CONTENTS AND ORIGIN OF THE GRAVELS AROUND HULL. 47 
The Hessle gravels, however, are banked up against the 
pre-glacial chalk cliff of Holderness Bay, which now lies far 
inland. The angular gravel probably represents the rain-wash or 
material swept from the chalk, having first been disintegrated by 
the action of frost, probably just before the ice was upon it. The 
sand, which is found in large quantities mixed with the gravel, is 
of a very fine nature and is generally thought to be blown sand, 
the grains being well rounded and having a polished appearance. 
It may be from the pre-glacial beach. 
At the north-eastern end of the cliff-line just alluded to is a 
series of deposits of a somewhat similar nature, which were 
systematically investigated* by Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, F.c.s. I 
refer to the Sewerby deposits. In this case the gravels and sands, 
with a somewhat similar fauna to that at Hessle (though with the 
addition of Elephas antiquus, Hippopotamus and Bison) were 
found to be capped by ¢he oldest of the glacial beds of the district, 
viz., the “basement” clay, and are therefore considered to be 
pre-glacial. 1 see no reason why a similar bed of gravel at the 
southern end of the old cliff should not be of a similar age. In 
my opinion if we were to dig down far enough at Hessle the 
ancient beach would be reached, with probably some marine shells, 
and bones of Elephas antiguus, etc. This, at any rate, would be 
pre-glacial. 
From the foregoing remarks I wish it to be distinctly 
understood that although we have no absolute proof that the 
angular gravels at Hessle are pre-glacial, it is very probable they are. 
Under our next heading, “GLaciaL,” come the gravels at 
Burstwicky (see plate 2, fig 1), Kelsey Hill (see plate 2, fig 2), 
and other places in central Holderness.{ But what a 
contrast! Instead of the uniform small angular chalk gravel, 
or strictly speaking, rubble, at Hessle, with almost an entire 
absence of foreign stones or shells, and with such bones as are 
found, “ unwaterworn,” we have a gravel with just the opposite 
characteristics. In the first place it is composed of pebbles and 
boulders of all sizes and many colours and materials, which are 
invariably well waterworn. Some of the pebbles have been 
derived from very far-distant sources ; well known Lake District, 
Teesdale, and even Scandinavian types being represented ; there 
is a good proportion of igneous rocks, and pieces of Carboniferous 
* See Proceedings, Yorks. Geol. and Polyt. Soc., 1887, and Brit. Assn. 
Report, 1888. 
+ A large quantity of this gravel was used during the construction of the 
Withernsea lighthouse two or three years ago. 
+ These were formerly thought to be inter-glacial beds. See Reid’s 
** Geology of Holderness” (Geo. Surv. Mem.) 1884, p. 63. 
