force of glacial movement I conclude the ancient pre-glacial 

 river was fringed with forest, and, being higher, that it 

 travelled many miles farther to meet the sea than it does 

 to-day. About this time a subsidence took place, and what 

 remained of the ancient valleys became blocked with boulder 

 clay, which had dropped from the floating ice above. It is 

 probable that a period of rest ensued, and the land again rose, 

 and, of course, the sea receded. Numerous borings made in 

 this district prove that, the river beds having been filled Avith 

 boulder clay whilst submerged, the new streams coming down 

 from the hills after the upheaval have carved fresh beds out 

 of the solid rock rather than pursue their ancient course. 

 The best example locally is Skelton Beck (see Geological 

 Survey Memoirs) which was most likely a tributary to the 

 existing Tees and joining it far away eastwards. The pre- 

 glacial bed of the Tees has lieen proved to be over 100 feet 

 deep at Tees Tilery near Eston Ironworks, the outlet of 

 which into the sea is from under the boulder clay cliffs near 

 Marske. The present junction of the river with the sea was 

 barred by rocks which have been recently blasted away 

 making a depth of 14 feet over an area of If acres (seeT.C.C. 

 Report). 



It would appear that a long period of quiet followed and 

 forests again clothed the land traceable in and around 

 jNliddlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stranton, Redcar, &c. Oak, 

 Eeech, and Hazel, and the nuts of the latter being easily 

 recognisable, the remains of the former indicating trees of 

 immense growth. The bole of one weighed 11 tons, this 

 was, of course, very much water-logged and is now an 

 example of feeble resistance to decay, and finds a resting 

 place near the Middleslirough Park main entrance. The 

 most interesting part of the district relating to the sunk 

 forests is that near the Blastfurnaces of Sir H. Samuelson and 

 Co., at Newport, where, during the making of foundations, 

 trees were found in situ, one at least having been felled. I 

 addressed an enquiry upon the subject to my friend Rd. 

 Howson, Esq., C.E., and I cannot do better than give his 

 reply :— 



" In reply to your inquiry about the underground remains 

 " of a forest at Newport, I think I can remember perfectly 

 "what took place, although it happened so far back as 187.;. 

 " The locality of excavation is where the Kiln Lift now 

 "stands at the N.E. end of the works. After the surface soil 

 " was remo\-ed (in the lower part of which there were many 

 " hazel nuts), there came a thin bed of hard, blue clay, and 

 " then a bed of peat. This would be from four to five feet 

 " thick, and it gradually emerged into a lower bed of blue clay 

 " which was comparatively soft." 



