A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



which taken together furnish a good deal of information. These are the 

 floras of Manchester, Liverpool, and Ashton districts, each and all covering an 

 area beyond the county border, so that unusual care has been necessary in 

 writing this article to avoid errors, because the county is not mentioned in a 

 great number of cases. This vice-county is remarkable amongst other things 

 for the number and excellence of its artisan botanists who lived during the 

 past century. 



V.C. 60. Lancashire West. — The Ribble divides this from V.C. 59. It 

 is all on the east side of Morecambe Bay, has Yorkshire on its eastern 

 boundary, and Westmorland on its northern. Excepting the greater height 

 of its fells and moorland it is not different to South Lancashire to any great 

 extent. Its flora is more montane. Greygarth Fell, in the extreme north- 

 east corner, is the highest ground (2050 feet). Just outside this county this 

 same fell rises some 200 feet more. Several uncommon montane plants grow 

 here, but it is not quite so rich in upland forms as some of the neighbouring 

 fells outside the county. 



A number of uncommon plants grow in the doughs and on the moor- 

 land fells to the south of Greygarth. This vice-county was one of the least 

 known, botanically, until the last decade, when Messrs. Wheldon and Wilson 

 determined to make it their special study. Thanks to their enthusiasm and 

 zeal it is now quite as well known as any county. It must be remembered, 

 too, that many of the localities lie far away from a railway. The two 

 botanists named above have in progress a flora of West Lancashire. There 

 is a great deal yet to be done as regards the algas, fungi, and mycetozoa. 



The chief river is the Lune. It rises in Ravenstonedale, in Westmor- 

 land, running northwards, then westwards it receives numerous becks, full 

 of trout. Turning to the south, past Tebay, it separates Westmorland from 

 Yorkshire; and just below Sedbergh (i m.) it receives a considerable trout 

 stream, the Rawthey, which rises on West Baugh Fell, and is mainly a 

 Yorkshire river. The Lune runs to Middleton, with Rigmaden on the other 

 bank, where is the well-known trout fishery. Three miles down, Barbon 

 Beck joins the Lune on the right bank. After passing through the beautiful 

 park and grounds of Underley, the Lune passes Kirkby Lonsdale, entering 

 Lancashire a quarter of a mile below the bridge. Two miles down it receives 

 Leek Beck, and between Thurland Castle and Arkholme it is joined by the 

 Greta. The Lune then runs to Melling and Hornby, where the Wenning 

 meets it on the left bank after its junction with the Hindburn river, which 

 is formed of three considerable becks. Passing Caton and Halton, receiving 

 three small becks, the Lune runs to Lancaster. Up to this point the river is 

 remarkable for the purity of its water, but below Lancaster the state of the 

 river is most unsatisfactory. 



This vice-county may be divided into three main divisions, as suggested 

 by Messrs. Wheldon and Wilson : — 



I. North Division. — Separated from remainder of vice-county by the 

 Lune as far as its junction with the Wenning, beyond which this tributary 

 forms the line of demarcation to the Yorkshire boundary. Carboniferous 

 limestone, Yoredale series. Millstone grit, with small tracts of Upper Silurian, 

 Coal measures, and Permian sandstone are represented here. The coast line 

 consists of alternations of sandy shore, muddy salt-marshes, and rocky chfFs 



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