CHAPTER XXII.

[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 astratum 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.

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.

Intravelling from London to Brighton by the railway, the following geological features of the country may be observed; by a reference toWond.p. 360, the structure of this remarkable district may be easily understood.

Leaving the station at London Bridge, theLondon 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 calledStoat’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 noticedQuart. 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 thenorth-east. After crossing the deep valley at Balcombe, over the magnificent viaduct, the line runs along alternations of sand and clay, dippingsouth-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 (seeWond.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 Greensandof 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.

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 (seeWond.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 toWond.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.

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.

Horace Smith.

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 remoteperiods 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 thegroinbelow 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 inLign.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 inLign.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 chalkrises 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; andQuart. 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, andLign.268,c c,), a bed of sand (denoted by the lettero,Lign.268), of irregular thickness and variable extent: from this sand marine shells and the jaw of a Whale (seep. 778), have been obtained.

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 markedb, inLign.267, and268. Upon examining this shingle, it is found to contain numerous pebbles and boulders of granite, porphyry, syenite, and other plutonic rocks (seep. 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 termedCoombe-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, inacicular 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 (seeLign.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]SeeFoss. South D.p. 277, pl. iv.; andGeol. 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.267and 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, andbones 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 (seeLign.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 placein 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 theSteyne, 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 ofCoombe-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.

GEOLOGICAL NOTES OF VARIOUS PLACES ON THE LINE OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILROAD, FROM LONDON TO CLIFTON.

Thatsplendid 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 theTertiarystrata by Ealing, Hanwell, and Slough, entering theChalknear Maidenhead, and pursuing rather a circuitous route to Wallingford, beyond which station it passes over theOolite, 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 theNew Red, passes on to theCarboniferousstrata 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 Crownand 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 (seeLign.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.

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 otheramorphozoa(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" (seep. 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 principalorganic remains to be obtained from these beds are the zoophytes figured p. 227, andWond.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 ofTerebratulæ,Ostreæ,Nautili, and other shells; also rolledBelemnitesfrom the Oolite, and bones ofPlesiosauriandIchthyosauri.

Lign. 269. Section of the strata at Farringdon, Berks; fromFarringdon Hillto theChalk Downson 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, inQuart. 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 whichCidarites(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:—

Some shells are extremely numerous; principally of the generaTrigonia,Gervillia,Pecten,Ostrea,Terebratula, &c.; fineBelemnitesalso 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 ofSwindon. 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 mostprolific 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. biplexandA. 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 (seep. 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 calledGervilliaandPernaabound 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 generaBuccinum,Cardium,CythereaorVenus,Nerita,Terebra,Pullastra,Pecten; and of the large species ofPleurotomariawhich occurs in the Kimmeridge clay of Hartwell, with the shell perfect (p. 428); also vertebræ ofIchthyosauri.

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.

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 ofBelemnoteuthis, thatcontain vestiges of the soft bodies and arms (seepage 459, andLign.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, seep. 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 fossilSqualoraia(seep. 596); the remains of the reptiles of the magnesian conglomerate, theThecodontosaurus(p. 713); and the celebrated collection of Crinoidea (p. 283) formed by the late Mr. Miller.

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 acoup d’œilof 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 generaPsammodus(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 themorning 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 toChepstow, 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 thegeologist 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-famedGrotto 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.

GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION TO MATLOCK.

------ "In famed Attica such lovely dalesAre rarely seen; nor can fair Tempè boastA charm they know not."Lord Byron.

------ "In famed Attica such lovely dalesAre rarely seen; nor can fair Tempè boastA 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 theMidlandCounties Railroad to Derby), we pass over in succession the clays, sands, and beds of gravel, composing theTertiarystrata of the London basin; and at Watford, steep cuttings of these deposits are seen on each side of the station. A long tunnel through theWhite Chalkof 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 theOoliteof Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire; and the line crosses the Grand Junction Canal near the emergence of theLias; the Rugby station being situated in the midst ofthat formation. We then enter the Midland Counties line, and pass on to Stoney Stanton, where the Lias terminates, and theTriassicorNew Redstrata 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 atRed 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 theNorth Midlandline, 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 (seep. 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]

Back to Index Next