292 Bonney— Glaciers in the English Lakes. 



on the north, side of St. Mary's Churchyard, Ambleside. On follow- 

 ing up the right-hand branch of the Brathay Valley (Great Lang- 

 dale), I found, near Chapel Stile, a mass of debris which very 

 probably is part of an ancient moraine. Near the same village 

 are a considerable number of well-defined roches moutonnees. 

 Throughout all parts of the district at the head of Windermere, 

 which I examined, there appeared to be a remarkable scarcity of 

 both moraines and perched blocks. It is possible, indeed, that these 

 may have been swept away by subsequent denudation, but the very 

 perfect state of the above-mentioned roches moutonnees seems to 

 render this improbable. I am, therefore, inclined to think that the 

 natui'e of the rock ia the neighbom'hood must have rendered them 

 always unfrequent ; it being a splintering slate, which rarely forms 

 cliffs of any height, or large masses of screes. To the same cause 

 may be attributed the effacing of the glacial marks on the hillsides. 

 The contour, however, of Loughrigg Fell leads me to think that it 

 must have once been almost covered by glaciers. During a short 

 excursion to Patterdale, I observed rounded rocks at the head of it 

 and UUeswater. 



The road from Ambleside to Keswick, as is well known, passes 

 through the gap of Dimmail Eaise, and descends by the right bank of 

 Thirlmere. On the left bank of the stream, opposite to the little 

 inn at Wythbum, a very fine rounded rock can be seen from 

 the high road. On each side of Thirlmere traces of ice-action 

 ar.e very distinct, especially on the right bank ; first on the right 

 hand, and then on the left of the road. The green slates and 

 porphyries of Borrowdale and the head of Derwent Water, have 

 retained the marks of nature's ice-chisel better than those described 

 in the preceding paragraph. 



Following the right bank of Derwent Water we come to the 

 Lodore Fall, where a stream which drains an upland glen some three 

 miles long descends to the lake. This glen appears to have been once 

 occupied by a glacier, perhaps to a height of 300 feet above the pre- 

 sent bed. The main outlet of the ice was not by the chasm of the 

 Lodore Fall, but by an opening which leads down to the main 

 valley some distance higher up. This is shown by the extensive 

 tracts of ice-worn rocks in the opening, and by some perched 

 blocks high on its left bank. 



At the little hamlet of G-range there is a magnificent smoothed 

 rock, just on the left bank of the stream. Above this a rocky barrier 

 extends nearly across the valley ; over it the glaciers which have 

 descended from the Stake and Styhead Passes have forced their 

 M^ay, rounding and scoring its crags in their passage, and leaving 

 their traces high up on the hills on either side. Beyond this 

 barrier the valley opens out into a level plain, which I have little 

 doubt was once, after the retreat of the glacier, occupied by a lake. 

 After crossing the ridge of Borrowdale Haws similar traces of ice- 

 action may be seen near Buttermere. 



Eeturning to Grange in Borrowdale, and taking the road on the 

 left bank of Derwent Water, one meets with constant traces of 



