In the south-west of England, the vales of Exeter and Taunton are the most worthy of notice and descrip tion. The vale of Exeter accompanies the Exe from the sea to the Tiverton hills, which constitute its north ern boundary. This boundary is continued toward the east by Blackdown hill, till it reaches the Honiton hills. The western boundary of the vale is the Halldown Hills, and a continuation of some heights that lie to the north of Exeter: here the vale spreads to the west, till it ap• proacnes Crediton. It contains about 200 square miles, and is watered by the Exe and the Otter.
The vale of Taunton lies in the north-west quarter of Somersetshire. It is bounded on the north by the Quan toe hills; on the south by the Blackdown hills, which separate it from the vale of Exeter; on the west, it is bounded by the skirts of Exmorc: its boundaries on the cast are not accurately defined, but in general they are formed by the rising grounds of Curry, and the marsh of South Sedgmore. The vale of Taunton is small, comprising only about 100 square miles; the river Tune runs through it : its productions are corn, particularly wheat, of remarkably fine quality.
The prolific vale of Aylesbury lies in the county of Buckingham. It is formed by the river Thames, and a small stream which falls into that river at the bottom of the vale. It furnishes a rich pasturage to an immense number of cattle, its amazing fertility being principally employed in the support of the dairy and grazing sys tems.
The Trent in many parts of its course, runs through vales which, though not of great extent, are not deficient in beauty or fertility. The vale of Belvoir, in Notting hamshire, deserves particularly to be noticed: it forms a tract, that lies beyond the south-east bank of that river to the borders of Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. Its rich loamy soil is cultivated with LI mixture of arable and pasture.
Rutlandshire boasts one vale of special name," ce lebrated by Drayton in his Polyabion: this is the rich vale of Catmose, which runs horn the western side to the centre of the county, and is watered by the little ri ver Gaush, or Wash.
Wales, though a mountainous country, is not destitute of vales. The vale of Mold, in Flintshire, is uncom monly rich and beautiful : but the most celebrated of the Welsh vales is the vale of Clwyd, in Denbighshire. It commences in the middle of the county, stretching considerably more than twenty miles from its upper end to the sea. In breadth, it varies from three miles to
eight, according as it approaches to, or recedes from, the mountains that inclose it. In many parts of these moun tains, gaps are formed by nature, seemingly for entran ces into it. The vale of Clwyd is in a high state of culti vation, and is full of gentlemen's seats, villages, and towns. The principal of the last, are Ruthen and Den bigh. The river Clwyd runs along the vale, and is joined in its course by several small streams.
The vale of Conway, in Caernarvonshire, along which flows the river of that name, is a long and narrow tract, celebrated for its romantic and picturesque beauties. It affords rich pasturage, corn fields, and groves. Its beau ty and fertility are wonderfully set off by the bleak re gion of Snowdon, that frowns above it.
The vale of Festiniug, which, however, more aptly and justly falls under the denomination of a valley, lies in Merionethshire, forming its north-western angle. It is small, but strikingly beautiful.
The last vales in Wales that we shall mention, are those of Towy and Glamorgan. The former is in Caer inarthenshire, extending 30 miles up the county : its breadth is about two miles. The river Towy runs through it: it abounds in picturesque beauties, which, from the celebrated Grongar and the castle of Dy nevor, afford the richest prospects. The vale of Gla morgan, or, more properly speaking, the great level, is a tract extending along the sea-coast of the county of that name, stretching inland for eight or ten miles. It is the most fertile part of Wales, rich in corn, pasture, and mineral treasures.
Besides the vale districts which have been noticed and described, there are several other extensive level tracts in England, which must not be passed over in a description of the country. The largest plain in the king dom extends from the banks of the Thames, through Es sex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, comprehending also a consi derable part of the counties which border on these to the west. The road from London to Norwich by Newmar ket, which passes along the western sides of Essex and Suffolk, to the middle of Norfolk, being a distance of one hundred and eight miles, is more level and unvaried in its surface than any tract of ground of the same length in England. Indeed, this extensive plain may almost be said to extend through Lincolnshire, and crossing the Humber, to join the plain district of Holderness in Yorkshire, which has been already described.