28 
WARWICKSHIRE STOUR VALLEY AND ITS FLORA. 
patriotic British fairy, turned into stone, with all his attendant 
host. The block still stands near the highway, and near to 
this other groups of stones which are supposed to represent 
his knights. 
Turning our backs on these remains, we look over a pretty 
fertile woodland valley. Immediately below us, about two 
miles distant, lies Long Compton, or, as it is sometimes 
called, Compton-m-the-Hole ; the elevation here having 
fallen to 340 feet, but all around the country is elevated. In 
the north-east is the high land above Lower Tysoe, its highest 
point being 704 feet. In continuation of this is the elevated 
ridge forming the Oxfordshire boundary, over which is the 
highway to Chipping Norton, the highest elevation on this 
highway being 705 feet. Looking north, the view is bounded 
by the high land about Compton Wynyates, the highest point 
being 611 feet, and a little S.W. of this looms Brailes Hill, a 
noticeable object from most portions of the district; here the 
elevation is about 750 feet. Lying between this and the 
western boundary is the flat valley in which Burmington, 
Shipston-on-Stour, and Honington lie. Looking to the left, 
over the woodlands and heath lands of Barton-on-the-Heath 
and Wolford Wood, we see in the distance the western 
boundary of the valley; EbringtonHill, and here near Ilmington 
Downs, is the highest point in the county, 855 feet ; and 
Knowlands Hill, which is part of the same plateau, has an 
elevation reaching about 800 feet at its highest point. The 
northern boundary of the Stour Valley, the main road from 
Upper Eatington to Banbury, is a slightly elevated ridge, the 
one side draining into the Biver Dene, the other into the 
Stour. The elevations on this road range from 331 feet to 
412 feet. The north-west portion of this district is a flat, 
narrow valley, bounded by the Sliipston Load. This, at 
Halford, has an elevation of about 200 feet, Whitchurch 133 
feet, and at Milecote, which is close to the confluence of Stour 
and Avon, 120 feet. Of the geology of this district I am 
unable to speak with confidence. The prevailing soils appear 
to be those of the Lower Lias clays and limestone. The high 
lands forming the eastern border, which are a southern 
extension of the Edge Hill, are said to be formed by the marl- 
stone of this series. At Brailes the Upper Lias clay is found. 
This, it is thought, once capped the marlstone there, and has 
since been denuded, leaving only the harder included lime¬ 
stone, (Fisli-bed) portions of which are scattered in the fields 
below the hill. In some portions of the district light sandy 
soils prevail. 
(To be continued.) 
