BRITTEN , FLORA OP HIGH WYCOMBE. 



321 



same plane, except Whittington Park, and Lane End, and these two, pro- 

 jecting only a few feet Eibove the others are still covered with it ; but the 

 majority of the others show either bare chalk immediately under the soil, or 

 else perhaps a few feet of mingled clay and flints — probably the detritus of 

 the floods that carried away the superincumbent formations. 



The ground slopes gradually down to the E-iver Thames, the valley of 

 which is of considerable width in some parts, and consists chiefly of gravel, 

 covered with a soil more suited for pasture than for arable land. It is pecu- 

 liarly rich in its flora. The gravel has, no doubt, been deposited by fresh- 

 water agency ; it is beautifully stratified, the layers consisting of fine gravel, 

 coarse large flints, and very finely broken small ones, such as we see at the 

 bottom of small running streams. The locality referred to as Fern Field 

 near Well End, shows these bands well. 



Downley Common is composed of gravel overlaying the chalk at a con- 

 siderable height ; and further along, on that part of it called ISTaphill Com- 

 mon, we meet with Boulder Drift, This is composed of very tenacious,- dark 

 red loam, of the depth of which I am not certain, but I have seen excavations 

 reaching to twenty feet, and from what I have heard I do not think the 

 challv lies much further down. This loam is unstratified, and devoid of 

 shells ; it has in many places, heaps of chalk flints and pebbles, mixed with 

 mud in great confusion. Immense boulders many tons in weight are dug out 

 here, they are composed of a very compact sandstone, which is used in the 

 form of small blocks for paving. They ^are found on the slope of the hill 

 towards North Dean, in which latter place, and at Denner Hill, further on 

 in the same direction, they are also dug out. On the S. W. slope of Naphill 

 Common, in a field by the side of the lane leading to Bradenham Green, we 

 find large boulders of conglomerate or plum-pudding stone, but no sandstone. 

 I counted fifty, and from the protuberances of the turf, there were evidently 

 as many more not far below the surface. They were continued along the 

 Green as far as the Risborough road. 



Fennel's Wood near Loudwater is mostly chalk, but in the highest part 

 a considerable quantity of gravel has been left. 



Several old hollow lanes wind down the sides of the hills in the neigh- 

 bourhood of High Wycombe, some of which at least, in times of yore formed 

 the beds of mountain torrents ; at the present time they are most delightf td 

 rambling places, decked in the utmost profusion with all kinds of climbing 

 plants." 



No 46, March 15. v 



