BE>'STED — OS TEE GEOLO&T OP MAIDSTOXE. 



299 



of bundles of tubes growing together ; this is proved at another 

 part by the exposure of longitudinal portions of the tubes running 

 together nearly horizontally for a distance of four or ^.^^ 

 live feet. By a turn of the bank the ends may be 

 seen, presenting the connections of each pipe at the ^ | 



In some situations at Bearsted a fine clean white and l^^^^^^ 

 nearly pure silicious sand is found, occupying a divi- "^"^ 

 sion of the red sand adjoining the gault. The white 5 Trans- 

 beds are sometimes not seen near the surface, but ap- verse section 

 pear to be below the red sand. Veins of red sand of ii-onstone 

 cross the beds of white sand in various ways. pipes. 



The great development of the Kentish ragstone in the Maidstone 

 district is a most important feature. It is found at various depths 

 from the surface, and in detached beds of different magnitudes ; the 

 first in descending order rising from under the red ferruginous sands 

 just mentioned. The beds then become broken and separated by 

 valleys and faults ; the latter filled up with gravel, red sand, rolled 

 masses of yellow "fullers' earth," and red clay (brick-earth). The 

 masses of stone extend across to the escarpment of the lower beds 

 above the valley of the AVealden — a distance from Sandling to Lin- 

 ton of about five miles. 



The ragstone at Barming Heath Hill has a thickness of eighty 

 feet, and the whole series is passed through by a well sunk near the 

 Lnnatic Asylum. 



The valley of the Medway is bounded on each side by this rag- 

 stone from Mill Hall to within a mile of Talding, where the es- 

 carpment is separated by the opening in which the drainage-waters 

 of the Weald flow out. Besides this great valley, which runs trans- 

 versely to the escarpment, there are two others which separate it la- 

 terally, each giving rise to springs which fall into the Medway. A 

 third vale or gorge has its course between the Loose Yale and the 

 Medway. It runs from near the edge of the escarpment over the 

 AVealden beds at Coxheath, in nearly a direct line to Tovil. This 

 crack has very steep sides, and the ragstone is close to the surface. 

 Xo water however flows in this channel, and it has all the characters 

 of a chalk- wold. Its course is nearly parallel to the Medway. 



The first of these lateral valleys begins in a meadow near Lang- 

 ley Heath, where a slight and gradual depression of the surface indi- 

 cates the beginning of a great crack or fissure at right anHes to the 

 Meaway valley. This gradually deepens until near Langley Church, 

 where a small spring breaks out and runs on close to Boughton 

 quarries, before reaching which however a fissure receives the water, 

 and the stream is lost to view for some distance ; but, as several issues 

 of water flow out below in the same valley, there is little doubt that 

 they come from the original source. Continuing onwards, they run 

 into the I\Iedway at Tovil. The fall is very considerable, as in the 

 distance of two and a half miles ten mills are supplied with power.* 



* This is a verv valuable hint for roughly obtaining the level of a district. — Ed. Geol. 



