GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION. 129 



MIDLAND UNION OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. 

 NORTHAMPTON MEETING, JUNE, 1880. 



GEOLOGICAL EXCURSION. 

 On the route settled for the Geological Excursion on Friday, 

 June 18th, the following formations will be encountered : — Glacial 

 Gravel ; Great Oolite Limestone ; Great Oolite, Upper Estuarine Clay ; 

 Inferior Oolite, Lower Estuarine series and Ironstone, Northampton 

 Sands ; Upper Lias, Middle and Lower Lias. 



I. — Leave Northampton and proceed in a north-easterly direction 

 to the boring by the Water Company, near to the petrifying spring 

 on the Kettering Road. The well-sinking commences at the surface of 

 the Upper Lias Clay, which it penetrates through a thickness of about 

 150ft. It then passes through 37ft. of Mi Idle Lias, and then through 

 about 25ft. of Lower Lias ; to a total depth of 213ft. From the bottom 

 of the well a boring was carried down a further depth of 157ft. 6in. in 

 the Lower Lias ; no water, works abandoned for some time. The Company 

 are now proceeding with a 15in. or 16in. bore, and have passed through 

 the Lower Lias, the object being to penetrate to the water stones of the 

 Lower Keuper. From here by the Racecourse to 



II. — Bass's Pit. — The section is here based by the Upper Lias Clay. 

 This passes up into the ironstone beds of the Northampton Sand, and 

 is surrounded by the white sand of the Lower Estuarine. 



III. — Kingsthorpe Brick Pit. — If the section be in a favourable 

 condition the junction of the Lias and Inferior Oolite will be well shown. 



IV. — Shittlewell Quarry. — Lower Estuarine of Northampton Sand. 

 — The section here is a continuation upwards of that in the brick pit, 

 with rock be is more calcareous than ferruginous. False bedding to be 

 observed, and action of water charged with carbonic acid. The white 

 sand of the Lower Estuarine comes in at the top of this section. Then 

 through the village of Kingsthorpe to 



V. — Kingsthorpe Sand and Sandstone Pits. — Ironstone is here 

 observable at the base, the main section consisting of Lower Estuarine 

 Sand or Sandstone. Plant bed " Oolitic Coal." Here will be read the 

 sectional remarks upon coal of Samuel Sharpe, Esq., F.G.S., (from his 

 Second edition of " Rudiments of Geology,") as revised and approved by the 

 greatest living authority upon that subject. Then towards 



VI. and VTI. — Boughten Green to Moulton Park Pits and Bank's 

 Pit. — Exhibiting Upper Estuarine Clay and Limestone, (Great Oolite,) 

 and Glacial Gravel. Then back through Northampton to 



VIII. — Ddston Ironstone Quarries. — Here on the south-west 

 side of the Weedon Road is a brick pit in the Upper Lias Clay. 

 In the Ironstone Quarry the base-bed consists of a dense dark- 

 green arenaceous bed, deposited under the same conditions as 

 those above them, but unaltered by oxidation, containing less 



