The Quartzose Conglomerate at Caldon Lotv, Staffs. 489 



In their paper on the subject/ Messrs. Barke, Hind, and Scott give 

 a diagrammatic section (E.-W.) of the quartzose conglomerate and 

 adjacent limestones at Caldon Low. This shows to the west a basin- 

 like mass of conglomerate occu|)ving a hollow in the limestone, 

 while towards the east two vertical pipes of conglomerate are shown 

 leading down to two bands of the same material, one of which 

 connects with the main mass of conglomerate in the cavity. This 

 band is shown transgressing other beds in the section. 1 1 is suggested 

 by these writers " that the conglomerate fills a subterranean hole in 

 the limestone, probably formed by solution, the thin bands repre- 

 senting several underground watercourses leading into the main 

 hollow " (op. cit., p. 78). We have been unable to find any evidence 

 to justify this interpretation. On close examination in the field it 

 is seen that the beds shown to the east of the main mass of con- 

 glomerate are, in fact, a series of impure limestones exhibiting current 

 structures. They consist of alternating beds of sandy and pebbly 

 limestones, lenticular quartz conglomerate, and beds composed of 

 fragmentary shells of brachiopods and crinoid debris with included 

 sand grains, the whole dipping N.N.W. at an angle of 30 degrees. 

 The amount of sandy and pebbly detritus varies somewhat in beds 

 on the same stratigraj^hical horizon, this having been doubtless 

 brought about by changes in the currents bringing in the material. 

 It is plainly seen that these limestones are the marginal deposits 

 of the coarser conglomerate, which, in our opinion, fills an old 

 channel. The top of this section, immediately under the surface 

 soil, consists of a fairly thick bed crowded with crinoid-stems resting 

 conformably on the conglomeratic beds. 



From the foregoing description it will be seen that the idea of the 

 existence of pipes from the surface is founded on a misinterpretation 

 of the facts. The presence of large quantities of sand-grains and 

 quartz-pebbles disseminated in beds of shelly limestones, etc., 

 throughout this section militates against any such idea as piping. 



Lower down the slope of the hill, and a little to the west of the 

 section just described, the quartzose conglomerate is to be seen in 

 the face of a low ridge running approximately E.N.E.-W.S.W., 

 boundirig the railway siding. The height of the section here, from the 

 quarry platform to the surface of the ground, is about 28 feet. At the 

 E.N.E. end a bed of crinoidal limestone, probably a continuation of 

 the one seen at the top of the higher section, rests conformably on 

 the quartzose conglomerate which extends vertically below the floor 

 of the quarry. The conglomerate exhibits obscure bedding m parts, 

 some of the beds being lenticular. On the W.S.W. side the con- 

 glomerate rests unconformabLy against limestones dipping abou.t 

 26 degrees N.W. The field relations suggest that the irregular 

 junction here is original, and that it represents the flank of the 

 channel eroded in these limestones. The precise age of the flanking 



1 Geol. Mag., Vcl. LVII, 1920, p. 78". 



