HIRTOKY OF THE BROWNEY VALLEY 459 



had two overflows, one that was constantly being impeded, 

 and the other constantly being improved. The one was by 

 the river's old course through the moraine along the " Still," 

 and by Flass bog to Milburngate into the Wear. The other, 

 skirting the moraine westwards, found vent, as the dammed 

 waters rose, close by Bearpark ruins. The lake stood long 

 enough for this latter overflow to cut its bed deeper down 

 than the old obstructed course, so that when Lodge Hill lake 

 was eventually drained, the Browney stream took the new 

 course entirely, and flowing westwards of the moraine soon 

 picked up the Dearness and converted it into a tributary of 

 the Browney instead of as heretofore of the Wear. 



Finally the obstructed course became a brooklet, whose 

 upper course began to flow the reverse way, namely west- 

 wards as it does to-day, and whose lower portion, dwindling 

 into the Flass Burn, feebly strove to preserve the old track ; 

 but unsuccessfully, as we men of Durham wanted what is 

 to-day known as the North Road. The youngest portion 

 therefore of the Browney Valley is that from Bearpark to 

 the Wear, or strictly, to the junction of the Dearness. 



From a similar cause the youngest portion of the Wear is 

 that from Chester-le-Street to Sunderland ; and the successors 

 of our Red Hills moraine are responsible for that, as also for 

 the great deposit of clay at Birtley, and so for the conversion 

 of the Wear from a tributary of the Tyne to an independent 

 river. 



The valley of the Browney in its prime clearly consisted of 

 five distinct parts : first, the Upper Derwent down to Benfield- 

 side; second, Howen's Gill, Knitsley Gill, and Smallhope Burn 

 down to Lanchester, once important, now insignificant ; third, 

 from the present source above Satley also down to Lanchester; 

 fourth, the middle and most persistent area, from Roman 

 Camp to Bearpark ruins ; and fifth, the newest part from 

 Aldwin Grange to Butterby, The Red Hills moraine came 

 into being when the Browney river was at its prime, and is 

 the child of the Browney. 



