THE 



PHYSIOGRAPHY OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE. 



By J. E. MARK, Sc.R, F.RS., and 

 W. G. FEARNSIDES, M.A. 



THE county of Cambridge is about fifty miles in length 

 from north to south, and its greatest breadth from east to 

 west is about thirty miles ; it occupies an area of eight 

 hundred and sixty square miles. The greater part of the 

 county is drained by the river Ouse and its tributaries, of 

 which the Cam is the principal, while the northern part is 

 traversed by a portion of the Nen and its tributaries. 



Along part of its course the old Ouse river ran in a 

 direction somewhat north by east from St Ives, past Ely, 

 dividing the county into two portions, of which the northern 

 is almost entirely composed of fenland, while the southern is 

 largely occupied by more elevated ground. 



In accordance with its geological structure the county is 

 divisible into three important areas, and two minor ones. 

 The former consist of (i) the chalk tract which lies to the 

 east of the Cam between the southern part of the county and 

 Waterbeach, (ii) the curiously dissected plateau which occupies 

 the south-western part of the county between the valleys of 

 the Cam and Ouse, and (iii) the Fenland of the northern 

 part of the county. The minor tracts consist of the alluvial 

 belts which border the Cam and its tributaries and the ridges 

 of old river gravels ; and a small plateau topped by gravels 

 which occupies the country around Fordham, Chippenham, 

 and Newmarket. 



M. & S. 1 



