77

1)

Ap 3/81/ Lewes Ridges

Above where the Eastbourne Rd leaves the town — very steep bit of down, angle 40˚ About 30 ridges stretching nearly horizontal for long distance certainly more than 100 yds. Each ridge is like a step consisting of a flat bare piece of earth bordered by a line of strong coarse grass [sketch] . The bare piece is 5 or 6 inches wide; the whole width if the step including the bare place and the tuft of grass is 9 or 10 inches. The ridges are somewhat sinuous ie not absolutely horizontal; and often run into one another which gives the appearance of one ridge forking into two. When measured from one line of grass to the next the distance apart of average ones was about 20 inch

Three sections were made: in No. 1, I dug down 13 or 14 inches & did not reach the solid chalk. Only pale coloured soil full of small pieces of chalk-Close under the surface was a layer about 5 inches thick, of fine textured earth without bits of chalk. In No 2 there was 9 in of soil on the chalk where a ridge was, and

[sketch]

78a

2)

only 4 inch a little higher up the slope. In section (3) the same general state of things was found [sketch]

It is evident that bits of chalk rolling down are frequently caught on the ledges, and the strong fringe of grass would ensure the ledges catching anything that rolled down. The bare part of the ledges are covered with loose little bits of earth which look like disintegrated castings, but I saw very few with any rounded outline like fresh castings — Saw several pieces of dry sheep dung in the ledges; the ledges had not a worn trodden look. The girl at the public house below said sheep came there.

At one end of the bank the chalk gets nearer the surface so that one sees "rocks" of chalk projecting and the grass gets scantier, here the ledges got much more irregular. At the other end of the bank it becomes rather

78b

3)

rapidly less steep, and here the ridges cease rather abruptly; the coarse grass which marks the ledges where they are distinct, becomes less conspicuous, and is irregularly distributed instead of being in lines; or makes little ledges a foot or two long. Below this place the slope again gets steeper and the ledges again become regular.