BRISTOL, ETC., IN MAY AND JUNE, 1767. 27 
of water in England, occupying 200 acres. On digging to make 
an head to it, about twenty feet below the surface was found a 
stratum of oyster and other kinds of shells ; the latter seemed 
strongly impregnated with ore, and appeared silvered over." 
Mr. J. C. Mansel-Pleydel], F.G.S., F.L.S., of Whatcombe, near 
Blandford, has been so kind as to inform me, that the stratum 
Hutchins refers to, is the lowest bed of the Woolwich and Beading 
beds, which rest upon the chalk. The oyster is Ostrea Bellovacina, 
which is referred to on page xxxii. of his Flora of Dorset. 
I regret to learn from the Kev. W. Blachford Hill, the rector of 
Chettle — who has most kindly investigated the locality — that the 
lake is no longer in existence, having been drained 90 or 100 years 
ago. I will quote a portion of his interesting letter : — 
" I next enquired at a cottage, where the man told me that the 
j)osts of the flood gates that kept the Avaters in were still in their 
old places, and stood up 20 feet high. That was at the lower end 
of the lake. I went into the field, considerable part of which 
formed originally the bed of the lake. The yellow Iris I saw in 
full bloom where once the water spread. Afterwards I called at 
the Vicarage and saw the Vicar. He told me that the property 
about 200 years ago {i.e. from about 1690 to 1790 or thereabouts) 
belonged to the Sturts, and that they lived then in the great house. 
Then, from 1790 or thereabouts, the property belonged to the 
Shaftesbury family. They turned the great house, formerly occu- 
pied by the Sturts, into a farmhouse, and, land being considered 
more valuable to a farmer, drained the lake." 
^ Chepstow Bridge. — In reference to the peculiar con- 
struction of this Bridge, the following anecdote may be worth 
inserting : — 
" The construction of the bridge at Chepstow is extremely 
curious; the planks that form the floor rise with the tide, which, 
at certain times, is said to attain the height of 70 feet. About 
twenty-four years since it was thought necessary to remove the 
floor of this bridge, which was accordingly done, and only one or 
two of the pla.nks remained for the convenience of foot passengers. 
This was very Ts^ell lighted, and a man placed at the end, to warn 
those that approached of their danger. But it so happened that 
one dreadful stormy night the lamps blew out, and the monitor, 
supposing that no one would in such a hurricane attempt to pass, 
retired to shelter. 
" After midnight a traveller knocked at the door of an inn at 
Chepstow. 
