63 Prof. Sedgwick on the general Structure 



and felspathic rock so far out of their line of bearing, tliat we are compelled 

 to make a southern traverse to a knoll above Coniston Hall (a distance of more 

 than a mile), before we can discover the broken ends of the beds of lime- 

 stone. The line of fault appears to be prolonged down the valley, nearly in 

 the direction of Coniston Water Head. 



From the knoll above mentioned the limestone ranges, with a slight devia- 

 tion from its mean direction, through the hills which overlook the Tarns, and 

 descends to a point, close to the separation of the Skelwith and Ambleside 

 roads. Here the great masses of green slate, which had before encroached 

 on the strike of the beds, are suddenly thrown back at Pool Beck Scar, and 

 the limestone beds are cast, at a single heave, about a mile and a half to the 

 north of their former line of direction. This enormous fault, though it pro- 

 duces a considerable influence on the configuration of the neighbouring 

 country, is in one respect an exception to a general rule^ inasmuch as its di- 

 rection is not marked by any valley. 



In this part of the range the country is much covered with alluvial matter ; 

 but the continuation of the line is nearly defined by the lime quarries of 

 Holmes House, the beds under Pool House, and the old limeworks on the north 

 shore of Pool Wyke. Seen from Pool Wyke the quarries of transition lime- 

 stone on the east shore of Windermere are not more than 10° north of true 

 east; but had they been on the prolongation of the mean line of range, they 

 would have appeared about 33° north of the same point. From this we 

 may, I think, conclude, that there has been a break between the opposite 

 shores of the lake — that the beds, on the east side, have had a considerable 

 movement towards the south — and that the valley of Windermere, like all the 

 other great valleys cutting through the limestone range, has been scooped out 

 upon a line of fracture. 



From the quarries about 400 yards above Low Wood Inn, on the east 

 shore of Windermere, the limestone beds range through the woods, and pass 

 just under Dove Nest, and on the north side of High Skelgill, near which 

 place they are expanded over a considerable surface, the rise of the mountain 

 side being nearly parallel to the plane of stratification. They are prolonged 

 in a direction a few degrees north of magnetic east, through the extreme 

 ramifications of the rivulet which runs down to Low Wood, and thence to the 

 top of the hill overhanging the village of Troutbeck. From this point the 

 range of the limestone on the opposite side of the valley, near the high pass 

 leading to Kentmere, is distinctly visible, and bears about 15° south of mag- 

 netic east. Now this change of bearing is exactly the opposite to that which 

 might have been expected ; especially after remarking the great elevation of 



