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Its ancient

division into three natioas.

Air, soil, and rivers.

Canals.

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* BERKSHIRE. This county was originally inhabited by three tribes or nations, termed by the Romans Attrebates, Bibroces, and Segontiaci. The first occupied part of the west, the south-west and north-west parts. The second the south-east parts; and the third a portion of the north parts. Under the Romans, this county formed part of the first division called Britannia Prima. During the Heptarchy it belonged to the West Saxons. It was once called Berrocshire, from the name of a hill covered with box, which at one time occupied a large portion of it. It is an inland county, bounded on the north by the Thames, which divides it from Oxfordshire on the west, and Bucks on the east; and by part of Surrey; on the north by Surrey and Hampshire; and on the west by Wilts and a small part of Gloucestershire. It is so very irregular in its shape as not to admit of any adequate description. Its greatest length is about forty-eight miles, and its utmost breadth from north to south about twenty-five. In one of the narrowest parts, by Reading, it is about six or seven miles, and less still at the eastern extremity. It contains about 464,500 acres, and is about 140 miles in circumference; it is in the province of Canterbury, and the diocese of Salisbury; (the parish of Chilton, which is in the diocese of Oxford, and Langford, which is in that of Lincoln, excepted ;) subject to an archdeacon, and is divided into six deaneries. It is included in the Oxford circuit. There are 20 hundreds, 12 market towns, 148 parishes (of which 67 are vicarages,) and 671 villages. The natural divisions of the county are four, 1. The Vale, beginning at Budcot, and ending at Streatley. 2. The Chalky Hills, running nearly through the centre of the lower part of the county. 3. The Vale of the Kennet, extending diagonally from Hungerford to near Wargrave. 4. The Forest Division, commencing on the east to Loddon, and occupying nearly the entire breadth of this part of the county to Old Windsor, and from Sandhurst south to Maidenhead north. The air is deemed peculiarly salubrious, particularly on the chalky and gravelly soils, which are the most common throughout the county; but the uneven face of the country causes some slight degree of variation in this particular, though every part is considered healthful and good. The soil is as various (though perhaps more mixed) as in the last described county. The Vale of White Horse consists generally of a rich strong loam and gravel, with some sand and stone brasp, producing corn, wheat, beans, &c. In the Chalk Hill district, light black earth on chalk prevails, with flint, chalk, gravel, and loam. Here numerous sheep are fed; it produces, towards the south and east, turnips, barley; and, when properly manured, Lammas wheat and artificial grasses. The Vale of Kennet, is generally peat land, with gravel, loam and clay, though in the south east parts a poor stony and heathy soil. The Forest District, gravel, clay, and loam, except on the south, which is poor and heathy. The principal rivers and streams are the Thames, the Kennet, the Loddon, the Lambourn, the Ock, the Aubourn, the Emme, and the Broadwater. All these, with perhaps the exception of the Aubourn, the Emme, and the Broadwater, abound with almost every kind of fresh water fish. Besides these rivers and streams, there are the Ginge Brook, the Moreton Brook, and other rivulets, &c.; also some other natural and artificial lakes and ponds. Water, however, is generally scarce on the Berkshire downs, and along the whole of the chalky stratum. The navigable rivers are the Thames and the Kennet. The navigable canals are the Kennet and Avon canal, which joins the river Kennet a little above Newbury; the entire length from Newbury to Bath is sixty miles-it has been navigable since the year 1798; and the Wilts and Berks canal, opened on September 21,

[blocks in formation]

Its ancient

division into three natioas.

Air, soil, and rivers.

Canals.

[blocks in formation]

* BERKSHIRE. This county was originally inhabited by three tribes or nations, termed by the Romans Attrebates, Bibroces, and Segontiaci. The first occupied part of the west, the south-west and north-west parts. The second the south-east parts; and the third a portion of the north parts. Under the Romans, this county formed part of the first division called Britannia Prima. During the Heptarchy it belonged to the West Saxons. It was once called Berrocshire, from the name of a hill covered with box, which at one time occupied a large portion of it. It is an inland county, bounded on the north by the Thames, which divides it from Oxfordshire on the west, and Bucks on the east; and by part of Surrey; on the north by Surrey and Hampshire; and on the west by Wilts and a small part of Gloucestershire. It is so very irregular in its shape as not to admit of any adequate description. Its greatest length is about forty-eight miles, and its utmost breadth from north to south about twenty-five. In one of the narrowest parts, by Reading, it is about six or seven miles, and less still at the eastern extremity. It contains about 464,500 acres, and is about 140 miles in circumference; it is in the province of Canterbury, and the diocese of Salisbury; (the parish of Chilton, which is in the diocese of Oxford, and Langford, which is in that of Lincoln, excepted ;) subject to an archdeacon, and is divided into six deaneries. It is included in the Oxford circuit. There are 20 hundreds, 12 market towns, 148 parishes (of which 67 are vicarages,) and 671 villages. The natural divisions of the county are four, 1. The Vale, beginning at Budcot, and ending at Streatley. 2. The Chalky Hills, running nearly through the centre of the lower part of the county. 3. The Vale of the Kennet, extending diagonally from Hungerford to near Wargrave. 4. The Forest Division, commencing on the east to Loddon, and occupying nearly the entire breadth of this part of the county to Old Windsor, and from Sandhurst south to Maidenhead north. The air is deemed peculiarly salubrious, particularly on the chalky and gravelly soils, which are the most common throughout the county; but the uneven face of the country causes some slight degree of variation in this particular, though every part is considered healthful and good. The soil is as various (though perhaps more mixed) as in the last described county. The Vale of White Horse consists generally of a rich strong loam and gravel, with some sand and stone brasp, producing corn, wheat, beans, &c. In the Chalk Hill district, light black earth on chalk prevails, with flint, chalk, gravel, and loam. Here numerous sheep are fed; it produces, towards the south and east, turnips, barley; and, when properly manured, Lammas wheat and artificial grasses. The Vale of Kennet, is generally peat land, with gravel, loam and clay, though in the south east parts a poor stony and heathy soil. The Forest District, gravel, clay, and loam, except on the south, which is poor and heathy. The principal rivers and streams are the Thames, the Kennet, the Loddon, the Lambourn, the Ock, the Aubourn, the Emme, and the Broadwater. All these, with perhaps the exception of the Aubourn, the Emme, and the Broadwater, abound with almost every kind of fresh water fish. Besides these rivers and streams, there are the Ginge Brook, the Moreton Brook, and other rivulets, &c.; also some other natural and artificial lakes and ponds. Water, however, is generally scarce on the Berkshire downs, and along the whole of the chalky stratum. The navigable rivers are the Thames and the Kennet. The navigable canals are the Kennet and Avon canal, which joins the river Kennet a little above Newbury; the entire length from Newbury to Bath is sixty miles-it has been navigable since the year 1798; and the Wilts and Berks canal, opened on September 21,

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