Charles Daioson — Ancient and Modern " Dene Holes." 297 



use this chiefly in Britain." (Pliny's Natural History, book 17, 

 chap, viii.) 



In some parts of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire^ similar pits are 

 still sunk through superincumbent strata for obtaining a chalk 

 dressing, and these pits are of similar character to the " dene holes," 

 and probably many other counties have examples of the working. I 

 do not here pro]30se to say much about the modern Hertfordshire and 

 other recorded chalk pits or wells which belong to this class, but it may 

 be interesting to give a description of these pits of Hertfordshire 

 and Kent, as they were in full working order more than a century 

 ago. They are described by the chief agricultural writers of that 

 time, who wrote perfectly independently and innocently of dene- 

 hole controversies ! 



I will commence first with Mr. Walker's Report on the Agri- 

 culture of Hertfordshire (reprinted by the Board of Trade, 1804; 

 see p. 158), and who appears to have made notes in 1794. He 

 says (see title Chalk): "The prevailing pi-actice of sinking pits 

 for the purpose of chalking the surrounding land, enables me to 

 remark in general that the basis of the soil in Hertfordshire will 

 be found to consist of a deep bed of chalk ; the superstructure, an 

 irregular indenture of chalk and earth pillars ; the earth pillars 

 broadest at top, and narrowing as they descend, the chalk pillars 

 broadest at the bottom, rising conically, and narrowing as they 

 ascend to the surface. The chalk pillars frequently ascend to the 

 surface and form part of the staple, and the whole extent of 

 the apex is visible in ploughed lands. The earth pillars have 

 been found to descend fifty feet and upwards, to the no small 

 mortification of the chalk-pit diggers, who are frequently obliged 

 to abandon a pit which they have sunk in an earth pillar to the 

 depth of twenty feet and upwards, and sink in a fresh pit with 

 better hopes of success. 



"This general rule, however, admits of many exceptions; the 

 chalk in several parts of the county is covered for many acres 

 together with a great depth of earth, which often renders the 

 question of a chalk basis uncertain, and the downs skirting the 

 county towards Cambridgeshire are for the most part a continued 

 bed of hurlock or bastard chalk covered with a very thin staple." 



Our author then proceeds to give a description of the working of 

 these pits. 



"The undermentioned method is pursued in chalking land, and 

 the persons employed therein follow it as a trade. A spot is fixed 

 upon nearly centrical to about six acres of land to be chalked. 

 Here a pit, about four feet diameter, is sunk to the chalk, if found 

 within twenty feet from the surface ; if not, the sinkers, considering 

 that they are on an earth pillar, fill up the pit, and sink in fresh 

 places till their labour is attended with better success." 



He mentions a very curious circumstance which reminds us of 

 the wattled covers to the shafts of the subterranean dwellings 



' Mackery End Farm, Harpenden ; Hyde Farm, near Luton ; New Mill End 

 Farm, near Luton ; and many others. 



