BOTANY 



4. THE AVON 



The Avon rises near Naseby in Northamptonshire and enters War- 

 wickshire near Clifton. It has a meandering course a little north of 

 Rugby, flowing past Lawford and Brandon, receiving on its left bank 

 streams draining the surrounding country. Passing near Ryton-on-Duns- 

 more and Bubbenhall, it flows through the grounds of Stoneleigh Abbey ; 

 here it receives on its right bank the river Sow, and taking its course by 

 Ashow, flows on through the romantic grounds of Guy's Cliff. Near 

 here at Emscote it receives the important tributary the Learn, and pass- 

 ing near the walls of Warwick Castle, flows through Warwick Park. 

 From Warwick Park the Avon flows near Barford to Sherbourne, where 

 it receives waters from Norton Lindsay and the country around ; flowing 

 on near Hampton Lucy its stream is augmented by Thelesford Brook, a 

 little stream from Wasperton Hill. The little river Dene, a stream 

 originating from the drainage of Burton Dassett and Edge Hills, and 

 bringing waters from the surrounding district, flows into it as it winds 

 through the beautiful grounds of Charlecote. From Charlecote the Avon 

 flows through Alveston and Stratford-on-Avon, and a little below Strat- 

 ford on its left bank is joined by the river Stour ; thence flowing under 

 Binton Bridges and by Bidford, it receives on its right bank the rapid- 

 flowing Arrow, and a little below Salford Priors it leaves the county. 

 Its course through the county is about forty-seven miles. 



The Avon is everywhere a beautiful soft-flowing stream, with rich 

 alluvial banks clothed with a wealth of beautiful wild flowers, stately 

 forests of bulrush, Scirpus lacustris ; and water meadow-grass, Glyceria 

 aquatica ; the golden beauty of the yellow water-cress or the pearly blos- 

 som of the bitter-cress, Cardamine amara ; and in its waters tangled masses 

 of Ranunculus tricbopbyllus, and frequently the yellow water-lily, Nupbar 

 lutea. 



5. THE LEAM 



The river Learn rises on the northern slopes of Marston Hill and, 

 forming the boundary line of Northampton and Warwickshire for some 

 two or three miles, enters Warwickshire a little north of Wolfhamcote. 

 As it flows in a north-westerly direction, soon after passing through 

 Grandborough it meets on its right bank the waters of the Rainsbrook, 

 a stream entering the county near Dunchurch. From this point the 

 Learn turns west past Leamington Hastings and Birdingbury ; near Mar- 

 ton receiving on its left bank the brook-like river, the Itchin, and on its 

 right bank waters from Bourton, Thurlaston and the surrounding country. 

 From Marton the Learn has a widely sinuous course through Wappen- 

 bury and OfFchurch to Radford Semele, receiving on its way waters from 

 Cubbington and Whitnash. Thence it flows westward through Leaming- 

 ton to its confluence with the Avon near Emscote. The principal rocks 

 of this basin are those of the Lias marls and clays, but about OfFchurch and 

 Leamington Keuper marls predominate. The Itchen rises on the west 



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