799 



tions have been made upon the extensive waste of Welland Common, 

 that, for some time to come, that part of the country must assume the 

 appearance of a surveyor's map. 



" The drainage of the whole district is received by the Severn, eren 

 from the Silurian limestone on the western side of the ridge ; for the 

 river Ledden, that, flowing past Ledbury, collects the streams from 

 the southward, after a farther course of ten or twelve miles, flows into 

 the Severn at Gloucester. Throughout the whole eastern plain no 

 lake or even pool of any striking dimensions occurs ; but the streams 

 that flow from the hills in the direction of Eldersfield, the Berrow, and 

 Longdon, being precluded from reaching the Severn directly by the 

 intervention of steep banks of marl, and having only one outlet to 

 that river with scarcely any fall, necessarily accumulate in the flat 

 meadows, forming marshes of considerable extent, and entirely over- 

 flowed in the autumnal season. Many efforts have been made to drain 

 these marshes, and deep ditches beset them on every side ; but, hav- 

 ing only one sluggish outlet, and being, in fact, in many places below 

 the level of the bed of the Severn, it appears impracticable to provide 

 an adequate drainage for them. Thus these marshes present a curious 

 appearance, hemmed in on all sides by land in the highest state of 

 cultivation, which is continually impinging upon them. Longdon 

 Marsh well deserves a visit to its margin, which should be made by 

 way of Castle Morton ; and the following rare or local plants which 

 grow about, or in the wide watery ditches there, will well repay the 

 trouble : Hippuris vulgaris, very plentiful ; Scirpus maritimus, on the 

 eastern side ; Lysimachia vulgaris, Lonicera Xylosteum, on the Long- 

 don side, by a lane leading to the northern end of the marsh ; Apium 

 graveolens, CEnanthe peucedanifolia, CE. Lachenalii, Triglochin pa- 

 lustre, Rumex maritimus, Butomus umbellatus, Rosa spinosissima. 

 In the marshy flat meadows at the end of the lane leading down from 

 Castle Morton may be observed, before the mowing of the grass, La- 

 thyrus palustris ; the pretty Cnicus pratensis, rather plentiful ; Sene- 

 cio aquaticus, Orchis latifolia, Habenaria viridis, Carex intermedia, 

 distans, and many others. 



" The extensive commons of Welland, Castle Morton, Barnard's 

 Green, &c., have many plants that are localised there only, as Bupleu- 

 rum tenuissimum, Helosciadium inundatum, Petroselinum segetum, 

 Myosurus minimus. Polygonum minus, Tormentilla reptans, Mentha 

 piperita. Nasturtium terrestre, Pulicaria vulgaris, and Anthemis nobilis. 



" The second division will comprehend the hills themselves and 

 their immediate roots ; while the third comprises the calcareous 



