VOL. XVII. (3) MAP OF CHELTENHAM 309 



" blue [Lias] clay," the stables on " yellow [alluvial] clay," below 

 which is sand and then " blue [Lias] clay " ; while the Winter Gardens 

 and Town Hall are on yellow clay. The wells in the stable-yard of 

 the Queen's Hotel contain an abundance of water. 



In the neighbourhood of Vittoria Walk and Oriel Road, yellow clay 

 rests upon gravel ; while in the immediate neighbourhood of the house 

 called " Fairholme " (53), clay and sand are said to occur in a 

 " pockety fashion."" 



A bore-hole put down between Cambray House and the Chelt 

 proved about 20 feet of gravel, mixed with clayey matter, resting upon 

 the blue Lias clay. The rest-level of the water in the bore-hole was 

 9 feet down. 



Soils. — Where not built upon, the alluvial ground is 

 chiefly under pasture. It is heavy in places. 



Water. — " The water from wells sunk in the gravel near 

 the Chelt is hard, and this is not surprising when the com- 

 position of the gravel is remembered — mainly limestone 

 pebbles. 



"At the Sandford Road pumping-station is a well in this 

 Chelt gravel 24 ft. deep and 18 ft. in diameter, with a tunnel 

 from the bottom running in the direction of the hospital. 

 It is said to be capable of yielding 200,000 gallons per day in 

 ordinary weather. The baths of Cheltenham College derive 

 their supply from five wells sunk in the sand-gravel bed, and 

 four are generally drawn upon. On an average they are 25 ft. 

 deep, six feet in diameter, and yield on an average 150,000 

 gallons per week. The water is said to be satisfactory and 

 sufficient in quantity."^ 



Peaty-Bogs. — Peaty patches occur in five places in the 

 area under consideration, namely : — 



1. Near the Electricity Works (47 on the map) ; 



2. Between Pittville Lake and the Oaklands (51) ; 



3. Between the Oaklands and the Cemetery (50) ; 



4. Near Shaw Green, Prestbury (49) ; and 



5. To the north-east of Shaw Green. 



These peaty patches have originated through water col- 

 lecting on the clay-ground and not running away. Plants, 

 as they have died, have decayed in the wet soil, and little by 

 little the black peaty mould has increased in thickness. 



If any of the yellow sand-grains get associated in any way 

 with the peaty matter they very soon become deprived of their 

 thin coating of iron oxide : they become bleached. This is 



I L. R., Proc. Institute Water Engineers for 1912, A. C. p. 9. 



