Vol. 50.] SECTIONS FROM ROMFORD TO TJPMINSTER. 443 



28. Further Notes on some Sections on the New Railway from 

 Romford to Upminster, and on the Relations of the Thames 

 Valley Beds to the Boulder Clay. By T. V. Holmes, Esq., 

 F.G.S. (Read April 25th, 1894.) 



On March 9th, 1892, I had the honour of reading a short paper 

 before the Society on the sections seen along the course of this new 

 railway, dwelling chiefly on the cutting north of Hornchurch, 1 in 

 which a considerable mass of Boulder Clay had appeared, having a 

 maximum thickness of 15 feet, and a horizontal extension of about 

 300 yards. The Boulder Clay lay in a slight hollow on the surface 

 of the London Clay, and was covered by gravel belonging to the 

 highest terrace of the Thames Valley system in the district, the 

 surface of which varies from 90 to 120 feet above Ordnance datum. 

 At that time, and during many months afterwards, but little 

 work was done in the cuttings nearer Romford than that just 

 mentioned. The cutting at Butts Green and the more northerly 

 excavation between Great Gardens and the junction with the Great 

 Eastern Main Line at Romford remained in an almost stationary state. 

 During the period between the spring of 1892 and that of 1893 I 

 visited these cuttings many times, though without detecting anything 

 but London Clay and gravel : more London Clay being visible at 

 Butts Green than nearer Romford. However, last year the Romford 

 cutting was considerably widened and deepened, and afforded 

 sections of much greater interest than I had anticipated. 



The new railway joins the main line about | mile north-east of 

 Romford station. The main line ranges in a north-easterly and 

 south-westerly direction, that of the new railway is from south-east 

 to north-west. Sixty or seventy yards south of the main line, the 

 new railway passes under the Victoria Road, which is parallel with 

 the G.E.R., thence to Romford station. At another point about 600 

 yards to the south-east the new line passes beneath the Brentwood 

 Road. The two roads just mentioned meet together at a point a 

 few yards south of Heath House, near Squirrel's Heath. The Rom- 

 ford cutting extends from the junction to a point south of Great 

 Gardens, but is of especial interest only in the space between the 

 two roads just mentioned. 



On April 25th, 1893, I noticed that the navvies who were at 

 work 40 or 50 yards south of the Victoria Road bridge were throw- 

 ing up into the waggons some dark material apparently less stiff and 

 more loamy than London Clay. On Saturday, April 29th, I found 

 the cutting free from workmen and waggons, and a clear vertical 

 section exposed on its eastern side, from the bridge southward, for 

 a distance of about 90 yards. Close to the bridge was London Clay, 

 8 or 9 feet thick, covered by a nearly equal thickness of gravel ; but 



1 ' The New Railway from Grays Thurrock to Romford : Sections between 

 Upminster and Romford,' Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xlviii. (1892) p. 365. 



