CiRC. No. 67. 



Junction. Accommodation will only be provided for holders of 



tickets obtained in advance from Mr. W. Gregson, Baldersby, Thirsk. 



Geology and Physical Geography. 



The Rev. E. Maule Cole, M.A., supplies the following: — Gor- 

 mire Lake lies in a hollow, about half-way down the western escarp- 

 ment of the Hambleton Hills. From near Thirsk to a little beyond 

 Sutton-under-Whitestone Cliff is a three mile stretch of Lower Lias. 

 Then the ground begins to rise, the Middle and Upper Lias forming 

 the base of the hills. A somewhat extensive development of the 

 Dogger rests on the Lias ; then follow the Lower Estuarine Sand- 

 stones, in which may be traced a band of hydraulic limestone, oc- 

 cupying a lower horizon than the Millepore and Scarborough lime- 

 stones of the coast sections. Immediately above the hydraulic 

 limestone lies Gormire Lake. Its formation is probably due to a 

 landslip. Numerous landslips occur both on the Oolitic and Chalk hills, 

 whose western and northern fronts present a comparatively steep 

 aspect. Ascending the cliff more estuarine sandstones of the Lower 

 Oolites are passed, till the base of the Middle Oolites is reached, 

 shown by a slight terrace of hard Kellaways rock. On this rest the 

 well-known sloping sides carved out of Oxford clay, capped by the 

 Lower Calcareous Grit, and presenting the old familiar features of 

 the Nabs, which face north from Scarborough to Black Hambleton, 

 only in this case forming a continuous wall. 



The Chalk Wolds attain an elevation of only 800 feet. The 

 Hambleton Hills above Gormire reach 1,050 feet, but further north 

 at Black Hambleton a height of 1,300 feet is attained, the ground 

 rising gradually all the way. From the top there is a splendid view 

 over the Vale of Mowbray, and southwards over the Vale of York 

 and the Chalk Wolds. Formerly these Oolite Hills extended far to 

 the west. The escarpment is being gradually eaten back by sub- 

 aerial denudation. The dip is towards the east, and the eastern 

 slopes are carved into many beautiful ravines, which find their way 

 down into the lovely valley of the Rye. 



Immediately south of Thirkleby is one of the most remarkable 

 faults in Yorkshire. The valley in which the Malton and Thirsk 

 railway runs is due to a double fault. The northern branch runs 

 along by Ampleforth and Oswaldkirk ; the southern by Gilling ; and 

 the result has been that the solid rocks which occupied the space 

 between Ampleforth and Gilling have been conveyed bodily some 

 five miles to the west, and are now found between Kilburn Park and 

 Newburgh Park. The same faults are continued westward with a 

 similar result, the Rhaetic Beds and Lower Lias, which should be 

 south of Thirkleby, being transferred five miles off to the west of 

 Topcliffe. The faults are continued to the west of the River Ure 

 into the Magnesian Limestone, but do not seem to extend through it. 



Botany. 



Mr. W. Foggitt furnishes the following notes on some of the rarer and more 

 interesting species which occur in the district. 



Whilst awaiting the arrival of the later portion of our contingent, a few 

 minutes will suffice to collect near Thirsk Junction, Barbaiea pfcecox, Arabis 

 perfoliata, Diplotaxis nwralis and te^iuifolia, Medicago sativn, Melilotus altissima. 



