98 
4. 71ie lower red Sandstone, of Sedgwick, or the Ponte- 
fract Rocky of Smith, is the lowest bed, and the last to be 
described. It consists of a bed of sand, containing, in some 
places, and generally in the lower portion of it, beds of red and 
blue variegated marls. This stratum forms the basis of the 
yellow magnesian escarpment, in a manner similar to that in 
which the red marl and gypsum forms that of the upper thin 
bedded limestone. The Pontefract rock seldom extends to 
the west of the magnesian limestone terrace, but forms a 
tract of light unproductive land at its base. At Pontefract, 
around the old castle, and in the several entrances to the 
town, it forms a soil for the cultivation of licorice, for which 
it seems well adapted. At Upton Beacon the red marls are 
of great thickness, and there is an extensive prolongation of 
them to the west, as far nearly as Badsworth church ; they 
here form the red soils of Rogerthorp, and some lands occu- 
pied by Mr. Scott. At Hickleton the garden of Sir F. Wood 
stands one half of it upon sand and the other on the marls, 
both subordinate to this bed. Around Melton park there are, 
however, some excellent pastures formed by the marls belong- 
ing to it : they commence in the gardens of Mr. F. Wilson, ^ 
and in the park being drained, form a considerable extent of 
good grazing land. Down the valley of the Don, towards 
Sprotbro' ferry, and between Chfton, Hooton Roberts, and 
Conisbro', there is a large tract of country formed by the 
Pontefract rock. Similarly, between North and South An- 
stone, and between Laughton and Firbeck, the same rock is 
found as the subsoil. Throughout its whole course it may 
be described as a loose disintegrating bed of sand, never 
affording a stone for building purposes, and may always, on 
this account, be distinguished from the uppermost rock of the 
true coal measures, to which it is very similar in appearance. 
Its marls, if drained, produce excellent grazing lands, and 
in several places are burnt for tiles. They do not contain 
