AND THE AVON GORGE, 
193 
After crossing the band of the Upper Limestone Shales 
brought down by the fault, the Avon meets with, and would 
seem to be deflected on to the Gloucester shore by, the solid 
Mountain Limestone which was long ago extensively quarried 
away from this point so as to open out a better view along the 
river for the sake of its safer navigation. The deflection is, 
however, only temporary. The river meeting on the Gloucester 
shore with similar solid limestone (a little further down stream 
on this side of the river than the other) resumes its original 
course, cuts across the Middle Limestone Shales, but is strongly 
deflected to the W. by the incoming of the massive limestone 
beyond these softer beds. 
Beyond this a band of alluvium on the Gloucester shore 
points to the fact that, even in recent geological times, the 
river has been eating into the Old Red banks of the opposite shore. 
This, however, ceases with the incoming of the tough Dolomitic 
Conglomerate ; and the river cuts a tolerably direct course in its 
original N.W. direction until it meets with, and is boldly deflected 
by, the Old Red, south of the Pen pole ridge. 
The question here suggests itself : Why should the river have 
been deflected by this ridge and not have cut boldly across it as 
in the case of the Leigh-Durdham ridge ? I imagine that the 
answer to this question is to be found in the fact, that the Avon 
was here under the influence of that S.W. slope of the land of 
which the Trym gives us unmistakeable evidence. Be this as 
it may, the river is here turned nearly at right angles ; and as it 
flows to the S.W. encroaches further and further upon the 
constantly thicker beds of the Dolomitic Conglomerate, meeting 
with more and more resistance until, at Hung Road, near Pill, it is 
once more deflected, across the softer Trias Marls, to the Severn, 
10 .— Somersetshire Tributaries. 
Setting aside the gully caused by the Middle Limestone 
