Keele Research Repository

The Rough Rock is the highest sandstone in the Namurian, being overlain by the Gastrioceras subcrenatum Marine Band, which marks the junction between the Namurian and Westphalian in north-west Europe, and its occurrence in the southern Pennines forms the subject of this study.

The delineation of the Rough Rock of this study is discussed, and the problems of correlation and the results of previous studies are detailed. It is shown that much of the previous research is invalidated by mis-correlation with the overlying Westphalian sandstones and the contemporary hypotheses of Millstone Grit derivation.

The Rough Rock is divided into several lithofacies, each indicative of a local depositional environment, and an analysis is made of their local and regional distribution. By combining this information with measurements of cross-stratal azimuths, a broad picture of fluviatile deposition locally controlled by syntectonic features is obtained.

Finally the combined effect of differential subsidence between Gulf and Block developments and contemporary movement along Charman, Malvemian and Church Stretton structural features, on sedimentation and palaeogeography, is displayed.