▁above ▁( e . g . ▁from ▁the ▁ch alk ▁esc arp ments ) ▁the ▁vale ▁appears ▁quite ▁uniform ▁- ▁a ▁large ▁exp anse ▁of ▁green , ▁l ush , ▁low - lying ▁land ▁- ▁but ▁in ▁ge ological ▁terms ▁it ▁compr ises ▁altern ating ▁bel ts ▁of ▁different ▁cl ay ▁and ▁lim estone ▁so ils ▁( and ▁gre ens and ▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁ch alk ), ▁which ▁give ▁rise ▁to ▁subt le ▁variations ▁in ▁top ography ▁and ▁appearance , ▁and ▁which ▁affect ▁land ▁use . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁human ▁settlement s ▁are ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁d rier ▁stri ps ▁of ▁lim estone , ▁whereas ▁the ▁more ▁poor ly ▁dra ining ▁cl ays ▁( which ▁compr ise ▁the ▁greater ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁area ) ▁are ▁more ▁sp ars ely ▁populated , ▁supporting ▁mostly ▁small ▁far ms , ▁d otted ▁across ▁the ▁vale . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁cl ay ▁so ils , ▁land ▁use ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁da iry ▁far ming . ▁Until ▁it ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁St ur min ster ▁Newton ▁liv est ock ▁market ▁was ▁the ▁bus iest ▁week ly ▁liv est ock ▁market ▁in ▁Britain . ▁ ▁Cultural ▁associations ▁The ▁vale , ▁in ▁particular ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Mar n h ull ▁(" Mar l ott "), ▁is ▁the ▁opening ▁back drop ▁for ▁Thomas ▁Hard y ' s ▁T ess ▁of ▁the ▁D ' U r ber v illes ; ▁he ▁also ▁lived ▁and ▁wrote ▁in ▁St ur min ster ▁Newton ▁for ▁a