208 REPOET — 1881. 



The village itself is about 160 ft. above sea-level (Bench-mark on 

 church = 162-5 ft.).- 



South and south-east of the village the ground rises rapidly into the 

 ridge above referred to — highest point, about half-a-mile fi-om the village 

 (Clay Bush Hill), 329 ft. — and this ridge runs S.E., at right angles to the 

 main line of hills formed by the upper beds of the Chalk, constituting 

 the edge of the London basin, until it joins this high ground near Kel- 

 shall. 



The ridge near Ashwell bends away towards the north-west, and 

 gradually loses its elevation. It forms the line of division between the 

 valley of the Cam, or Rhee, and that of the Ivel, which latter stream 

 flows into the Ouse. 



There do not appear to be any boulders on the flat ground north of 

 the village, nor on the low hills in other parts of the parish, and the only 

 locality for boulders within the parish seems to be the upper part of the 

 ridge of high ground already described. The whole of the higher part of 

 this ridge, within the parish, is covered with clays and gravels of glacial 

 origin ; and it is clear from the uneven appearance of the surface, that 

 the ground during long periods has been worked to obtain materials for 

 road-making and other purposes ; and to a small extent it is still so worked. 

 From this source, we may fairly assume, has been derived the large quan- 

 tity of pebbles and boulders which we now find in all parts of the village 

 of Ashwell. Indeed, at the present day, boulders are brought down from 

 time to time from the one gravel-pit now open. 



The boulders and pebbles, of which the following is a catalogue, and 

 which are found in different parts of the village, must be therefore 

 considered as belonging to the ridge above the village, from which there 

 is every reason to suppose they have all, at one time or another, been 

 obtained, from a height of from 270 ft. to 329 ft. above the sea. 



The catalogue includes all the larger blocks, and such smaller ones as 

 appear to be representative in point of material, or of any interest from 

 external characteristics. 



The measurements and descriptions of external appearances are from 

 my own observations ; for descriptions of the rocks I am indebted to 

 Professor Bonney, to whom specimens have been submitted. He writes 

 that, as they reached him when away for some time from books and 

 collections, he has not attempted to name the few and generally im- 

 perfectly preserved or exposed fossils which he has noticed. 



Boulders lying (it the end of harrel-ivashing shed, Ashivell Breivery. 



1. Roughly cubical, angles but little worn, surfaces nearly flat and 

 somewhat smoothed. Fine sandstone : may be either carboniferous or 

 Jurassic. 15^ in. X 12 in. X 11^ in. 



2. Irregular shape, much rounded and smoothed on two sides (probably 

 by man). Fine sandstone: carboniferous or Jurassic. 15 in. x lOHn. 

 X Sin. 



3. Rounded fragment, breaking into slabs along planes of bedding. 

 Ferruo-inous calcareous sandstone : neocomian, or possibly carboniferous. 

 10 in. in longest diameter. 



4. Irregular shape, smoothed and worn. Fine sandstone : neocomian, 

 or possibly carboniferous. 12 in. x 9 in. x 5 in. 



5. Irregular, slightly smoothed. Fine, hard sandstone : possibly 

 inferior oolite, if not, probably carboniferous. 11 in. x 7 in. x 6 in. 



