166 OK A POUTION OP A KAISED BEACH ON ISE 



To the soiitli of Sunderland beds of sand and gravel, in some 

 places false bedded, occur resting on boulder-clay. They can 

 be traced along the coast from Hendon to a distance beyond 

 Seaham Harbour, being well exposed near the Salterfen Rocks, 

 where beds of yellow sand more than twelve feet in thickness 

 can be seen overlying the boulder-clay. (*> 



While examining the Magnesian-Limestone at Fulwell Quar- 

 ries, I incidentally saw that the workmen, in clearing a ledge 

 for blasting purposes, were cutting through a superficial deposit 

 of gravel and sand. This proved to be a raised-beach, two 

 splendid sections of which are at present exposed on the north 

 side of the hill on which these quarries are, and therefore on 

 the side which faces the Cleadon Hills, on which the raised- 

 beach and sea-worn caves that have been already noticed occur. 

 Between these two hills there is a long stretch of low ground 

 about a mile in width. This is occupied by boulder-clay and 

 other superficial deposits, which evidently fill up a pre-glacial 

 valley of denudation. 



Fulwell Hill lies about one and a half miles to the north of 

 Sunderland, and reaches a height of two hundred and thirty feet. 

 It is composed of Magnesian-Limestone, belonging to the com- 

 pact, earthy, and Crystalline Limestone of King, and the Upper 

 division of Howse. 



The best section of the raised-beach occurs at a height of about 

 one hundred and forty feet above sea-level, and consists of every 

 gradation between a fine sand and a coarse gravel. The bedding 

 can be more or less distinctly seen throughout the whole section, 

 the wedge-shaped nature of it being specially noticeable. The 

 sand, often containing washings of clay, occurs in a gravel which 

 increases in coarseness to the bottom of the section. Above the 

 deposit there lies a layer of soil and brown clay rather more 

 than a foot in thickness. The first section shows the nature of 

 this portion of the exposure. 



This passage upwards from a coarse shingle to a fine deposit 

 of gravel and sand would seem to indicate that the sea-shore 

 was gradually sinking as the beach was being formed. 



The alteration in the character of the deposit, that takes place 



