58 



Broughton Gifford. 



houses and stalls until the inclement weather abated, that always 

 on the approach of spring and calving time, he drove his cows from 

 their houses and stalls to the best ground he could get, to preserve 

 the calves. He failed, however, in convincing the court that his 

 motives were purely bucolic, and was ordered "forthwith to come 

 to an account with the plain tiff." The rector was more successful 

 in the enforcement of his material, than of his spiritual rights. The 

 law could reach men's cattle, but not their consciences. 



The means of education were partly provided here for the labour- 

 ing population, as we have seen, by good Mrs. Paradice in 1782. 

 Further facilities were afforded in 1850 by the erection of commo- 

 dious school and class rooms. 



Natural History. 

 Land. 



We lie in an extensive valley, which measures eight miles across. 

 Kingsdown is on the north, the line of hill trending away towards 

 Oorsham (thus separating us from the Box valley), and Monks 

 park; then (the river Avon intervening) follow, Bowden, Sand- 

 ridge, Rowde, Roundway Hills, and the projecting hog's back of 

 Seend, on the east; Salisbury Plain, the heights of Bratton, Ed- 

 ington, and the White Horse of Westbury are on the south ; the 

 hills about Farleigh-Hungerford, Westwood, Bradford (the river 

 escaping here through a narrow opening), Winsley, and Conkwell, 

 close us up westward, and connect themselves with Kingsdown. 



The surface of the parish presents no commanding eminences, 

 and yet cannot be called a flat. There is scarcely a field from 

 which the water does not readily fall, and yet there is nothing 

 which can be called a hill. Old deeds so call Norrington common, 

 which cannot be more than 50 feet above the level of the river. 



In the south, including the railway, the upper soil is a fine 

 mould, resting on a bed of gravel, which again rests on Oxford 

 clay, increasing in consistency according to depth. These beds 

 are of varying thickness. The mould, geologice brick earth, is three 

 or four feet thick before it touches the gravel: which again is as 

 thick, before the clay is reached. Sometimes, where the ground 



