﻿GKEAT BlUTAIN. 



GREAT BRITAIN. 



Craig Owl, not far from Lundie, attains an elevation of 1600 feet. 

 Towards the sea these hills gradually form a succession of terraces, 

 which become lower as they approach the sea. At the southern 

 extremity of this region, along the Frith of Tay, between the towns 

 of Perth and Dundee, lies the Carso of Gowrie, one of the most fertile 

 tracts in Scotland. Its breadth averages between 2 and 3 miles. The 

 region of the Ochill Hills and Stratbmore is bounded on the south by 

 the river Forth. South of this river lies a hilly country, extending 

 westward to the banks of the Frith of Clyde. [Campsie IIills.] 



4. Scotland loulk of the Plain between the rivers Clyde and Porth, 

 or Southei-n Scotland. — This portion of Great Britain contains an 

 extensive mountain region. On the west it advances to the sea, 

 extending over the whole of Ayrshii-e south of the river Ayr. Its 

 northern boundary follows the course of th.it river to the Haughshaw 

 Hills, whence it extends to Lanark on the Clyde, and from Lanark to 

 the Leven Seat. Nearly the whole of the county of Edinburgh is 

 included in it. On the east it proceeds lii'st southward along the 

 boundary of that county, but afterwards enters the county of Berwick, 

 of which it occupies the most western part, along both sides of the 

 river Lauder, an affluent of the Tweed. From Melrose, near the mouth 

 of the Lauder, it runs south by west to the Wisp Hill, in the bound- 

 ary range between Roxbmigh and Dumfries. Here the southern 

 boundary -line begins, and stretches in a south-western direction across 

 the county of Dumfries to Cross Michael, on the Dee River, in Kirk- 

 cudbright It then follows the courae of this river to Kirkcudbright 

 Bay, where it again comes close to the sea, forming the high and very 

 bold coast on the eastern shores of VVigton Bay as far as Creetown. 

 From the innermost comer of this bay it runs along the Cree River 

 to tlie boundary line of Ayrshire, so that only the county of Wigton 

 is in this part excluded from it. The most extensive depression in 

 this mountain region extends east and west, comprehending the valley 

 of the Tweed from Mehroae to Peebles and Lyne, and the valley of the 

 Clyde from Covington to Lanark. In the western district of Kiik- 

 cudbright the Cairn Muir rises 2600 feet high ; and situated about 

 a miles north from Creetown is the Blacklarg, 1970 feet high. The 

 Lowthers, between the beds of the rivers Nith and Clyde, attain an 

 elevation of 3150 feet. 



In the northern portion of the motmtain region the land extends in 

 spacious flats or inclined planes, which are mostly covered with bogs 

 and mosses, and in some parts clothed with heath. Between the rivers 

 which fall into the Tweed and into Uie Frith of Forth its elevation 

 may be between 800 and 1000 feet The Muirfoot Hills, between the 

 som-ct'H of the Gala Water, an afUuent of the Tweed, and of the Esk, 

 which falls into the Frith of Forth, rise to 1860 feet, and the Leven 

 Seat re.-tches about 1200 feet On the northern declivity are situated 

 the PentUnd Hills. On tho west of the mountain region, between the 

 lower course of tho river Clyde and the Frith of Clyde, lies a country, 

 which may i-ather be called a plain, though it contains some ranges of 

 hills. The highest part of the hilly tract is the Mistie Law, 1558 foet 

 above the sea. 



The county of Wigton constitutes a separate natural division, being 

 on the north surrounded by mountains, and on all other sides by tho 

 sea. It contains no mountains, except on the boundary-line on the 

 side of Ayrshire. The remainder is occupied by hills, intersected here 

 and there by wide valleys and plains of moderate extent. 



The counties east and south-east of the mountain n^ou ara separated 

 from one another by a range of mountains running west and east. 

 This range may be considered as beginning on the west, on the eastern 

 border of the mountain region, with Wisp Hill (1940 feet), whence it 

 continues to tho boundary-line of England, which it attains between 

 Peel Fell and Carter Fell. Hence it extends north-east along the 

 boundary-line between England and Scotland to the Cheviot Hills, a 

 name by which the whole range is generally designated. The highest 

 portion of this range is either bare rock or covered with stones; but 

 the declivities, though rather steep, are generally clothed with a rich 

 close greensward, which affords excellent pasture for the breed of 

 sheep called the Cheviots. The tract of country between this range 

 and the Frith of Forth, east of the mountain I'egiou, is traversed by 

 another range of high hills called the Lammermuir, which stretches 

 eastward to the German Ocean, terminating in Luinsden Hill, 730 feet 

 high, and the rockj- promontory of St Abb's Head. North of the 

 Lammermuir Hills is the fertile vale of the Tyne. From St Abb's 

 Heat} > low ridge of hills extends along the shores of Berwickshire to 

 the neighbourhood of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. These hills 

 and the Lammermuir Hills inclose on the north and east tho Merse of 

 Berwickshire, a plain with a slightly undulating surface, which extends 

 to the banks of the Tweed, between Coldstream and Berwick. 



The coimtry south of the mountain region contains a plain, which 

 extends along the Solway Frith from the borders of England to the 

 river Annan, about 20 miles in length, with an average width of about 

 8 miles. Solway Moss is included in Cumberland. The country west 

 of the Annan, as far as Dumfries, is much more hilly, and contains a 

 still smaller portion of cultivable ground. North of these districts 

 the bills are generally covered with heath and moor; but many of 

 them afford sheep-pasture. The south-eastern portion of Kirkcud- 

 bright which is not inclosed in the mountain region, is occupied by 

 high hills along the Solway Frith, between the mouth of the Kith and 

 Kirkcudbright Bay. 



5. England north of a line drawn from the mouth of the Mersey to 

 Weaver HiU in Derlyshire (53° N. lat), and thence to the junction of 

 the Trent and Ouse. — This is the only part of England which can be 

 called mountainous. The general direction of the mountain rangn 

 which traverses it is from north to south. This range belongs chiefly 

 to Noi-thumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Yorkshire, but 

 extends into Lancashire, Durham, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. At 

 its most northern point it is connected with the south-western extre- 

 mity of the Cheviot Hills, whence it extends southward, mostly along 

 the boundary-line between Cumberland and Northumberland to Cross- 

 Fell, 54° 42' N. lat, near the junction of the three counties of Cum- 

 berland, Westmoreland, and Durham. This portion of the chain is 

 of comparatively small elevation and width. From Cross-Fell, which 

 is 2901 feet above the sea, the range runs ni'arly south-east to the 

 sources of the Eden River, but afterwards its course is nearly duo 

 south. In its course southward the range varies considerably in 

 width. At the southern extremity of the Derbyshire Mountain.", 

 a little west of Ashbome in Derbyshire, stands Weaver Hill (1164 

 feet), which may be considered as the last link of this extensive range. 

 The entire range extends fiom the Cheviots to the banks of the Trent, 

 and is sometimes called the Pennine Mountains. West of the Pen- 

 nine Mountains, and contiguous to the boundary of Scotland, tho 

 Cumbrian Plain, which is said to cover a surface of 300,000 acres, 

 extends along Solway Frith from Solway Moss to the inlet of Abbey 

 Holme, and eastward to the hills of Brompton and Croglin. At its 

 southern extremity the Vale of the Eden extends to the south-east 



South of this plain lies the extensive group of the Cumbrian Moim- 

 talns, which contain the highest summits in England. Opposite 

 Morecambe and Lancaster bays the offsets of the Pennine range 

 approach the sea within a distance varying from 6 to 12 miles. The 

 intervening space is covered with heath along the foot of the ridge 

 and its offsets, and only a narrow strip of fertile level land extends 

 along the sea. South of Lancaster Bay the level country along tho 

 coast grows wider. This tract, which lies to the west of the road 

 running from Lancaster through Garstang to Preston-ou-theRibble, 

 is from 8 to 10 miles in width, and is called the Fylde. Between the 

 Ribble and the Mersey, and west of the Pennine chain, extends a high 

 tract, which is encircled by a broad belt of low and level country. 

 The soil is a loam of various quality, in some parts very light and 

 sandy. South of the Mersey the moorlands, which skirt the moun- 

 tains of Derbyshire on the west and divide them from the Plain of 

 Cheshire, are not extensive ; but at the south-western extremity of 

 the Derbyshire Mountains occur the moorlands of Staffordshire, which 

 occupy the whole of that county north of a line drawn from Now- 

 castle-under-Lyne to Uttoxeter. 



We pass to the east of the Pennine range. The most northern 

 angle of England, as far south as tho Coquet River, is a very hilly 

 countiy, and some of the eminences are of considerable height. 

 Towai-ds the Coquet the high ground extends in elevated plains 

 (Alnwick Moor, &c.), which are probably 800 feet above the sea-level, 

 and are covered with heath. "The Vale of the Coquet is wide, and 

 contains conaidei-able tracts of fertile land. South of the Coquet begin 

 the extensive moorlands which occupy nearly one-third of Northum- 

 berland and portions of Durham and Yorkshire. Tho width of these 

 moorlands varies between 1 and 30 miles ; and they are said to be 

 between 500 and 1000 feet above the sea-level. They are in general 

 extensive, open, solitary wastes, producing little exoejit heath, and 

 affording only a scanty subsistence to flocks of sheep. In Yorkshire 

 the moorlands are intersected by extensive valleys, containing consider- 

 able tracts of arable land. 



The country which extends from the moorland to the German 

 Oceau has in geueral a hilly character, with intervening tracts of 

 good soil. Along the northern side of the Vale of Tyne the high 

 land rises only to a moderate elevation. The country south of the Vale 

 of Tyne is hilly. The valley of the Tees is the most extensive valley 

 in that part of England which is north of the Plain of York. The 

 Plain of York extends from the valley of the Tees southward to 

 the confluence of the Ouse and Trent, and to Donoaster on the Don, a 

 distance of 70 or 80 miles. It is separated from the Western Moor- 

 hinds by a narrow hilly tract. The eastern boundary of the Vale of 

 the Tees is formed by the Eastern Moors and the Wolds of York. 

 South of the Eastern Moorlands is the Vale of the Upper Derweut, 

 or of Pickering. Its form is an imperfect oval, being 35 miles from 

 west to east, and 10 miles from south to north where widest. It is 

 everywhere siurounded by heights of considerable elevation, and has 

 all the appearance of a dried lie. The York Wolds, which form the 

 southern border of this vale, occupy nearly half of the surface of tho 

 country between the Derwent and the German Ocean. To the east 

 of the Wolds extends Holderncss, a fertile plain with a low but 

 undulating surface. 



6. Enyland eoiUh of a line drawn from the mouth of tlie Mersey to 

 Weaver Hill, and thence to the confidence of the Ouae and Trent on the 

 north, and the Thainea River on the south. — The western boundary of 

 this extensive region is formed by what may properly be called the 

 Great Western Vale. It extends from the wide testuary of the river 

 Mersey southward, and chiefly along the Severn to the a^stuary of 

 that river and the neighbourhood of Bristol, com|)rehending the 

 plain of Cheshire and Shropshire and the vales of Worcester, Evesham, 



