South-western Coal District of England. 235 



shingle, in which are pebbles of chalk-flint, red sandstone, quartz, flinty slate, 

 and porphyry. 



The ridge of Woodspring is scarcely 100 feet in height ; and dips, like 

 Worleberry, to the south, and at an angle of 45°. The similar dip of these 

 two parallel ridges is probably occasioned by a fault, similar to those which we 

 noticed as occurring at Vobster. 



A small patch of dolomitic conglomerate is laid against the eastern extremity 

 of the hill of Woodspring, and the surface of the valley from thence to the 

 ridge of Worleberry is occupied by a continuous bed of lias. The lias pro- 

 bably extends from Worle, beneath the marsh lands of Weston moor, to Up- 

 hill, Locking and BanweU ; since at all these places it appears along the edge 

 of the marshes. This marshy tract extends along the banks of the Yeo as far 

 east as Congresbury. On approaching the western foot of Broadfield Down 

 the limestone is skirted by a plain of red marl and newer red sandstone. 

 Along the southern hangings of this down, the dolomitic conglomerate appears 

 in great force, and in some instances (as at Red-hill, near Wrington, on the 

 road from Bristol to Cross) ascends its flanks nearly to the summit. Detached 

 summits of lias appear in this quarter. 



Broadfield Down, the most southerly and the loftiest of the three groups 

 mentioned in the introductory chapter as forming the western frontier of the 

 coal-basin, occupies a triangular space, of which the three angles, on the north, 

 the south-west, and the south-east, are marked by the villages of Barrow, Yat- 

 ton, and Winford. The limestone strata dip in every part of it from the centre 

 towards the circumference, and at angles varying from 5° to 50°. The lowest 

 dip is at the south-west angle of the chain, where it points towards Worle- 

 berry. 



The exact position of the south-eastern angle of this ridge is at a point 

 called Heath Hill, about one mile south of Winford. Heath Hill consists of 

 millstone-grit (resembling that of Brandon Hill above the town of Bristol) 

 resting upon mountain limestone, and dipping to the south. There can be 

 little doubt that if a trial for coal were made about a quarter of a mile to the 

 south of this point, it would penetrate to the lowest of the coal-seams. 

 Along the southern foot of the hiU the beds of new red sandstone abut against 

 the millstone-grit. On the further side of a valley, extending immediately 

 to the west, are situated the ruddle-pits, for which this district is famous, and 

 from which that mineral is exported to all parts of England. It is a highly 

 ferruginous red ochre; is very abundant, and seems to occur in one of the 

 lowest beds of the new red sandstone. Near Winford the lias sweeps over 

 the intervening beds, and comes into immediate contact with the mountain 



