Geology of Wiltshire. 321 



evident proof of having been accumulated in a somewtat deep and tranquil 

 sea, or away from any littoral or wave disturbance : tbis the almost total 

 absence of organic remains seems to confirm. The size and structure of the 

 oolitic grains, the presence or absence of silicious particles, or of finely 

 divided shelly matters ; materially affect the stone during the process 

 of working, or influence it after it is placed in position and subjected to 

 weathering under atmospheric changes. In some localities the beds assume an 

 earthy structure, are indistinct in texture, smooth and close grained, and hold 

 more moisture. From general observation and the correlation of measured 

 sections, it appears that these fine-grained regular beds thin away in a south 

 easterly direction ; indeed it cannot be doubted that the Great or Bath Oolite 

 as a group, exists under irregular conditions and dies out and disappears as a 

 wedge-shaped or lenticular mass, to the east and south-east. 



The Lower Ragstone, — This series appears to be persistent everywhere 

 throughout the entire area, and rests upon the Fuller's Earth. There are 

 numerous and generally well defined beds of a coarse shelly texture and hard 

 crystalline limestone, exhibiting much false-bedding especially towards the 

 base. Many species of moUusca are found in the bottom beds, such as Ostrea 

 aceuminata, Terebratula ornithocephala, Rhynconella concinna, Trichites, 

 Tancredia, &c. Fine sections may be seen at Murhill on the north side of the 

 Bradford Valley, and Upper Westwood on the south. Detached masses of these 

 rocks frequently occur on the inclined slopes of the valleys, owing to the 

 slipping of the Fuller's earth on which these Lower Ragstones immediately 

 rest. The chief economical use of these beds is confined to local purposes, it 

 being utterly unfit for architectural work or exposure to atmospheric influences. 

 The stone used in the construction of the aqueduct conveying the canal over 

 the river Avon at Avon-cliff' was obtained from the beds of this series in the 

 Westwood quarry, and although in situ the stone appears to be of fine texture 

 and quality, yet it rapidly decomposes on exposure, and the stone-work of the 

 Avon-cliff" aqueduct is a perishing evidence of its non-durability. At the Box 

 and Corsham quarries these lower beds, though not observable at the surface, 

 are nevertheless 43 feet in thickness, and are chiefly composed of fine textured 

 limestones, but are not worked, as they are of no commercial value. 



^ The mode of working the stone from the Box quarries has been so ably des- 

 cribed in the "Builder" of August 30th, 1862, that we are glad to transfer 

 extracts from it to the Magazine, and at the same time to thank the Proprietor 

 of the " Builder " for the loan of the illustrative woodcuts. 



Box-hill itself forms the centre of the oolitic district, roughly triangular in 

 outline, and comprising an area of about three square miles. Many parts of 

 this and the neighbouring locality have been worked for stone, with more or 

 less activity, from a very early date ; but though quarries were opened here as 

 many as 300 years ago, it was not until after Brunei's tunnelling operations had 

 demonstrated how large an amouut of good material might be got out of the 

 district, that the workings began to receive any adequate development. The 

 construction of the Great Western Railroad, however, gave a great impulse to 

 this previously limited industry, and the facilities for transit which its com- 

 pletion aff'orded, soon attracted the attention of practical men. The present 

 proprietors of the Box and Corsham Quarries, Messrs. Randell & Saunders, were 



