April — sept. 1858.] Brine-springs of Cheshire. Ill 



one. The existence of this substance appears to have first evi- 

 denced itself by the saline springs which at various places rose to 

 the surface ; and the majority of these spontaneous appearances 

 seem to have occurred in the immediate vicinity of the course of 

 the river Weaver, and of the lesser stream, the Wheelock. The 

 former of these rises in the south-west portion of the county, and 

 after running south for some miles, turns at Audlem to the north, 

 passes Nantwich, and after some distance, Winsford ; receives the 

 Wheelock about Northwich, and passing Marston and Anderton, 

 proceeds to the Mersey. The Wheelock rises in the south-east 

 part of Cheshire, and passing the village of the same name, flows 

 by Middlewich to its confluence with the Weaver. Along the 

 banks of these streams a continual succession of places occurs 

 which have at various times been famous for the production of 

 salt ; and although great fluctuations have taken place, yet these 

 have been due rather to incidental causes than to any failure of 

 material ; — imperfections in shafts allowing the admission of fresh- 

 water springs, and a slight distance from the convenience of water- 

 carriage, are reasons quite sufficient for the transfer of the manu- 

 facture from one place to another. Causes such as these probably 

 led to the abandonment of the works at Dunham in the north-east 

 of the county, and of those at Droitwich in the south-west ; yet the 

 occurrence of brines at these places is interesting, as indicative of 

 the position and extent of the beds of salt below, the two places 

 being about thirty miles apart, and about equidistant from the 

 centre of the district which is now the salt-producing one. This 

 region may be said to lie north-west and south-east, and to be 

 composed of threfe divisions, — the Northwich, the Middlewich, and 

 the Sandback : the first comprehends Northwich, Marston, and 

 Anderton, besides various other places near them ; the second em- 

 braces Middlewich and Winsford, with the surrounding neigh- 

 bourhood ; and the third of more limited extent with respect to 

 actual operation includes Sandback, Wheelock, and a few villages 

 in the immediate vicinity. In order to obtain fair samples of the 

 Cheshire brines, I therefore took specimens from each of the above 

 districts. From the Northwich district I obtained two, from springs 

 a few miles apart, through the kindness of Mr. Johnson Fletcher ; 

 the places selected in this instance were Anderton and Marston ; 



