Geology of the Goodber Common area : 1:10 000 sheet SD66SW : part of 1:50 000 sheet 59 (Lancaster)

Abstract

This report describes the geology of the 1:10,000 sheet SD 66 SW (Goodber Common), part of the 1:50,000 Series sheet 59 (Lancaster). The first geological survey of the area, at the 1:10,560 scale, was carried out by R.C. Tiddeman and published as part of the Lancashire County Series sheets 31 and 32, and as part of the 1:50,000 Primary Series sheet 91 NE (1884). The present survey was carried out during the summer of 1988 by Richard A. Hughes, under the direction of Dr A.J. Wadge, Regional Geologist. The only published work on the area is by Moseley. The area was part of the ground described in his (1954) account and map of the Namurian of the Lancaster Fells. Some of the glacial features are mentioned in a wider context in his account of the glacial history of the area (Moseley and Walker, 1952). The Goodber Common sheet (see figure 1) lies on the northern watershed of the Bowland Fells. Altitude decreases steadily northwards from a high point of approximately 495 m in the extreme south-west corner, to approximately 105 m in Roeburndale [611 649] on the northern margin of the sheet. Goodber Common and Summersgill Fell form a broad, flat, north-south watershed. To the east the land is drained by the River Hindburn and its tributaries, to the west the land is drained by the River Roeburn and its tributaries, notably Mallow Gill and Pedders Gill. Much of the higher ground is very poor quality land used only for sheep grazing and for grouse shooting. The slightly better quality land of the northern part of the area is used for cattle and sheep grazing and for animal fodder crops. A large area in the south-east on Thrushgill Fell has been planted with conifers. Access to the southern part of the area is difficult, and the rough track (passable only by four-wheel driven vehicles) which links Hornby and Slaidburn is a very useful way of access. Ten graphical section logs (Figures 2-11) are presented in Appendix 1 at the back of the report