The Brathay Flags of Banishead, Coniston (1:25 000 map SD29)

Abstract

The Brathay Flags Formation, which is approximately 200 metres thick, forms a narrow outcrop across the whole of the Lake District (Ingham et al. 1978). The dip is usually to the south-east at 30° to 40°, although there are a few minor folds in some areas, Tarn Hows for example. The lithology is unique in the Lake District, consisting of uniform, fine-scale alternations of paler silt and darker mud as shown on figure 58. It will be noticed that there are approximately 10 layers per centimetre. The indications are that these striped mudstones accumulated quietly and steadily in a clay-rich sea.