230 YORKSHIRE AND LINCOLNSHIRE UNIONS. 
The ground was not very interesting for geologists, as for the 
most part it is covered with post-glacial and recent deposits. Brigg, 
east of the Ancholme, stands on Oxford Clay, but it is entirely 
covered by a glacial gravel of well-worn flints associated with sand. 
On the west of the river Ancholme peat and alluvium, in layers of 
varying thickness, stretch north and south up and down the valley 
on both sides of the river for miles, with embedded forests of oak, 
yew, and hazel, and Mr. A. Atkinson, of Brigg, a keen observer 
and authority on this drainage level, adds the silver birch (Betula 
verrucosa Ehrh.). The fir is not present or very rare indeed 
here, though found plentifully in our other Lincolnshire Carrs and 
Fens. Immediately after crossing the second bridge from Brigg, 
over the new river, and passing the Yarborough Mill, boulder clay, 
full of chalk fragments, appears for half a furlong. This in turn is 
succeeded by two or three furlongs of Hibaldstow Beds of the 
Inferior Oolite, which would be more properly called Ponton Beds if 
the characteristic fossiliferous Ponton Oolite could be identified ; but 
it cannot, though this bed is rich in fossils. Then the Kirton beds, 
rich in fossils, and with small fragments of wood and traces of plants 
which have not been identified, stretch out for a wide distance. 
Broughton Lane Plantation—the best ground in the neighbourhood 
for conchologists hunting for living specimens—stands on this forma- 
tion, with the exception of Bracken Hill, where the Broughton and 
Scawby Road crosses the Brigg and Manby Road, which is a capping 
mass of Hibaldstow Beds. After crossing the Roman Road— 
Ermine Street—blown sand covers the whole district with the 
exception of a little Glacial Gravel just above the cliff escarpment. 
This is followed on the hill side by the Lower Estuarine beds of the 
Inferior Oolite. North of the road and east of Manby Hall, but 
west of the escarpment, we have the successive out-cropping, above 
the blown sand, of the clay and shale of the Upper Lias; the 
Marlstone and Pecten bed (Ironstone) of the Middle Lias, followed 
lastly by the clays of the Lower Lias with Frodingham Ironstone— 
a magnificently rich fossiliferous bed. Ironstone was worked in 
prehistoric times at Manton and Twigmoor; and the remains of 
these old smeltings were seen on Manton Common exposed in 
rabbit burrows, for like everything else the half-smelted refuse, which 
lies piled in large heaps, has been covered by blown sand. The road 
at the hill foot to the Gull Ponds was repaired with these old scoriz 
within the last thirty years. The drier parts of this common have 
rewarded the diligent collector with some lovely barbed arrow-heads 
of neolithic workmanship ; and after every high and dry wind masses 
of flint chippings are exposed. Mr. J. Cordeaux was lucky enough 
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