202 



GEOLOGY OF 

 THE SKIPTON AND ILKLEY RAILWAY. 



S. A. ADAMSON, F.G.S., 



Joint Geological Secretary to the Yorkshire A'aturalists' ihiio/t, ami Secretary to the 

 Leeds Geological Association. 



It is obviously necessary that when a new railway is in process of 

 construction in any locahty that the geologists of the district should 

 be on the alert to increase their practical knowledge by visiting and 

 carefully examining the various sections revealed in the progress 

 of the work. Such an opportunity was presented by the new line 

 intended to traverse the district between Skipton and Ilkley, and 

 the members of the Leeds Geological Association were very 

 anxious to avail themselves of it. Permission being readily granted 

 by Mr. C. S. Wilson, C.E., engineer to the line, to inspect it, this 

 was done, and, in addition to this privilege, the members expanded 

 the route, so that the whole geology of South Craven, with the 

 complex disturbances of the strata, so famous to geologists, was 

 studied. Commencing at the Skipton end of the line, it may be 

 well to give a few details of the railway itself The new line from 

 Skipton to Ilkley joins the main Midland line a little west of Skipton 

 Station and on the Carlton side, thence passing over two new platforms 

 to be built, and over the Eller Beck by an arch ; it is carried over 

 the main line by a bridge composed of a girder span and three 

 arches, over the Keighley road and Leeds and Liverpool Canal by 

 girder bridges, and then skirts the base of Skipton Moor. This is 

 to save going through the town and to obtain increased length, the 

 gradients being i in 85 and i in 90 up to the tunnel. A new road 

 from Skipton Station towards Carlton is being constructed, which 

 crosses the Broughton road and all the lines of rails by two girder 

 spans a little west of the station. This supersedes the present level 

 crossing. The work is very heavy up to two and a half miles, there 

 being eighteen bridges besides the tunnel ; in addition, the cuttings, 

 as will be shown shortly, being cut through stiff boulder clay or till,, 

 have been most difficult work. This deposit of till is not only stiff, 

 dense, and tough in a remarkable degree, but contains countless 

 blocks of stone, scattered up and down without regard to size or 

 weight. Some of these blocks are rounded, others have their angles 

 just blunted, and many are ice scratched or polished. It may well 

 be imagined what a formidable obstacle till is to the railway engineer 

 and what laborious work for the navvy. The first cutting, about 

 120 yards long, with a maximum depth of six feet; the second, 

 about 750 yards long, its greatest depth being 41 feet, are cut 



Naturalist^ 



