5 



which crosses the river Avon at or near Fordingbridge. This clay is 

 >vorked in the neighbourhood of Alderholt for the manufacture of coarse 

 ware, commonly called Verwood Pottery. At Poulner, the hill is capped 

 with gravel containing a band of pudding-stone called Burley Rock, at 

 which place it is dug in considerable quantities. Along the side of the 

 above-mentioned hill many springs rise and form rivulets to the Avon. 



The valley of the Avon is gravel and brick earth. Wells at Bistern are 

 sunk in gravel and sand to the depth of only 15 feet. One sunk at 

 Poulner to the depth of 36 feet exposed the following section : — 



Gravel, 5 feet. 



Sand, 9 inches. 



Sand and clay. 



White clay, alternating with white sand. 



On the opposite side of the valley the hill near the turnpike gate is 

 capped with gravel resting upon sand. In a pit here is a good section 

 showing the stratification. 



This rests upon a stratum of grey clay alternated with thin layers of 

 light-coloured sand, which is exposed at the foot of the hill on the south 

 side of the railway gate. This hill is cut by many narrow ravines. A well 

 was sunk in one of these at St. Ives, by C. Castleman, Esq., to the depth 

 of 00 feet, through a pure white sand, without obtaining a supply of 

 water. The railway passes a quarter of a mile to the north of St. Ives, 

 through a narrow broken gauge named Holly Grove, which appears to 

 have been formed by a crack. The cutting presents the following 

 section : — 



feet inches 



Yellow sand 2 6 



Grey Clay 1 6 



Light- coloured sand, with lignite and thin layers of clay 2 



Clay and sand alternating, containing lignite 2 



White sand to the level of the rail 



At the western end measuring upwards from this level, there is ten feet 

 of dark grey clay, containing large pieces of lignite. On the side of the 

 hill between the rail and the Ringwood, and Horton road are a vast 

 quantity of beach pebbles mingled with the soil, which may be observed 

 in a sand -pit at this spot, and they are noticeable on the road for nearly 

 a mile. The clay mentioned in the above section does not present 

 itself between the railway and the line of mottled plastic clay, the 

 country being composed of sand and brick earth. At Crab Orchard the 

 yellow brick earth is at the surface, and at a short distance a well was 

 dug to the depth of 10 feet through only sand. The same grey clay is 

 dug for the purpose of making bricks in the neighbourhood of the Angel 

 Inn, nearLongham; but in the village it would seem either not to exist, 

 or to be at a considerable depth, since wells there are dug to the depth 

 of 13 feet through only gravel ; but at one sunk near the tunipike gate 

 the dark clay was touched at the depth of 14 feet. At West Parley it is 

 at the surface, and contains lignite, and on the opposite side of the river 

 Stour at Ensbury House, in a well dug some years since, it appeared 

 beneath the gravel alternating with sand, to the depth of 14 feet, and 

 then white sand, which was bored to the depth of 40 feet. The water in 

 this well is abundant and very clear, but contains oxide of iron in solution, 

 which gives it a most disagreeable flavour and smell. In the absence, 



