102 FORESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 
feet. The greater part of the area is open mountain 
pasture and moorland, not carrying more than one sheep 
to the acre. Geologically the area consists of Lower Silurian 
slates, grits, and conglomerates ; and on some of the flatter 
tops of the hills peat occurs in places to a considerable 
depth. The catchment area is sparsely peopled, there being 
only 30 inhabited dwelling-houses in 1912, containing 
a population of perhaps 150, or say 2 persons per square 
mile. The greater part of the area is commonable land, 
but the Corporation have secured the rights over most of 
the commons, and have purchased all freehold lands in 
order to be able to protect the water from pollution at its 
source. “These commons now carry about 24,000 sheep, 
and no cattle are allowed, so that the freedom of the water 
from animal contamination is beyond doubt.” According 
to information supplied officially in July 1918, the 
Birmingham Corporation have acquired manorial rights 
over the whole area of 45,562 acres. The Corporation 
now own all the freeholds, 5263 acres, of which 878 acres 
are covered by reservoirs. The commons comprise 40,299 
acres; and the Corporation have acquired common rights 
and rights of pasturage over 32,714 acres, leaving an area 
of 7585 acres, of which these rights are unpurchased or 
disputed. 
The low-lying valleys, which formerly served as winter- 
ing ground for sheep with farm steadings, etc., became useless 
for this purpose as soon as they were submerged and 
occupied by reservoirs. It was found necessary to provide 
shelter for flocks; and the Corporation decided that the 
best form of shelter would be the putting down of planta- 
tions in suitable places. Certain sites were selected, and 
by 1909 nine separate plantations, with an area of 410 
acres, between 900 and 1500 feet elevation had been 
made and were reported to be very flourishing. The work 
here was done by contract, costing according to elevation 
from £3:13:7 to £4:18:9 per acre, exclusive of fencing 
and clearing the site. These items raised the total average 
cost to £7: 10s. per acre. 
