SUMMARY 423 



colleges ; that the rest of the colleges extend on made ground 

 over the lower slope of gravel west of the High Street, and in 

 more recent times even on made ground over the edge of the 

 alluvium ; that the distribution of the ancient monastic insti- 

 tutions approximately coincides with that of the colleges ; and 

 that the explanation is that the town had covered the part of 

 the area which was dry and adapted for building houses over, 

 and that sites were assigned to the monastic and scholastic 

 institutions on the outskirts which were only suitable for 

 building purposes after the ground had been raised by carting 

 immense quantities of rubbish on to it. 





