166] A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



lands, is a stupendous cleft in the rock, called Lud-Church, 208 

 yards long and from 30 to 50 feet deep, the sides steep and so 

 hanging over, that it sometimes preserves snow all the summer. 

 Snow has been brought from thence to Leek July fair. 



Alabaster is contained in the whole bank of red marl between 

 Need wood-forest and the river Dove, from Marchington to Tut- 

 bury; but that at Castle-Hayes is the best, of which they make 

 grave-stones, tables, chimney-pieces> &c. and many smaller 

 utensils. 



In the lordship of Grindon are whole mountains of Marble. 

 Yelpersley To IT, and most of the hills thereabouts, are (says Dr. 

 Plot) a ranee marble, of a white hard shining grit, striped red, 

 and capable of a good polish ; and at Stansope, in the parish of 

 Alston-field, is a grey marble not inferior in its kind, and in quan- 

 tities sufficient for any purpose. 



Timber-trees of great bulk have been produced in this county : 

 the following are upon record. On Needwood-forest, Swilcar Oak, 

 the father of the forest, girths at five feet high 21 feet, the lower 

 stem is 10 feet clear; the whole height about 65 feet, the extent 

 of the arms about 45 feet. The great oak at Norbury was six 

 yards in the girth ; and one standing on Cannock-wood nine 

 yards girth. An oak was felled in the Grofield-coppice, Chii- 

 lington, about 20 years ago, of nine yards in circumference. The 

 trunk of an oak in Ellenhall-park was of so vast a bulk, that 

 though sunk in the ground, two men on horseback could not see 

 each other over it. A prodigious Witch-elm grew at Field, upon 

 the Bagot estate, of which it is attested that it fell 120 feet in 

 length, was 17 yards in circumference at the butt-end, and 25 

 foot f girth in the middle, containing 96 tons of timber; that 14 

 loads of fire-wood, as much as six oxen could draw, broke off in the 

 fall, and 47 such loads more were cut from the top; that they were 

 forced to piece two saws together, and put three men to each end, 

 to cross-cut the body ; that there were cut out of it 80 pair of 

 naiths for wheels, and 8000 feet of sawn timber in boards and 

 planks. Plot. 



A Fir-tree grew at Walton, in the parish of Norbury, six yards 

 about, and 47 yards high, according to admeasurements of it by 

 three distinct persons at different times. 



Trees are often found beneath the earth in a fossil state, and 

 Dr. Plot has made loug and elaborate dissertations to account for 

 their being there ; but nothing can be more simple and natural 



