128 SOUTH COUNTRY TROUT STREAMS 



the flat meadows, one stream flowing one way, 

 and one another, and then all suddenly uniting in 

 the shade of the trees ; and being repulsed, flowing 

 away again into the meadows, white with flocks of 

 swans and fenced in with green hedges of rushes 

 and yellow flags." 



By the banks of the Avon, as by those of the 

 Test, you may often find late in the summer the 

 fine yellow loosestrife, whilst the comfrey and the 

 buckbean, or " fringed water lily," as it is called by 

 the country folk, flourish nearly everywhere. 



The Wylye, or Wily, rises by Hill Deverill Mill, 

 about a mile from Kingston Deverill, and for six 



The miles or so its head waters are known as 

 "VVylye the Deverill. The name Deverill is said 

 by some authorities and antiquaries to have 

 come from "diving rill," it being a peculiarity 

 of this stream that in some seasons its head 

 waters rise irregularly to the surface of the 

 meadows with intervals of dry turf which mark a 

 subterranean river. Camden asserts this, as does 

 Aubrey, the Wiltshire naturalist, but others have 

 pointed out that Deverill probably comes from the 

 Celtic dever or defer, which simply meant a stream. 

 The course of the Deverill is over a chalk bed, with 

 here and there deep holes. A portion of the stream 

 is scarcely fishable, owing to the action of mills, 

 which occasionally take up almost all the water for 

 their own purposes, and compel the trout to seek 

 shelter in the holes. The Deverill indeed in parts 

 may be regarded not so much an angling stream 

 as a stew or receptacle for fish, which can be easily 

 netted out when required. Above Longbridge 

 Deverill there is, however, some fairly good fish- 

 ing. The Marquess of Bath owns most of the 



