342 TARDEBIGGE.

Old Storridge is a chain called the Suckley and Hall House Hills; and one of them, called the Round Hill, in Alfrick, has the appearance of a tumulus. This line of hills, which is covered with woods, is a limestone ridge, continuing through Martley to the Abberley hills, and was no doubt thrown up by subterranean force. The substratum is the syenite of Malvern, which crops out on the other side of Berrow Hill. The dividing line between the old and new red sandstone passes through this parish; and at Lulsley is a remarkable conglomerate rock.

There is an immense number of remarkable old names of places in the parish; and the district may be considered the region of fairy land and folk-lore, which the researches of the late Mr. Jabez Allies made entirely his own. A superstition formerly prevailed here called "The Seven Whistlers," and people believed that oftentimes they heard six or seven whistlers pass over their heads by night, but that whenever the seven should be heard altogether there would be an end of the world.

There is a foundation school here with a poor endowment.

Tardebigge.

A PARISH of which Redditch was formerly only a township and chapelry, but the town of needles and fish-hooks growing too large for its parent, a separation took place in 1855. Tardebigge is now the collective name for the three townships of Bentley Pauncefoot, Webheath, and Redditch, and the hamlet of Tutnell and Cobley. The present parish of Redditch was formed out of part of its old township, but is not co-extensive with it, some of the township being still in Tardebigge. In 1852 part of the township of Webheath was united with part of Ipsley and