204 G. Dowker — Water-supply of Ead Kent. 



Chartham, and Canterbury. Here the river is fed by several strong 

 springs issuing from beneath the drift gravel and clay beds of the 

 Stour and lateral valleys. At Canterbury, and thence towards the 

 Isle of Thanet, there are many springs, which rise in the alluvium 

 of the valley on either side, in the form of circular deep conical pits, 

 ■which are locally called "Nicker-pits" — a name of Saxon or perhaps 

 Celtic derivation. As the water from these pits is highly calcareous, 

 it probably is likewise derived from the Chalk, or flows between the 

 Chalk and Lower Tertiary beds. Such springs occur at Chartham 

 and at Canterbury, where one goes by the name of the Silver Hole, 

 and is situated near White Hall. It was proposed by Mr. Pilbrow, 

 the engineer, to utilize this spring for the water-supply of Canter- 

 bury. Again, at West Bere, on either side of the river, like springs 

 are met with. 



The Little Stour, which in the upper part of its course constitutes 

 the Nailbourne, takes its rise at a veiy short distance from the 

 source of the Great Stour, at Postling Church, is derived from the 

 same range of hills, and has its first spring at Etching Hill, which is 

 about one mile south of Postling Church ; thence it flows through 

 the Elham Valley, by Lyminge, Elham, Barham, Bishopsbourne, 

 and Beaksbourne, where it forms a permanent stream, flowing thence 

 to Wingham, through Littlebourne, Ickham and Wickhara. At Wing- 

 ham it is joined by a branch stream fed by strong springs (" Nicker- 

 pits") at Danbridge, and by another stream running along the 

 Tertiary escarpment by Ash towards Woodnesborough ; at the latter 

 place there are large " swallow-holes " which absorb the water from 

 the surface and convey it some distance underground. Passing 

 Wingham these streams unite their waters in the Little Stoui-, which 

 flows parallel with the Great Stour, till their waters finally unite 

 at Stourmouth ; from which place the Stour (formerly the Wantsum) 

 flows in a very circuitous course round to Sandwich, where it bends 

 upon itself and flows out to sea at Pegwell Bay. 



The Dour, the next river, has two heads, one a little above Ewell, 

 at a place called " Little Waters," and another southward towards 

 Alkham, which rises at an elevation of about 300 ft. 0. D. The 

 Alkham Valley receives the drainage of the higher hills, running as 

 a "Nailbourne," these two streams unite at Eiver, and thence, as 

 the Dour, flow out to sea through Dover Harbour. The waters of the 

 Dour are highly calcareous, and deposit travertine. Large quantities 

 of this substance have been found in the Dour Valley, which formerly 

 appears to have received a much larger quantity of water. 



To the north of Canterbury in the Tertiary area of the district the 

 chief stream is one which rises, in the Blean Woods near Dunkirk, at 

 an elevation of about 200 ft. O.D., and flows in a north-easterly 

 direction to Chislet, where it flows through a valley called the 

 Nethergong, and thence out to sea northwards by Eeculver. 



A similar small stream, rising near the same place as the last, 

 flows northward out to sea at Swalecliffe, and a third stream issues 

 from the Blean Woods, and flows into Whitstable Bay by the 

 Graveuey marshes. 



