them the Ridge extends; the ground at its foot sloping gradually down into the townships of Offerton, Torkington, and Norbury, which last has Middlewood for its boundary.

STOCKPORT, &c.

From Chadkirk the river Mersey takes its course, westerly, to the town of Stockport, stretching across the narrow neck of Cheshire, which darts into the hilly confines above. This course abounds with commanding positions; those on the turnpike road near Offerton Green, and that overhanging the new bridge on the Ashton road, are absolutely inaccessible. At Stockport the Mersey is increased by the tribute of the river Tame, which defends the mountainous boundary of the neck of Cheshire the whole way to the point of Yorkshire; as does the line of the Irwell further in advance, past Ashton under line, to Manchester.

The channel of the Mersey is confined at Stockport by rugged, rocky banks, past Brinksway, into Heaton. The ground above, on both the Cheshire and Lancashire sides, rises with a long but sharp ascent to the level of spacious plains. That on the Cheshire quarter stretches back south easterly in its shortest length to the foot of Marple; and thence enlarges itself to the Lyme or Bow Stone hills, in the foreground of which is the hilly range of Poynton, through Cheadle and

Bramall; where a considerable length of indenture in the ground occurs at the hall of the latter. The rest of the surface is very extensive, reaching through Alderley and Wilmslow, along the Bollin, to the point of the first, and the intermediate chain, past Macclesfield, to Pott and Lyme. This space is intersected by various inequalities of nature in Dunham, Bowdon, and other places, which form a succession of situations well adapted to defensive purposes.

WERNETH LOW

Is a mass of hill imposed on another, and looks in perspective, from the west, to be of an oblong, and rather curved figure. On the side of Marple it rises from the vale of Chadkirk to its lowest surface, containing the hamlet of Hatherlow, from which it pushes out its margin towards Bradbury and Butterhouse. Hence it ranges with a bold sweep, past Gee-Cross, with Hyde, Denton, and Newton Heath in the foreground to the north; when projecting to the base of the hilly tract on which Mottram is situated, it returns along the course of the Etherow, past Comster bridge, to its junction with the Mersey, and thence down that river to Chadkirk. The banks are almost perpendicular above the water, but break afterwards into a more inclined and gradual ascent. From the first level, which has several indentures, the main eminence begins to form a considerable and steep angle of rise, about half way

between the highest summit and the edge of the water, the whole of which may be about two miles. Its lowest discoverable swell at the base cannot be less than eleven miles in circuit. Its top is narrow in width, perhaps half a mile; but its length is considerable, amounting to between two and three miles.

MOTTRAM.

The progress of the Etherow, in its arrival to Werneth and Ludworth, flows under the mass of hill terminated by a lofty head at the town of Mottram in Longdendale, making a circuit past Broadbottom bridge. This is an inclosure of the bed of the river by stupendous cliffs. The ground above swells into a large knoll, which is surmounted again by one superior, impending over the church and street of Mottram. This range of hill is completely insulated. The cavity of Longdendale incloses its northern side: a deep valley interferes betwixt Werneth; another forms the boundary of the west and on the east is the extensive space, reaching to the foot of Chisworth Coombs and Ludworth hills, containing three or four square miles.

GAIMSLEY.

Beyond the nook of a village, called Charlesworth, commanding the approach to these eminences, and situate on the north eastern extremity of this plain, a tract of land occurs, denoted by a line of fir trees, and known by this name. Its commencement is a declination of the ground towards the river, till, arriving on its brink, it precipitates itself boldly down. to the water. This tract is a sort of promontory, under which the stream, making a serpentine course, stretches as it were its two arms. From the point of the nearest a long and deep clough emits itself, parallel with the turnpike road, to the projection of the hills above Charlesworth. The breadth of the promontory may be from a half to a full mile.

MOSELEY

Is a very broad and nearly round base of ground, rising on all sides to a high point of summit in the shape of a cone, detached from the other surrounding eminences, and covered with plantations. On the west, it faces Mottram and Gaimsley, divided by the river, which is here fordable. Its northern environs are a branch of the same; the contrary bank of which is the basement of the dark and lofty line of hill, approximating to the county of York. It descends on the east to Glossop

G

hall, near the head of the town of that name. And its southern counterpart is the end of the high Coombs of Chisworth. Its entire girth may exceed four miles; its acclivity on different sides may be from one to two. Its rise is at first moderate, particularly towards Mottram; but a more abrupt ascent conducts to the summit.

In its modern state it exhibits two terrace walks, one above the other, underneath the verdant plantations on the crown.

SHIREHILL OR CHIRIOTH.

This is another detached elevation, smaller in every respect than the last, situate about a mile to the east of it, between the town of Glossop and the high dreary hills at its back; which form a sharp recess to receive it. Its figure, beautiful and singular, is that of a half sphere, and overspread with

trees.

Southward from this hill and Glossop, a site of high ground extends, in the rear of Whitfield, of an oblong form. Behind it, after the interposition of a valley, the dark line of eminences is continued above five miles, past Park hall, to Hayfield, nearly in a right line from north to south.

The expanses and sinuations of the valleys, amongst these eminences, are variegated and numerous, and bear the general name of Glossop Dale.