40 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



composed of a coarse sandy grit-rock; those of Ipstones of coarse 

 plum-pudding stone (breccia arenacea), and seem like sand and 

 small pebbles cemented together. 



It is evident, from the huge tremendous cliffs in which these 

 hills, and others in the neighbourhood, terminate, and the immense 

 fragments of broken stones which lie scattered in every direction, 

 that these rocks, at an early period, have been torn in pieces by 

 some violent convulsion of nature. These stone cliffs and fragments 

 cover a considerable extent of country, particularly about Ipstones, 

 Wetley Rocks, Leek Rocks, to the west of Flash, High Forest, the 

 Cloud-heath, and Mole-cop common, with the waste to the north of 

 this common, and in many other places. 



Upon Morredge and Axheath commons, large quantities of peat 

 are dug for fuel. The peat-mosses on Morredge are generally three 

 or four feet deep, with an understratum of gravelly clay. The 

 peat here, and on Axedge, is extremely porous and retentive of 

 moisture, and even in a dry season, yields sufficient water 

 from pressure to supply several small lakes and rivulets, and 

 starves the natural herbage : indeed, nothing grows on or near 

 these spots except heath (erica), whortleberries, the cottony rush 

 or grass (eriophorum vaginatum), carex's, and rushes. One great 

 obstruction to the improvement of these lands, is the immense 

 quantities of stone lying on, or of rocks rising out of the surface. 

 The most sanguine friend to agriculture can expect little more here 

 than sheep-walk or plantation, and it would be praise-worthy in the 

 landed proprietors at least to attempt the latter, in which there can 

 be no doubt but their efforts would be crowned with complete 

 success. 



