WEST PURBECK MEETING. Ivii. 



Frome, looks somewhat like a volcano. It has certainly a most 

 beautiful conical outline. Some of you may be inclined to ask 

 why such a fuss should be made about the origin of a hill like 

 Creech Barrow, which is not very high, not even the highest in 

 Purbeck. But there is something peculiar about it, as you will 

 realise, when you see how completely all the Tertiary Beds lying 

 at the foot of the chalk escarpment have been eaten away on 

 both sides, and the Tertiary Beds occupy the low ground all over 

 that great synclinal basin. What is the reason, then, why these 

 Tertiary Beds should be so high up here ? I confess that it is 

 an extremely difficult problem, and I am far from saying that I 

 have found out the true solution of it. But I can offer a few 

 theories upon it. It is, I know, a dangerous thing to broach a 

 theory. It was once said " Oh ! that mine enemy would write a 

 book." Now, one might say " Oh ! that mine enemy would 

 broach a theory. Wouldn't I walk into him ! " But I must run 

 that risk, and will let you know what I think, so far as I have 

 investigated the subject, may be the origin of Creech Barrow. I 

 must not go into details. It would be too tedious ; and the 

 Editor of the Club's "Proceedings" has been so kind as to 

 invite me to write a paper on the subject. If I find enough 

 material, I shall be glad to do so, and to add to it drawings and 

 other matter which will be of help in understanding the points. 

 Briefly put, the great peculiarity of Creech Barrow is that it 

 consists, to a great extent, of clay at least, that is what we 

 suppose. No doubt, the development of clay in the Tertiary 

 Beds of this region, and especially where we are now standing, 

 is at its maximum. You all know what valuable workings in the 

 clay immediately at the foot of the hill have been carried on for 

 nearly a century. It has been one of the most important indus- 

 tries of this part of East Dorset. You can trace the line of the 

 old workings exactly as if drawn on a map. One of the 

 workmen who have been engaged in this business for a great 

 many years pointed out to me the other day that Creech Barrow 

 bulges all these beds and throws them out of their line. That 

 shows that there is something peculiar in the composition or 



