LIASSIC ROCKS OF THE CARLISLE BASIN. 



295 



fairly good general line, the persistently drift-covered surface 

 prevents any thing like precision. 



In conclusion, I will briefly pass in review the leading points 

 bearing on the relations of the beds described to each other, which 

 are illustrated in the diagram sections (figs. 1-3, p. 296). 



The St.-Bees Sandstone has been shown to surround the overlying 

 beds, its general dip varying from north to a few degrees north of 

 west, between Maryport and the Eden. In the Hether Burn, Line, 

 and Carwinley Burn its general dip is more or less south of west ; 

 and west of the Esk it varies between south-east and south. There 

 can be no doubt that the St.-Bees Sandstone is the lowest bed of a 

 true basin, the western limits of which are now below the Solway. 



Then, first of the overlying beds come the Gypseous Shales, which, 

 strange to say, are nowhere exposed to view, but are known on the 

 evidence of the boreholes at Abbey Town and Bowness, and, perhaps 

 I may add, that at Great Orton. Their invisibility is mainly caused 

 by the special thickness and persistence of the drift over the ground 

 they occupy, but also, at Cummersdale, to the probable interposi- 

 tion of a great fault. There is no evidence of any kind suggesting 

 unconformity between the Gypseous Shales and the St.-Bees Sand- 

 stone; and, on the other hand, as Gypseous Shales underlie the 

 St.-Bees Sandstone near Carlisle, gypsum is evidently hereabouts a 

 Permian characteristic. I have accordingly classed the Gypseous 

 Shales as Permian. 



The Kirklinton Sandstone, however, appears to rest unconform- 

 ably on the Gypseous Shales to the west, and on St.-Bees Sandstone 

 to the east and north-east of Carlisle. But not only do the Gypseous 

 Shales disappear towards the north-east, but the greater part of the 

 St.-Bees Sandstone is also missing. Six or seven miles south-east 

 of Carlisle the thickness of the St.-Bees Sandstone is estimated by 

 Mr. J. G. Goodchild at from 1500 to 2000 feet ; but in the Hether 

 Burn there can hardly be more than 800 feet of Permian rock, from 

 the breccia at its base to the outcrop of the Kirklinton stone below 

 Hether-Bank Bridge ; and in Carwinley Burn, between the breccia 

 at the base of the Permian formation and the outcrop of Kirklinton 

 stone at Carwinley Mill, there cannot be more than 250 feet of rock. 

 In both these burns there is an almost continuous series of sections, 

 and there are no signs of faults. Both about Brampton on the one 

 hand and west of the Esk on the other the thickness of the St.-Bees 

 Sandstone must be very much greater. Two outliers of Kirklinton 

 Sandstone exist — one at Canobie, opposite the church, resting on 

 Carboniferous rock ; the other on the Cambeck near Walton, resting 

 on St.-Bees Sandstone. Thus the band of St. Bees-like rock seen in 

 the Kirklinton Sandstone on the Line goes for nothing when the 

 whole of the evidence is considered, important as it would be did it 

 stand alone. In consequence of this decided unconformity to the 

 beds below, I have, classed the Kirklinton Sandstone as Bunter. 



It is evident that the Stanwix Marls, in their turn, repose uncon- 

 formably on the Kirklinton sandstone ; for while at Cliff Bridge and 

 Westlinton they rest upon the lower red beds, at Stainton and 



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