Geology of the Syke House Farm area, Barwick in Elmet, Yorkshire

This report details a site visit to Syke House Farm [NGR: 439800, 438400], Barwick in Elmet, Yorkshire undertaken for the Environment Agency to investigate exposures and check the validity of the published geological maps. An open excavation proved the base of the Permian sequence and showed it to be about 15m further to the south than it is shown on the published maps. The excavation exposed weathered and purple-stained Lower Coal Measures Formation mudstone overlain by about 1.3m of fine to medium-grained sandstone of the Rotleigende Group, Yellow Sands Formation (formerly called the Basal Permian Sandstone). This was overlain by about 10m of dolomite belonging to the Zechstein Group, Cadeby Formation (formerly called the Lower Magnesian Limestone). The published map shows the area crossed by an approximately east-west trending fault downthrown to the north. On the north side of this fault line the exposure of Cadeby Formation dipped at 20 degrees in a northerly direction suggesting folding as part of a drag fold against the fault. In the southern exposure of the Cadeby Formation, the dip was to the south-east at about 24 degrees; here the sequence was more brecciated with slightly open fissures and a dip caused by cambering and collapse of the escarpment edge appears the most likely cause. The site had extensive made ground that was built up on the side of the valley; in places there was evidence that some of the bedrock had also been excavated, especially where the exposures were visible. Made ground and excavations were also observed in the floor of the valley where an elongate lagoon was being filled with tipped material. Copple Syke Spring was observed, but in a slightly different place to that shown on the published Ordnance Survey map.