s. A. adamson: the skipton and ilkley railway. 205 



upon by atmospheric agencies. Thus, says Geikie, ' that which in 

 geological structure is a depression, has by denudation become 

 a great mountain, while what is an elevation has been turned into a 

 valley.' Mr. J. E. Bedford states that the period of these dis- 

 turbances has been fixed between the end of the Carboniferous and 

 the beginning of the Permian formation, during the period of denu- 

 dation existing between the two eras. The railway was now resumed, 

 which had been carried from Cutting No. 5a upon a low embankment 

 nearly a mile in length. In one part a deposit of peat had been 

 met with, and in other parts soft silty clay, which caused the 

 foundations of four bridges near Embsay to be very costly, it being 

 necessary to sheet pile, and excavate to a considerable depth. 

 Embsay Station will be on the side of this embankment, immediately 

 below the village of that name. P'or about 900 yards further the 

 railway runs in a shallow cutting and along another embankment, 

 till we reach Cutting No. 6, a little over 1,000 yards in length, with 

 a maximum depth of 31 feet. This was cut through gravels, sands, 

 and clays at each end ; but in the centre, under Holywell Lane, 

 arose a boss of limestone. This is the summit of the line, the level 

 of the rails at this part being 513 feet above the sea, the fall to 

 Skipton Station being 183 feet, and to Ilkley 201 feet. A little to 

 the north of this was observed a small quarry of limestone, which 

 presented a contorted appearance. A shallow embankment, about 

 700 yards in length, was now crossed, having boggy land on either 

 side. Here a peat deposit about 14 feet in thickness had been met 

 with, and thus another engineering difficulty had to be faced. Thus 

 branches of trees have been spread on the ground, and interlaced, to 

 prevent, if possible, the embankment breaking through the harder 

 crust of warp and earth overlying the peat. Cutting No. 7 was now 

 traversed, about 1,100 yards in length, and a greatest depth of 14 feet. 

 This was mostly cut through clays, gravel, and sand. At Draughton 

 Bottom another detour from the railway was made, and close to the 

 Hne on the south a new quarry of limestone has been opened, which 

 has proved to be a good stone for building. The hill was then 

 ascended to view that section which is, by common consent, the 

 most remarkable geological feature in South Craven, and as such 

 ranks amongst the chief in the whole county. Seen casually by an 

 ordinary observer, entirely innocent of geological knowledge, it at 

 once produces feelings of astonishment; but to a geologist it 

 becomes a kind of scientific shrine, worthy of a long pilgrimage to 

 behold. It certainly should be carefully preserved, so that future 

 students may have the benefit of it. This section is in a quarry 

 behind the Matchless Inn, at Draughton, a name which the members 



July 1887. 



