THE JURASSIC AREA.—On the higher parts of the oolitic escarp ment the land is suitable only for pastoral purposes, and sheep are raised in the Cotswolds and elsewhere. In various places, also, iron is obtained from the Jurassic limestone. Apart from the Cleveland Hills, which have been included in the North-East Industrial Region, the chief deposits are in Lincoln and North ampton. The greater part of the ore produced by these two counties, which have an annual output of about 4,500,000 tons, is sent to Sheffield and other iron-manufacturing areas, but some of it is smelted in the vicinity of the mines, at Kettering, Welling borough, and elsewhere. The industry in these districts is, however, not highly organised, and the products of the furnaces, forge and foundry iron, are utilised in the workshops of Sheffield and the Black Country.
From the oolitic escarpment the land slopes gently down towards the foot of the chalk escarpment. In the lowlands are the Oxford and Kimmeridge clays, which, though productive, are heavy and difficult to work. Consequently, they have in many places been converted into grassland within recent years, and over the whole of the Jurassic belt the area under permanent grass is considerably greater than that under crops. Cattle and
sheep, wheat, barley, and roots are the chief agricultural products of the region.
Manufactures are of secondary importance. The West of England woollen industry is situated mainly, but not entirely, upon the western part of the Jurassic area, where the proximity of sheep-runs and the abundance of water favoured its early growth. Frome, Stroud, and Bradford-on-Avon are the centres of this industry, and some of their woollen cloths are held in high repute. Witney, in Oxfordshire, is famous for its blankets. Northampton shire, where nearly two-thirds of the land is under grass, has for long been a great cattle-grazing country. The presence of oak-woods encouraged the tanning industry, which in turn led to the manufacture of boots and shoes. This industry is now extensively carried on in Northampton itself, and in the towns and villages of the central and southern districts of the county. Agricultural machinery is made at Lincoln and Grantham.