The South Wold. 23 



extent is devoted to tlie plough. — witli the result that, 

 though fair going enough when not too wet, they are 

 deep and holding when much rain has fallen. And it 

 is^ as usual, under the latter condition that they carry 

 the best scent. 



Parallel again to the Wolds (though we are for the 

 moment going beyond the South Wold Country in 

 order to finish what we have to say of North Lincoln- 

 shire generally) runs another range of hill forming 

 the westward boundary of the county. This is 

 known as the Clrff, and is separated from the Wolds 

 by a narrow plain coming from the Humber south- 

 wards. The Cliff is of nothing like the same breadth 

 as the WoldSj varying from three or four miles across 

 in the north (where it touches the Humber near 

 Wintringham) to some twelve or fourteen, where it 

 opens out south of Lincoln to embrace the Lincoln 

 Heath, and stretches down to the neighbourhood of 

 Sleaford and Grantham. 



The Cliff, again, is a limestone formation ; is lighter 

 going than the Wolds ; and does not, as a rule hold 

 so firm a scent. The vale between the two tablelands 

 is flat and of a stiff clay soil : and it is generally con- 

 sidered that hounds can carry a better head across it 

 than horses. It will thus be seen, to sum up our 

 geological sketch, that North Lincolnshire contains 

 four distinct sorts of ground, divided as parallel 

 sections north and south — to wit. Marsh, Wolds, Cliff, 

 and the low Intermediate Plain between the two 

 latter. And, with the map still in front of you, you 

 will observe that the bulk of the South Wold country 

 ^s situate, as it name implies, on the Wold section. 



