146 
CHAPTER V. 
INFERIOR OOLITE SERIES (LOCAL DETAILS 
continued). 
2. OXFORDSHIRE. 
Chipping Norton to Fawler and Banlury. 
IN the area commencing in Oxfordshire and extending north- 
eastwards through the counties of Northampton, Rutland, and 
Lincoln, the Inferior Oolite Series undergoes considerable modifi- 
cations ; for in its Lower Division we find evidences of estuarine 
and terrestrial conditions, characters that are more prominently 
exhibited in the greater portion of the series in Yorkshire.* 
The geographical extent of the several beds, now grouped as 
belonging to the Great and Inferior Oolite Series, was, as early as 
1822, indicated with much accuracy by Conybeare ; but the two 
divisions were not clearly distinguished over the Midland area.f 
This is by no means surprising, for during the succeeding fifty years 
the relations of the beds above the Upper Lias ill the country 
around Chipping Norton, Deddington, and Banbury, proved a 
source of much perplexity to geologists. It is true that the main por- 
tion of the Great Oolite the white marly limestones and marls 
have in general been clearly recognized ; and the Geological Survey 
Map by Messrs. H. Bauerman and T. R. Polwhele, showed 
these beds resting on a complex series denominated the " North- 
ampton Sand." The difficulties arose in connection with the age 
and relations of this so-called " Northampton Sand," for the 
Survey at that time, on the evidence of some fossils obtained near 
Deddington, regarded certain beds (now grouped w T ith the In- 
ferior Oolite) as of the age of the lower part of the Great Oolite, 
equivalent to the Stonesfield Slate. J 
Later on, the researches of Samuel Sharp, near Northampton, 
and those of Prof. Judd (who re-surveyed portions of the North- 
ampton area), showed that the true Northampton Sand of North- 
ampton belonged entirely to the Inferior Oolite. Prof. Judd, 
who re-examined tho country around Banbury and Chipping 
Norton, while recognizing that portions of the so-called North- 
ampton Sand of that area belonged to the Inferior Oolite, was 
unable to devote sufficient time to the matter to draw any satis- 
factory line between these beds and certain sandy strata considered 
to belong to the base of the Great Oolite ; consequently while a 
new edition of the map was issued in 1871, the geological lines 
were unaltered, but the colouring of the Northampton Sand wan 
modified, and the grouping adopted was as follows : 
* See Morris, Geol. Mag., 1869, p. 104; and Judd, Geol. Kutland, p. 52. 
t Conybeare and Phillips, Outlines of Geol. Eng. aud Wales, 1822, pp. 216, 237, 
246, &c. 
J Green, Geol. Banbury, p. 12. 
