There is no vale, or flat tract of land of considerable extent or importance, as we enter England on the west side from Scotland, till we reach Lancashire, if we ex cept the district of Carlisle. This may, with little lati tude, be deemed an extensive plain : indeed, for several miles round this city, there is a vale district of the first quality ; but the plain, taken in its whole extent, is bounded on the north by the estuary and the moss of Solway ; on the north-east, by the heights of Gillsland ; on the east, by the moorlands of Cumberland ; on the south, it unites \vitt) the valley of Appleby ; and on the west, by the slate-rock mountains and the inlet of Abbey Holm. Its area is four or five hundred square miles: it is only on its southern margin that in its ele vation it rises above the true vale character.
In Lancashire, there are several districts of vale or flat land ; the first we meet with proceeding from the north, is what is called the Fylde or Field. This tract stretches between the road from Garstang to Preston and the sea, and is about eight or ten miles in width. The southern part of the large tract which lies between the Ribble and the Mersey is also flat, quite from the sea to the commencement of the ridge which divides Lancashire from Yorkshire. The vale of Warrington, which enjoys a great degree of fertility, is formed by the Mersey, and comprises a considerable extent of ground, both on the Lancashire and Cheshire side of that river.
Cheshire is in general a flat country : ariclge of high ground crosses it from north to south on its western side; and on its eastern border there are some consider able eminences, which unite with the hills of Derby shire and Staffordshire : the rest of the county is nearly level.
The vale of Severn, taken in its most comprehensive sense, may be considered as beginning above Chepstow: it receives Worcestershire almost entirely in its outline; it then contracts and closes en the north with the hills of Shropshire and Staffordshire. Its banks on the west, are formed be the forest of Dean, Mayhill, the Malvern hills, and the hills of Herefordshire and Shropshire. Its eastern banks are formed by the Stroudwater and Cotswold hills, and by rising grounds un the borders of Warwickshire, closing with the Lickey and Clent hills. It is partially divided into three districts, by Bredon hill and sonic smaller hills, the district of Worcester shire, the vales of Gloucester, and the vale of Evesham; but if we could suppose these hills and some hillocks near Gloucester removed, the whole would form one unbroken vale, which accompanies the Severn from the union of its principal branches till it enters the Bri tish Channel. The upper part of this extensive vale is
rich, but not picturesque; it is too flat, and the banks in this part are tame. Its more striking and finished scenery commences with the Malvern hills ; and from them, till it reaches Chepstow, its banks present a con tinuous scene of picturesque beauty. Indeed, it may almost literally be deemed a garden of 40 miles extent, the Severn winding through it with unusual freedom, while the Welsh mountains, in the distance, present a striking contrast, and constitute a well-marked and noble outline.
The vale of Gloucester, or that vale which accompa nies the Severn through Gloucestershire, and which has already been noticed as part of the vale of the Severn, deserves to be particularly noticed. It may be divided into two districts,—the vale of Gloucester, and the vale of Berkely. The form of the vale of Gloucester is semicircular, the Severn composing the chord, and the environing hills the arch: in it lie the city of Glouces ter, and the towns of Tewksbury and Cheltenham. Its extent from to Bredon-hill, on the north, is 15 miles; its breadth from the Severn to Dowdeshill is seven or eight miles. It contains 100 square miles, or between 50,000 and 60,000 acres.
The vale of Berkeley approaches, in its outlines, near er to the segment of a circle than to any other regular figure: the river Severn forms an irregular chord; the hills to the south and east, a curve, which is continued to the northern angle by the Matson hills ; from the foot of these hills to Anscliff, its extent is about 25 miles ; its medium width about four miles. It contains about 80 square miles, or 50,000 acres. The waters of the Severn, which here form a lengthened estuary rather than a river, produce infinite grandeur when they mix in the view. The surface, which is somewhat irregular, is clad in perpetual verdure: the bottoms of the hills stretch in many places towards the river, hung with beech of the most luxuriant growth: the soil is uniform ly rich, and the scenery, in general, extremely fine. The land is almost entirely appropriated to grass, there be ing scarcely 1000 acres under the plough in the whole district.