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GREAT BRITAIN. 



GREAT BRITAIN. 



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Gloaoetter. and Berkaley. lU length nuv b« about 130 milM in ■ 

 •traight lioe. lU oortUem portion, or tha pUin of Cbashira aa<l 

 Shropidure, ext«udi about SO idUm from north to aouth, and it* breadth 

 ▼ariw between 25 and 30 milet. A ridge of low hills travenei this 

 plain from north to eouth in the western districts of Cheshire. In 

 this plain also is the elerated ground which unit«8 the mountain system 

 of Wales to the central part of England, aud forms the watershed 

 between the waters which fall into the Dee and Mersey, and the 

 Severn. Though several tracts covered with heath and moor occur 

 on this plain, the greatest part of it has a good soU, and is well culti- 

 vated. South of Wenlock Edge begins what is properly called the 

 Vale of the Severn. It extends on both sides of the river for about 

 70 miles, and except at those places where the valleys of the tributary 

 rivers of the Severn open into it, it never exceeds 12 miles in width, 

 and is often narrowed to S or 6 miles. This vale is one of the most 

 fertile and best cultivated districts of England. 



Along the eastern border of this vale extends the highest ground of 

 Central England. It is connected with the Derbyshire Mountains by 

 the high land which extends along the borders of Cheshire aud Staf- 

 fordshire, and rises at its lowest point, where it is traversed by the 

 Grand Trunk Canal, to 419 feet, and afterwards runs between New- 

 castle-under-Lyne and Drayton to the hill called the Wrekin, about 

 9 miles E.S.E. from Shrewsbury, which is 1320 feet above the sea. 

 South of the Avon, near Pershore, rises the Bredon Hill, which has 

 about the same elevation, and is connected with the Cotswold Hills, 

 which terminate in the neighbourhood of Bristol and Bath. 



On the east of this high land lies the Central Region of England, 

 which on its eastern border is contiguous to the Great Eastern Plain, 

 and on the south terminates on the banks of the Thames. Its surface 

 rises and sinks in gentle undulations, between which there are wide 

 va leys, which in some parts spread out into plains. Ifone of the hills 

 attain an elevation of 1000 feet above the sea-leveL This extensive 

 district is in generxl well and profitably cultivated. 



The Great Eastern Plain extends from the river Humber to the 

 month of the Thames, and is by nature divided into three different 

 portions, a lower and two higher ones. The lower portion lies round 

 that arm of the sea which is called the Wash, nmi extends to the 

 ■outh-weat. This low and marshy country, called the Feus, extends 

 SO miles from north to south, aud 30 miles in its greatest breadth 

 from Market Deeping to Lynn, at the mouth of the Ousc. The rivers 

 not having the necessary fall to carry off the water, this tract is 

 exposed to floods from sudden falls of rain, and also to inundations of 

 the sea. Dykes, canals, and other works have been constructed to 

 prevent such accidents, and also to promote the general drainage of 

 this extensive level 



That portion of the great plain which lies to the north of the Fens 

 comprehends Lincolnshire north of a line drawn from WainQeet to 

 Sleal'ord. This tract is considerably higher than the fen region south 

 of it, which is called Holland. On the north the high ground forms 

 the banks of the Humber, from Winteriugham on the west, to Great 

 Grimsby on the east. From the last mentioned place a low belt 

 of fertile marshes extends along the shores of the Gei-man Ocean. 

 The marsbea advance inland to Louth and Burgh, and vary in width 

 from 3 to 7 miles. Along this coast is a submarine forest, visible 

 ■■ far as the limits of low water, or about a mile and a half from 

 the land. 



East of the Fens, and comprehending the counties of Norfolk, 

 Suffolk, and Essex, extends a plain, which in its northern district is 

 in the highest parts between 160 and 200 feet above the level of the 

 sea. Its surface is gently undulating, but becomes more broken as 

 wa advance farther north. The small streams which drain this plain 

 generally lie several feet below the general level of the surface. Its 

 fertility, which towards the north is but moderate, increases to the 

 ■outh, and the soil in Esaex is unrivalled in England for its rich crops 

 of wheat. The southern boundary of this plaiu is marked by the 

 high ground which extends from Epping I* orest eastward to Brent- 

 wood and Langdon Hill, and then northeast, tarminaUng between 

 Chelmsford and Maldon. 



7. EngUuid $oulk of the River Thame* and the BriOol Channd.— 

 Towards the eastern extremity of this region is an extanaive tract of 

 high land, a tranaverse section of which forms the lofty chalk cliffs 

 •long the StraiU of Dover, between the South Foreland and Folke- 

 ttone. From the shores of the Straits it extends in a north-north-west 

 direction to the »stu«ry of the Thames, where it termiootes in a 

 modarataly high coaat between Reculver and the outlet of the East 

 Swala ; the high Und of the Isle of Thanet may be considered as an 

 eastern prolonpition of it The surface of this i-levated tract may, on 

 an average, be in iu higher parU about 800 feet above the sea. Though 

 the aoil is chalky and dry, it has in parte a considerable degree of 

 fertility, and is well cultivated. 



The high Und oontinaaa to the west of the valley of the Stour, and 

 U several miles wide, with a longitudinal depression in the middle, so 

 as to have the appearance of two parallel ridges. The northern ridge, 

 which is a continuation of the chalk, is the higher, and contains 

 Hollingboum Station, «1« feat above the sea. This high ground runs 

 first northwest, and in ite deprasaion lie the towns of Ashford, 

 Charing, and Maidstone. At Maidstone the high lands are inter- 

 ruptwl by the valley of the Medway, but west of it they appear ogaht 



in the same form, running nearly due west. Farther west there are 

 few considerable elevations. 



The country between the high lands north-east of Maidstone and 

 the East Swale is a gently inclined plain, containing small depressions ; 

 but before it reaches the water's edge the high land entirely subsides, 

 and is skirted bv a low and level tract The country farther west, 

 between the hi|pi lands and the lower course of the Thames, is more 

 diversified in iu surface. 



The country between the North Downs and the English Channel is 

 divided into two very unequal portions by the South Downs, which 

 begin on the shores of the English Channel in the high promontory 

 of Beachy Head (564 feet), and run as far as Bramber, a distance of 

 28 miles, in a general direction parallel and close to the coast, which, 

 as far west as Brighton, presente a hue of cliffs formed by a longitu- 

 dinal section of this chalk range. Their breadth from north to south 

 is in Boipe parte 6 miles. Ditchling Beacon, about 6 miles north from 

 Brighton, is 658 feet high. North-west of Chichester is Butser Hill, 

 which attains an elevation of 917 feet ; and here the South Downs may 

 be considered to terminate. Of the Alton Hills, which form a 

 junction between the North and South Downs between Petersfield and 

 Fsmham, the highest summit. Hind Head, is 923 feet above the sea. 

 The South Downs afford excellent sheep-walks, and the plain of 

 Chichester, or the low tract along the sea-shore, is characterised by a 

 high degree of fertility. 



Between the North and South Downs, and bounded by the Alton 

 Hills on the west, extends the Weald of Kent, Surrey, and Suosex. 

 This tract may be considered as a plain, though there are undulating 

 tracte in several places, and a few hills of considenible elevation. The 

 highest summite are Leith Hill, south-west of Dorkiug, 993 feet high, 

 and Crowborough Beacon in Ashdown Forest, 804 feet high. At the 

 eastern extremity of the Weald, and nearly at an equal distance from 

 the South Foreland and Beachy Head, is Romney Marsh, a low and 

 level tract, containing nearly 50,000 acres. It has been wrested from 

 the sea, from which it is protected by an embankment 



The Alton HiUs, which exteud, as already observed, from Butser 

 Hill, south-west of Petersfield, to Fambam and the Hog's Back, may 

 be considered as the eastern boundary of a more elevated terrace, 

 which occupies the greater portion oi the country south of the 

 Thames, between 0° 40' and 2° 10' W. long. It begins south of 

 Windsor with Bagshot Heath, aud extends westward to the Salisbury 

 Plain, which constitutes the highest portion of the whole tract The 

 southern boundary of this region runs from Butser Hill to Winchester, 

 aud thence to Salisbury and Shaftesbury ; the western from Sbsftes- 

 bury to Westbury. The northern bouudary is not distinctly marked. 

 Bagshot Heath rises in its highest point to 463 feet, and the lowest 

 tracts of the whole region are probably not much less than 300 feet 

 above the sea-level. Ite surface is mostly level, though there are 

 several hills, but they do not rise to a great elevation, except Higbclore 

 Hill (900 feet), and the Inkpen (lOU feet), near the place where 

 Hampshire, Berkshire, and Wiltehire meet Salisbury Plain, the most 

 elevated district of this region, extends 22 miles east and west, and IS 

 miles north and south, and constitutes a kind of table-land, which at 

 a distance has the appearance of a plain, but on a closer inspection is 

 found to be traversed by numerous depressions. The Marlborough 

 Downs, which are divided from Salisbury Plain by the river Kennet and 

 the Kennet aud Avon Canal, are iu all respecte similar to the plain, 

 except that their surface is more uneven. From the northern side 

 of the Marlborough Downs a tract of high land runs from Swindon 

 westward past Malmesbury to Tetbury, where it joins the Cotewold 

 Hills. 



The country south of the elevated tracte just described, and 

 extending from the plain of Chichester to Southampton Water, is 

 tolerably level, and though inferior in fertility to the country about 

 Chichester, it conteins a considerable portion of good and well-culti- 

 vated land. But west of Southampton Water begin the exteusive 

 heaths of Hante and Dorset, which extend from the river Avon to 

 near Dorchester, including the New Forest The Purbeck Hills com- 

 mence at Studland Bay on the east, and the high land continues in a 

 westerly direction along the coast : it is united to Salisbury Plain by 

 the elevated ground which runs from Beaminster to Shaftesbury, and 

 contains Bulbarrow Hill (927 feet) and Wingreen Hill (941 feet). 



The elevated tract of country which extends from Bagshot Heath 

 to Westbury Down, and of which the heaths of Haute and Dorset 

 may be considered as an appendage, forms the central region of 

 England south of the Thames. Farther west the face of the country 

 changes considerably, and presente a greater variety in ite surface. 

 The northern portion, or that tract which extends from the Vale of 

 Berkeley, the southern part of the Great Western Vale, to the Mendip 

 Hills, has a more broken surface than perhaps any other part of 

 England. Some high summite occur, as Farley Hill, cast-north-east 

 of Bath, 700 feet; Lansdown Hill, north of Bath, 813 feet; and 

 Duudry Hill, south-west of Bristol, 790 feet above the sea. 



From the western edge of Salisbiuy PUin, iioar Warminster, a, 

 range of hilU, or rather high land, commences, which continues west- 

 wanl to Shupton Mallet, where it assumes the character of a distinct 

 range, and is called the Mendip Hills. On the southern side of the 

 Mendip Hills lies an extensive level tract of low land, which is known 

 by the name of the Brent Marsh. From the Bristol Channel this 



