An account of the mighty landslip at Dowlands and Bindon near Lyme Regis, December 25, 1839 / [George Roberts].

  • George Roberts
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An account of the mighty landslip at Dowlands and Bindon near Lyme Regis, December 25, 1839 / [George Roberts]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    DESCRIPTION OF THE MIGHTY LANDSLIP OF DOWLANDS AND BINDON. -000- Mountains have fallen filling up The ripe green valleys with destruction’s splinters. Byron. Description of the country between Lyme and the Slip. After the traveller has ascended the hill from the valley of Lyme Regis on his way westward, the height he has attained is not less than five hundred feet. He sees before him a continuation of road with¬ out great undulations or depression and a tract of country towards Seaton which formerly was comprehended under the title of ‘Down Umphraville.’ He has left the blue lias of the valley of Lyme and the county of Dorset, and is for a mile on the green sand formation, the bright ochry earth, too often sterile, of the farmer, till he reaches Pinney where white chalk crops out or makes its appearance. The house and upper cliff appear on the left, and a little beyond the se¬ cond mile-stone the white gates on the left cross the avenue to Whit- lands, not more than a hundred yards farther is a lane leading to Charton ; and near the third mile-stone a pathway across the fields to the left conducts to Rusedon, and a lane also on the left not much farther on allows the traveller to proceed at a right angle in a straight line to the farm named Rowlands, a corruption of Dowrn-lands, dis¬ tant about half a mile from the turnpike road. Though slight geo¬ logical changes are not easily perceived where the eye has nothing to rest on but cultivated soil ; it may be proper to state that chalk and green sand mostly the former, is uppermost. The stranger will here ask ‘Where is the magic undercliff which made Bishop Atterbury exclaim not a little profanely—I now see why wise men came from the east ? ’ We proceed to show that the road has been continued over the summit of the hill ; and that the magnificent undercliff lies to the left commencing close to the Cobb at Lyme Regis and is continued in beautiful and endless variety to Axmouth on the eastern side of the valley of Seaton.
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