INTRODUCTION xHx 



the ruins of Minster Level and its picturesque church, a fine specimen 

 of perpendicular architecture, to Witney, whose ancient industry was 

 fostered by its waters, and then jsassing to tamer and less interesting 

 scenery enters the Thames near Cokethorpe after a course of more than 

 30 miles. Near Cassington, the Evenlode ^ brings in its turbid waters, 

 gathered at its commencement from a wide tract of Lias, which forms 

 an obscure and low and not very easily recognizable watershed 

 between the Thames and Severn, about 450 feet above the sea, 

 between the 'mercat' town of Stow and Icomb in Gloucestershire. 

 The Evenlode runs its course of nearly 30 miles in winding sweeps, 

 whose general direction is almost parallel to that of the straighter 

 stream of the Windrush ; it passes by Churchill, the birthplace of 

 "Warren Hastings and of William Smith the geologist, washes the 

 ruined Cistercian monastery of Bruern Abbey, glides under the once 

 extensive forest of Wychwood, and in its course by Stonestield quarries 

 to Handboroiigh, passes through well- wooded and picturesque country, 

 itself lending a great charm to the scene by its beautiful curves 

 bordered by terraced slopes, whose hanging woods are here and there 

 adorned with the pencilled flowers of the wood-vetch or starred with 

 the rare Gagea. Having received two small streams from the north, 

 the Evenlode flows by Church Handborough and Cassington, once the 

 home of the Northumberland Percys, into the Thames at 203 feet 

 above the sea. From this spot the Thames turns in a bold sweep to 

 the northwards round the beautiful woods of Wytham, and on 

 reaching Yarnton again turns soiathwards to Wolvercote, where Mr. 

 Stacey estimated the dry weather summer flow of its waters to 

 amount to 11,620, and its dry weather winter flow to 22,624 cubic feet 

 per minute, while its rainy weather winter flow reached to 35,498, 

 and during flood-time to 70,996 cubic feet per minute. At Oxford, 

 the Thames receives another important tributary from Oxfordshire, 

 namely the Cherwell, which has a catchment basin almost equal in 

 area to that of the Thames above Oxford, that is, nearly 600 square 

 miles, so that Mr. Stacey's figures may be nearly doubled for the amount 

 of water passing Ififley. The Cherwell rises in Northamptonshire near 

 Charwelton, on the elevated table-land of Lias, which is capped here 

 and there with outliers of Oolite, and from which springs send their 

 waters respectively to the German Ocean, the English Channel, and 

 the Bristol Channel. The height of the watershed of the Cherwell 

 and the Leam is about 450 feet. In the course of the Cherwell to 

 Oxford it receives many small tributaries, which have cut their way 

 down to the Lias ; near Enslow Bridge it enters the range of the 

 Oolites for about three miles, after which its channel is in the Oxford 



^ In early charters this stream was called Bladaen, doubtless from the 

 village of that name near its mouth. 



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