THE SUNKEN ROADS OF THE SOMME.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."'
Sin,—It may possibly assist Major Stuart Love in his endeavour to solve the mystery of the sunken roads of the Somme if I point out that there are many such roads in the chalk hills of the district lying to the north of Petersfleld and in the neighbourhood of Alton, Hants. I distinctly recollect my father explaining the origin of these roads to me when I was a small boy. He stated that prior to the time when roads were repaired by the pariah farm carts invariably followed, if possible, the course pursued by storm water, for two reasons : first, this course was usually the best gradient from the valley to the higher ground; secondly, the water washed away the loose soil, leaving the hard chalk bare, and by pecking in the ruts a good hard surface- was ob- tained without the necessity of having to cart materials from a dis- tance. He said that it was surprising how quickly a deep sunken track could be formed in this way. He also called my attention to the pathways usually to be found in the fields on the tops of the banks, and explained that they were caused by the teamsters leaving their horses to plod their way through the running water during wet weather whilst they controlled them from the dry ground on the top of the bank. My father said that when corn or other produce had to be sent to market the farm hands were always sent out a day or two beforehand to level up the bottoms of these tracks. Can it be that the same explanation will apply
to the roads of the Somme?—I am, Sir, &c., ROBERT H. EGOAR. Ashtead, Surrey.
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