134 



From the foregoing it will be seen that at least two-thirds 

 of the faults recorded range parallel with the line of the 

 Mendips between Ashwick and Mells, and that a majority of 

 them are downthrows to the north, or traps down from that 

 range. 



Passing on to describe more in detail those faults and 

 contortions which deserve special notice, I would begin 

 with the 



FARMBOROUGH FAULT. 



This, as already stated, has been met with 900 yards south 

 of the village of the same name, and it is an upthrow north 

 or otherwise a downthrow south of 600 feet. The remarkable 

 thing connected with it is that the upper or Radstock series 

 has not been found to the north of it, and that it has formed 

 in the Timsbury district an effectual barrier to the northern 

 extension of mining enterprise. 



After the dislocation occurred, the strata on the "rise" 

 side must have been exposed to great denudation, and, as a 

 consequence, the upper strata have there been almost entirely 

 washed off. A pit was sunk many years ago to the north of 

 the fault and near the village of Farmborough, with the 

 expectation of winning the veins of the upper series, which 

 have been extensively worked at the adjoining Timsbury 

 collieries ; but only a mere trace of them was found in the 

 upper part of the pit, and on continuing the sinking it was 

 found that the veins of the second series, which are elsewhere 

 of considerable value, had there been sub -divided into so 

 many thin pieces as to be practically useless, so that after 

 expending .£'10,000 on the adventure the owners gave up the 

 attempt in despair. Although this trial terminated so 

 disastrously, it does not necessarily follow that the upper 

 series may not be found farther to the north. Dr. Buckland 

 has assigned to it certain veins which were worked a century 



