t C 110 ] 
The tcnvn of Newbury lies north and fouth, in 
the fhape of a Y, crofs a valley ; which valley runs 
eaft and weft, and is here about a mile broad, the 
river Kennet running along the middle of it. The 
peat is found in the middle of this valley, on each 
fide of the river, extending in all from between a 
quarter of a mile to about half a mile in breadth ; 
and in length, along the valley, about nine miles 
weftward, and about feven eaftward ; and I believe 
much further, tho’ not yet difcovered, and perhaps 
with fome intermiflions. 
The ground it is found in is meadow land, and 
confifts chiefly of a whitifh kind of earth : under 
this lies what they call clob> being a peat-earth, 
compounded of clay, of a fmall quantity of earth, 
and fome true peat : it is from four to eighteen inches 
thick ; and where the earth above it is but thin, it 
is fometimes full of the roots of plants, that grow 
on the furface of the ground : and if the meadow 
alfo be moorifh, the fedge and flags will fhoot their 
roots quite thro’ it into the true peat, which lies di- 
redtly under this clob. 
The top of the true peat is found at various depths, 
from one foot to eight feet below the furface of the 
ground ; and the depth or thicknefs of this peat is 
alfo very different, from one foot to eight or nine 
feet, the ground below it being very uneven, and 
generally a gravel. My friend jMr. Ofgood has dug 
two feet into this gravel, to fee if any peat lay below 
it, but could not find any. 
The trueft and beft peat has very little (if any) 
earth in it j but is a compofition of wood, branches, 
twigs, leaves, and roots of trees, with grafs, ftraw, 
7 plants, 
