3 MEMOIR OP THE 



market gardens, in which the lias clays, by a high degree of 

 manuring and cultivation, are rendered very productive. 



The whole drainage of the Vale of Evesham falls by a variety of 

 small brooks and watercourses into the Avon. This river, though 

 immortalized by the poets, has little to recommend it in the eyes of 

 the painter. The clayey soil through which it flows imparts 

 a considerable degree of muddiness to its waters at all seasons, and 

 being kept by means of locks nearly on a level with the surround- 

 ing meadows, it loses all the picturesque effect which its neighbour 

 the Severn derives from the steepness of its banks. From being 

 kept constantly full, a moderate quantity of rain suffices to cause 

 a rapid overflow, but as the water seldom remains on the land 

 many hours before it subsides, it deposits but a small portion 

 of the silt which it holds in suspension. 



The Avon is commonly flanked on one or both sides by extensive 

 meadows, whose level surface proves them to result from alluvial 

 deposition. These meadows produce heavy crops of hay, which, 

 from its excellent quality, bears generally the highest price in the 

 market. 



The bed of the Avon is for the most part deep, with a muddy 

 bottom, with a few exceptions where beds of gravel occur. Its 

 ordinary depth is from 12 to 20 feet, and its breadth from 30 to 50 

 yards. 



Having thus given a sketch of the external features of the Vale 

 of Evesham, we will proceed to examine its internal structure. In 

 so doing it will be most convenient to begin with the highest 

 stratum in the district, and proceed in geological order to the 

 lowest. We shall thus investigate in succession the following 

 formations : — inferior oolite, upper lias shale, marlestone, lower 

 lias shale, and new red sandstone. 



The Inferior Oolite occupies the brow of Ilmingdon and Broad- 

 way Hills, and extends thence with great regularity along the brow 

 of the Cotteswolds, into Gloucestershire and Somersetshire. It 

 also forms a cap on the summit of Meon Hill, and of that magnifi- 

 cent outlier Bredon Hill, where it rises gradually towards the W. 

 and N. to the height of about 900 feet above the level of the sea, 

 and may be conveniently examined near the summer-house, which 

 forms a conspicuous landmark to the surrounding country. On 

 Broadway Hill it reaches the height of 1,086 feet, and forms the 

 surface of that elevated table-land. This hill, as well as the whole 

 of the Cotteswold Range, has lately been very carefully surveyed 

 by Mr. Lonsdale, Secretary to the Geological Society, to whose 

 labours those may be referred who wish for further information 

 respecting that district. 



The Inferior Oolite is quarried at Bourton-on-the-Hill, and in 

 many other places, as a building stone, for which it is well suited. 

 In appearance it has so close a resemblance to the Great Oolite 

 that in many cases it can only be identified by examining its 

 geological position 3 — the mineralogical characters of both forma-* 

 lions being the same. It commonly consists of a yellowish lime- 

 stone, in which the " ova' or small globular particles from which 



