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MR. W. HILL ON A DEEP 



[Feb. T908, 



I may here mention another well in Hitchin. It was situated at 

 the northern end of the town, three-quarters of a mile north-north- 

 west of Mr. Ransom's boring. It was dug so long ago that the 

 details are lost ; indeed, the well itself was filled in a few years back. 

 The tenant of the cottage is, however, alive and recollects the cir- 

 cumstances, which are also corroborated by Mr. Frederic Seebohm, 

 of The Hermitage, Hitchin. The well (bench-mark on cottage, 

 209 O.D.) was sunk about 90 feet in blue clay ; but, as an insuffi- 

 cient supply of water was obtained, boring was resorted to. The 

 bore was carried down in blue clay for about the same depth as the 

 well, that is, about 9U feet more — and still no water was obtained. 

 The blue Boulder-Clay with chalk-pebbles certainly occurs 250 yards 

 to the south-east at the gas-works ; some 25 or 30 feet was proved 

 there, immediately below the surface, when a new gas-holder was 

 constructed. A fairly-strong spring is thrown out by the Chalk 

 800 yards to the north-east, and it seems certain that if that rock 

 had been reached water would have been found. 



The next boring was made at Ickleford Eectory, nearly 2 miles 

 north-west of Mr. Ransom's boring on the hill. Ickleford is just 

 within the arms of the indentation of the escarpment ; the country 

 is but little over 200 feet above sea- level, and may be described as 

 flat, save tor the slight depressions along lines of local drainage : as 

 a whole, it descends very gently to the plain of the Gault. On each 

 side, the flanks of the main escarpment consist of bare Chalk and 

 rise in gradual slopes. All along the valley-bottom, here more than 

 a mile and a half in width, all features of the Chalk are obscured 

 by spreads of gravel and Eoulder-Clay. On the eastern side, the Hiz 

 has made for itself a shallow valley less than 200 feet above the sea. 

 The site of the boring is in the rectory-garden, 180 feet above O.D., 

 and in the valley of the Hiz. Rare Chalk occurs 350 yards to the 

 eastward ; on the west there is no outcrop of it for a mile. The 

 account kindly sent to me by Messrs. Le Grand & Sutcliff is as 

 follows : — 



Thickness. Depth in feet. 



Top-soil — mould 2 



Clay and stones 15 17 



Sand and gravel 12 29 



Sand and thin veins of clay 10 39 



Sandyclay '. 11 50 



Boulder-Clay, with pieces of chalk-flint, etc. ; 



thin layer of flints at 75 feet, with water .66 116 

 Boulder-Clay, with grains of chalk dimin- 

 ishing in number 30 146 



1 have seen the sample from 146 feet ; I am not quite satisfied 

 that it is Gault, but it may be. It is a somewhat sandy clay, 

 although the sand may have come down the bore-hole and mixed 

 with it. I did not know of the boring until it was completed and 

 the material had been removed. Nothing like Cambridge Greensand 

 was detected. 



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