SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— E. 339 



Limestone, which enters the Riding at the Tees, the Triassic sandstones and 

 Marls of the Vale of Mowbray, and the Jurassic delta of the Cleveland Hills, 

 which divides the town of Filey from the parish church. 



The West Riding, economically the most important of the three divisions, 

 comprises the remaining portion west of the Ouse, and by consequence the 

 coalfield, down to the Notts-Derbyshire boundary. 



The East Riding is of simpler structure than the other two, consisting 

 mainly of the Chalk formation and a fringe of Triassic and Jurassic rocks by 

 extensive deposits of glacial origin. On the seaward side they constitute the 

 coast-line from Sewerby to Spurn Point. 



In this review the Quaternary deposits should not be ignored, for it is to 

 them that York owes its existence. Two terminal moraines ,1 at York and 

 Escrick respectively, gave a dry-shod passage across the swampy plain. 

 The low grounds are mainly occupied by ' Warp ' clays, which resulted from 

 the melting of a glacier that received tributaries from the valleys of the Tees, 

 Swale, Ure, Nidd and Wharfe. 



The city before the arrival of the Romans appears to have been cut off on 

 the east by an extensive tract of woodland, of which traces remain in such 

 names as Sutton-in-the-Forest. Strensall Common is the last remains of 

 the ancient Forest of Galtres. 



The open valley of Triassic rocks, which extends north and south froin the 

 city, not only gave direction to the Roman roads, but also in later times 

 invited invasion whether from north, south, east or west ; and the many 

 battles which have been fought within a few miles of York attest the 

 vulnerability of the site. 



Harold Godwinsson, keeping watch near Hastings for the coming of the 

 Norman, was diverted from his main purpose by news of the descent on the 

 Northern coast of a Danish fleet under Harold Hardrada and English 

 Harold's unworthy brother Tostig. The news brought English Harold by 

 a wonderful march up from Sussex, and at Tadcaster he got word that the 

 invaders had defeated the men of York at Fulford, and taking hostages had 

 withdrawn to Stamford Bridge. English Harold followed and defeated the 

 Danes, and Harold Hardrada and Tostig were slain. Historians have 

 wondered why the Danes retired to Stamford Bridge, but an inspection of 

 a geological map would have answered the question — Stamford Bridge is at 

 the convergence of the two moraines, and the Danish fleet lay at Riccall at 

 a convenient distance for reinforcements to be called up, but they came too 

 late. 



Prof. A. Hamilton Thompson. — The growth and development of York in 

 history. 



Prof. E. G. R. Taylor.— ^'flrfy literature, in English, on ?iatural waters. 



An analysis of early printed geographical literature, in England as else- 

 where, shows that interest was focused on man to the neglect of his physical 

 setting. Even in so-called topographical works the main theme was local 

 history, while in narratives of travel and discovery the writer dealt almost 

 exclusively with personal incidents, and with the manners, customs, condi- 

 tions and institutions of the peoples encountered. Other branches of geo- 

 graphical literature included disquisitions on the sphere, purely mathematical 

 in character, and technical works for travellers, such as rutters, road-books 



1 For these and other features, cf. the Scientific Survey of York and District, 

 appendix to this volume. 



