Vol. 58.] | TEESDALE, WEARDALE, AND THE TYNE VALLEY. 589 
moraines to be seen, with the doubtful exception of the mound at 
the junction of Harwood Beck with the Tees. 
A further piece of evidence in favour of rapid retreat after this 
period is to be found in the absence of any Glacial drainage-channels 
below the level of the ice at its stable period. 
IIL. WeEaARDALE. 
(1) Topography and Structure. 
The Wear has its origin in the elevated land (2300 feet) lying to 
the east of the main Cross-Fell range, and separated therefrom by 
the valley of the South Tyne. At its upper end the Wear Valley is 
divided into three branches, the northernmost of which is that 
of the Kilhope Burn; the other two being occupied respectively by 
Welhope Burn and Burnhope Burn, the Wear itself being formed 
by the union of these three streams. Several lateral valleys come 
in on both banks, as will be seen on reference to Pl. XXX. 
The country consists for the most part of the limestones and 
shales of the Carboniferous System, the higher hills being capped 
by Millstone Grit. There is a small intrusion of basalt near 
Cowshill (58), and a larger outcrop of the Whin Sill near Stanhope. 
The lower part of the valley, in the neighbourhood of Bishop 
Auckland, is in the Coal-Measures. A basalt-dyke crosses Wear- 
dale at Witton-le-Wear. 
(2) The Glacial Deposits. 
Above Cowshill the Wear Valley contains a considerable amount 
of Drift. In the upper portion of the valley gravelly materials 
predominate, and there are not very many scratched boulders; but 
a little way above Cowshill the Drift is a true Boulder-Clay of a 
bluish colour, and contains abundantly planed and striated boulders 
of Carboniferous Limestone, also masses of shale. 
At the basalt-quarry at Cowshill is a thick deposit of blue 
Boulder-Clay with striated stones, all such as could have been 
derived from the upper part of Weardale. Below Cowshill, basalt 
appears in the Drift, but is by no means plentiful, owing doubtless 
to the limited area of the outcrop of that rock. 
The left bank of the Wear is covered with similar Drift down to 
Wear-Head Station. The central lobe of the valley, that of 
Wellhope Burn, contains sandy and gravelly Drift derived from the 
Carboniferous rocks at its head. The third or southern lobe is 
that of Burnhope Burn, which is formed by two streams arising 
on Burnhope.Moor (59), and is occupied by mounds of gravelly 
Drift and Boulder-Clay of local origin, scratched stones being 
common in the lower portion but rarer in the higher parts. 
Ireshope Burn rises on the col at the head of Langdon Beck, 
a tributary of the Tees (p. 574). At the summit of the col 
