Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/256

Rh BERKSHIRE. 246 BERKSHIRE. first an easterly course by Kintbury, Ncwbury, and Thatcham, to Aidennaston, and thence a north-easterly course to Keadin the Thames a little to the north-east of that town. Its length from Ilungcrford Thames is about 30 miles, and it is navigable from bury. The Loddon, which rises in Hampshire, and for a few miles forms the boundaries of the two ecu runs from Swallowfield in a north-easterly direction, by Arborfield and Hurst, to Wargrave, where it falls by several channels into the Thames. The Auborne, also called the Emborne, rising near Inkpen, flows eastward between Berkshire and 1 ! and from near Brimpton north-east to the Kcnnct near Aldermaston. Its length is about 18 miles. The Pang >' llns Ir " m t'> hills near East IMcy, 1 y lli'.cklol.ury and I'.radi:- Pangbourn, where it falls into the Thames. The climate of Berkshire is considered very healthy, bin chalk downs, mild in the valleys, and pure everywhere. The numerous streams which "flow through the county contribute to the purity of the air. Chalk, which rises into lofty hills in the north-west, is believed to form the substratum of the greater part of the county. In some places a very thick deposit of clay covers the chalk. Limestone underlies the White Horse Yale, which is famed for its fertility. The Vale of Kennct is less 1 but highly cultivated. It contains a large extent of fine meadow land. A bed of peat is found below the meadows in the neighbourhood of Ncwbury. Largo quantities of it are cut und burnt, and tho ashes used as manure. The low hills 1> Thames and the valley of the Ock consist of oolite and shell-sand, gritstone and clay detached blocks of gritstone are found scattered over the downs. They are called locally the" Greywethers." Tho poorest soil is found in tho Forest division, especially at Bagshot Heath and the vicinity. The finest corn crops are produced in the Vale of the White Horse and tho Vale of Kennet. There are large and very produc- tive market-gardens in the neighbourhood of Reading, the asparagus of whjch is in great repute. The farms are generally of moderate size, and ore let on lease for seven or fourteen years. The cattle are of various breeds the Devon and Yorkshire being common. Many Aldcrney cows are imported. The Berkshire pig is a eujx'rior breed, of black colour spotted with white, of moderate size, und small of bone. The sheep are now mostly of the Leicester and South Down breeds, which have superseded tho native coarse breed, and also the Merino. Large and important sheep fairs are held at Ilsley twice in the year. Berkshire is divided into 20 hundreds, nhurst, Bray, Charlton, Compton, Cookham, Faircross, Farringdon, Ganli. 1,|, I (urmer, Knitbury-Eagle, Lamboum, MoretM ading, Ripplesmerc, Slnivcnham, Sonninc, Theale, Wantage, and Wargrave. At the period man survey there were 22, Windsor and Wnllingford 1" additional ones. Tho county contains about ISO parishes, including the 12 market towns of Abingdon, 1;< Wallingford, Windsor, Maidenhead, New I 'in y, W ham, Farringil.in, 1 1 ungcrford, East Ilsley, Lamboum, and Wantage. Of these tho first four are pin boroughs. Reading is the county town. Tho assizes are held at Reading and Abingdon. The latter is tho place of <' ninny, the nomination of members taking place at Ileailii. places are, besides Reading and Abiiigflnn. Fnrringdon. nghuiii, -Maidenhead, and bury. nghuiii, -Maidenhead, and East i six of these towns, with Hunc. imlsor, Brudtirld, Cockham, ami luunpstamd, into v is divid.'!. County Court districts, those of K> id, Xcwliurv, Wallingli Til, Wind- sor, and V.i ni .: 1 pulalion, :i ing ;. !!' IM;I. . nine i the conn' for !: 'I', und "lie MU li li.r A .ml V.illingloid. Tie deputy lieutenants, a
 * !, and a body of magistrates about 150 in

number. It is included in the Oxford circuit. It fon an archdcac. in the dioc. of Oxford, and prov. I 'ant i iliiiry, and is subdi vided into four rural deanerii iding, and Wallingford. contains nearly 140 benefices, and So.sho inhabit houses, according to the census of 1861. Berkshire is agricultural county, ami has no important ma There are, however, col lies and at Ncwbury and Bagnor, a blanket manufi liam,and several establishm ..g, sail-cloth, floor-' The antiquities of the county are nun ester to London passes U Berkshire, from a ] l.amhouin ; .1 probably joined it. [ckiiicld Street, which also passed throu:. s mm liain. Several Roman stations c shire, but their sites are doubtful. Tho villagerf near Newbury, is. 1 ved to be the Room ii Cast! Hurdwell Camp. The first is a double rampart, on the downs near Lan tends over an area of 26 acres. Uffington Castle, top of White Horse Hill, is of an o length from E. to W., and 600 i N. to S. A double rampart surrounds it. I Camp, quadrangular, with two ramparts, is former. Other encampments are found r nipetead, Ashdown Park, Wild i > bourn. That ii' size, and is culled " Csesar's Camp." That near j county contains tumuli, of which the most are Way land Smith's Cave, and U name of the former, and the popular ti.: with it, of which Scott makes use i arc traced ba< ndinavian < situated on the hills near Wiltshire U i massive stones, some being disposed in the < of a cromlech. On tho sani< Barrows," and tho singular " latter is a small rough block of KI it of unequal size. Tho sound ]n some pi lings may si six mi: rkshire has not n castles i account of Windsor 1 The ancient ibrtresM Newbury, and Farringdon, have BO < it is scarcely possible to determine v gateway with towers is all that is ; castle of Donnington. Exi exist at Wallingford, but of the r:> but a small part of tho v all ii...: : religi -t iliii i mi n:, in' luiii'
 * ire many ri i at lent cam].
 * md i.- called " Alfred's Cai "
 * gs are gem rally slight and unim

il houses were the unit' r abbeys v !so two i'n ci-ptories of eliiiiches, which an .:: -Avington, an ire; I.amliouni, of the sa: small mid 1 cautiii .'i pj.in : Vi ten of the perpendicular county COM manor houses. One of the 1; iilrt'.n, jiai-tly In-longing to the reign of The While II is OH' larkuiile antiqui n am <- Honn