THE DRELLINGORE STREAM 



239 



rains, or long accumulation of springs, there comes an 

 overflow, generally doing more than fill the usually dry 

 bed. The Drellingore stream will then very often flood 

 the road. 



FLOODS AT ALKHAM: THE DRELLIXGORE STREAM. 



The romantic name comes from the old Norman- 

 French " Drelincourt," the name of an extinct manorial 

 family once holding land in these parts. The water- 

 course is often dry for years, and the filling of it is thus 

 a local event, long ago made the subject of legends of 

 dread and prophecies of scarcity. Thus the old saying : 



When Drellingore stream flows to Dover town, 

 Wheat shall be forty shillings and barley a pound. 



So much a quarter is understood by that. 



Well, then, Drellingore stream burst out with 

 exceptional floods in April, 1914, and flowed to Dover 

 town, and flooded the valley at Alkham. Wheat was 

 then round about 37^. lOld. a quarter, and barlev was 

 20s. ^cl 



Wheat had been steadily rising from its lowest, at 

 22s. lOd. in 1894 ; and barley from 21^. lid. in 1895. 

 Barley was never so low as 206-. What, therefore, is the 

 implication of the ominous legend, in respect of barley ? 



In less than four months the Great War, 1914-18 



