FIELDS AND FELLS 237 



to Clitheroe and over a limestone ridge into the 

 valley of the Hodder. 



Here all traces of the drought were left behind ; 

 the flat strip of meadow land in the bottom of the 

 vale was deep in lush grass, and the pastures above 

 were gloriously green right up to the open fell ; only 

 the clear, peat-stained stream spoke of the deficiency 

 of rainfall. But the elevation is considerable 

 400 ft. in the valley, 1200 ft. or more on the fells 

 by which it is shut in and the annual rainfall, even 

 on the low grounds, is more than 60 in. Naturally 

 enough there is no arable farming, everywhere grass ; 

 and the hay was just being carted in the first week 

 of August, an exceptionally early date for that district. 

 We followed up the valley through the little town of 

 Slaidburn to one of the larger farmers, who occupied 

 about 400 acres of land with grazing rights on the 

 fell. It is a rough and steep country ; each farm 

 possesses a few flat fields by the stream, which are cut 

 for hay, then some good grazing land considerably 

 accidented, divided by stone walls and traversed by 

 runnels of water, then bigger fields and poorer land 

 with a good deal of bracken, above all the open fell 

 of grass and heather. The homesteads, built and 

 roofed alike with grey stone, lie in the hollows a little 

 way up the hillsides, each sheltered by a few sycamores, 

 the only tree that will stand the elevation and the 

 climate. 



The farmer on whom we called was himself worth 

 a long journey to see, he had spent his whole life, 

 as his forbears had before him, in Bowland ; active, 

 shrewd, and talkative, with the vein of dry, chuckling 

 humour of the Lancashire man, instead of the dour 

 contempt which the hill farmer farther north, and 

 particularly across the Border, accords to all strangers. 



