148 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 26. 
I 
semination, as widely as possible, throughout the country; 
for we shall not be content, until they reach the poultry- 
yards of the poor as well as of the rich. That such will 
soon be the case we confidently anticipate, and as one means 
to that epd, we have been induced to advert to the recent 
poultry sales, and their probable consequences.—L. 
THE BOURNE, OR INTERMITTING STREAM 
OF CROYDON, IN SURREY. 
By Cuthbert W. Johnson, Esq., F.R.S. 
The copious stream of bright, and rapidly-flowing water 
which usually, after wet seasons, rises at the foot of the 
chalk hills to the south of Croydon, is known by the local 
name of “ The Bourne.” It commonly commences about ! 
the end of December, and continues till April or May, when 
it gradually disappears. In the season of 1852-3, as it 
began to flow at an earlier period that usual (November), J 
so it flowed with unusual copiousness, and began to subside 
much sooner than commonly, and ceased altogether by the 
end of March. 
I have endeavoured, by the aid of some of the old in¬ 
habitants of the parish, to ascertain some of the periods 
at which the Bourne flowed during the last forty years, and 
to contrast the outburst with the rainfall of the immediately J 
preceding period. I am indebted to the obliging commu j 
nication of It. Glaisher, Esq., of the Royal Observatory, of j 
Greenwich, for the subjoined information as to the amount j 
of rain which fell in each year since 1814. This will be j 
found in the following table, which gives the year, the ! 
amount of rain in inches, and the flow of the Bourne, as ! 
accurately as I have been able to ascertain. 
Year. 
Rain. 
Observations. 
1815 
22.5 
1816 
30.1 
1817 
29.0 
1818 
33.4 
Bourne out copiously. (F. Cooper.) 
1819 
31.1 
1820 
20.2 
1821 
34.5 
1822 
27.7 
Bourne out copiously. (F. Barrett ) 
1823 
27.1 
1824 
36.3 
1825 
24.5 
Bourne out very copiously. (F. Parrett.) 
1820 
23.0 
1827 
24.9 
1828 
31.5 
1829 
25.2 
Bourne running in January. (H. Stedall.) 
1830 
27.2 
1831 
30.8 
1832 
17.7 
1833 
23.0 
1834 
19.0 
1835 
24.9 
1836 
27.1 
Bourne running in February. (H. Stedall.) 
1837 
21.0 
1838 
23.8 
1839 
29.6 
1840 
18.3 
Bourne running in February. (H. Stedall.) 
1841 
33.3 
Bourne running in February. (H. Stedall.) 
1842 
22.6 
1843 
24.6 
1844 
24.9 
1845 
22.4 
1846 
25.3 
1847 
17.8 
1848 
30.2 
1849 
23.9 
Bourne running slightly. (C. W. J.) 
1850 
19.7 
1851 
20.15 
1852 
34.2 
Dec. Bourne copious. (C. W. J.) 
We find, then, from this table, that whenever the rainfall 
in any one year was equal to about thirty inches, the 
Bourne made its appearance about the close of that year, 
or early in the ensuing; and that it flowed copiously 
whenever the fall was considerably above thirty inches—as 
in 1818 (33.4 inches) ; 1821 (34.5 inches) ; 1825 (36-3 
inches); 1841 (33.3 inches) ; and in 1852 (34.2 inches). 
The late Dr. Mitchell appears to have paid considerable 
attention to the Natural History of these intermitting springs 
or streams, and in May, 1839, he read a very interesting 
paper before the Geological Society, from which I have 
extracted the following passage, which has also been quoted 
in Brayley’s “ History of Surrey ” :— 
“ In connection with the swallow holes [of the river 
Mole], we may here notice the outbursts of water on the 
surface, which, in some localities in Surrey, are very remark¬ 
able. From what has been already advanced respecting the 
geological structure of the county, it will be easily under¬ 
stood how overpowering reservoirs of water may be formed 
in the lowermost strata of the chalk, and find an issue 
through the fissures of the rock. A beautiful stream of this 
kind occurs near Lewes, in Sussex, taking its rise in a chalk 
valley on the side of the Brighton road, near Ashcombe, 
and flowing through the vale of Southover, into the river 
Ouse; it is called ‘ the Winterbourne Stream,’ from its 
occurrence during the winter months, the valley where it 
has its source, and a great part of its bed being dry during 
the summer and autumn. In Surrey, outbursts of water 
from the chalk occur at the Bourne Mill, near Farnham ; 
near the church at Merstliam, and at the spring near the 
church at Croydon. Occasional outbursts take place at the 
Bourne near Richmond House, where, during the spring of 
1837, the water flowed in great abundance, and continued 
six weeks. In the same year, a rivulet burst forth in Gatton 
Park, between Merstliam and Reigate.” 
I am indebted to my friend, Mr. T. W. Flower, for the 
following notice of the geological features of the district from 
whence the Bourne waters of Croydon issue, and through 
which they flow:—“One of the most remarkable geological 
features of Surrey, is the very elevated ridge of chalk which 
runs across Hie county and the adjoining county of Kent. 
It begins near Farnham, in the west, and runs to within a 
few miles of Rochester, and is usually known by the name 
of the North Down, in' contra distinction to the ridge called 
the South Downs, which run in nearly a parallel direction 
near the coast of Sussex and Kent.” 
It is on the northernmost declivity of this ridge that the 
Bourne takes its rise ; in a little hollow close to the lodge 
of Bircliwood Farm, and near the Half Moon on the 
Godstone road. It then runs nearly west along a valley or 
gorge formed by the chalk hills on each side, down to 
Burley, where it turns to the north, and runs along Smithane 
Bottom, and at the foot of Haling Park, till it reaches the 
town of Croydon. Until it reaches the town, it runs in 
rather a narrow channel, the range of hills on each side 
approaching rather closely to each other. 
The town of Croydon stands on a kind of platform at the 
mouth of the Gorge, through which the Bourne takes its 
course. The soil is a very coarse, angular, flint gravel, 
resting upon chalk, and of a depth varying from five or six 
feet, to twenty or thirty feet. This stratum is particularly 
permeable, and, no doubt, is always thoroughly saturated 
with water whenever the Bourne flows. This fact could be 
easily ascertained, if it was found necessary, by sinking a 
shaft through the gravel, ascertaining the rise and fall of 
the water in the gravel with reference to the rise and fall of 
the Bourne. 
The south and south-east parts of the town are situate, 
for the most part, on the London clay, and are not so likely 
(nor, indeed, at all likely) to be water-logged, as the south¬ 
east and eastern parts. 
With regard to the causes which produce the flow of the 
Bourne, it is to be observed that such phenomena are not 
at all uncommon in chalk districts. Both in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of the South Downs and the North Downs 
similar intermitting springs are found, and one was lately 
running at Preston, in Sussex. It has been usual to ascribe 
the origin of such springs to caverns in the chalk soils, 
having an opening outward in the nature of a siphon, and it 
has been thus supposed, that whenever, from an excess of 
rain, the level of the water has been raised in the cavern 
to the height of the bend of the siphon, the discharge 
commences, and continues until the reservoir is entirely 
emptied, probably of the accumulations of several years. 
( 
! 
