Manchester, S., and L. Railway Extension. 55 



At the southern end of this cutting just above the Belgrave 

 Cemetery there is an opening in the usual Lower Boulder-clay of the 

 district composed of Lias and other local rocks without any chalk 

 fragments. 



The railway crosses the Mowmacre Road on a lofty embankment, 

 the foundations of the bridge showing a very steep boundary to the 

 Keuper Marl at the side of the valley, the south abutment being 

 against the marl, while the northern one was sunk 16 feet in loamy 

 sand without reaching the bottom of it. 



In the next cutting the lower non-chalky Boulder-clay was found 

 in the foundations of the bridge over the path to Stocking Farm. 

 A little further on there is a section in the clays and gravels above, 

 which is interesting from the close similarity of one of the bands to 

 certain beds in the Coal-measures ; leading one to the idea that, 

 although these beds were formed under very different circumstances, 

 some of the conditions may have been somewhat similar. The clay, 

 which was somewhat of the nature of "clunch," that is, a firm marly 

 clay without much sti-atification, contains lines of incipient concre- 

 tions, which appear to be in process of formation. The following 

 sketch will show the relations of the beds more clearly : — 



Fig. 3. — Cutting S.E. of Stocking Farm, near Leicester. 



(a) 4 ft. Weathered Boulder-clay with scattered chalk fliEts. {b) 6 ft. Irregular, 

 lumpy, soft, marly beds, and clay with incipient concretions. Has very much the 

 appearance of unconsolidated Coal-measure clay, (c) 3 ft. Stiff dark clay, {d) 

 3 ft. 6 in. Loamy sand, {e) 5 ft. Sand and loam with marly partings containing 

 race. Passes into dark brickearth and drab clay towards the north. (/) 2 ft. 

 Chalky gravel, {g) 3 ft. Gravelly, chalky Boulder-clay. 



The sand and gravel at the base crops out on the side of the hill, 

 and is continuous with the general outcrop of these beds throughout 

 the district. 



After crossing the little valley leading up to Beaumont Leys, 

 which is on Keuper Marl, the line traverses the extensive plateau of 

 gravel on which Leicester Abbey stands, and which fringes the 

 river Soar at this point. In crossing the river the Red Marl was 

 found at a depth of a little over 10 feet, but further on, between the 

 river and canal at Slater Street, the depth was over 18 feet, showing 

 that the old course of the river must have formerly been further 

 south at this point. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. Chalcraft, the resident engineer of 



