The Geology of the Burnley Coal-Field and of the Country Around Clitheroe
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\575 Corne..OnNers,.vU.rarv 1875 QE 262.B96H91 The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924004551762 MEMOIRS or THE GEOLOGICAL SURTEY. ENGLAND AND WALES. THE GEOLOGY OP THE BURNLEY COALFIELD AND OF THE COU.XTRY AROUND CLITIIEROE, BLACKBURN, BRESTO^f, CHORLEY, JJASLIInGDEN, AND TODMORDEN. (QXTARTEE SHEETS 83 N.W., S9 N.E., sn N.W., AND 92 S.W. OF THE 1-INCH GEOLOGICAL MAPS.) EDWARD HULL, M.A., F.R.S., J. R. DAKYNS, M.A., ' R. H. TIDDEMAN, M.A., J. C. WARD, W. GUNN, and C. E. DE RANGE. TABLE OF FOSSILS, by R. ETHERIDGE, F.R.S.L. & E. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE LORDS C0M3IISSI0NERS OF HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY. LONDON: PRINTED EOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, AND SOLD BY LONGMAN & Co., Paternoster Row, AND EDWARD STANFORD, 6, Charing Cross, S.W. 1875. [Pn'ce Twelve Shillmgs.'\ A. \ \^ ^^' The following description of the Burnley Coalfield and the adjacent formations is the 14th memoir pub- lished by the Geological Survey on the Coalfields of Great Britain. Of these one is descriptive of the Geo- logical Maps of the Chesliire Coalfield by Mr. Hull and Mr. Green, and four are descriptive of the Lancashire Coalfield by Mr. Hull. This memoir on the Burnley District, therefore, completes the account of the Lan- cashire Coalfield and the adjoining formations, the coal- measure maps of which are published on a scale of six inches and of one inch to a mile with illustrative sections. I do not doubt that the book will be welcome to all those interested both in the mining industries, and in the more purely scientific geology of the country described. Andrew C. Ramsay, Director-General. H.M. Geological Survey Office, Jermyn Street, London. 30514, a 2 The country of which the Geology ia described in the present Memoir was surveyed by Mr. Edward Hull and Messrs. Green, Tiddeman, Dakyns, Ward, Gunn, De Ranee, and Strangways, under the direction of Professor Eamsay. This area, comprised in quarter-sheets 89 N.W. and N.E,, 88 N.W., and 92 S.W., includes the highly developed carboni- ferous series of North Lancashire, the small but rich coalfields of Burnley and Blackburn, and the Coppull district of that part of the Lancashire coal-measures which is known as the Chorley Coalfield. The Permian and Triassic rocks, on the west side of the great fault which cuts off the carboniferous rocks, are also described ; as weU as the drift and post-glacial deposits of the plain about the estuary of the Eibble and which form the seaboard of that part of Lancashire. The greatest portion of the Memoir was written by Mr. Hull, by whom also most of the ground was surveyed ; a considerable part being, however, from the pen of Mr. De Ranee. J\Ir. Tiddeman deserves especial mention as not only having contributed to the Memoir, but as having acted as general editor of the whole ; in the performance of which duty he has spared neither pains nor time. A very valuable stratigraphical list of the fossils occurring in the district has been drawn up by INIr. Etheridge, Paleontologist to the Survey, as an appendix; while a list of the works and papers bearing upon the geology of the district of which the Memoir treats has been added by Messi-s. Whitaker and Tidde- man as a second appendix, fuUy illustrating the bibliography of the subject. The index has been drawn up by Mr. H. B. Woodward, the references to localities having been supplied by Mr. Tiddeman, Heney W. Bkisto"w, Director for England and Wales. H.M. Geological Survey Office, 28, Jermyn Street, London. 1st December 1874. —— — — — ANALYTICAL TABLE OP CONTENTS, CHAPTEK I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. Paok Area I. The Triassic Plain .... Area II. —The Coalfields of Burnley, Blackburn, and Chouley, .\nd the Rossendale Anticlinal Principal ^^'atershed3 AVatersheds crossing Valleys Sabden Valley- Dean A'alley, Great Harwood - Roddlesworth and Belmont Valley G-8 Whitworth Valley Calder Head Todmorden Principal Elevations, Table of - 8 Area III.—Country East of the Anticlinal Fault : Boundaries ... - - i Physical Features - - > 8-10 Drainage .... -J Area IV. Pendle Range and Riddle Valley. Anticlinals : 1. The Clitheroe and Skipton Anticlinal -] 2. The Slaidburn Anticlinal -I lO-U - 3. The Sykes Anticlinal - J Drainage ... I ]l_]o" The Great Watershed - - - ] Pliysical Features of the Ribble Valley „ „ Pendle Range „ „ Country East of Gisburn CHAPTEE II. SEDIMENTARY ROCKS BELOW THE COAL MEASURES ALONG THE RIBBLE VALLEY. The Carboniferous Limestone : Thickness ... -~| - WithgiU ... I ,„ ,, lo lo Clitheroe, Salt Hill, Coplow - ;- Chatburn (Analysis of Lime) Gisburn, and Bolton-in-Bowland - _ The Shales-with-Limestone - 16-17 The Pendleside Limestone - - - 17-19 The Lower Yohbdalb Grit - - 20-21 — — —— 1 CONTENTS. Pagb The Bowland Shales : Characteristics .... -^ A warning to coal seekers - - . ' [ '"'''''o^ 90 - Thickness - - f - Weets - - - -J The UprER Yoredale Grit : Nomenclature ..... Characteristics . - - Range :—Mellor, Ribohester Station, Whalley, Sabden - I 22-28 '' " Burst " on Pendle . - Form of Pendle on the Map - - Range East of Pendle - - - " _ Shales above the Upper Yoredale Grit 28 Lower Carboniferous Rocks East op Gisburx - 28-32 The Millstone Grit Series ; " Fourth," or Kinder-Scout Grit 33-0 Sabden Valley Shales - - 36-7 "Third Grit " Series - 37-42 " Second Grit," OR Haslingden Flags - 42-3 " First Grit," OR Rough Rock - . -13-ti The Country on the Eastern Side of !'2 S.W : — The Carlton Synclinal -T The Lotliersdale Anticlinal • ' " L dC-'^'' The Reedshaw ^loss Synclinal and ^Vatcr.sheddles Anticlinal - f" Borings near Laneshaw Bridge -• • . - -J CHAPTER III. THE BURNLEY COALFIELD. Introductory . - . " "1 rq Authorities - - . , . ^-^ — J" Lower Coal Measures : Cliviger Section - Flagstones ... I ^ ^ "'^"" " Old Lawrence Rock," Catlow Quarries . - l" " Woodhead Hill Rock " . - - -J Coal Seams : Gannister Coal, or Mountain Mine - '\ c,r The Forty Yards, or Upper Mountain, Mine . J Darwen Coalfield - . 56-7 Turton and (iuarlton . 6S Littleborough and Wardle - . 58-GO Bacup Coal District . G(>-2 Accrington and Blackburn Districts - - . 63-4 Harwood, Huntroyde, Marsden, and Worsthorn Districts - 66-70 Estimate of Future Supply from tlie Lower Coal Measures— 70 Middle Coal Measures of the Burnley Basin : Sections at the FuUedge, Cliviger, and Gawthorpe Collieries - 71-3 The Arley Mine - - - 73_7 The Dandy Bed, or Cally Coal of Cliviger . 77-8 The China Bed, or Cliviger 2-feet Coal - 78 The Slaty Coal - . 73 The Great, or Bing, Mine . 78-80 FuUedge Thin Bed . 80 Cannel Seam - - - 80 Low Bottom or Blindatone Coal ..... 80-1 The Lower Yard Coal - . .* gi_2 The Old Yard . - - - 82 The Burnley Four-foot - . - - - 82 The Shell (Joal or Vicarage Mine . ^2 The Kershaw Coal - - - - 82 —— " CONTENTS. Pasb Resources OF THE Burnley Basin ... 82-3 Faults of the Burxley Basin:— Little Harwootl Fault Harper Clough Fault Oakenshaw Fault Altham Clough Fault . 83-4 J. Hapton Hall Fault - j Padiham Green Fault | Habergham Favilt - -J Cliviger Fault . SI Fulledn-o Fault 84-5 Thie\-elcy Fault . 85 Deerplay Hill Fault - . 8(i Faults at Rowley Colliery 8(i HoUins Fault ' - - H(\ \yorsthorn Fault - HJ Marsden and Oolne Districts Padiham and Gawthorpe - 1-87 The Ightenhill Fault The Great Anticlinal Fault Blackstone Edge -} CHAPTER IV. THE CHORLEY COAL FIELD. {Coppul District.) Eitent - - - - - .in Lower Coal Measures, or G.vxnister Beds 91 Section at Charnock Richard - - 91-2 Middle Coal Measures : The Arley Mine - 92-4 The Smith Coal - ^ The Bone Coal I 94-5 The Yard Coal (" Cannel and King C'nals - - -J (Sections in Lower Coal Measures, Blackburn and Chorley Rail- way) . - . - 95 Blainscough Hall Section 95-G Faults and Borings - - 9G-8 CHAPTER V. COUNTRY EAST OF THE ANTICLINAL FAULT. tilTHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION : — Rocks and Thicknesses - . - 98 99 Blackstone Edge - ... - Stratigraphical Description - - 100 ~ 100-1 AnticHnal Fault - - . Detailed Description : Yoredale Shales 101-2 „ and Grit - 102-6 „ inWiddop - - 106 „ in Hey Slacks Clough - 106-7 Kinder-Scout Grit - 107-12 - Third Grit Series - 113-19 Agricultural Features - - - 119-20 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. THE PERMIAN SYSTEM. Page Roach Bridge Section - 120-1 AVaddow Hall Section 121-2 Yarrow Section . 122 CHAPTER VII. THE TRIASSIC ROCKS. Bashall Brook Section - - - - - 122 Waddow and Tliornyholme Fault 122 Pebble Beds around Preston - - 123-6 Upper Mottled Sandstone - - 126-7 Keuper Marls - - - 127-8 CHAPTER VIII. GLACIAL AND POST-GLACIAL DRIFT DEPOSITS - - 128-33 Glaciated Rocli Surfaces - 133 A\'h alley, Cliatburn - 133-1 Horwich Moor - - - 134 Ribble Valley - - 135-7 Country North and East of Colnb 137-9 KivER Terraces and Alluvium - 139 Glacial Drifts of the District around Preston and Chokley - - 140-54 Lower Boulder Clay 140-1 Middle Drift - - 141-51 I'pper Boulder Clay 151-4 CHAPTER IX. POST-GLACIAL DEPOSITS OF THE WESTERN PLAIN. High Level AUmlum ... 155-6 Shirdley Hill Sand . - . - - 156-8 Lower Cyclas and Scrobicularia Clays - 158-9 Ancient Low-level Fluviatile Alluvium ... 159 Peat 159-61 Martin Mere - - . 161-2 Recent Fluviatile Alluvium ... 162-3 Recent Tidal and Estuarine Alluvium - 163-8 Sequence of Post-Glacial Deposits ... 168 CHAPTER X. RELATIVE AGES OF THE PENDLE AND l^ENINE CHAINS 168-9 Faults and Lie of the Rocks in the Western Plain - 169-/1 CONTEXTS. CHAPTER Xr. IGNEOUS ROCKS. Page Irap Dykes - - 171-2 CHAPTER Xn. MINERALS, METAL MINES, &c. Minerals - - - 172-3 Lead Mines of the Rihble Valley 173-5 Fire-clays, &c. - - 175 APPENDIX I. List of Fossils • - 17l) APPENDIX n. A List of Wohks and Papers helaiixg to the Geology OF Lancashire 18!-i 30514. NOTICE. The country described in this Memoir cannot be considered as a separate tract distinguished from its surroundings, either by physical features or geological structure, nor as containing throughout it any common characteristics which will serve to connect it together as a whole.