BE>fSTED — ON THE GEOLOGY OF MAIDSTONE, 
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 
five feet. By a turn of the bank the ends may be 
seen, presenting the connections of each pipe at the 
side. 
In some situations at Bearsted a fine clean white and 
nearly pure silicious sand is found, occupying a divi- 
sion of the red sand adjoining the gault. The white Yicc. 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 ironstone 
cross the beds of white sand in various ways. pip^^- 
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' eai;th," and red clay (brick-earth). The 
masses of stone extend across to the escarpment of the lower beds 
above the valley of the Wealden — 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 
Lunatic Asylum. 
The valley of the IMedway is bounded on each side by this rag- 
stone from Mill Hall to within a mile of Yalding, where the es- 
carpment is separated by the opening in which the drainage-waters 
of the Weald flow out. Besides tliis 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 tiie 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 
Wealden beds at Coxheath, in nearly a direct line to Tovil. This 
crack has very steep sides, and the ragstone is close to the surface. 
No 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 angles to the 
Medway 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 Medway 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 very valuable hint for roughly obtaining the level of a district. — Ed. Glol. 
