Yol. 69.] 



THE HALESOWEN SANDSTONE SERIES. 



441 



In the ravine below Lutley Mill, sandstones are seen which 

 strongly resemble those -around the shaft of Oldenhall Colliery. 

 In the Lutley Gutter, these pass under fine yellowish sandstone, 

 which in turn underlies blue clay containing a thin coal-seam. 

 In the cutting of the mineral railway below Witley Lodge, the 

 lowest sandstones exposed also resemble those found at Oldenhall, 

 and they occur some 70 feet below clays containing a 2-foot seam 

 of coal. The entire thickness of the group may, therefore, be 

 estimated at not less than 200 feet. 1 • 



In the Witley exposure the beds are seen to great advantage. 

 Quartzite pebbles 1 or 2 inches in diameter are occasionally found. 

 Pockets of ' cornstone ' occur, with lenticular beds of calcareous 

 sandstone. Numerous rounded concretions of dark, ferruginous, 

 yet highly calcareous sandstone are also found, and these weather 

 with rusty exfoliating coats. Plant-remains are abundant, and 

 are occasionally well preserved. The most interesting feature of 

 the exposure, however, is the occurrence of big logs of petrified 

 wood, resting upon, surrounded by, and overlain by undisturbed 

 sandstone. Fossil wood of a similar type of preservation was met 

 with in the shaft of Oldenhall Colliery. 2 



These higher beds of the group are found around Wollescote 

 Hall, at Careless Green, in the central portion of the Lutley Valley, 

 and in the districts lying north and east of Halesowen. They 

 occur also below the summit of Mucklow Hill, and are exposed in 

 the brickworks at Blackheath, at Rowley Regis Station, and at 

 Cakemore. 



S.W. 



Pig. 2. — Section from Yeiv-Tree Farm to MucHoiv Hill 

 (CD on the map, PI XLIV). 



Hales owen Mucklow jr p. 



Yew Tree Illey Clay Hill 1N • ' 



Farm Church R.Stour Brook Sta. Canal Pit ^. ^— CU.- C. C- 



[Scales: Horizontal, 2 inches = l mile ; vertical, 1 inch=750 feet.] 



So far as I am aware, these beds are distinguishable from all 

 other sediments of the Halesowen Series by the combined characters 

 of fine texture, greenish or yellow colour, and the presence of mica. 

 Texture alone is not peculiar, similar colours are seen in other 

 beds, but the presence of mica does appear to be characteristic, and 

 the combination of these characters is distinctive. The importance 

 of this generalization may be seen in the fact that this combina- 

 tion of lithological characters is exhibited by sandstones occurring 



1 In Ham Dingle there is present only some 70 or 80 feet of sandstone above. . 

 the purple marls, the lower beds of the Witley Group being entirely absent. 



2 From information supplied by Mr. Baughain. 



2 G 2 



