Petrifying Springs in Chellington and Area
The Bedford Corporation archive contains miscellaneous papers marked "Natural History Collections with drawings" made in the early 19th century [BC532]. One of the papers is a series of scribbled, rather disjointed notes on springs, written just as below
"At a place called Spring Headens in Felmersham there were some incrusting springs which Mr Wright, a Farmir of the place, draind & caused to be filld up; he informd me that pieces of willows falling into them would be incrusted with a stoney substance, to use his own words, as hard as Brazil"
"Chellington"
"Like sort of springs at Goggy Closem, we have a small incrustn from thence, Mr Wright".
"Pet[rifying] Spring at Lavenders Crowland Pavenham near a stile ye Millers Moor at Pavenham 2 springs thick of grass like Plots Oxfords wch also pet[rify]"
"The Springs in Felmersham parish from Radwell Hall to Crowlands (Lavenders) have in some parts of them an incrusting quality more or less, but one in particular wch runs into the River nearly in line with the seat of Mr Boiden at Milton is very powerfully incrusting; thick land snails, roots of flags & other quisquiliae are thickly cakd with a light brown strongly concreted stoney matter in the mass make a very curious appearance. We have found from the spring petrifications near a foot long & half a foot wide & could procure them much larger"
"We have a pet[rification] from Chellington Goggy Close"