TRANSVERSE FRACTURES OR GORGES. 



433 



The Wenlock limestone, the traces of which are lost for so great a distance near 

 Mordiford gorge, reappears in a narrow ridge near Fownhope, where through the 

 high inclination of the strata, it is brought much nearer to the overlying Ludlow 

 rock than on the opposite side of the valley. Hence this western side of the elevated 

 mass is of less width than the eastern, (see Map and Sections.) 



At Fownhope, this limestone and the Ludlow rocks have been fissured by the trans- 

 verse break, through which the little brook escapes to the Wye. This is the second 

 drainer of the Woolhope valley, and though not exhibiting the same amount of denu- 

 dation as the larger gorge of Mordiford, it presents some remarkable dislocations. 

 Thus, on the right bank of the brook, the Wenlock limestone occupies an oblique 

 position, imconformable to the external zone of Ludlow rock, dipping at an angle of 

 25° to 30° ; while on the opposite bank, the same limestone is thrown up to an angle 

 of 70°, the broken ends of a once continuous mass being separated by about 150 

 paces. (See Map.) This appearance of a lateral shift is thus accounted for, by the 

 higher angle of inclination in the advanced mass. From this point to the extremity of 

 the sharp limestone ridge called the Common Hill, several fractures may be seen, by 

 one of which the rock has been snapped off and placed at right angles to its ordinary 

 bearing. The third brook is that of Sollershope, which also flows through a crack in 

 the surrounding strata, but does not present phenomena of equal interest to those of the 

 gorges at Mordiford and Fownhope. 



We thus ascertain, that the encircling formations of the valley of Woolhope, have been 

 thrown into an elliptical position, by forces that have broken a chain into many separate 

 masses, which, though still sufficiently connected to form what may be termed ridges, 

 are so far disjointed as we might suppose solid strata to be, which, having once been con- 

 tinuous, and in positions more or less horizontal, had been violently extruded by a force 

 acting from beneath and propelling them outwards from a common centre. The greatest 

 intensity of this force has evidently expended itself in the north-western and south- 

 western sides of the ellipse, elevating the strata to considerable heights, and heaving 

 them into sharply inclined and broken ledges. These results cannot be contrasted with 

 the form of the opposite segment of the ellipse (where the beds being slightly inclined 

 are unbroken) without admitting, that the amount of transverse rupture has in each 

 instance been commensurate with the degree to which the strata were elevated. As the 

 intensity of elevation diminishes to the south-east, the older or central formations suc- 

 cessively diminish in height, and the younger deposits approach and fold over each 

 other ; so that while the opposite ridges of limestone unite in a low hillock at Lindels, 

 the overlying Ludlow rocks are confluent in the hill of Oldbury. Extending from this 

 point to the S.S.E., and flanked on each side by Old Red Sandstone, this ridge of Ludlow 

 rocks appears like a stalk attached to the pear-shaped mass of Woolhope, (See Map.) 



In the next chapter we shall trace the prolongation of this axis of elevation along the 

 narrow ridge or stalk alluded to, as it proceeds to May Hill, and is thence extended 

 to Tort worth in Gloucestershire. 



