1900 S. S. BUCKMAN — EXCURSION NOTES 191 



The Sodbury Meeting 



The Lilliput cutting shows some strata of Carboniferous 

 Limestone clipping west at an angle of 45 degrees. Against, 

 and overlapping them, are Mesozoic rocks with an easterly 

 dip of about 3 degrees. 



The Carboniferous Limestone exposed is a part of the 

 shore-line of the late Trias and early Lias sea. It formed 

 a kind of cape. It was gradually buried beneath the 

 accumulation of Mesozoic strata. 



The interesting geological history may be thus stated. 

 After the deposition of the Coal Measures, the strata 

 were thrown into anticHnal and syncHnal folds. Denuda- 

 tion, probably marine, planed them down to a base level, 

 destroying the anticlinal fold. Then the district being 

 elevated to form a land surface, the unprotected Old Red 

 Sandstone was removed by sub-aerial denudation to form 

 a valley. The scenery which such denudation would 

 have produced may be compared to that of the Vale of 

 Pewsey. Afterwards depression admitted the sea to this 

 vale, and it became filled with Trias rocks ; and then 

 continued subsidence allowed of the whole being buried 

 beneath Jurassic strata. There was again elevation ; and 

 sub-aerial denudation removed some of the Mesozoic strata 

 and again exposed the Palzeozoic rocks on the western 

 syncline, but left the eastern syncline buried beneath the 

 Mesozoic rocks of the hills. 



There is an important question of economical Geology 

 here, namely, the position of the Coal Measures beneath 

 the hills. Following the synclinal and anticlinal folds, it 

 would be possible to indicate where the Coal Measures 

 would be most likely to be found by a boring beneath the 

 rocks of the Cotteswolds in the Badminton neighbourhood. 



N 



