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SPENCER : THE HALIFAX COAL STRATA. 
Overlying these marine beds there are about 98 ft. of shales and 
hard bind, the latter consisting of thin layers of shale and sand 
forming a very hard rock, and towards the top, merging into the 
36-yards Band Rock, which, although seldom absent, is of varying 
thickness, from a few feet to as many yards. Upon this rock lies 
the 36-yards coal, from 8 in. to 10 in. in thickness, having under it a 
bed of seat-earth of from 3 ft. to 5 ft. in thickness. This seat-earth 
forms one of the best fireclays in our district and is extensively 
worked. 
Overlying this coal are 10 yds. of shales and then the 48-yards 
Rock, seat-earth, and coal. This rock is of variable thickness, and 
sometimes is absent. 
Between the 36-yards Band Coal and the 80-yards Band Coal, 
the strata are very irregular, consisting of shales with lenticular 
beds of sandstone. About Sheffield one of these is known as the 
Wharncliffe Rock, and at Wharncliffe Edge it is a coarse-grained 
massive grit of great thickness ; northwards it thins out and becomes 
a softer rock, as at Halifax, with the quality of Gannister. At 
Bradshaw, near Halifax, a rock known under the name of " Quarrel" 
comes in and increases in thickness to the north-east, and is worked 
in the neighbourhood of Thornton. 
The 48-3^ards Coal extends from Elland to Catherine Slack, and 
dies away to the north. It was formerly worked at Nab End, 
Boothtown, Halifax, where it was from 10 in. to 14 in. in thickness. 
The author can also recollect its being worked under the hill above 
Scout Hall, in Shibdendale, where it was about a foot thick, and 
was used as a house coal. The 80-yards Band Coal, although so 
thin (from 4 in. to 2 in. in thickness), is generally represented in the 
neighbourhood of Halifax and Huddersfield by either the coal or its 
seat-earth. The 80-yards Band Rock is only a few feet in thickness 
and not always present. About 1 25 ft. of shales overlie the 80-yards 
Coal, and upon these rest the Flagstone Rock of Ringby Hill 
(Elland Flagrock), here about 70 ft. thick. The rock is very largely 
quarried on this hill and at Northowram, and is of fairly good 
quality, both for flags, building stones, and ashlar. 
