II.—Physiographical Studies in Lakeland

Extract

When working amongst the rocks of Lakeland, one is often confronted with problems connected with the superficial features of the country, and as some of these are of more than local interest I propose to notice them from time to time.

Church Beck, flowing in a south-easterly direction from the eastern slopes of the Old Man range, passes through Coniston Valley to discharge its waters into the head of Coniston Lake, not far from the point of entrance of the more important Yewdale Beck, which flows through the wide valley of Yewdale in a southerly direction. Church Beck, on the other hand, flows through, an upland valley, and is joined by the union of Low Water, Lever's Water, and the Red Dell Becks. Walking up its banks from Coniston Village, one presently comes upon an exposure of the Skelgill graptolitic shales at a height of about 225 feet above sealevel. Above this, one rapidly mounts the hill, and passing a considerable waterfall, reaches Gill Head Bridge at a height of about 540 feet. Above this is an alluvial flat extending to the Coniston copper works at the junction of the Red Dell Beck with that formed by the union of Lever's Water and Low Water Becks. The bottom of this alluvial valley is occupied by stratified deposits, formed by the washings of the copper works, which will, of course, not be confused with the much older deposits about to be described.