1774 LANDSLIP AT HAWKLEY 247 



To Samuel Barker. April 6 1774 



Dear Cousin, — At the request of my uncle I intend doing 

 myself the pleasure of giving you some account of an extra- 

 ordinary event which lately happened in the parish of 

 Hawkley. During the vast rains a large fragment of the 

 Hanger (late my grandfather's) * slipped away for near two 

 hundred yards in length, and fell down the steep to the 

 depth of 40 feet, carrying with it the coppice-wood, hedge, 

 and gate between the two fields, &c. The sinking of this 

 gate is very strange, as it stands at present as upright as 

 it used to do and is as easy to be opened and shut. 



The next thing observable is a little hop-garden and pond, 

 in the former of which there are two or three places that 

 are sunk four or five feet : besides many other parts of the 

 garden are very full of large cracks and openings. The bed 

 of the pond is also very much sunk and the place from 

 whence the waste water used to run is now the highest 

 part. 



A lane which went down one side of this hill is sunk 

 eight or ten feet, and very much pushed forward so as to be 

 rendered impassable. 



There is situated in the same piece of ground with the 

 pond (which is meadow -land) a small cottage, the inhabitants 

 of which were greatly alarmed on the night in which this 

 happened, by a gradual opening of their floor, till at last 

 they perceived that part of the cottage nearest the hills 

 began to sever with very loud noises. The upper part 

 of the cottage is since entirely fallen down. 



A neighbouring farm-house is also so much sunk and 

 so full of large cracks as to be rendered not habitable. 



There is in one field that was wheat last year pretty 

 well an acre so much sunk, that it is impossible to be 

 ploughed. All the corn land which was affected by this 



♦ John White. J. p. 



