The BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units — Result Details

Low Scales Sandstone Member

Computer Code: LWS Preferred Map Code: LwS
Status Code: Full
Age range: Cautleyan Stage (OU) — Cautleyan Stage (OU)
Lithological Description: Greenish grey, weakly bedded, coarse- and medium-grained volcaniclastic sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone, and with a bed at the top of well sorted, white weathered feldspathic sandstone with sporadic shell detritus. Ashgill (Cautleyan).
Definition of Lower Boundary: Taken at the base of the heterogeneous clastic sedimentary succession, unconformably overlying Borrowdale Volcanic Group rocks.
Definition of Upper Boundary: Taken at the abrupt, apparently conformable change to limestone at the base of the Kirkley Bank Limestone Formation.
Thickness: Up to about 160 m.
Geographical Limits: Waterblean to south of Beck Wood [SD 177 824 to 158 806], south-west Lake District.
Parent Unit: Stile End Formation (SEN)
Previous Name(s): none recorded or not applicable
Alternative Name(s): none recorded or not applicable
Stratotypes:
Type Area  The type section is in Low Scales Beck [SD 1618 8141 to SD 1625 8129]. 
Reference(s):
Millward, D, and Stone, P. 2012. Stratigraphical framework for the Ordovician and Silurian sedimentary strata of northern England and the Isle of Man. British Geological Survey Research Report, RR/12/04. 119pp. 
Johnson, E W, Soper, N J, Burgess, I C, Ball, D F, Beddoe-Stephens, B, Carruthers, R M, Fortey, N J, Hirons, S, Merritt, J W, Millward, D, Roberts, B, Walker, A B and Young, B. 2001. Geology of the country around Ulverston. Memoir of the British Geological Survey, England and Wales, Sheet 48. 
1:50K maps on which the lithostratigraphical unit is found, and map code used:
E048