MIDDLE LIAS : CHIPPING- NORTON. 221 
A boring at Burford Signett penetrated the Middle Lias, which 
appeared to be about 100 feet thick, (See p. 158.) The strata 
assigned to this formation, were mainly clays, the Rock-bed being 
no more than 3 ft. 6 in. thick. As the clays of the Middle Lias 
merge downwards into those of Lower Lias, [the thickness given 
is approximate, 
Proceeding northwards the Maristone has been extensively 
quarried for building-stone at Chastleton, where it is 12 feet thick 
and forms " a bold promontory."* The details of the beds in 
this neighbourhood, were afforded by a well sunk at Kingham 
Hill (about 630 feet above ordnance datum) in 1880, by Mr. 
W. Taylor. They were as follows : 
FT. IN. 
Made ground - - - 2 
Upper Lias - Clay - - 47 
rr, ... > j a f Greenish-drab clay full of fossils - .9 
1 ransitlon Bed ' 'I Hard shaly clay ' - - - - 1 
f Soft red rock - 3 3 
Hard do. .... 16 
Grey loamy sands - - - 9 
" - 15 
M'ddle Li 
Clayey sand with concretionary masses of 
sandy limestone - - 12 
, Sandy clay - - - - 9 
[JBlue clay ... - 5 
120 
During the construction of the tunnel of the Banbury and 
Cheltenham railway north of Chipping Norton, there were opened 
up good sections of the Middle Lias, and the beds were noted by 
Mr. Beesley as follows : 
FT. IN. 
Upper Lias clay - - - - 10 
fZone of Ammo-l^ d rlstone . -HO 
mtes spinatus J * 
fShale - - - - 5 6 
Middle } r/ p \ Bluish-grey siliceous marlstone 
Lias. \ r' e ?, -< (with a band of Serpulse, Ditrupa 
Ammomtes ^ ^ . mi(]dle) >_ ^-20 
marganiatus. j ghale _ 4 Q 
l_Blue siliceous marlstone - 2 6 to 4 6 
Blue shales. 
From information given by Mr. J. A. Moseley, the resident 
engineer, Mr. Beesley ascertained that the beds roll over within 
the hill through which the tunnel was carried, so that in the 
middle, the lower band of '' marlstone " is above the roof, and the 
railway is excavated in the Capricornus-days below. Few fossils 
were procured from the Marlstone. 
From the hard bands of Middle Lias below, which consist of 
micaceous and calcareous sandstoae with pyritic concretions, and 
from the shales (which belong partly to the zone of A. margari- 
tatus and partly to that of A. capricornus], many fossils were 
collected by Messrs. J. Wiudoes, E. A. VValford, T. J. Slatter, and 
* Hull, Geol. Cheltenham, p. 20. 
