Warwickshire, co. in west-midlands of England;
bounded N. by Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Leicester-
shire, E. by Northamptonshire, S. by Oxfordshire and
Gloucestershire, and W. by Worcestershire; greatest
length, N. and S., 52 miles; greatest breadth, E. and
W_M 32 miles; area, 566,271 ac., pop. 737,339. War-
wickshire presents a pleasant undulating surface of hill
and dale, watered by the Avon, Leam, and Tame. The
climate is mild and healthy, and the soil, except some
cold stiff clays on the higher grounds, is fertile. It con-
sists chiefly of a strong red loam adapted for wheat
and beans, or a sandy loam for barley and turnips.
Much land is kept in permanent pasture for grazing.
(For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Formerly
the co. was thickly wooded (that part N. of the Avon
being called the Forest of Arden), and fine timber is
still abundant. Geologically it mainly belongs to the
secondary formation. A coal field, 16 miles by 3 miles,
extends from the neighbourhood of Coventry to the
border of Staffordshire, E. of Tamworth. The principal
minerals are coal, ironstone, limestone, freestone, blue
flagstone, and fire-clay. The mfrs. are carried on chiefly
at Birmingham (hardware and silk goods) and Coventry
(watches and ribbons). There are mineral springs at
Leamington, Stratford on Avon, Ilmington, Southam,
Willoughby, King’s Newnham, &c. The co. is traversed
in all directions by canals and railways. Warwickshire
comprises 4 hundreds, 256 pars, with parts of 7 others,
the pari, and mun. bors. of Birmingham (7 members)
and Coventry (1 member), the pari. bor?-. of Aston
Manor (1 member) and AVarwick and Leamington (1
member), and the mun. bors. of Leamington, Stratford
on Avon, and Warwick. It is mostly in the diocese of
Worcester. For pari, purposes it is divided into 4
divisions—Northern or Tamworth, North-Eastern or
Nuneaton, South-Western or Stratford on Avon, and
South-Eastern or Rugby, 1 member for each division.

Warwick Bridge, vil., Wetheral par., Cumberland,
on river Eden, 1% mile N. of AVetheral sta.; P.O.;
Warwick Hall, seat, is in vicinity.

AVarwick Town, suburb of Red Hill, Surrey, lying
W. of Red Hill Junction; consists mainly of villas.

Warwickhill Honse, seat, Dreghorn par., Ayr-
shire, 4 miles E. of Irvine.

Wasbister, hamlet, Rousay and Egilshay par., Ork-
ney, in N. of Rousay island, near Saviskaill Bay.

AVasdale (or Wastdale), vale of AYastwater, Cumber-
land ; extends 7% miles SAV^-. from foot of Styhead Pass
to 5 miles NE. of Ravenglass; is girt by Yewbarrow,
Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Lingmell, and the Screes.

Wasdale, Nether, township, St Bees par., Cumber-
land, 6 miles NE. of Ravenglass, and comprising the
lower part of AVasdale, 8574 ac. (301 water), pop. 191;
P.O., called Wastdale.

Wasdale Head, eccl. dist., St Bees par., Cumber-
land, 10 miles NE. of Ravenglass, pop. 52; comprises
the upper part of Wasdale.

Wash, river; rises on E. border of Leicestershire, and
flows E. through Rutland to the Welland in Lincoln-
shire near Stamford; is 20 miles long, and its upper
part is called the Gwash.

Wash, The, estuary of the rivers Ouse, Nen, Wel-
land, and Witham, Norfolk and Lincolnshire, E. coast
of England, 22 miles long by 15 miles broad; the Lynn
Deeps, on the Norfolk side, and the Boston Deeps, on
the Lincolnshire side, afford anchorage to fairly sized
ships, but most of the estuary is very shallow.

Washaway, 3 miles from Bodmin, Cornwall; P.O.

Washhourne, hamlet, Hal well near Totnes par.,
Devon, 4 miles SW. of Totnes.

Washhourne, Great, par., Gloucestershire, 4% miles
NW. of Winchcomb, 470 ac., pop. 82.

Washhourne, Little, township, Overbury par.,
Gloucestershire, adjacent to Great Washbourne, pop. 22.

Washbrook, par. and vil., Suffolk, 3% miles SW. of
Ipswich, 1443 ac., pop. 346.

Washburn, river, West-Riding Yorkshire; rises 4
miles SW. of Pateley Bridge, and flows 12 miles S. to
the Wharfe near Otley.

Washfleld, par. and vil., Devon—par., 3319 ac.,
pop. 397 ; vil.,2% miles NW. of Tiverton; P.O.

Washford, vil. withry. sta., Old Cleeve and St Decu-
man’s pars., Somerset, 2 m. SW. of Watchet; P.O., T.O.

Gazetteer of the British Isles, Statistical and Topographical, by John Bartholomew, F.R.G.S.

Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1887. Public domain image from Gedcomindex.com