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SURREY is situated in the south-eastern part of the kingdom - bounded on the north by the river Thames, which separates it from Middlesex; on the north-west by Berkshire, on the west by Hampshire, on the south by Sussex, and on the east by Kent. In form it presents a greater regularity than any other county of England; and were it not that its northern side is marked by considerable indentions, produced by the windings of the Thames, its shape would exhibit that of almost a perfect square. In length, from Haslemere on the south, to the Thames, its boundary on the north, it is about forty miles; from east to west it measures about thirty-five miles; and its area comprises 758 square miles, or 685,120 statute acres. In size it ranks as the thirtieth English county, and in population as the fifth.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - The SOIL of this county, although extremely various, may be reduced to the four general heads of clay, loam, chalk and heath. The most extensive tract of uniform soil is that which extends along the whole southern border of the county, and forms what is called 'the Weald of Surrey'. Northward, a district of sandy loam stretches entirely across the county. A very large portion of the west side of Surrey is occupied by heaths, the soil of which is very indifferent. The woods, of which there are but few, are flourishing. That part of the county skirted by the Thames is remarkable for the fertility of its meadows, for the excellence of its cultivation, and for the number of its elegant villas. The south-west angle of the county has the fame for growing some of the finest hops in the kingdom. The south border is well watered, and finely varied with wood, arable and pasture; and the south-east side is a rough woody district, called 'Holmsdale', extending into Kent. The agriculture of Surrey is by no means of the first order; but, by its vicinity to the metropolis, the farmers and gardeners can always command a market. House-lamb suckling forms one of the most lucrative branches of the Surrey farmer's avocations; the grain of the meat is sound and healthy, and its flavour very fine. The CLIMATE of this county, though upon the whole salubrious, is almost as varied as the soil and surface. The southern border is moist and damp, from its flatness; as are the low parts, near the Thames. On the other hand, where the chalk soils prevail, and on the whole west side, the atmosphere is dry, keen and bracing. The spring is in general early, and the summers are usually dry and warm. The MANUFACTURES of the county consist of starch, tobacco, snuff, gunpowder, paper, vinegar, pottery ware, and hats; of the latter, immense quantities are made in the borough of Southwark. There are also some extensive distilleries and breweries, bleaching and printing works; and leather dressing and wax bleaching establishments are distributed throughout the county.
KENT is a maritime county, and one of the most beautiful districts in the island; it includes within its boundaries numerous objects replete with interest, and towns of high importance, magnitude and beauty. It is situated on the south-east extremity of Great Britain, opposite to France, from which it is distant (at its nearest point, Dover) about twenty-four miles. Its figure is irregular, but approaches more to the trapezium than to any other. On the north side it is bounded by the river Thames; on the east side, and part of the south, it opens to the German Ocean and British Channel; on the remainder of the south side it is skirted by Sussex, and on the west by Surrey. From east to west (i.e. from North Foreland to Deptford), it is about sixty-three miles in length; and in breadth, from the point of Dungeness to the North Foreland, nearly forty miles; while, from the central sides, it is not more than twenty-five wide. The ambit of the county is about one hundred and seventy-four miles; and its area comprises 1,537 square miles, or 983,680 statute acres. In size it ranks as the ninth county in England, and in population as the sixth.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - The general aspect of Kent is very beautiful, arising from the inequality of the surface, the diversity of the scenery, and the variety of the verdure. A great intermixture of SOILS are found in the county: its whole north side is composed chiefly of chalk and flints, as well as a large tract on the east coast; in the southern part, iron-stone and rag-stone prevail; and more westerly, clay and gravel. The Isle of Thanet is in a very high state of cultivation, and of remarkable fertility; and its soil has been greatly improved by the inexhaustible store of manure supplied by the sea. The soil of the Marshes is a stiff clay, mixed with sea sand and small shells; and the upland farms of East Kent comprise different soils. The CLIMATE of Kent, upon the whole, may be considered salubrious; the marshy districts are the most unhealthy. The proximity of the German Ocean and British Channel renders the county subject to the cold sea winds, which are often injurious to vegetable produce, when in an infant and tender state.
PRODUCE - The hop grounds are very extensive throughout many parts of the county, particularly in the vicinity of Canterbury, Faversham and Maidstone: the Canterbury hops are much esteemed for their strength, and the produce of the plantations all the way to Sandwich is in high repute. Besides hops, the neighbourhood of Maidstone is celebrated for its apples, cherries and filberts. In the Isle of Sheppey, now as in former times, sheep are fed in great numbers in the marshes. The Weald of Kent is a remarkable and considerable tract: when viewed from the adjoining hills, a most delightful landscape is embraced, interspersed with small eminences, highly cultivated, and animated by farm houses, seats and villages, promiscuously scattered among towering oaks and other trees. The MANUFACTURES of Kent, at one period, were of greater extent and importance than they have been of late years: the clothing trade has long been extinct. The various dock-yards give employment to numerous artizans in all the different branches of naval affairs; and ship building, sail and rope making, are carried on at other towns on the sea coast. Gunpowder is manufactured near Faversham and at Dartford; and a beautiful kind of ornamental and toy ware, of wood, called 'Tonbridge ware', is made at that town and at Tonbridge Wells; and there are, in other localities, silk and paper mills, calico printing works, iron foundries, &c. The dredging for and exportation of oysters form a profitable occupation to many persons in this county.
SUSSEX is a maritime county, being bounded on its whole southern side by the British Channel: the counties of Surrey and Kent are its boundaries on the north; the latter county, for a short distance, shirts its eastern border; and on the west it is bounded by Hampshire. In length, from Emsworth, on the confines of Hampshire, on the west, to the Kent Ditch, on the east, it is seventy-five miles; its greatest breadth, from Beachy Head, on the south-east, to Groom Bridge, on the north, is twenty-eight miles; and its area comprehends 1,463 square miles, or 936,320 statute acres. In size Sussex ranks as the thirteenth English county, and in population as the eighteenth.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - All the various SOILS of chalk, clay, sand, loam and gravel, are to be found in Sussex: chalk being the universal soil of the South Downs; clay, that of the Weald; sand, of the north part of the county; loam prevails on the south side of the hills; and gravel lies between the rich loam on the coast, and the chalk on the elevated grounds. The surface of the county is varied by several considerable eminences, commencing on the borders of Hampshire, on the north-west, and extending to Beachy Head, on the south-east: that part running from Lewes to the sea is distinguished by the name of the 'South Downs'; and is noted for feeding innumerable sheep, in great estimation for the fineness of their wool and the goodness of their mutton. The north and middle districts of the shire are well furnished with timber. The western part of the coast is a stripe of arable land, of uncommon fertility; and the east side is a strong, well-cultivated soil, intermixed with rich pasture. The CLIMATE of Sussex, on the south side of the South Down hills, is very warm, and exceedingly favourable to vegetation; but, upon the exposed and bleak situation of the hills open to the south-west, the winds are frequently so boisterous as to strip the thatch from buildings and corn-stacks, and blow the corn out of the ear at harvest. These winds, when impregnated with saline particles, occasioned by the western blast beating the spray against the beach, destroy all hedges and trees - every leaf, and in general every thing green. The PRODUCE, on the heavier lands, consists of wheat, beans, oats and cabbages; whilst the barley and turnips grown on those of a lighter staple are equal to any cultivated in England. Sussex is highly extolled for its FARMING STOCK, particularly its cattle and sheep. The former are nearly of the same kind as those of Devon, and like them are worked in the yoke, being strong and active in their labour, and prove excellent beef when fattened. The sheep, by the care of some judicious breeders, yield heavy fleeces, of a superior quality - are hardy in the fold, fatten quickly, and when killed their mutton is of a fine flavour; they have deservedly become the favourite breed all over the island. In the western parts of the county are some considerable orchards, from which cider is made, but chiefly for home consumption. Sussex, from a very early period, has been distinguished for its growth of oak timber, preferred by naval architects to that produced from any other district; the principal and most extensive forests are those of St. Leonard, Ashdown, Waterdown and Tilgate.
Old Hastings and St. Clement's Church
The MANUFACTURES of Sussex are neither various nor extensive. At Battle gunpowder is made, and in some other towns paper, being all that can with propriety be placed under this head as regards the county generally; but the local and shipping trade of many of the towns is flourishing; and in ship-building, and the manufacture of various articles necessary for the equipment of vessels, many hands are employed in the yards and ports on the coast. The chief mineral productions are the different descriptions of limestone, some of which are of a very superior quality, and susceptible of a beautiful polish: a considerable quality is used, under the name of 'Sussex marble' for chimney-pieces.
HAMPSHIRE or the County of SOUTHAMPTON, is a maritime county, situate on the southern coast of the kingdom; bounded on the north by Berkshire, on the east by the counties of Sussex and Surrey, on the south by the English Channel and by the Sound (which separates from that part comprised within the Isle of Wight), and on the west by Wiltshire and Dorsetshire. It extends in length, from north to south, about fifty-five miles, - and in breadth, from east to west, about forty; its circumference is about 150 miles, and its area comprises 1,628 square miles, or 1,041,920 statute acres. In size it ranks as the eighth county in England, and in population as the fifteenth.
SOIL, PRODUCE, CLIMATE, and MANUFACTURES - The surface of Hampshire is beautifully varied with gently rising hills and fruitful valleys; adorned with numerous seats and villages, and interspersed with extensive woodlands. The chief part of the county is enclosed, - though large tracts of open heath and uncultivated land, remain in the vicinity of Christchurch, and on the borders of Dorsetshire; the aggregate extent of the waste lands, exclusive of the forests, is supposed to include nearly one hundred thousand acres. The SOILS are extremely numerous, but the far greater proportion has a tendency to chalk: in most parts the soil is deep and rich, producing heavy crops of wheat and barley, as well as other grain; and great quantities of malt are made throughout the county. The vicinity of Redbridge is distinguished for its valuable salt marshes; a great portion of the land in the parishes eastward of Alton, and bordering on Surrey, is appropriated to the growth of hops, the plantations of which have been multiplied of late years, through the reputation of the Farnham hops. The CLIMATE of this county, in most parts of it, especially upon the downs that cross it from east to west, is of the most salubrious and invigorating nature; nor are the exhalations from the low grounds near the sea so pernicious as in other counties - and the seasons are mild and genial. Hampshire produces more wood than in any other county in England, particularly oak; and a great part of the British navy has been built and repaired with its timber. As a breeding county, especially of sheep and hogs, it has obtained considerable repute; the former has given way to the more valuable south-down breed, but the latter maintain their proverbially fame: the bacon cured in the county is very rich and fine, and of a peculiarly pleasant flavour, similar to that of ham; very little of this bacon leaves the county, although much is sold, in London and other places, under the inviting name of 'Hampshire bacon'.
In MANUFACTURES and MINERALS, Hampshire has less claims to notice, perhaps, than any other English county. The former comprise a few stuff goods, as shalloons and denims; and some serges and other coarse woollens. The mineral productions are mostly confined to the cliffs on the sea coast, particularly in the neighbourhood of Lymington, Hordwell and Christchurch. A great variety of potter's clay is presented in different parts of the county, exhibiting the different shades of colour from a brown to a dead white, and all convertible into a beautiful white brick. Hampshire is adorned by several exceedingly handsome towns, and is distinguished as possessing within its boundaries the most strongly fortified port (PORTSMOUTH) in Great Britain, where the largest ships are built, and where are docks, arsenals and storehouses of unrivalled magnitude; and at Gosport, across the mouth of the harbour, is one of the largest naval hospitals in the kingdom. Off the point of land that terminates this peninsula is the well noted road of Spithead, where the men of war rendezvous when they are prepared for and expect immediate active service.
BERKSHIRE is an inland county, of very irregular form: in circumference, according to Roque's mensuration, it is 207 miles; but it must be presumed that this survey takes the extreme of all the promontories, and enters into all the devious curves and windings which characterize its external figure - for other surveyors have stated its circumference to be only about 120 miles. It's greatest length, from Old Windsor to the county cross, is 42 miles; its extreme breadth, from Witham, near Oxford, to the borders of Hampshire, south of Newbury, about 28 miles; and its narrowest, from the Thames near Reading across to the border of Hampshire, in a direct south line only seven miles. Berkshire is bounded on the north by the counties of Oxford and Buckingham, from which it is separated by the Thames; on the east by Surrey, on the south by Hampshire, and on the west by Wilts. This county ranks at the thirty-first in size, and in population as the thirty-second.
SOIL, PRODUCE and CLIMATE. - By a survey made in 1806 the appropriation of land in this county was as follows: land in corn agriculture, about 250,000 acres; meadows and dairy land, 75,000; sheep walks and barren heaths, 55,000; and pasture parks, &c. 20,000. The natural divisions of Berkshire are four, namely the Forest district; the Vale of the Kennet; a vale lying between Budcot and Streatley; and the Chalk Hills, which stretch nearly across the upper part of the county. The first named division commences at the eastern extremity of the shire and extends westward to the river Loddon - and from Sandhurst, on the south, to Maidenhead on the north; Kennet Vale stretches from near Wargrave on the east to Hungerford on the west. The substratum of these districts consist of chalk and gravel, with portions of clay, at greater or less depths according to the quality of the soils. The crops commonly produced are those of wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas, rye, buck-wheat, vetches, cole-seed, turnips and potatoes; those not so generally cultivated are cabbages, carrots, hops, woad, flax, dill and lavender. The articifial grasses are Dutch clover, rye grass, marl grass trefoils (both hop and heart), burnet, lucerne, saintfoin and corn spurry. Close to the Thames, in the northern part of the county, is a fertile line of meadow, from which the land rises gently towards a range of moderately elevated hills, extending from the neighbourhood of Oxford to the town of Farringdon - the hills being good corn land; to the south is the remarkably fertile vale of Berks, the prevailing soil of which is a strong grey calcareous loam; the greatest portion of the southern district of the county consists chiefly of a gravelly loam. From Hungerford to Reading is a bed of peat, through which the river Kennet takes its course; and near Hungerford, south of the Kennet, commences a tract of poor gravel and clay. The weight of hay cut from the meadows contiguous to the river Kennel, from Hungerford to Reading, is considerable. The quantity of peat dug in the neighbourhood of Newbury, and other quarters is very great, and employs many of the labouring class: such meadows as have peat under them, are more valuable to the landlord than the tenant - the great demand and price for peat arises from the use of it as fuel, and for its ashes as manure. Numerous herds of neat cattle are grazed in this county; and the sheep, vast numbers of which are reared, are large and handsome. Swine and poultry are extremely profitable to the farmer of Berkshire, from its proximity to the metropolis. The farms are large - few being found rented under £100. a year. The CLIMATE of Berkshire is remarkably healthful, the air pure, and no endemical disease known to prevail the county.
MANUFACTURES and TRADE. - The manufactures of Berkshire are very limited, its prosperity chiefly depending upon the export and import of commodities, by means of the Thames; an excellent general retail trade, and its agricultural and horticultural produce, joined to the rearing of all kinds of farming stock to a great extent and profit. The malting trade is very extensive in several towns, especially at Reading, where likewise are manufactured, to a limited extent, pins, ribbons and other silk goods, sackings, &c. Newbury, formerly eminent for the production of woollen cloths, has become, since the decline and extinction of that branch of business, the great corn mart of the county. In Abingdon the manufacture of sacking is carried on with some degree of success. Considerable business is done upon the banks of the Thames in timber; and the annual transit to London of corn, flour and other articles derived from the soil, is very great. There are several extensive breweries in different parts of the county. Windsor has long been famed for its ale.