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OXFORDSHIRE.

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Walford, E. A.— Final Report on the Stonesfield a depth, in thisspot, of 1,184feet;thelowestcores brought
Slate. Rept. B rit. Assoc., p. 356. [See also the up were full of fossil ferns. This boring was executed in
vols. for 1894, p. 304 ;and for 1895, PP- 4*4 and 1877 by the Diamond Boring Co. The stratapassedthrough
692.]
were:— Lower Oolites 148 feet, Lias 598 feet, Rhaetic 10
feet, New Red Marls 291 feet, New Red Sandstone 13/ feet,
W
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1897. te, H. J. O.— Origin of High-level Gravel with and Coal-Measures to 225 feet. Having attained a total
Triassic Debris adjoining Valley ofUpper Thames.
depth of 1,409 feet, this boring was discontinued because
Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol.xv., p. 157.
the diameter of the bore-hole had become too small to
Shrubsole, O. A.— High-level Gravels in Berkshire permit of further work. A coal-seam “ ofsome thickness”
and Oxfordshire. Q. Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. liv., was passed through at 1,350 feet. It is indeed surprising
that with the aid of improved boring appliances (which
P- 585Harrison, W. J.— Ancient Glaciers of the Midland now permit of work down to a depth of 4,000 feet, if not
more) the land-owners of Oxfordshire should not ere this
Counties. Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xv., p. 400.
have made some organised attempt to ascertain the nature
White, H. J. O.— The Chiltern Hills. Proc. Geol. and depth of the mineral treasures which the Burford
Assoc., vol. xvi.,p. 251.
boring shows may quite possibly exist beneath their
Walford, E. A.— On some Ironstone Fossil Nodules estates.
of the [Oxfordshire] Lias. Geol. Mac/., p. 430.
Table of the Strata of Oxfordshire
1900. Seeley, Prof H. G.— On a Bird from the Stonosfield
Max. Thickness,
Slate. Geol. May., p. 276.
Formation.
Sub-division.
Feet.
1901. Bell, A. M.— Deposit of Pleistocene Age at Wolver- Ror-oNTr
/ Alluvium [River-muds]
25
cote. Rept. B rit. Assoc., p. 645. [See also Q. v ‘ ..... (Valley Gravels [Low-level]
20
Jour/i. Geol. Soc. for 1904,p. 120.]
i Boulder Clay ........
25
1902. Bell, A. M.— Headington Grits: Oxford-Clay and Pleistocene
Oolite: Iffleyflint-implements. Rept. Ashmolean
(.Clay with Flints......
15
N. H . Soc., p. 32.
Eocene .....fLondonCtoy..........
35
1902. Blake, J. F.— Excursion toHeadingley, Shotover,and
( Reading Beds ........
45
Wheatley. Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xvii., p. 381.
Upper Chalk
) 330
I902 Walford, E. A.— On some Gaps in the Lias. Q.
f iddle »
f 2°°
Journ. Geol. Soc.. vol. lviii.,p. 266.
Lower ,, ....
J
280
1902. Lamplugh, G. W.— Fossilsofthe Oxford Iron-sands.
Geol. May., p. 574.
Upper Greensand
)
95
\Gault.............j
200
1903. Pears, T. L., etc.— Holocene Deposits at Clifton
Hampden, near Oxford. Proc. Cotteswold F. ^ C retaceous { Lower Greensand .....
80
Club, vol. xiv.,p. 195.
4
fPurbeck Beds ........
1903. Walford, E. A.— On a Fault atthe Foot of Tainton Upper Oolites -2 Portland Beds.......
90
Downs. Geol. May., p. 264.
(.Kimeridge Clay ......
100
rCorallian ..........
120
1904. Foley, M. C.— Excursion to Henley-on-Thames.
M iddle Oolites -JOxfordClay, with .... ) 450
Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xviii.,p. 414.
( Kellaways Rock
j
15
1904. White, H. J. O.— Excursion toCulham and Walling­
/Cornbrash..........
14
ford. Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xviii., p. 300.
Lower Oolites ]
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70
I905-Lamplugh, G. W.— Marine Fossils from the Iron­
15
V. Northampton Beds... j
stone of Shotover Hill. Rept. Brit. Assoc, for
f Upper Lias .........
100
I9°4.P- S48kI
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Middle
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Rock
Bed
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1905. Walford, E. A — New OoliticStrata in Oxfordshire.
s ...... T Middle Lias Clays
J
80
Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. lxi.,p. 440.
L Lower Lias .........
450
I905. Woodward, H. B., etc.— Geology ofthe Oxford Area.
Total thickness..... 3*038
Summary Geol. Survey for 1904, p. 17.
T h e R o c k s of th
iscounty have been well studied, both Thk Lias.— Commencing in the north-westof thecounty
by those men who laid the foundations of science and we find the eastern portion of the Vale of Moreton to be
geologyin the firsthalf of the nineteenth century, and by composed ofbluishclays— geologically known as the Lower
theirsuccessors of to-day. William Smith (the “ Father Lias— which alsoreach along the valley of the Cherwell as
ofBritish Geology ”)published the first geological map of far as Steeple Aston, and along either side of the river
Oxfordshire in 1820. Professor W. Buckland, who was Evenlode tonear Charlbury ; these Lower Lias clays con­
rectorof Islip(wherehe isburied)and Professor ofGeology tain a bed of hard shellylimestone called Banbury Marble,
inOxford University, wrote several papers on the subject. which takes a fair polish, and is worked into chimneyWith him may be named Fitton, Strickland,and Ogilvy. pieces, &c.
The lateProfessor J. Phillips,of Oxford, in 1871, gave usa The Middle Lias or Marlstone forms a prominent ridge
capital and inclusive work in his “Geology of Oxford and overlooking this flat Lower Lias country, and ascending it
theThames Valley.” The Government geological maps of we find ourselves on a plateau composed of the rock, the
the county were published between 1859 and 1863, the uppermost layer of which is a sandy limestone tinged red
work having been chieflydone by Messrs. E. Hull and W. by oxide ofiron, extending for 5 or 6 miles to the north­
Whitaker,and descriptivememoirs by thesegentlemen and west and to the south of Banbury: this hard top band is
byProf. A. H. Green have since been issued. Large col­ termed the Rock-bed. The fossils found in the beds
lections of fossils were made by Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, and immediately beneath the Rock-bed, which are usuallysandy
Professor Owen described the huge reptiles whose bones clays40 or 50 feetthick, show that they also really belong
are not uncommon in the oolitic strata. The scenery of to and should geologically be grouped with the Marlstone,
thecentral portion of Oxfordshire, where clays predomin­ but from want ofsections itisalmost impossibletoseparate
ate,issomewhat dull and flat, but in the north-west, and these Middle Lias Clays from the great mass of the true
again in the Chalk ridge which occupies the south-east Lower Lias Clays which liebeneath.
corner, we getsome respectable elevations.
The Middle Lias Rock-bed is largely worked for building
The oldest rocks of the county are found in the extreme and for roid-metal;when dug at any depth, or when met
tT on f 1’and ^ wo wa^ thence south-easterly towards with under a coveringofclay, itisa hard bluishlimestone ;
\e Chalk, we are continually passing over the up-turned but where it has been much exposed to atmospheric
eages ofnewer and newer beclsor strata which lieone upon influences it has weathered brown, and has become com­
other, all having a general slant or dip towards the paratively friable. In thisslateit yields brown hematite—
u k-®ast. If on Ihe contrary we walk from any given a valuable iron ore whichhas been largelyworked at Adderea'n , warc^s either the north-east or the south-west, we bury, north of Dediington and at Fawler : 36,808 tons of
»11°fh raana&eto keep 011one and the same bed of rock ore were dug in 1874, valued at £ 7,721; but in 1879 on'y
t
^ay> because the different formations extend or 1,233tons, valued at £216, were obtained. At Swalcliffe,
Jf,!“ lonS irregular lines in that north-east and south­ and several other pointsthe iron-ore isof good quality, and
westdirection.
willdoubtless be extensively worked at a future day. From
Burford to Charlbury the thickness of the Rock-bed varies
a deeR i)or>ug made near Burford, the interestingfact from
o 20 feet. Fossils are common, such brachiopod
retainedthat Coal-measures uuderlie Oxfordshire at shells1a0stRhynchonella
tetrahedra and Terebratula punctata
forming masses called “ jacks” by the workmen.

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