61 



the retarding influence of a narrow channel be interposed, it 

 follows that the maximum tide will lag behind, if I may sa 

 express it. In my reference to the river Stour, for instance, at 

 the mouth of the river the tide rises and falls from 10 to 11 feet, 

 sometimes as much as 15 ; but at Grove Ferry, where the Ordnance 

 mark of 187 above the mean sea level is but a short distance, and 

 at nearly the level of the river banks, we have no corresponding 

 rise or fall of water, in consequence of the distance the tide has 

 to travel ; for long before it was high water at Grove Ferrj', the 

 tide will have fallen very considerably at the mouth of the river. 

 The same is the case with the tide in its progress through a 

 narrow channel. I may refer you to what I said in my former 

 papers on the historical evidences of change in our coast. A 

 reference to old maps and documents prove that the mouth of 

 the Stour was at one time much nearer Sandwich than at present^ 

 also that it went out to sea more westerly. Old maps of the 

 Downs in Queen Elizabeth's reign show how great has been the 

 change. The observations made by the engineers of the Trinity 

 Board show how the beaches along the south coast of Kent 

 have travelled more and more eastward. We know, for instance,, 

 how the beach has accumulated in front of Walmer Castle — 

 how this beach has overtaken Sandown Castle — and is still 

 extending eastward. In front of Sandown and stretching in an 

 eastward direction to Pegwell Bay, nearly in a line with the pre- 

 sent turnpike-road, an ancient beach extends, known as Stonar 

 beach. On this beach the town of Stonar was built, dating 

 probably to the Roman period. Had this beach been an 

 eastward extension of the Dover and Walmer beach, the shore 

 line must have ran at that time very far inside of the present 

 sand hills to Word marshes, through which the present railway 

 is laid, by Shoulden, Cottington, Hacklinge, and Word. I 

 have met with no such evidences of beach sufficient to justify 

 such a supposition ; and if there had been, we must date back 

 the event long antecedent to the coming of the Romans. I am 

 inclined to view the Stonar beach as having had its origin from 

 a westerly current bringing it from the shores of the Isle of 

 Thanet, at a period antecedent to the Roman occupation. 



In an exhaustive memoir on this subject bv Mr. Redman,* he 

 states, "Around the Isle of Thanet there is comparatively little 

 shingle, the foreshore being invariably composed of a fine sand. 

 Smeaton described the shingle as travelling from the eastward, 

 and it is curious that along these shores very little is seen ; and 

 if that produced by the Isle of Thanet, after being carried into 

 deep water, as it undoubtedly must be, is driven past Ramsgate 

 to the westward, it is probably thrown ashore in the neighbour- 

 hood of Deal, and, joining the western supply, again travels 

 eastward." I do not think it likely to be the case here ; but if 

 so, we have evidence of the contrary action of the current of 



* Redman Alluvial Formations South Coast of England, p. 4. 



