Mr. Hittton's Notes on the New Red Sandstone, S^c. 65 



Slaty Limestone much mixed with seams of a yellow Clay, resting 

 upon the Sand, sometimes in a very uneven line, the Limestone appear- 

 ing to bend round and conform itself, to the inequalities of the Sand, 

 which is of a light colour, having many hard veins of a calcareous 

 nature in it, and also seams of Clay. It appears about 20 feet thick ; 

 there is at its lower part a bed of white coloured unctuous Clay, pre- 

 cisely similar to that observed between Moorsley and Pittington, and in 

 the quarry at Thickley. The general character and appearance of the 

 Red Sandstone, which is worked here as a building material, agree ex- 

 actly with that of the Thickley, Brusselton, and Park House quarries. 



The old quarry at the foot of Houghton Hill, which is worked down 

 to the Sand, is, at its lower part, slaty, having thin layers of a brown 

 (2lay alternating with the Limestone. In a bed about 5 feet from the bot- 

 tom of the quarry, a few impressions of Fish have been lately found, 

 very well preserved, having their scales remaining perfect ; the yellow 

 Sand is hei'e at least 60 feet thick. 



The new pit, sunk by Lord Durham, at the foot of the hill was begun 

 upon the Sand, and beneath it was a thin bed of Sandstone, of a brick- 

 red colour, of a rough grain, and having white earthy Felspar dissemi- 

 nated through it. 



At Newbottle, in consequence of a fault, the Limestone is thrown 

 down, and made to abut against the Red Sandstone at the south end of 

 the village ; on the hill side, proceeding northward, a quarry is just 

 opened in the Sandstone. • 



From this point towards Pensher Hill, although the rock is nowhere 

 visible, the situation of the Sandstone is sufficiently marked, by the belt 

 of red ground, formed at its outcrop, which may be thus easily traced by 

 the eye beneath the Limestone.* 



Pensher Hill, is well known as the most conspicuous point upon the 



* The colour of the soil over the outcrop of the lower New Red Sandstone, which is 

 more conspicuous in some parts than others, is a character to be observed generally ; thus 

 pointing out its situation, although the rock itself be not visible, and no doubt in this 

 character have originated the names of several places upon the line ; as Red-worth, Red- 

 house, Red-brae-bank, &c. 



VOL. I. K 



