OLD RIVER GRAVELS IN THE VALLEY OF 



THE COLNE. 



By Edward Brooke, F.G.S. 



Two patches of old river gravel occur in the valley of the Calder, and 

 are figured on the geological map of the district, sheet 246 (6-inch 

 scale). That at Elland rests on a bed of shale immediately above the 

 Rough Rock ; at its southern boundary it attains an elevation of 

 350 feet above the sea level, and extending northwards reaches a 

 height of 380 feet. Below the Weir the height of the river is 200 

 feet, so that the difference in the height of the present river bed and 

 the old river gravel is 180 feet. 



The other deposit of old river gravel occurs at Kirklees Park, at a 

 place known as Robin Hood's grave. This bed rests on the Clifton 

 rock, of the lower coal measures, and is 300 feet above sea level, and 

 150 feet above the present river bed. 



Both these interesting deposits are formed principally of local 

 sandstones and ganister, but contain also well-rounded boulders of 

 foreign rocks, granite, black limestones, and hard silurian shales. 



When Messrs. Ward, Day kins, and Russell, of H.M. Geological 

 Survey, surveyed the district, no exposure of old river gravel was 

 then known in the valley of the Colne, but recent excavations have 

 revealed two interesting sections. The first is at Hillhouse, imme- 

 diately contiguous to the White Stone Engine Sheds of the L. and 

 N.W. Railway Company. A section of this gravel can be seen on 

 the south side of the railway, commencing below the signal-box and 

 extending to the bridge going east ; it was sunk through in a pit 

 250 yards north-west of the Sheds, and there gave the following 

 section : — 



ft. in. 



Earth .,. ... 2 0 



Fine sand ... ... 2 0 



Coarse gravel ... ... 3 0 



On the railway section the fine sand appears to have thinned out, 

 leaving only the coarse gravel. This gravel rests on a bed of shale 

 immediately above the hard bed coal of the lower coal measures, and 

 is 275 feet above sea level, or 85 feet above the level of the present 

 river. Its probable area will be about twenty acres. 



The other section of gravel has been exposed by a recent extension 



