the valley.
_a._--Entrance to the High Tor Cavern.
_b._--Trap seen at the bottom of tile Cave.
_c._--Trap beneath the limestone on the opposite bank of the Derwent.
]
Within a few hundred yards of the cavern, a gallery has been driven
into the cliff, and a vein of lead (_galena_) discovered, and worked
with some success. Tine masses of blue fluor (provincially termed
_blue John_) and double refracting calcareous spar were also obtained.
On the opposite bank of the Derwent, beneath the limestone, and
extending along the road-side for two or three hundred yards, a bed of
_toadstone_, evidently the continuation of that at the base of the High
Tor, is distinctly exposed.
Proceeding northwards, the line of mural precipices, of which the
High Tor is the most elevated point, gradually descends; but there
is a bold and bare rock, called the Church Tor, from the church of
the village of Matlock being situated near its summit, that requires
particular remark; for on the face of this cliff the strata present a
series of curves, or rather arches, nowhere broken, but having such
an appearance as would result from an expansive force from beneath
uplifting a group of horizontal strata, while yet in a soft or plastic
state. The upper beds of limestone at the Church Tor abound in marine
shells (_Spirifer_, see p. 390, particularly the large species, _S.
giganteus_). Such are the appearances presented by the strata in this
locality, on the right bank of the Derwent. On the opposite side of
the valley are beds of limestone, many of them varying in mineral
constitution from those we have examined, being of a light yellowish
dun or cream colour (hence called _Dun-stone_), and containing
magnesia; in these strata traces of fossil plants are occasionally
found. These magnesian limestones are of a granular texture and
extremely hard; they are said to be very rich in lead and calamine,
and have been extensively worked. The prevailing rocks on this (the
western) side of the valley belong to this group.
[Sidenote: FORMATIONS OF DERBYSHIRE.]
Geological Formations of Derbyshire.--Before we proceed on our walk,
let us sit down awhile on this mossy bank, beneath the magnificent
knoll of trees that here overshadows the river, and, by a reference to
the geological table (p. 31) and the geological map, obtain a clear
idea of the nature and succession of the strata around us; in other
words, the order of superposition of the deposits of Derbyshire.
1. _Lowermost._ A bed of compact Basalt or Trap (in Derbyshire
called _Toadstone_), of uncertain thickness and extent. This rock
consists of mineral matter that has undergone complete fusion, and
been erupted from the profound depths of some internal source of
intense heat (see _Wond._ pp. 684, 848). The upheaving force thus
put in action having been unequally exerted in different places, the
superincumbent beds of limestone have been protruded in dome-shaped
masses through the upper strata; and are now seen bent and
curved, forming what is termed arched stratification.[802]
[802] My excellent friend, the late Robert Bakewell, Esq., was the
first geologist who correctly explained the phenomena here described.
See his Introduction to Geology, 5th edit. p. 147.
_Vesicular_ or _amygdaloidal_ Toadstone. This partakes more of the
character of scoriæ, being full of little cells or cavities formed by air
bubbles; when these cavities are filled with other mineral matter, as
is often the case, the rock is termed amygdaloidal. This bed of Trap
was formerly considered to be distinct from the lowermost; but it is
now supposed, and with much probability, that all the masses of
igneous rock that pierce, or are intercalated with, the sedimentary
strata, have sprung from one common source, and are but lateral
protrusions from some grand mass of erupted materials.[803]
[803] See an analogous example, _Wond._ p. 857.
2. Limestones with intervening layers of clay, and Magnesian
limestones, or Dunstones.
3. Alternation of Limestone and Shale. Many of these limestones
abound in organic remains; and it is in this group that the
ornamental marbles of Derbyshire are comprised. The upper beds
are generally of a slaty texture, and contain layers and nodules of
chert, which often afford exquisite siliceous casts of the stems of
_Crinoidea_ (pulley-stones, see p. 284; and _Wond._ p. 650), and shells;
white chert or porcelain-stone, and black jasper or flinty slate also
occur in these beds.
4. Millstone Grit and Shale, and coarse sandstones; these form
the subsoil of the principal heights of the mountain ranges, their
sterile soil supporting only a covering of ling and heath.
5. Coal Measures; consisting of beds of Coal, with intervening
layers of shale, clay, and ironstone (see p. 80).
6. Permian and Triassic strata (see pp. 29, 30).
The mineral substances found in the above strata in Derbyshire are
very numerous, and the organic remains equally so, and of a highly
interesting character.[804]
[804] A good, catalogue of the principal varieties will be found in Mr.
Adams’s pamphlet previously recommended; and specimens may be obtained
at his museum in Matlock, and from Mr. Tennant (Professor of Mineralogy
to King’s College), 149, Strand, London.
This enumeration of the geological formations of which the country
around Matlock is composed will enable us to proceed on our rambles
without further digression, and should the reader be at a loss to
comprehend the nature of any of the rocks or strata we may meet with on
our way, he can refer to the above description.
Mr. Bakewell, with his wonted penetration, first detected the true
character of the stratification of the High Tor, previous writers
having described this cliff as being composed of nearly horizontal
layers. But this is a deceptive appearance; for, although, when viewed
in front, or in the direction of their planes, the strata appear to be
horizontal, yet they are in reality highly inclined, as may be seen in
the line of dip, and enfold or envelope the back of the cliff; and
they are continued into the hill (Masson) on the opposite side of the
valley, where they present a similar arrangement. The continuity of
the strata is broken by the vale of the Derwent, which has evidently
originated in a fissure extending along the axis of elevation, in a
direction from north to south; thus forming the water channel for the
drainage of the country on the north, and the bed of the present river.
We have already pointed out the curved position of the strata on the
face of the _Church Tor_.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO CRICH HILL.]
Excursion to Crich Hill.--The appearances observable at the High Tor
are of so striking a character, and involve the consideration of so
many interesting phenomena relating to the physical mutations which
this district has undergone, that it is desirable, while they are
strongly impressed upon the mind, to take an excursion to Crich, a few
miles to the south-east of Matlock. Here there is an entire mountain of
limestone, formed by a protrusion of numerous strata, many hundred feet
in thickness, through the once superincumbent beds of millstone grit
and sandstone, into a dome-shaped mass, upwards of 800 feet high. And
there it stands, a stupendous monument of one of the past revolutions
of the globe, with its arches of rifted rock, supported by a central
mound of erupted mineral matter, now cooled down into an amorphous mass
of compact basalt! Were there no other object of interest near Matlock,
Crich Hill would alone render it worthy of resort.
From the heights above our hotel, looking towards the south-east,
a mountain remarkable for its elevation and obtusely conical
configuration, and distinguished by a tower on the summit, forms a
striking object on the horizon, at an apparent distance of three or
four miles--this is Crich Hill; and on the same range, to the right, is
seen the church-spire of Crich village (see _Lign. 272_).
A long summer’s day is not too long to visit this mountain, and examine
all its interesting details. A good pedestrian should proceed with
his hammer and haversack, for every step of the road is replete with
interest; and as numerous specimens will be obtained, bags, paper, and
boxes should be taken. If an invalid or ladies be of the party, it will
be desirable to have a carriage for the day, and dine at the little
village of Crich;[805] and, if time permit, the interesting ruins of
South Wingfield Manor-House (once the prison of Mary of Scotland),
about two miles from Crich, may also be visited.
[805] A good, guide will be a great acquisition, and save much, time
and trouble; and Benjamin Froggatt, who has conducted Dr. Buckland and
other geologists to the principal localities in the neighbourhood, will
be found an obliging and intelligent attendant, perfectly conversant
with the richest geological and botanical sites around Matlock.
The shortest drive from Matlock to Crich Hill is over Cromford-bridge;
but a far more picturesque route is by the Derby-road to
Whatstandwell-bridge (see _Lign. 273_), and from thence ascending
the hill to Crich, and returning home by Holloway; making the entire
distance about twelve miles. As our immediate object is to examine
the geological features of the mountain, we shall proceed by the
nearest road; and upon reaching Scarthing Rock, turn to the left, by
Wellersley Castle grounds, having on the right a bold escarpment of
mountain limestone, with layers of chert in nodules and amorphous
masses. At Cromford Canal, the limestone suddenly terminates, and
sinks beneath the surrounding alluvial silt of the river valley, and
the millstone grit. We will chip off a few specimens of the chert, to
examine at leisure. Crossing the bridge, the road winds round the foot
of the hills of sandstone, which lie on our left, while on the right
is the valley of the Derwent, and the river is seen here and there
through openings in the copses and hedge-rows, meandering through the
rich meadow-lands of the valley, which are flanked on the west by a
magnificent range of lofty hills, clothed with the luxuriant woods of
Alderwasley. The character of the scenery from this point of the road,
till we ascend the high ground, is faithfully and graphically portrayed
by Mr. Rhodes.[806]
[806] Derbyshire Tourist’s Guide, p. 48.
"The road lies through a beautiful valley by the side of the Derwent;
sloping meadows, crowned high above with a long range of magnificent
woods, skirt the road-side on the left: on the right the river,
pursuing its winding way beneath the umbrageous branches of oak,
ash, alder, hazel, and sycamore, and bubbling as it passes along,
is a beautiful object. About two miles below Cromford-bridge, the
road leaves the more open part of the valley, and plunges into the
thick woods that environ the little hamlet of Lea; a lovely spot,
romantically situated by the side of a sparkling stream, in a deep
hollow, amongst steep hills covered with foliage, and fields of the
freshest verdure. The houses of this secluded village, with the
exception of here and there a comfortable cottage, are handsome
residences, nestling among orchards and parterres of flowers.
Everything was flourishing most luxuriantly; and when we passed
through the place, the hollyhocks, dahlias, and roses were in full
blossom, and gave an extremely bright and cheerful aspect to the
scene. The road continues through _Lea Wood_ to _Holloway_ by a
very steep ascent, and from the toll-gate at the top of the hill it
traverses the side of a mountainous ridge, covered with wood and
intervening rock. The prospect is now magnificent: on the right a
scene of great extent opens to the view, rich in all that constitutes
the highest beauty in landscape. The summits of the two ranges of
hills that form the eastern and western boundaries of the fertile
valley at our feet are here from three to four miles apart; and
the extent from north to south is from ten to twelve. Many minor
eminences, rich with wood and intervening verdure, adorn this
enchanting scene, through which the Derwent, sometimes hidden by
overhanging trees, and sometimes sparkling with light, flows with busy
speed and uninterrupted current by Belper, Milford, and Duffield,
to Derby; the whole presenting an assemblage of splendid scenery
finely diversified and rich in picturesque beauty. The woods of
Alderwasley, that cover the hills from below Whatstandwell-bridge, to
the dark pine-crowned eminence of Stonnis, are peculiarly imposing and
magnificent."
Near the village of Holloway there are several quarries opened on the
side of the hill, which enable us to ascertain that this range is
composed of strata of millstone grit and sandstone, highly inclined
and dipping from the hill. The beds are so split and shattered in
every direction, that no large blocks can be procured, and the stone,
although a good building material, is therefore only employed in the
construction of the cottages and houses in the immediate vicinity. The
_vignette_ of this volume represents a mass of the inclined sandstone
strata near this place. The reader will recollect that the hills on the
opposite side of the valley, on our right, are also composed of similar
strata; and that the ridge, covered with fir-trees, marks the bold
escarpment of the millstone grit at Stonnis, over Cromford; so that the
geological horizon of the valley, as seen from this spot, is wholly
formed by the millstone grits and sandstones. A mile beyond Holloway
toll-gate, the road turns to the left, and the bare dome of mountain
limestone of Crich Hill is before us. We soon arrive at a limestone
quarry, in which the strata are seen to be distinctly arched (see
_Lign. 271_, p. 886), as in the cliff at Matlock _Church Tor_.
We will alight here to examine the rock more closely, and obtain
specimens. Here we see that the strata are inclined both to the right
and to the left, and also lean towards the central axis of the hill
in front of us; presenting such an appearance as would be afforded
by an excavation made in an onion, or other spheroidal body, formed
of a series of concentric layers. The limestone in this quarry is of
the usual subcrystalline character, abounding in shells, principally
_Spirifer_. There are numerous vertical and oblique fissures in the
rock, and these are more or less incrusted with minerals and spars,
which have evidently been deposited by electro-chemical action, and
admirably exemplify the manner in which the rich veins of lead, &c.
are distributed in the strata of the interior of the mountain. In a
crevice of the rock, in which the mineral contents were undisturbed,
the arrangement of the prevailing minerals of this part of Derbyshire,
namely, galena (_sulphuret of lead_), sulphate of barytes (here termed
_cawk_), and fluor spar, was beautifully displayed. A layer of the blue
sulphuret of lead, or galena, was spread over the surface of limestone
forming the walls of the fissure: upon this was a thick stratum of
white sulphate of barytes; and on the latter, fluor spar, of a light
blue colour, forming cubic crystals on the surface nearest the cavity
of the fissure, which therefore appeared to be lined with crystals of
fluor.[807]
[807] The workmen at this and the other quarries generally have
specimens of the fossils and minerals for sale, at moderate prices.
[Sidenote: TRAP OF CRICH HILL.]
About half a mile beyond, we arrive at Wakebridge, near which there
are several very productive lead mines. The "_Glory-mine_," one of
the richest in Derbyshire, is said, some ten years since, to have
been worth from thirty to forty thousand pounds a-year.[808] A mining
establishment, on the left hand, where a powerful steam-engine
is constantly at work, affords numerous specimens of the usual I
Derbyshire spars and minerals; and from among the heaps of refuse
thrown by the visitor may make an interesting collection. Near this
spot, a vertical shaft was sunk in the side of the hill, in search
for lead ore, and at the depth of twenty fathoms, a rock of _compact
Trap_ was reached; the work was continued for a few yards deeper, but
ultimately abandoned as fruitless. A gallery was subsequently driven
into the side of the hill, lower down, and here, too, the trap was
found; thus proving the existence of a central protrusion of igneous
rock, over which the bent strata of mountain limestone are now disposed
in consecutive layers. Numerous blocks of this compact trap or basalt,
some of which are veined with red jasper, lie scattered about the
site of the old shaft, and an interesting suite of specimens may be
collected. Pursuing our way, the limestone strata are seen in openings
on the hill side, having the same remarkable arrangement as those
before described.
[808] Derbyshire Tourist, p. 50.
Upon arriving where the road divides,[809] we must proceed on foot and
visit the quarries, and examine the exposed masses of rock, that we may
clearly comprehend the structure of the mountain. We will now ascend
by the pathway that leads to the summit, and on the left several good
sections of the strata are displayed. On reaching the tower on the
crest of the mountain (_Lign. 272_, p. 887), a magnificent panorama
bursts upon our sight; but which no language can adequately describe.
Here and there bare pinnacles of rifted rock protrude through the green
sward; and masses of white, yellowish, and pink sulphate of barytes,
pyrites, fluor, and other minerals lie strewn upon the surface.[810]
[809] The carriage should here be sent on to the village, and orders
given for refreshments.
[810] Good specimens may often be obtained from the piles of stones,
and from the walls on the side of the hill.
Having reposed for some time at the foot of the tower to enjoy the
glorious prospect spread around us, correct our notes, look over, trim,
and wrap up our specimens, we will now descend to the north-eastern
side of the hill, that the appearance of the strata on that aspect may
also be examined. But ere we leave the summit, again let me call your
attention to its external configuration. Were it not on too extended a
scale, we might suppose that we were standing on an ancient earth-work,
or encampment, formed of limestone, surrounded by a deep fosse or
ditch, and flanked by precipitous embankments of millstone grit and
sandstone, so strongly defined are the physical features of this
remarkable mountain.
We will now visit a large quarry on the eastern side, which presents a
fine section of the limestone strata, above 100 feet thick (see _Lign.
271_), and which, like those we have previously observed, are disposed
in curves, and enfold, as it were, the central axis of the hill; and
the rock is shivered and fissured in every direction. A thick bed of
drift, or alluvial debris, covers the limestone strata, as shown in
_Lign. 271_; and in it, partially rolled blocks of sandstone, some
of them of great size, are imbedded. The direction of the dip of the
strata in this quarry is indicated by the arrows.
[Illustration: _Drawn by Henry Carr, Esq. C. E. del^{t.}_ _J. Whimper,
lign^{t.}_
Lign. 271. Quarry of Mountain Limestone, Crich Hill.]
[Sidenote: VIEW OF CRICH HILL.]
[Illustration: _Drawn by Henry Carr, Esq. C. E._ _J. Whimper, lign^{t.}_
Lign. 272. View of Crich Hill, Derbyshire, from the West.]
Let us now take a retrospect of the facts investigate during this
morning’s ramble, and consider how far Mr. Bakewell’s interpretation
of these phenomena (see p. 879) is in accordance with the data we
have obtained. The outline of Crich Hill, as seen from a moderate
distance, is that of an insulated oblong dome, encircled by precipitous
escarpments, or angular eminences of less elevation. The annexed sketch
(_Lign. 272_), by my friend, Henry Carr, Esq. C.E., of Duffield, to
whom I am also indebted for a survey of Crich Hill, and admeasurements
of the dip of the strata, will render this feature in the physical
geography of the country more apparent.
In _Lign. 272_, the protruded elongated cone of mountain limestone
is denoted by the tower, or _Stand_, on the summit; and the other
heights, and the foreground, are composed of millstone grit and
sandstone. The highest point of limestone is 716 feet above the level
of the Derwent in the adjacent valley; and was estimated by Mr.
Bakewell at about 900 feet above the level of the sea. The hill of
sandstone on the right, on which the mill stands, is 402 feet high,
and conceals Crich village in this view; that in the middle distance,
on the left, marked _a_, is 400 feet high.
This disposition of the millstone escarpments around the central cone
of elevated limestone is shown more in detail in the ground-plan,
_Lign. 273_.
Thus we perceive that the strata of mountain-limestone dip from the
centre of the hill in every direction, as indicated by the arrows, at
various angles, from 20° to 50°; and those of the sandstone hills,
which form an irregular zone around Crich, are also highly inclined,
and in like manner dip from the central axis, as is shown by the
direction of the arrows. Now we know, by observations made in places
where the relative position of the Millstone and Limestone has suffered
no disturbance, that these two series of strata were originally
disposed horizontally and conformably upon each other, thus--
1. _Uppermost_--Millstone Grit and Sandstone.
-----------------------------
2. _Lowermost_--Mountain Limestone.
[Sidenote: GROUND PLAN OF CRICH HILL.]
[Illustration: Lign. 273. Ground Plan of Crich Hill, _Derbyshire_.
(_Scale, one inch to a mile._)
By Henry Carr, Esq. C. E. from actual Survey.]
The area, enclosed within a line, and marked _Stand, Crich Hill_, is
the elevated oblong dome of _limestone_. All the surrounding country
is composed of _millstone grit_ and _sandstone_.
The arrows on the boundary line of Crich Hill denote the direction
of the dip of the limestone strata in nine positions measured and
determined by Mr. Carr. The dip vanes from 20 to 50, the greatest
inclination is on the south-east of the tower.
The arrows on the surrounding millstone escarpments mark the dip of
those strata in a sufficient number of stations, to convey a general
idea of the position of the mountain masses environing Crich Hill.[811]
[811] At Whatstandwell, abridge crosses the Derwent; and dose by, there
is the Bull Inn, where good accommodation and sleeping apartments maybe
obtained.
[Sidenote: CRICH HILL.]
[Illustration: Lign. 274. Section of Crich Hill; from A to B on the
plan, _Lign. 273_.
(_Natural scale._)
By Reginald Neville Mantell.]
A, B.--Strata of _Millstone Grit_, highly inclined, and dipping from the
central axis.
Protrusion of the Mountain Limestone, on the summit of which is
Crich Tower, 716 feet above the level of the river Derwent.
Central mass of Trap, reached by a vertical shaft from
above, and by a gallery on the side of the hill.
It is therefore evident, that at Crich the strata No. 2 must have been
forced up, and protruded through the strata No. 1, or they could not
occupy their present position. We remarked, on ascending Holloway Hill,
the great disturbance which the Millstone beds had sustained (see the
vignette of this volume); and the shaft and gallery near Wakebridge (p.
884) disclosed the existence of a mass of basalt, or _trap_, of unknown
extent, beneath the limestone, in the centre of the mountain; while the
fissures and crevices, filled with metallic ores and spars, attest the
action of intense heat, under great pressure. According to a survey
made by my son, a section in the line marked A--B on the plan, _Lign.
273_, presents the arrangement of the strata seen in _Lign. 274_: the
heights are from actual admeasurements.
From the data thus obtained, we may construct an ideal section in
illustration of these phenomena, as in the following diagram (_Lign.
275_).
Here then, as Mr. Bakewell forcibly observed, "we have cause and effect
in conjunction." Here is the cooled and consolidated molten rock, whose
expansive force elevated the horizontal strata of limestone, and forced
them through the superincumbent beds of grit and sandstone. But this
eruption must have taken place under great pressure, and at the bottom
of the sea; for, had the phenomena been sub-aërial, the result would
have been altogether of a different nature; and we should have had
cooled lava streams, and not masses of basalt.
We have seen that the strata rise round and enfold this central
nucleus of volcanic rock, displaying nearly hemispherical segments
and curves. Now if we suppose a vertical transverse fissure across
such a hill as that represented in the diagram (_Lign. 275_), the face
of the remaining strata would be in every respect similar to that of
the High Tor (see _Lign. 270_, p. 876); namely, a mass of _Trap_, or
_toadstone_, at the base, and a series of arched strata of limestone
above; with fissures containing ores of lead, zinc, barytes, &c. and
various kinds of spar.
[Illustration: Lign. 275. Ideal transverse Section of Crich Hill.]
A, A.--Highly inclined strata of _Millstone Grit_.
B, B.--Arched strata of _Mountain Limestone_.
C.--A central nucleus of _Trap_ or _Toadstone_.
To a mind accustomed to investigations of this nature, a slight
examination of the phenomena under review will, I apprehend, suffice to
demonstrate the correctness of these deductions; but I may have failed
to place the subject before the general reader in an intelligible and
lucid point of view; should this be the case, still, if the attempt
to present a familiar exposition of the physical structure of this
remarkable district shall induce him to visit the scenes I have so
imperfectly portrayed, and interrogate Nature in a right spirit, the
hours we have passed together in our excursion to Crich Hill will not
have been spent in vain; for in the beautiful language of the noble
bard:--
"To sit on rocks, to muse o’er flood and fell,
To slowly trace the forest’s shady scene,
Where things that own not man’s dominion dwell,
And mortal foot hath ne’er or rarely been;
To climb the trackless mountain all unseen,
With the wild flock that never needs a fold;
Alone o’er steeps and foaming falls to lean;
This is not solitude; ’tis but to hold
Converse with Nature’s charms, and view her stores
unroll’d."--Childe Harold, Canto II. xxv.
Specimens of Fossils and Minerals.--On our return, our first care must
be to look over all the specimens we have gathered, arrange them,
and select those which are the most illustrative of the phenomena
we have examined; and ticket every specimen, as recommended in the
Instructions. The fossils, consisting of several species of _spirifer_
and other brachiopoda, and of portions of encrinital stems, require no
particular care. The rocks should comprise specimens of the different
varieties of limestone and sandstone; and of the green limestone,
altered by contact with the toadstone; and examples of the compact
trap, and of the variety veined with red jasper,--of the amygdaloidal
toadstone,--and the vesicular, or that in which the cavities are
empty. The minerals should comprise the ores of lead, zinc, barytes,
fluor, and calcareous spar; of the last some good clear pieces should
be selected, that will exhibit its double refracting property. Of the
common metal, _Pyrites_, a few specimens should be preserved; this
mineral, from its splendid yellow appearance, is often mistaken for
gold; but a mere blow of the hammer will immediately detect it, for
_Pyrites_ is brittle, and readily cracks to pieces, while gold, as is
well known, is remarkably ductile. If the collector be not satisfied
with the fruits of his day’s researches, he should look over the
catalogue of Mr. Adams, and purchase such specimens as will render his
collection sufficiently extensive to present a full illustration of
the geological character of the scenes he has this day visited.
There is a variety of sulphate of barytes from near Youlgreave
exhibited in the shops at Matlock, of which one or two examples should
be obtained. The surface of the polished specimens much resembles the
rich variegated appearance of dark tortoise-shell. This mineral has
been formed, like the common calcareous stalactite, by infiltration
through some porous rock; transverse sections exhibit concentric
layers of various shades; while the longitudinal have the varied
colours disposed like those in tortoise-shell.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: BONSAL VALLEY.]
NOTES FOR A GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION BY CROMFORD, UP BONSAL VALLEY, BY VIA
GELLIA, TO MIDDLETON MOOR; RETURNING BY STONNIS.
This excursion will present many objects of interest, and one day at
least should be devoted to the examination of the different localities
pointed out in the following notes.[812] To Cromford, and then take the
road that leads through Bonsal vale. A fine range of limestone on the
right, and a sparkling stream (Bonsal-brook) on the left. On the banks
of this brook there is a manufactory of mineral colours (Pooley’s)
well worthy a visit. But before we reach this establishment, there is
an opening on the hill side where the strata are exposed, and a bed of
Trap is seen beneath the limestone; near this place specimens of fluor,
calc-spar, &c., that have been thrown out in forming the excavation,
may be collected. From beneath the trap a warm spring issues and flows
into the neighbouring brook.
[812] Benjamin Froggatt should be engaged to conduct the pedestrian;
and a carriage party would also do well to place themselves under his
guidance.
Proceed up the road leading to _Via Gellia_, and through a valley
flanked with high ranges of limestone and dun-stone. On the right,
is the beautiful cascade previously mentioned, near _Dunsley_. This
valley is a celebrated botanical region, for several species of plants
which are of great rarity or unknown elsewhere are here met with. At
the direction post, turn to the left up the steep hill that leads
to Middleton Moor. On each side numerous fossils of the mountain
limestone may be collected from the blocks lying on the flanks of the
hill. Views splendid in picturesque scenery and of a highly interesting
geological character are obtained as we ascend. On the summit of
Middleton Moor, which is from 1,300 to 1,400 feet above the level of
the sea, a most extensive panoramic view of the surrounding country may
be obtained. The geological map will enable the observer to identify
the crags of Charnwood Forest, the High Peak, &c. &c. Almost every part
of the Moor is studded with the disused shafts of exhausted mines, and
which are so carelessly covered over as to be extremely dangerous,
and the visitor must bear this caution in mind; for the heaps of
stone placed at irregular intervals on the hill, and which tempt the
geologist to seek for specimens, are for the most part piled over the
openings of deep shafts.[813]
[813] My son narrowly escaped being drawn in by a heap of stones which
gave way under his feet, and suddenly disappeared in the chasm below.
In rambles of this kind in a mining country, the young geologist must,
therefore, be upon his guard, or he may be engulphed with masses of
limestone in some deep chasm, and his bones, incrusted with stalactite,
form an ossiferous breccia, that in future ages may perplex some
collector of organic remains to determine its relative antiquity!
Pass on by Worksworth, to the quarries of mountain limestone, where the
encrinital marble, so largely employed for side-boards, chimney-pieces,
&c. is procured. Near the approach to the entrance of the quarry,
an instructive example of curved strata of limestone is seen on the
left; and on the right, a fine vertical artificial section. On the
weathered surface of the left side of this entrance, and on the face
nearest the quarry, good specimens of the stems I and ossicula of the
usual Derbyshire crinoidea may be extracted (p. 284) from the layers
of reddish limestone; and good blocks of the marble may be selected.
Large spirifers can be procured from the limestone in these quarries;
the quarry-men often have specimens. On the right hand of the entrance,
layers of flinty slate (called partings of _black bind_ by the miners)
occur between the beds of limestone. In a field near this quarry, on
the left of the road leading to Cromford, where some mining operations
are going on, blocks of the stone called _chert_ have been thrown up,
and often contain beautiful examples of the pulley-stones (p. 285), or
siliceous casts of the stems of the crinoidea. A large collection of
fossils may be gathered in the localities above mentioned.
We now drive to the escarpment of millstone grit at Stonnis, called
_Black-rock_, whose pine-clad summit forms so conspicuous an object
in the view from Crich Hill; it is about a mile from Cromford, and
overlooks Matlock Dale.
On the right of the road, the refuse workings of a mine cover the
side of the hill; among which some specimens of spars or minerals may
perhaps be found.
[Sidenote: VIEW FROM STONNIS.]
But the grand attraction of Stonnis is the view of Matlock Dale and
the surrounding mountains, obtained from the verge of the precipitous
escarpment of sandstone rocks, under the knoll of pines. It is, indeed,
a scene of transcendent beauty and magnificence, and is said, by one
who has ascended every mountain top and traversed every ravine and
valley in this district, to be unrivalled.
"In that species of beauty which in landscape scenery approaches to
grandeur, it is unequalled in Derbyshire. The parts of which it is
composed are of the first order of fine things, and they are combined
with a felicity that but rarely occurs in nature. Scarthing Rock, the
woods of Willersley Castle, Matlock High Tor, the hills of Masson,
Crich, and Riber are all noble objects; and the rude masses that
constitute the foreground of the picture are thrown together, and
grouped and coloured in a manner strikingly picturesque. I have scaled
the highest eminences in the mountainous districts of Derbyshire--seen
from their summits the lovely dales that repose in H tranquil beauty
at their base--marked the multitude of hills included within the
wide horizon they command, and my heart has thrilled with emotion at
the sight; but not an eminence that I ever before ascended--not a
prospect, however rich, and varied, which I thence beheld--is at all
comparable with the view from Stonnis."[814]
[814] Derbyshire Tourist’s Guide, p. 42.
Every one possessed of taste and feeling who gazes upon this glorious
landscape will partake, in a greater or lesser degree, of the emotions
thus finely expressed by the ardent lover of the sublime and beautiful
in nature; but to the natural philosopher the physical characters of
this enchanting region are fraught with a deeper interest, and present
subjects for the most profound contemplation. To him the rocks and the
mountains are the grand monuments of nature, on which are inscribed the
history of the physical revolutions of the globe which took place in
periods incalculably remote and long antecedent to the creation of the
human race. They present to his mind a succession of events, each so
vast as to be beyond his finite comprehension; ages of tranquillity,
with lands and seas teeming with life and happiness, succeeded by
periods in which the earthquake and the volcano spread universal ruin
and destruction--and they teach him that all these awful changes bear
the impress of the Almighty’s hand, and were subservient to the eternal
purpose of rendering this planet the fit abode of man, during his
mortal pilgrimage.
CHAPTER XXV.
NOTES FOR A GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION TO CHARNWOOD FOREST, TO EXAMINE THE
CENTRAL GROUP OF PLUTONIC ROCKS OF ENGLAND; AND THE CARBONIFEROUS AND
CAMBRIAN STRATA, THROUGH WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN ERUPTED.
In the central county of our Island, within a hundred miles of the
Tertiary deposits of the South-east of England, a group of plutonic
rocks emerges from beneath the strata of limestone, coal, and red marl
which constitute the principal geological features of the midland
provinces, and rises up into the bold and picturesque range of hills
of Charnwood Forest. Almost the entire series of British rocks is now
brought by the railroads within a few hours distance of the metropolis;
and the geological inquirer may, in the course of a fortnight, examine
in their natural situations the Eocene deposits of the London and
Hampshire basins--the Cretaceous and Wealden strata of Sussex, Kent,
and Surrey--the Oolitic, Liassic, Triassic, Permian, and Carboniferous
systems--the Mountain limestone and its metalliferous treasures--Traps,
or ancient lavas, and their effects--strata of the Silurian and
Cambrian systems--and, lastly, Granite, Syenite, Porphyry, and other
modifications of the plutonic or igneous rocks. The present notes refer
to two or three days spent in exploring the country around Leicester,
and in examining the granite of Mount Sorel[815]--the slate quarries of
Swithland--the syenitic crags of Bardon Hill--the porphyritic masses
of Markfield and Grooby--and the coal-mines of Whitwick. On our
previous excursion by railway to Leicester (see Excursion to Matlock,
p. 867), the order of the succession of the strata from the metropolis
to that town was described; on this occasion it will only be requisite
to direct the traveller’s attention to the abrupt isolated hills, by
Hinckley, Grooby, and the craggy peaks of Charnwood Forest, in the
distance, on the left of the railroad, before reaching Leicester. If a
pedestrian excursion be resolved upon, three or four days at least will
be required to follow the route presently pointed out; in a carriage
and pair, it may be accomplished in a long summer s day, by starting
from Leicester at six, and returning by ten or eleven.[816]
[815] Sorel, a corruption of _Soar Hill_, or hill on the river Soar.
[816] It maybe well to remind the visitor that at Leicester the
following objects are worthy of notice:--the Roman Milestone, now
placed in the High-street; the remains of the Roman Wall; and the Blue
Boar Hotel, where Richard III. slept the night before the battle of
Bosworth.
[Sidenote: EXCURSION TO CHARNWOOD FOREST]
The geological localities to be visited in this excursion are the
following--
I. Barrow-on-Soar.[817] _Lias limestone._--The quarries at this
locality are celebrated for the organic remains that have from time
to time been obtained from the limestone. Bones of Ichthyosauri and
Plesiosauri (see p. 669), fishes (_Dapedius_, p. 603), leaves of
cycadeæ, and fossil wood, together with ammonites, terebratulæ, &c. may
generally be obtained.
[817] There is a station at Barrow, and the pedestrian may be put down
within a short distance, by the railway.
Although at the very foot of the plutonic rocks, and on the verge of
the grand focus of volcanic action which erupted the syenitic masses
of Charnwood Forest, the strata in this spot appear to have suffered
but little disturbance. But this phenomenon is in accordance with
what occurs in other volcanic districts. For, as M. Constant Prevost
remarks, volcanoes may open across all the strata, without occasioning
great derangements; thus, at Limagne, Aurillac, and Puy (see _Wond._
p. 269), the tertiary strata have preserved their horizontality, even
around the vents through which issued the volcanic matter that covered
those countries with numerous cones of eruption.
II. Mount Sorel. _Granite and Syenite._--The road from Leicester
ascends a ridge of Triassic or New Red strata, called Birstal Hill,
from whence there is a fine view of the town. In the meadows on the
left, some ruined walls, covered with ivy, mark the site, and are the
only remains of the Abbey in which Cardinal Wolsey expired. Approaching
Mount Sorel, an abrupt hill, with a mill on the summit, denotes, from a
considerable distance, the geological character of the spot. There is
a small Inn in the village, where accommodation may be procured. Visit
the quarries, and also the establishment of Mr. Jackson, where the
granite is worked into pillars, side-boards, &c.[818]
[818] An interesting account of this manufactory will be found in Sir
Richard Phillips’s "Personal Tour."
The hill is about 120 feet in height, and 1,400 yards long; and is
estimated to contain about two hundred millions of cubic feet of
workable granite, above the general level of the district.[819]
[819] The granite resembles that of Aberdeen, but contains a larger
proportion of felspar.
III. Swithland. _Slate-rocks._--From Mount Sorel proceed to Swithland:
as we approach the quarries, the employment of slate for every
available purpose, in the footpaths, walls of cottages, &c., indicates
the abundance of this material in the neighbourhood. At Swithland, the
quarries are very extensive, and expose magnificent sections, from 100
to 120 feet thick, of strata of Slate, highly inclined; and forming one
side of an anticlinal axis, the summit of which will be passed over
in our route by Woodhouse. In one quarry, at the time of my visit,
a series of nearly horizontal strata of red marl was exposed, lying
unconformably upon the edges of the highly inclined beds of Slate. The
Slate-rocks of Charnwood Forest have a single anticlinal axis, which
strikes from NN.W. to SS.E.; and the axis of the adjacent coal-field of
Nuneaton has a similar direction.[820]
[820] Murch. Sil. Syst. p. 569.
[Sidenote: WOODHOUSE. BARDON HILL.]
IV. Woodhouse. _Slate-rocks._--From Swithland to Woodhouse, is a
continuation of the highly inclined Slate strata. The village is
romantically situated on the ridge or crest of the anticlinal axis
of Charnwood Forest. On the sides of the road, there are occasional
openings where the strata are exposed. There is, in particular, a fine
section on the sides of the elevated point on which the church and
school are built, lying to the left of the road in the approach from
Swithland. A day might be well spent in this place, and at Swithland.
V. Bardon Hill. _Syenite._--We next proceed to Bardon Hill, ascending
to the highest ridge of the protruded mass of igneous rock, of which
this mountain-range is composed. The craggy and bare pinnacles which
are every where presenting themselves, shooting up, as it were, from
the green sward, cannot fail, from their novel and striking character,
strongly to impress the mind of the young geologist, who now, for
the first time, visits a region of plutonic rocks. The view from the
summit of the hill is grand and imposing; it should be studied with
a geological map of the country before us, that the position of this
central mass of volcanic rocks, and its relation to the surrounding
sedimentary strata, may be fully comprehended.
VI. Whitwick and Snibstone. _Coal-measures._--Spread around the foot
of the Syenitic mountain which we are descending are the coal-bearing
strata of the Carboniferous system; and in the works at _Whitwick_
and _Snibstone_ the geological inquirer can examine the nature of
these deposits in the coal-mines, which he should descend, and obtain
specimens of the strata and fossils from the beds in situ.[821]
[821] Should he be so fortunate as to see the resident engineer
of Snibstone Colliery, Mr. George Vaughan, he will be certain of
meeting with a courteous reception, and every facility for pursuing
his inquiries, descending the shaft, and obtaining fossils. Mountain
limestone is brought to this place to be converted into lime; and good
specimens of shells, encrinites, &c. may sometimes be extracted from
the blocks of stone.
Among the refuse of the workings thrown up from the various shafts,
search should be made for stems of _calamites_ (p. 108), _seed-vessels_
(p. 149), _fern-leaves_ (p. 109), &c.
A section from Whitwick, through Charnwood Forest, to Barrow-on-Soar,
in the direction of the route we have traversed, would give the
following succession of rocks:--1. Whitwick; _Coal-strata_, highly
inclined. 2. _Slate-rocks_ of Woodhouse, highly inclined. 3.
Protrusions of _Syenite_. 4. _Slate-rocks_ of Swithland, highly
inclined, with unconformable strata of red marl. 5. _Granite_ and
_Syenite_ of Mount Sorel. 6. _Red marl_ and _sandstone_, supporting the
_Lias_, at Barrow-on-Soar.
The pedestrian should spend one or two days at Snibstone, where there
is humble, but comfortable accommodation.
[Sidenote: MARKFIELD AND GROOBY,]
VII. Markfield and Grooby. _Syenite and Porphyry_, &c.--These places
may be visited on our way back to Leicester.
[Illustration]
MISCELLANEOUS.
_List of Dealers in Fossils, Minerals, &c._
British Natural History Society, for the distribution of Fossils and
Recent Shells, London Agent for the, 30, Tavistock-street, Covent
Garden.
Charlton, Mr., at the Geological Society’s apartments, Somerset House.
For boards and tablets for fossils; prepared and backed paper for
diagrams; cabinets for specimens, &c. An excellent and intelligent
workman, and moderate in his charges.
Cuttell, Mr., 52, New Compton-street, Lapidary. Prepares fossil teeth,
&c. for the microscope.
Darker, Mr., Lapidary, 9, Paradise-street, Lambeth. Fossil and recent
objects for the microscope. Specimens of the infusorial earths, teeth
of fishes and reptiles, marbles, &c.
Edwards, 40, High-street, Camden Town. For hoards for cabinets, to
affix fossils, shells, &c. instead of trays.
McLellan, 107, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury. Manufactures the trays
for the British Museum. Wooden trays with black sides, 2 inches by 2,
to 6 inches by 2, price 7_s._ per dozen. This price is much too high,
except for public collections. Common card or pasteboard trays answer
every purpose.
Simmons, Mr., 6, Francis-street, Newington Butts. Collector of fossils;
especially of choice Chalk fossils and fossil Foraminifera.
Sowerby, Mr. G. B. (the eminent naturalist), 50, Great Russell-street,
Bloomsbury. All kinds of minerals, fossils, and recent shells.
Tennant, Mr. J. Professor of Mineralogy and Geology to King’s College,
149, Strand. Every purchasable species of fossil, mineral, or shell may
be obtained; as well as the various microscopic fossils, infusorial
earths, slices of teeth, wood, marble, &c. The collections formed by
Mr. Tennant for the student in Geology, Palæontology, and Mineralogy
are admirably calculated to afford that practical acquaintance with
specimens, so indispensable to the acquisition of a knowledge of
Geology. A series may be obtained, illustrative of the system of
instruction suggested in these volumes, and arranged in a sequence
corresponding to the order in which the fossils are described. The
price of a mahogany cabinet with five trays, containing 200 specimens,
illustrative of the elementary works on Geology, is five guineas:
cabinets with fewer and less valuable specimens from two to three
guineas. The following is an outline of the contents of the five guinea
cabinet--
Minerals which are either the components of Rocks, or occasionally
imbedded in them:--Quartz, Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Garnet, Zeolite,
Hornblende, Augite, Asbestus, Felspar, Mica, Talc, Tourmaline,
Calcareous Spar, Fluor, Selenite, Baryta, Strontia, Salt, Sulphur,
Plumbago, Bitumen, &c.
Native Metals, or Metalliferous Minerals; these are found in masses or
beds, in veins, and occasionally in the beds of rivers. Specimens of
the following Metallic Ores are put in the Cabinet:--Iron, Manganese,
Lead, Tin, Zinc, Copper, Antimony, Silver, Gold, Platina, &c.
Rocks; Granite, Gneiss, Mica-slate, Clay-slate, Porphyry, Serpentine,
Sandstones, Limestones, Basalt, Lavas, &c.
Silurian Fossils from the Llandeilo, Wenlock, and Ludlow Rocks.
Secondary Fossils from the Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic,
Lias, Oolite, Purbeck, Wealden, and Cretaceous Groups.
Tertiary Fossils from the Thanet Sands, Woolwich and Reading beds,
Bracklesham, Barton, and London Clays, Isle of Wight fresh-water
series, Crag, &c.
Mr. Tennant has also models of many unique and rare fossils; as for
example, teeth, horn, claw-bones, &c. of the Iguanodon; lily encrinite;
small models of the upright coal-trees, near Bolton; of the magnificent
Plesiosaurus of Mr. Hawkins’s collection, now in the British Museum
(price 4_l._ 4_s._); Mr. Sopwith’s models of stratification, &c.
Topping, Mr. 1, York-place, Pentonville-hill; supplies boards and
cases, and every kind of fossil infusoria, &c.; polished slices
of fossil wood and teeth; and all kinds of microscopical objects,
admirably prepared, and at moderate prices.
British Museum.--Models of some of the most remarkable fossils in the
National Collection (a list of which is published in the "Synopsis of
the British Museum ") may be purchased of the _Formatore_.
Microscopes.--A microscope is now an indispensable instrument for the
collector of fossil remains; and, in fact, for the cultivator of any
natural science. A microscope sufficient for every useful purpose may
be obtained, at the price of from seven to twenty guineas, of--
Poulton, Mr. C., Wooburn, near Marlow, Bucks; beautiful preparations
of minute fossil animal and vegetable structures for the microscope at
1_s._ 3_d._ per slide. Infusorial earths admirably prepared. Specimens
of foraminifera, recent and fossil. Grignon sand with, foraminifera, &c.
Powell, Mr., 24, Clarendon-street, Clarendon-square.
Pritchard, Mr. Andrew, Fleet-street; the author of various useful works
on microscopical subjects. Mr. Pritchard’s microscope, of from seven to
ten guineas, has been purchased by several of my geological friends,
and admirably answers the purpose of investigation.
Ross, Mr. 21, Featherstone-buildings, Holborn; justly celebrated for
the perfection of his instruments.
Smith and Beck, Messrs. 6, Coleman-street, City.
BRIGHTON.
Nightingale, Mr. 52, Frederick-street, near the railway station
Brighton A large assortment of Sussex chalk and other fossils. Mr.
Nightingale is a first-rate artist in clearing chalk fishes and
crustaceans.
Thatcher, Mr., West Cliff, King’s-road, has often very choice chalk
fossils, admirably cleared, and at fair prices.
Most of the pebbles cut and set in brooches, and sold by the lapidaries
and jewellers in this town, as Brighton common German moss-agates. The
green brooches called _Brighton aqua marines!_ are rolled fragments of
bottle-glass. Occasionally good sections of the _Choanites_ (see p.
234) may be obtained: inquire for "_petrified sea-anemones_."
CHIPPENHAM, WILTS.
Buy, William; for Oxford Clay fossils of the greatest variety and in
the highest perfection. Especially celebrated for his discovery and
admirable development of the soft parts of Belemnoteuthides, Belemnites
with phragmocones, &c.
DOVER.
Griffiths, Paradise-street.
Moses, Stroud-street; has generally a large collection of Chalk and
Galt fossils.
HASTINGS.
Bissenden, Thomas, West-street; Oliver, Elizabeth, 7, Parade; of whom
Wealden fossils from the neighbouring cliffs may often be obtained.
RYDE, ISLE OF WIGHT
Fowlstone, Mr., 4, Victoria Arcade.
SHEERNESS.
Hayes, Patrick, Sheppey-street, Blue Town. The usual Sheppey fossils.
According to his own list, he has for sale,--petrified whelk-shells,
cockles, clams, screws, Nautilus. Fruits, various; as beans, coffee,
figs nuts. Crabs, lobsters, turtles. Fishes' heads, teeth, and
spine-bones. His charge for perfect specimens is high; a Nautilus,
cut in half and polished, presenting two perfect sections, 25_s._; if
imperfect, 1_s._ or 2_s._ A fish’s head, or lobster, 10_s._ to 15_s._;
imperfect examples, 6_d._ to 2_s._; see p. 840.
VENTNOR, ISLE OF WIGHT.
Wheeler, Charles, Holder’s Sea-side Cottage. An excellent guide to the
most interesting localities along the southern shore of the island.
Collects and sells specimens.
WARMINSTER.
Baker, Mr.; dealer in fossils. The Warminster Greensand, and Chalk
fossils.
WEYMOUTH.
Damon Mr. Robert, dealer in fossils; has always on sale a large and
excellent collection of the organic remains from the neighbourhood of
Weymouth, the Isle of Portland, and Lyme Regis, &c. A series of recent
British shells, from 200 to 400 species, correctly named.
YORK.
British Natural History Society, for the distribution of Fossils and
recent shells; conductor, &c. Mr. Charlesworth, Curator of the York
Museum.
* * * * *
Notes on the Prices of Fossils.--A Short communication by the Author to
Charlesworth’s London Geological Journal, No. I. p. 13, contains a list
of the prices of several interesting fossils and collections of fossils.
* * * * *
Minerals.--A complete series of the minerals of Cumberland comprising
specimens of great beauty and interest, can be obtained of John Cowper,
Alston, Cumberland; he may be relied upon for his knowledge and
attention, and his prices are moderate.
GENERAL INDEX.
GENERAL INDEX.
A.