44030 Concerning Hoe Hill and the geology of the area. The geology mapping of the hill (Horncastle Sheet 115) shows it to be a natural feature. The hill forms a ridge, almost detached from the main outcrops to the west, of Lower Cretaceous rocks protruding eastwards into the Lymn Valley. It is one of several such geological outliers in the area which, although not quite as high, show up clearly on the geological map e.g. Mount Pleasant 3470; unnamed hill at TF375642; Thornbury Hill at TF352698 Gravel Pit Hill 3669. The top of Hoe Hill is capped by a hard, brown ferruginous limestone known by geologists as the Carstone not Chalk, which is of Upper Cretaceous age. This hard protective capping has preserved the hill shape as the River Lymn has eroded its way down through the succession. Below this capping the main slope of the hill is formed of softer mudstones and clays of the Tealby Formation. The base of the hill is formed of Claxby Ironstone. Below this hard basal unit is the Spilsby Sandstone Formation which is exposed over much of the Lymn Valley sides and is hidden beneath alluvial sediments in the valley bottom and tributary valleys. Although Hoe Hill is natural there is, of course, no reason why the hard Carstone capping could not have been adapted by human activity nor that further sculpting by local people of the relatively soft, underlying Tealby rocks could not have taken place. {1}