IRONSTONE. 
205 
tlie otlicr led to expensive and useless undertak- 
ing’s, of which it is presumed the present state of 
geological science will prevent the recurrence. 
These substances are iromtone^ and lignite, or, as 
it is commonly called, coal. 
IRONSTONE. 
Ironstone. This substance was formerly ex- 
tracted from the ferruginous sandstone strata ; it 
is internally of a dark steel grey, and generally 
very liard and compact ; occasionally it is lamin- 
ated, and separates into thin flakes upon exposure 
to the air. It occurs either in irregular concre- 
tions in the sand, or is stratified and alternates 
with beds of sandstone. Tlie globular masses 
often contain nodules of argillaceous earth, round 
which the ironstone is disposed in concentric 
layers. 
In some parts of the county the ironstone is of 
excellent quality, and extensive founderies were 
anciently established in different parts of its course ; 
“ the almost inexhaustible quantity of wood, with 
which the country was covered in the early cen- 
turies, and the numerous lakes and morasses, 
which the total neglect of drainage had occasioned, 
being circumstances peculiarly flivourable for the 
conversion of the iron ore into bars. For this pur- 
pose the lords of the several manors which lay within 
the woodland district, collected the rivulets into 
lai’ge ponds, and erected mills and furnaces. The 
