38 
MOKTIMEE : ORIGIN OF CHALK DALES. 
masses of chalk and flint breccia protruding from the west side of the 
dale ; near the brow of the hill, an extension of them can be traced 
coming, in places, to the surface and running almost at a l ight angle 
from Fairy Dale, some distance over the fields in the direction of 
the head of a valley called Wood Dale, coming from the 
Northern edge of the chalk area, past Wharram Station. These 
Fairy Stones, and the line of breccia observed on the surface 
undoubtedly fill a fissure in the rock, connecting Fairy Dale with the 
head of the valley (Wood Dale) coming' ^rom the northern escarp- 
ment. Mr. C. Fox Straugways informs me that at the northern 
entrance of the Burdale tunnel, the Kimmeridge clay is above the 500 
contour on the W. side, and at about the 450 contour on the E. side, 
thus showing the base of the chalk to be 50ft. higher on the former 
than on the latter side of the valley (Wood Dale.) This proves 
almost for cei-tain, that a fault extends into Fairy Dale, and 
causes the downthrow on the N. side of Fairy Dale in my 
section ; w^hile there is a downthrow on the south side at the mouth 
of the valley. I also made a section further east, near the 
termination of Fairy Dale, where the bottom is very narrow ; and 
at a depth of 10ft., the two sides of the valley joined, forming a V 
shaped rent (fig. 6,) containing, for the most part, unwaterworn 
chalk gravel mixed with lumps of chalk and flint. Its sides were 
sharply rugged, jagged and uneven^ showing no trace of water 
action, but every appearance of a gaping crack.* 
Faultings in the chalk are not confined to the neighbourhood 
of my section. Mr. C. Fox Strangways has kindly favoured 
me with a section of Wold Dale taken at Park Farm, near 
Loudesborough, and writes : — " On the west side the lias claj^s run 
up to nearly the 225 contour, whereas on the east side which is 
only 90 yards off, there is no has at all, the chalk going to the 
bottom of the valley about the 175 contour or less." In ansAver to 
my suggestion that this must be due to a fault, be replies : — " I think 
the irregularity observed at Park Farm is. very likely due to a 
fault ; at the same time it may also arise from the chalk having 
*I also excavated the narrow end of "Big Dale" near Fimber, and found a 
similar appearance. 
