THE EAST SWALE DISTRICT (No. 2). 



This district, like that of East Tees, consists of an edge of the 

 eastern moorlands, a tract of undulated country underlaid by 

 liassic strata which sweeps round their base, and beyond the 

 Lias about one-half of its total area is comprised in the great 

 Central Valley ; but in this case the line of the embankment of 

 the moorlands runs north and south, and this district, unlike 

 that of East Tees, has no coast line. Here, also, as in East 

 Tees, the watershed is only a very short distance from the edge 

 of the hill, and no dales of any considerable size which belong 

 to the district penetrate to the moorland mass, and the slope 

 from a height of 900 or 1,000 down to 300 feet is very sudden. 



The western boundary of the district is formed by the Wiske 

 till it joins the Swale, and afterwards by the latter river. The 

 less elevated part of the district is often called the Vale of 

 Mowbray. The Mowbray family were its ancient feudal lords, 

 and the district as here defined is almost identical with the tract 

 to which Mr. Grainge's book, which bears the title of "The 

 Vale of Mowbray," refers. The principal stream which runs 

 through it is called Codbeck. The hills which form its water- 

 shed on the east are the two ranges which run through the 

 Derwent district from west to east, and terminate against the sea 

 coast, as has just been explained. 



First, we will take the hill embankment, and afterwards the 

 low country. The Codbeck and the Wiske both rise in the 

 same glen, which is situated at the north-west corner of the 

 great mass of the hills. This glen is called Scarth Nick, and 

 is a bare, bleak, treeless hollow, with the Wiske issuing from 

 it at the north end, and Codbeck in an opposite direction. On 

 the west of this glen is a steep, narrow ridge, on the slope of 

 which, towards the low country, arc the woods of Arncliffe and 

 the ruins of the priory of Mount Grace. The moors above 



Jan. 1889. 



