TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 89 



district from Mirfield toHunsworth, coarse iu grain, thick, and in many cases false- 

 bedded. 



The Beeston-bed coal is the representative of an interesting series of coals, which 

 occur in the south as the Shertclifte-bed coal and two coal bands, and then as the 

 Churwell Thick and Thin coals, and finally as the Beeston bed, uniting the qualities 

 as well as the thickness in one seam. 



The Middle Coal-measiu-es contain eleven principal coal seams and two sandstone 

 rocks, which are worthy of notice. 



The Blocking coal, the horizon of which indicates the division between the Lower 

 and Middle Coal-measures, is a coal which has been most extensively worked over 

 a great portion of this area ; it varies in thickness from 1 ft. 3 in. to 1 ft. 8 in., and 

 is of a very good quality. 



The Three-quarters or Middleton 11-yards coal is a constant coal, but it is thin 

 and of an inferior quality within our present limits. 



The Cromwell or Middleton Main coal is a valuable coal, and is generally a soft 

 coal, but at Birstall part of the seam is converted into Cannel coal. The thickness 

 is from 1 ft. 7^ in. to 4 ft. G in. 



The Green-Lane or Middleton Little coal, near Dewsbury, is only about 9 inches 

 or 1 foot thick ; but northwards it improves both in quality and thickness, being as 

 much as 2 ft. in. to 3 ft. in the district around Morley, and contains a band of semi- 

 anthracitic coal which is used as a steam coal. 



The Brown-metal coals, three in number, continue constant, though the manner 

 of their occurrence is varied. 



At Dewsbury we have the series complete, while at White Lee the two upper 

 beds unite and form the 2-5'ards coal, a parting of about 1 ft. G in. intervening be- 

 tween the two seams. These two coals are again separated at Bruntcliffe by about 

 28 feet of shales, while the lowest seam is represented by a band of black shale. 



The Birstall Rock is contained in the measures which lie between these coals 

 and the Flockton Thin coal. It is a very irregular sandstone, but is largely 

 developed at Batley Carr, Carlinghow, and Birstall, where it attains a thickness of 

 100 feet. Much good building-stone is obtained from this rock. 



The Flockton Thin or Adwalton Black bed is about 3 feet thick, and contains a 

 layer of clay from 2 to 4 inches thick a few inches from the top of the seam. The 

 seam is very regular, and the quality of an average kindj and it is used as a soft 

 coal for gas-making. 



The Adwalton Stone coal : the upper portion of this seam is a good cannel coal 6 

 to 10 inches thick, the total thickness of the bed being from 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. 

 The roof shale of this coal is recognizable throughout the whole of the Yorkshire 

 coal-field, being a black shale containing ironstone nodules which are one mass of 

 Anfhracosia, and is locally known in this district as the " Cockle-shell bed." 



The Joan coal varies from 2 ft. 3 in. to 1 ft. in thickness, but has not been much 

 worked, though it is of good quality. 



The measures which lie between this coal and the Haigh-Moor coals contain the 

 sandstone known as the Thornhill rock. This sandstone is regular and uniform in 

 occurrence and thickness, and will compare in this respect with the sandstones of the 

 Lower Coal-measures. Good and durable building-stone is obtained from it. 



The Low and Top Haigh-Moor coals are separated from each other at Pildacre 

 by about 30 feet of shales; northwards the Low coal becomes deteriorated and the 

 Top coal continues as the Haigh-Moor coal of the country to the north and north- 

 west. 



The Warren-house or Gawthorpe coal is only present over a very small area near 

 Chidswell, and is from 7 to 8 feet thick. 



The Lie of the Measures. 



By the aid of certain natural lines which occur within this ai-ea, such as the lines of 

 faults and features of the countrj', we are enabled the more easily to describe the lie 

 of these beds. 



Beginning with the country on the south-west of the fault from Clifton Common 

 through Bailiff Bridge to Denholme Clough, the Rough rock stretches away 

 westwards from under the Coal-measures, while between the top line of that rock 



