246 A Geological Description 



others under tlie name of red ground^ because thev are always 

 covered by red soil, and niaiiv of the beds are deeply impi egnated 

 with that colour. The rocks of the red ground are reprcsetited 

 by Farey as being numerous ; in this cjuarter, iiovvever, they may 

 very well be reduced to t^vo — a limestone breccia and a cal- 

 careous sandstone: The breccia consists of angular fragments 

 of limestone, hornstone, &c. cemented by a calcareous basis. 

 Wherever it occurs, it is always seen resting imme<liately upon 

 the inclined formations. It is sometimes wanting, and instead 

 of it we find the calcareous sandstone, which is very well seen at 

 Slapleton, where it rests immediately upon the Pennant stone ; 

 it has also been cut through in making the new course of the 

 river. We sometimes meet with the breccia and calcareous 

 sandstone together, as on Clifton Down near the turnpike, and 

 among the Mendip Hills in the path leading from Langford to 

 Shipham. Of the two fornuitions the breccia is always the 

 lowest ; the best examples of this bed are about Pill and Port- 

 bury, where it is superimposed upon the red sandstone. 



Above the beds of the red ground, we have what is provin- 

 cially termed lyaf. which is a liir.estone sometimes of a grayish, 

 but more commonly of a blueish hue and dull compact fracture. 

 It is a peculiarity in this rock to occur in strata of about a foot 

 in thickness, which have generally interposing seams of clay or 

 'marl. The lyas lias extensive localities in this quarter. It is 

 quarried in many places in ihe tract between Bristol and Dundry, 

 on the road to Bath, and in many parts of Kingwood ; we see it 

 abundantly on tlie Gloucester road. About Wells it rests upon 

 the red ground, and at Aust Cliff it is situated upon claystone, 

 probably one of the upper beds of the red ground. I could 

 readily multiply these instances, but I believe tliese will be suffi- 

 cient to s.how its general disposition in this quarter. 



The next formation is the inferior tiolite, a variety of the Bath 

 freestone. I have no where viewed tliis rock in situ, except at 

 Dundry Hill, where we have a favourable example of it. In 

 walking from the village of Bedminster to the top of Dundry 

 I-^ll we can trace most beautifully the relation of tlie three for- 

 mations just now described. About Bedminster and at the sides 

 of the new river we have the calcareous sandstone ; between 

 Bedminster and the Hill the lyas everv where comes into view, 

 and even forms the lower part of the liill. On the top near the 

 church and among the caves the inferior oolite is well displayed. 

 The next member of the series in this district is the Bath free- 

 stone, or great oolite, which surrounds Bath in almost every 

 direction. There are also large quarries of it about three 

 miles bevond Sodhury, near the Cross Keys. Of the series which 

 lie next in succession, I have no where seen any examples in the 



cou^itry 



