12 INTRODUCTION. 



140ft.; Topcroft Church, 155ft.; Gawdy Hall, 120ft.; 

 Thorpe Abbots Church, 137 ft. ; Hoxne Church, 125 ft. ; Wing- 

 field High Elm, 146ft.; Wingfield Castle, 163ft.; Shotford 

 Hill, 118ft.; Shotford Bridge, 58ft.; Weybread Church, 

 152 ft. ; Weybread Windmill, about 170 ft. ; Fressingfield 

 Church, 130ft.; Metneld Church, 153ft.; Mendham Church, 

 52 ft. ; Homersfiekl Church, 48 ft. ; St. Margaret's Church, 

 South Elmham, lllft. 



Through the low marshes before-mentioned the River 

 Waveney, which divides the counties of Norfolk and Suf- 

 folk, traces its winding course from Lopham Ford, where it 

 rises only 300 yards distant from the source of the Little 

 Ouse, to the German Ocean at Yarmouth. In its present 

 condition it is fed by all the streams or " becks," as they are 

 locally called, of the neighbourhood, though, from the sudden 

 fall of the valley-floor from Mendham to Earsham, a different 

 arrangement of the watershed seems at one time to have 

 existed.* The principal tributary is the stream which drains 

 the shallow depression in which Harleston itself is situated. 

 Others traverse the Denton, South Elmham, Weybread, and 

 Hoxne valleys, and are known as the " becks " of the villages 

 through which they respectively pass. 



(i.) Geology. A table of the geological formations, which 

 appear at the surface in the district, is given on a subsequent 

 page. The following short sketch will explain their local 

 position and characteristics, the numbers having reference to 

 the table, in which, as will be seen, the most recent beds are 

 placed first. For many of the following particulars the writer 

 is indebted to the Memoirs of the Geological Survey,! whose 

 nomenclature is adopted ; also to Dr. J. E. Taylor, of Ipswich, 

 Mr. Charles Candler, and Dr. J. J. Raven for notes and 

 suggestions. \ 



The chalk, which covers the northern and western parts 

 of the county and approaches the surface at Beccles, is nowhere 

 visible, though it is reached by wells at 138 ft. (Hoxne), 55 ft. 

 (Billingford); and possibly at 23 ft. (Wortwell). The exposed 

 beds are confined entirely to the late Tertiary and Postr 

 Tertiary formations. 



No. 7. Upper Crag. This is the oldest formation apparent 



* Page 15. 



f The Geology of the Country around Harleston, by "Whitaker and Dalton, 

 1887 ; Eyre and Spottiswoode ; Is. The principal part of the district is 

 included in the Geological Survey maps, 50 N.E. and 66 S.E. ; Stanford ; 3s. 

 each. 



As the present sketch is intended for general readers, scientists are 

 referred for complete information to the works of Messrs. Wood, Home, 

 and Harmer. 



