Upper Formations of the Neiv Red Sandstone System. 341 



a. Beds of the Keuper or red marl, forming the crest of the Hadley and Ombersley ridge. 

 h. Thin-bedded, red sandstone. 



c. Sandstone of a whitish and yellow colour, with plants similar to those of Hadley, 10 feet 



below its surface. 



d. Thick masses of deep red sandstone. They rise up to the west, and cap the hills on the 



left bank of the Severn above Holt Bridge. They are underlaid by wayboards of 

 sandy marl. 



e. Alternating thin bands of coarse, concretionary, or rather fragmentary marlstone, — gritty 



small quartzose conglomerate, and soft, thick-bedded, dull red sandstone, the latter 

 much predominating; — the whole dipping E.S.E. about 12°. The right bank of the 

 river, at Holt Bridge, offers magnificent sections of the massive red sandstone, some 

 quarries exposing faces of 60 feet and upwards. 



This transverse section from Hadley and Ombersley to the river Severn, 

 completely establishes the fact, that the light-coloured sandstone, with plants, 

 is inseparable from the great mass of red sandstone, and lies beneath the 

 whole of the Keuper marls, by a large portion of which, it is entirely separated 

 from the true Keuper sandstone. 



In following the Ombersley ridge upon its strike to Elmley Lovett, the same 

 light-coloured sandstone is found, at intervals, for five or six miles, and is largely 

 quarried at the latter place. Here, indeed, the prevalent tint of the rock is 

 red, and the plants are again found in some quantity, generally in layers, 

 which separate the principal masses of sandstone. The line of dislocation 

 which passes by these quarries, will be noticed hereafter. The tract to the 

 east of this ridge is covered by red, saliferous marls, extending by Droitwich 

 to Stoke Prior. But at Bromsgrove, the peculiar sandstone of which we are 

 speaking, rises from beneath the marls, and offers, on the high road from 

 Droitwich, a most instructive section, which confirms, in every respect, the 

 transverse section from Ombersley to the Severn, and proves the light-co- 

 loured rock to be an integral part of the great red sandstone formation. 



Descending section of Breakback Hill, one mile S.W. of Bromsgrove: 



Red marls crowning the hill, 

 f Ledge of darkish red sandstone, consisting of 



Thin-bedded earthy sandstone, alternating with marls, and whitish, thick-bedded, soft 

 sandstone. Top beds partially brecciated like those of Ombersley, and inlaid with 

 blotches of greenish marl. It contains fragments of plants and carbonized wood. 



Thick-bedded, greenish white sandstone, full of plants. 



Deep red coloured, solid, massive sandstone, scarcely micaceous, without wayboards ; 40 

 feet are exposed in one quarry. Patches of marl, here and there, inosculate in the form 

 of wedges or irregular concretions. 



Light yellowish and brownish sandstone, with wedge-shaped masses of grit and marly cal- 

 careous breccia, occasionally cavernous, with traces of plants. 

 Red sandstone, slightly green in some parts. 



