AT HANGMAN'S WOOD, GRAYS.
265
instances there were about 15 ft. of Tertiaries above the chalk. In
a third case the chalk was bare and the depth only 30 ft.
Chalk-angles Copse is half a mile S.W. of the "Axe and Compass,"
P. H., Burnt Hill Common, Yattenden. In this copse a large pit
was sunk several years ago, about 20ft, deep, and headings were
driven in for extracting chalk for lime. Chalk for the land was also
taken out, but the plan used was rather different from that usually
adopted. It was as follows:—After the heading had been driven
some way in, a shaft was sunk from the surface through the roof of the
heading, and then the chalk was wound up the shaft. My information
was obtained from a man who had worked in this pit. A shaft
through the roof of one of the headings is still to be seen, and this
attracted my attention and led me to question the man as to its
purpose. He informed me that the chalk from the pit, which is in
the Upper Chalk, is of very superior quality for lime and also for the
land, the frost acting most readily upon it, and soon reducing very
large pieces of it into minute fragments, small enough to mingle easily
with the soil.
IV.—Note on some Pits near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
By H. E. WOODWARD, F.G.S., Geological Survey.
During a fortnight's stay at Chipping Norton, my attention was
drawn by Mr. James Windoes to the occurrence of chipped-flint
arrowheads, scrapers, etc., on the high grounds between that town
and the valley of the Evenlode on the south. He also informed me
of the discovery of "pre-historic dwellings." It did not come within
my programme to devote any special attention to these matters, but
when examining the Oolites on Chadlington Downs, I noticed traces
of two old excavations in the large quarry south-west of Chadlington
Downs Farm, and just north-west of the Cross roads, one and a-half
miles south of the church at Chipping Norton. These excavations
were in a bee-hive form, five feet deep from the surface, about four
feet in diameter at the base, and three feet at the surface. The holes
had presumably a circular plan, but owing to their having been at
least half worked away during the quarry operations, one could only
judge by the remains left. The holes had been made in the brashy
soil and rubbly oolite, their base being the more solid (unbroken)
stone that occurred in layers beneath. This stone forms the upper-