There is one coal-field in Warwickshire : it extends in length 16 miles from Wicken and Sow, two villages close to Coventry on the east, to the border of Staffordshire east of Tamworth : it has an average breadth of about three miles. The coal district is hilly, and the outcrop of the strata on the east forms a well-defined low escarp ment, presenting in some places the coal-measures, in others the subjacent strata of the millstone-grit. At the foot of the escarp ment is a level plain, where the lower formations are covered by the red marl and new nsd-sandstone, which completely encircle the coal field. Tho principal coal-works are at tariff and Bedworth, in the southern part of the field, between Nuneaton and Coventry. Green stone is found at Grift Hydrography and Contmunications.—The greater part of Warwick shire belongs to the basin of the Severn; a considerable portiou in tho north is included in the basin of the Trent; and a small portion in the south-east in the basin of the Thames. The drainage of the county is conveyed into the Severn by tho Upper Avon, one of its most important tributaries. The Avon rises at Naseby in Northamptonshire, and enters Warwickshire about 12 miles from its source. Its course in this county is westward, passing Brownaover, Rugby, Woluton, and Ityton-on-Dunsmore, below which it turns south-west and flows through Stonelelgh Park by Warwick, through Warwick Castle Park, by Bar ford, Charlecote, and Stratford-upon-Avon ; and thence partly within, partly upon the border of the county, by Weston-upon-Avon and Bidford, till it quits the county just above Harvington milL Its course through the county is about 57 miles. (Avoss] The naviga tion commences at Stratford. The feeders of the Avon are the Swift, the Sow, the Learn, the Den; the Stour, and tho Arrow. The Swift is a small stream which rises in Leiceatershith, 4 miles from Lutter worth, passes that town, and after a course of 10 miles joins the Avon on its right bank near Rugby. The Sow rises near Astley, 5 or 6 miles north of Coventry, and flows 18 or 20 miles by Bedworth, Foleshill, Sown, and Stonoleigh, into the Avon, which it joins on the right bank in Stoneleigh Park. The Leans rises near Shuckburgh Park, flows in a very winding channel by WoUhamcote, Leamington, Hastings, Rad ford, and Leamington Priors, and joins the Avon just above Warwick. Its receives on the left tho &hew, or 'dune, which rises at the foot of Hardwick Hill, near Prior's Hardwick, and joins the Learn at Marton. The Dcne rises at the foot of the Burton Hills, and flows west and north-west by ICinetoa and Wellesbourne Hastings into the Avon, which it joins on the left bank at Charlecote. The Stour rises near Tadmarton and Swalcliffe in Oxfordshire, flows west to Burmington, then north and north-west by Shipstou-on-Stour and Preston-upon Stour into the Avon, which it joins on the left bank below Stratford. Tho Arrow rises in ;he Waste Hills, or West Hill, about 3 miles east of Bromsgrove Lickey in Worcestershire, and flows by Alvechurch, Itedditch, Studley, Alcester, where it receives the Alne on its left bank, and Arrow, into the Avon below Bidford. The Alne rises near Lapworth, and flows by Preston Begot and Great Alne into the Arrow at Alcester. None of the feeders of the Avon are navigable.
That part of the county which belongs to the basin of the Trent is drained by the Tame, which rises in Essington Wood, near Bloxwich, flows between Walsall and Wedneabury to Aston, near Birmingham, above which it enters Warwickshire, aud below which it receives the Rea from Birmingham on the right bank. It then flows by Castle Bromwich and Water Orton to the junction of the Blyth and the Bourne, both on the right bank, aud turns northward, flowing partly within, partly on the border of the county, to the junction of the Anker at Tamworth, where it quits Warwickshire. The Blyth rises just within the border of Worcestershire, and has a winding course, by or near Solihull, Hampton-in-Arden, and Coleshill, below which it receives on the loft bank the little river Cole. The Bourne rises near Arley,
and flows first south-west, then west, 10 miles into tho Tame. The Anker rises in Wolvey Fields, and flows by Nuneaton and Polesworth into the Tame at Tamworth. It receives the Griff Brook on the left bank at Nuneaton, and the Scnce, from Market Bosworth in Leicester shire, on the right, below Witherby. Part of the course of the Anker is on the border of Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Neither the Tame nor any one of its affluents Is navigable.
The small portion of the county which belongs to the basin of the Themes Is drained by a smell stream which rises near Burton Dassett, and flaws sonth-east by Warinington into the Cherwell, below Banbury in Oxfordshire.
The deficiency of river navigation, which in Warwickshire is limited to a small pert of the course of the Avon below sa Stratford, is pensated by the number and importance of its canals. The Coventry Canal commences In the Grand Trunk Canal, on Fradley Heath, near Alrewas, In Staffordshire, and runs southward, nenrly parallel to the river Tame, to Fazeley, near Tainworth afterwards It proceeds by Polesworth, Nuneaton, Bedworth, and oleahi11 to Coventry. The whole length of the canal is nearly 38 miles, 27 miles of which arc in Warwickshire. The Oxford Canal commences in the Coventry Canal at Longford, and has a winding course past Newbold-upon-Avon and into it; Moreton to Cranston, where the brand Junction Canal opens nto it; then to Naptomon-the-Ifill, and into Oxfordshire. It opens into the Thames at Oxford. The whole length of ON canal is about 81 miles ; of which about half is in Warwickshire, or in Northampton shire, one or two small projecting parts of which it croasee. before deadly quitting Warwickshire. The Ashby-de-la-Zouch Canal com mences in the Coventry Canal, 3 Wiles S. from Nuneaton, and quite the county near Hinckley ; it is continued to the collieries in the coal-field west of Ashby. The Old Birmingham Canal belongs chiefly to Staffordshire, little more than two mild being in Warwickshire. The Birmingham and Fazcley Canal, 15 milea long, belongs almost rntlrcly to Warwickshire, only two mild being in Staffordshire. There is a junction between this and the Old Birmingham Canal ou the west side Of the totm of Blimiughana. Tho Worcester and Birmingham Canal commences at the junction of the Old Birmingham and Birmingham and Fazeley canals, and runs southward and south westward into the Severn at Worcester. Of its whole course, 29 mild long, only the three miles nearest to Birmingham are in Warwick shire. The Stratford.upon-Avdn Canal toinmeuees in the Birmingham and Worcester Canal at King's Norton in Worcestershire, and runs into the Avon at Stratford. ,Of its whole course, 231 miles, by far the greater part belongs to Warwickshire. Them are three or four short branches. The Warwick and 13irmingham Canal commences at Saltisford, on the north-west side of Warivick, and runs noith-west by Hatton and Knowie to Birmingham, Where it joins a branch of the Lirminghain and Fazcley Canal, on the east side of the town of Birmingham. It is 221 miles long, and belongs almost entirely to Warwickshire. A short branch joins this canal with the Stratford on-Avon Canal. Tho Warwick and Napton Canal commences in the 'Warwick and Birmingham Canal near Warwick, and rubs eastward by Leamington Priors and Long Itchington to the Oxford Canal at Napton-on-thellill. It is 14 miles long, and belongs entirely to Warwickshire. The great system of internal navigation which brings the principal ports of England Into communication with each other, and with the manufacturing districts, has greatly promoted the manu factures of Warwickshire, especially the silk and ribbon manufactures of Coventry.