152 EEV. A. lEYiisre on the eeb-rock 



SiDMOTJTH (West). 



The Chit Eock at the western end of the Esplanade is a portion 

 of the same coarse, strongly current-bedded series which is exposed 

 in part in the escarpment of the Sid, near the eastern end. The 

 projection of this rock towards the sea is obviously explained by a 

 great fault on its western face, by which it is brought against the 

 calcareous concretionary series in its upper portion. Its " throw " 

 cannot be less than 200 feet. The beds dip west from this fault 

 for about 200 yards, when another fault of about 50 feet down- 

 throw to the luest occurs. From this point they gradually rise west- 

 wards, so as to form a gentle faulted synclinal. In consequence of 

 this the dip of the Keuper beds in Peak and High Peak Hills is to 

 the east, concordantly with the dip of those in Salcombe Hill to the 

 east of the Sid. The highest beds accessible from the beach are 

 marked by the same concretionary calcareous nodules as in the 

 eastern cliff; there appears to be a similar upward limitation of 

 them ; and as the beds below crop out in succession along the shore, 

 these conditions are maintained until their downward limit is 

 reached on the outcrop of a massive marly bed, with many included 

 lumps of grey and red marl (such as those described in the marls 

 about the same horizon to the east) ; and to these a somewhat con- 

 centric laminated structure has been imparted, as if they had been 

 rolled about in water while in a pasty state. This well-marked 

 bed (on both sides of Sidmouth) makes a convenient horizon for 

 separating the Upper Xeuper marls from the Lower Keuper Sand- 

 stone series. The latter, with their interstratified red and varie- 

 gated marls, attain here about the same dimensions (60 feet) as in 

 the cliffs to the east ; but the marls are more feebly developed. 

 Such massive sandstone beds are (as is well known) a common fea- 

 ture of the Lower Keuper in other districts, as, for example, near 

 Nottingham (Quart. Joui'n. Geol. Soc. Nov. 1876, p. 515), at Grins- 

 hill, Salop, and in the Severn country. The Grinshill stone, one of 

 the most durable of sandstones, is quarried in them. 



Beneath the beds just described as forming the Lower Keuper, 

 the massive, strongly current-bedded (Bunter) sandstones, with 

 intercalated marly breccias, crop out ; and these are continued to 

 the mouth of the Otter and Budleigh Salterton. As they are fol- 

 lowed to the west they continue to rise steadily until Ladram Bay 

 is reached, where a considerable (nearly vertical) fault occurs. The 

 downthrow to the west cannot be less than 100 feet, since it has 

 let down the Lower Keuper sandstone series of beds and a portion 

 of the marls above them to a level with beds of rather a low horizon 

 in the Bunter series. These Lower Keuper sandstones form the 

 Lade Eock, the promontory on which the coastguard station is 

 placed ; and it is the boring of the sea through the weaker, current- 

 bedded Bunter beds at the base which has formed the " natural 

 arch," an object of curiosity to tourists and others. The beds then 

 rise again westwards ; but in the higher part of the cliff above 

 the smaller bay to the west (separated from Ladram Bay by Bad- 



