THE EVOLUTION OF THE DON RIVER-SYSTEM

Abstract

Whilst making a study of river development in Yorkshire a few years ago my attention was attracted to the Don, whose peculiarly erratic course evidently had an interesting history. My surprise was great when no reference to this problem could be found in the geological literature to which I had access. The present paper is an attempt to explain this interesting physical history. I.—The Don River-System The River Don, between its source in the moorlands of the Pennine Chain and its outflow into the Ouse at Goole, has a roughly semi-circular course (Pl. LIII.). Rising in the Middle Grits of the Millstone Grit Series, at an elevation of 1,500 feet above O.D., it flows eastwards to Dunford Bridge (1,000 feet), where it is reinforced by powerful feeders north and south. It then flows eastwards over the Rough Rock, across the strike of the beds and the main faults, and enters the Lower Coal Measures at Hazlehead. At Thurlstone it cuts a gorge through the Grenoside Rock, and then traverses the overlying Penistone sandstones and shales. At Penistone the Don receives the waters of Scout Dike, which, from its source in the moorlands, runs direct east as a dip river (Broadstone Dike), to Ingbirchworth, and then takes a sudden bend to the south-east along the strike of the Penistone sandstones. At Penistone the Don ceases to be a dip river and, changing its direction, runs to the south-east along the strike of the Penistone sandstones in a V-shaped valley, the ...