A. R. Horwood-^— Upper Trias of Leicestershire. 27 



3. Stkatighaphy of the Disxkict.' 



(1) Castle Donington, Kegicorth, Gotham, Loiighhoroiigh, and Ashbg 



District. 



Tliis area is bounded on the north by the River Trent, on the west 

 by the Ashby and Melbourne line, on the south by tlie Loughborough 

 and Coalville line, on the east by the River Soar, except the district 

 around Grotham, which, though in I^ottingham shire, is included as 

 allied to the adjoining tract in Leicestershire. Both Lower and 

 Upper Keuper (as well as Rhsetics, see 5) are exposed in this area. 

 They abut unconformably upon or lie above pre-Cambrian rocks near 

 Thringstone, Carboniferous Limestone at Gracedieu, Breedon Cloud, 

 Barrow Hill, and Osgathorpe, Millstone Grit at Thringstone and 

 Castle Donington, the Coal-measures around Ashby and Cole Orton, 

 and the Bunter at Castle Donington. 



The Lower Keuper Sandstone and Marls as Waterstones are^ 

 exposed in the north around Castle Donington. Here it forms 

 a ridge which rises above the pebble beds at the north end of the 

 Quarry Hill Plantation, along the banks of the Trent. The marls 

 at tiie base are fairly thick, and are overlaid by about 80 feet of 

 brown and yellowish evenly bedded sandstones, fine-grained and 

 fairly hard when weathered, divided by flaggy green marl with 

 ripple-marks. They form quite an escarpment on the north of the 

 village. Though Mr. Harrison has stated that there is no breccia 

 here, the basal beds are decidedly brecciated with a few pebbles also. 

 A fault to the east has thrown down the sandstones. Quarries have 

 been excavated in the sandstones which are used for building as at 

 Weston. The marls afford a heavy loamy soil. Westward these 

 beds may be traced north of Donington Park along the Trent as far 

 as Melbourne. At the gasworks the dip was 14°, and the sandstones 

 overlaid Millstone Grit dipping at 35°. 



The Rev. A. Irving has reported the occurrence of a footprint of 

 Cheirotherium at Castle Donington, but this probably refers to Weston, 

 on the opposite side of the Trent, where they have been found 

 recorded as Lahi/rinthodon. The sandstones here are thick-beddefl, 

 full of drusy cavities, like the Tipper Keuper Sandstones. The over- 

 lying marls are flaggy and covered with ripple-markings, sun-cracks, 

 rills, and rain-drops, as at Kegworth, where a similar footprint was 

 found. The section shows 20 feet of white, grey, and brown sand- 

 stones, with flaggy marl partings. The sandstones are soft, but are 

 quarried by the Midland Railway Company, who have a quarry at 

 the junction. The joints of the rock are coated with manganese. 



East of Castle Donington, as remarked, at Hemington the sand- 

 stones are let down, and Keuper lies against the sandstone scarps. 

 On the downthrow side the height of the country is maintained by 

 a sandstone in the Red Marl similar to that at Donington Park and 

 Kegworth. Gypsum has also been noticed. 



Eastwards the Lower Keuper Sandstone is lost sight of till it is 

 exposed at Kegworth, where it forms the base of the hills on which 

 the higher part of the town is built. Many exposures of these beds 



■^ This is divided into five distinct areas for convenience. 



