14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



The hills are shadows, and thev flow 

 From form to form, and nothing stands ; 

 They melt like mists, the solid lands. 

 Like clouds the}' shape themselves and go. 



NEIGHBOURHOOD OF NEWENT 

 15th September 



The fourth and last Meeting was largely attended — and 

 on arrival of the train at Newent carriages were taken. 



A halt was made at the Railway Bridge outside the 

 town, where I indicated the spot in the Waterstones, sug- 

 gested by Mr Etheridge, to ascertain by boring whether 

 a supply of water could be obtained for the City of 

 Gloucester ; explaining by the aid of the geological 

 survey map, the various New Red Sandstone formations 

 or divisions, their thickness in this and other districts in 

 England, and the nature and character of the beds, 

 dwelling somewhat in detail upon the Salt beds or rocks 

 at Droitwich, which have been worked for upwards of a 

 thousand years. It must in very early times have been an 

 important industry, as in 816 a grant was made of the 

 then working by Kenulph, King of the Mercians, as a 

 source of revenue to Worcester Cathedral. 



Mr Taunton, C.E., who had considerable experience as a 

 Water Engineer, and who contributed many valuable 

 papers in our Proceedings on the water question, remarked: 

 "from the absence of hills in the neighbourhood he 

 doubted if there was sufficient gathering ground to give 

 any great quantity of water." 



I also pointed out that only a small quantity of the water 

 of the area finds its way into the Severn — the only river 

 being the Leadon. This is shewn by the absence of 

 springs, which arises from the porous character of 

 the beds affording rapid filtration to the rain, which 

 passes down to a considerable depth in the rocks. 



