Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11

Chapter I: Part 1

Text size

</pre>

Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

_Designed & Engraved for_ Dugdales England & Wales _Delineated._]

CURIOSITIES of GREAT BRITAIN.

ENGLAND & WALES

Delineated.

_Historical, Entertaining & Commercial._

Alphabetically arranged

_By Thomas Dugdale. Antiquarian._

_assisted by WILLIAM BURNETT. CIVIL ENGINEER._ --1835--

Warkworth Hermitage. Northumberland.

Drawn and Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated. _London Published by L. Tallis. S. Jewin Street. City._

KNARESBOROUGH CASTLE.

Engraved by E. Mansill

Drawn & Engraved for Dugdales England & Wales Delineated.]

THEBERTON HOUSE THE SEAT of THOS GIBSON ESQ.

Engraved by D. Buckle.

Drawn & Engraved for Dugdales England & Wales Delineated.]

DURHAM.

Drawn & Engraved for Dugdales England & Wales Delineated.]

_MIDDLESEX._

The birth place of The Prince of Wales, born, Novr 9. 1911, also of the Princess Royal, born. Novr 21, 1810.

Drawn & Engraved for Dugdales England & Wales Delineated.]

_OLD BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER FOSS._]

_GLAMORGANSHIRE_

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_BRECKNOCKSHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_St. Martins le-Grand_

_LONDON._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_LONDON._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

(WEST FRONT.)

BEDFORDSHIRE.

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

FROM MOUNT EDGCOMBE.]

_PEMBROKESHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

GOODRICH CASTLE,

_HEREFORDSHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

CARLISLE CASTLE,

CUMBERLAND.

[Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_LONDON._]

_GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND SOMERSETSHIRE._

Among the numerous distinguished individuals to whom Bristol has had the honour of giving birth, are Lilly, Chatterton, Mrs. Mary Robinson, Mrs. Hannah More, Southey, Sebastian Cabot, the first discoverer of the continent of America, & many others.]

_YORKSHIRE._

About a mile down the river from this Castle, is St. Robert's Cave, the scene of the murder committed by Eugene Aram, which was discovered thirteen years afterwards.]

_SURREY._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_SUSSEX._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_MONMOUTHSHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_GLAMORGANSHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_CAERMARTHENSHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_NEAR EGHAM, SURREY._

This place is celebrated in history as the spot where the assembled barons in 1215, obtained from King John, the grant of Magna Charta.]

_YORKSHIRE._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

_FOSTER LANE, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON._

Drawn & Engraved for DUGDALES ENGLAND & WALES Delineated.]

Charles Street Mary-le-bone.

This Hospital was instituted for sick & lame patients in 1745. The present substantial building was completed in 1835.]

With its Railroads & Canals.]

CURIOSITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN.

ENGLAND AND WALES DELINEATED:

HISTORICAL, ENTERTAINING, AND COMMERCIAL.

EXPLANATION OF THE LETTERS SUBJOINED TO THE NAMES OF PLACES.

bo borough
chap chapelry
co county
dis district
div division
ext. p. extra parochial
ham hamlet
hun hundred
la lathe
lib liberty
m. t. market town
pa parish
pre precinct
qr quarter
ra rape
ti tithing
to township
vil village
wap wapentake
ward wardship
E. East
W. West
N. North
S. South
S.E. South-East
S.W. South-West
N.E. North-East
N.W. North-West

E.R. York.--N.R. York.--or W.R. York ... East, North, or West Riding of Yorkshire.

[A] ABBERBURY, or Alberbury, a parish and township, partly in the hundreds of Cawrse and Deythur, in the county of Montgomery, and partly in that of Ford, in the county of Salop. Warine, sheriff of this county in the reign of Henry I., founded an abbey for black monks, a cell to Guardmont, in Limosin, which, at the suppression of alien priories was bestowed by Henry VI. upon the college founded by Archbishop Chiechley. Benthall, Eyton, Rowton, Amaston, and Wollaston, are all townships of this parish. At Glyn, in this parish, is the celebrated Old Parr's cottage, which has undergone but little alteration since his time; it is timber-framed, rare, and picturesque, within view of Rodney's Pillar on Bredden Hill, in Montgomeryshire. In Wollaston Chapel is a brass plate, with his portrait thus inscribed: "The old, old, very old man, Thomas Parr, was born at the Glyn, in the township of Wennington, within the chapelry of Great Wollaston, and parish of Alberbury, in the county of Salop, in 1483. He lived in the reigns of ten kings and queens of England, viz. King Edward IV., King Edward V., King Richard III., King Henry VII., King Henry VIII., King Edward VI., Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James I., and Charles I.; he died in London, (sixteen years after his presentation to King Charles,) on the 13th of November, 1635, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, on the 15th of the same month, aged one hundred and fifty-two years and nine months. At the age of one hundred and five, he did penance in the church of Alberbury, for criminal connexion with Catherine Milton, by whom he had offspring."

[Sidenote: Old Parr's cottage and birth-place, who lived in the reigns of ten kings and queens.]

[Sidenote: Did penance at the age of 105.]

[B] ABBEY-HOLM is a small town in the ward of Allerdale. The original consequence of this little town was derived from an abbey of Cistercian monks, founded here, about the twelfth century, by Henry I. of England, as the crown rolls imply. Its benefactors were many in number, and by the magnificent grants and privileges with which it was endowed, it acquired so much importance, that during the reigns of Edward I. and II. its abbots, though not mitred, were frequently summoned to sit in parliament. The abbey was pillaged and burnt during the incursion of Robert Bruce, but afterwards rebuilt with great magnificence; few vestiges, however, of its monastic buildings now remain. From the ruins the Parochial Chapel was formed, and there yet stands a part of the church in its original form. During the reign of Henry VIII. the abbey was chiefly dilapidated; the church continued in good condition till the year 1600, when the steeple, one hundred and fourteen feet high, suddenly fell down, and by its fall destroyed great part of the chancel. Its total ruin was nearly accomplished by an accidental fire five years afterwards. This fire took place on April 18, 1604, and was occasioned by a servant carrying a live coal into the roof of the church, to search for an iron chisel; the boisterous wind blew the coal out of his hand into a daw's nest, by which the whole was ignited, and within less than three hours it consumed both the body of the chancel and the whole church, except the south side of the low church, which was saved by means of a stone vault. Almost due-west from Abbey-Holm, in a strong situation near the sea coast, are some remains of Wulstey Castle, a fortress, which was erected by the abbots to secure their treasures, books, and charters from the sudden depredations of the Scots. "In this castle," observes Camden, "tradition reports, that the magic works of Sir Michael Scot (or Scotus), were preserved, till they were mouldering into dust. He professed a religious life here about the year 1290, and became so versed in the mathematics, and other abstruse sciences, that he obtained the character of a magician, and was believed, in that credulous age, to have performed many miracles." The story of Michael Scot forms a beautiful episode in Scott's "Lay of the Last Minstrel," the notes to which furnish some curious information respecting that extraordinary personage. Sir Michael Scot, of Balwearie, we are told, flourished during the thirteenth century, and was one of the ambassadors sent to bring the Maid of Norway to Scotland, upon the death of Alexander III. His memory survives in many a legend; and in the south of Scotland, any work of great labour and antiquity is ascribed either to the agency of auld Michael, of Sir William Wallace, or the devil. The following are amongst the current traditions concerning Michael Scot:--He was chosen, it is said, to go upon an embassy, to obtain from the King of France satisfaction for certain piracies committed by his subjects upon those of Scotland. Instead of preparing a new equipage and splendid retinue, he evoked a fiend in the shape of a huge black horse, mounted upon his back, and forced him to fly through the air towards France. When he arrived at Paris, he tied his horse to the gate of the palace, and boldly delivered his message. An ambassador with so little of the pomp and circumstance of diplomacy was not received with much respect, and the king was about to return a contemptuous refusal to his demand, when Michael besought him to suspend his resolution till he had seen his horse stamp three times: the first stamp shook every steeple in Paris, and caused all the bells to ring; the second threw down three of the towers of the palace; and the infernal steed had lifted up his hoof to give the third stamp, when the king rather chose to dismiss Michael, with the most ample concessions, than to stand to the probable consequences. Another time, it is said that, while residing at the tower of Oakwood, upon the Ettrick, about three miles above Selkirk, having heard of the fame of a sorceress, called the Witch of Falsehope, who lived on the opposite side of the river, Michael went one morning to put her skill to the test, but was disappointed by her positively denying any knowledge of the necromantic art. In his discourse with her, he laid his wand inadvertently on the table which the hag observing, suddenly snatched it up and struck him with it. Feeling the force of the charm, he rushed out of the house; but as it had conferred on him the external appearance of a hare, his servant, who waited without, hallooed upon the discomfited wizard his own greyhounds, and pursued him so close, that, in order to obtain a moment's breathing to reverse the charm, Michael, after a very fatiguing course, was fain to take refuge in his own common sewer.

_Fair_, October 29, for horses and horned cattle.

[Sidenote: The Abbey destroyed by the accidental firing of a daw's nest.]

[Sidenote: Michael Scot, the magician.]

[Sidenote: Scottish legends.]

[Sidenote: The fiend horse.]

[Sidenote: French King's concession.]

[Sidenote: The witch of Falsehope.]

[A] ABBOTS BROMLEY. The hobby-horse dance, an ancient custom, was observed here till the civil war.--Ten or twelve of the dancers carried, on their shoulders, deers' heads, painted with the arms of Paget, Bagot, and Welles, to whom the chief property of the town belonged. The horns yet hang up in the church, but the custom is now discontinued. The parish includes Bromley, Bagot's liberty, and Bromley Hurst township. Bagot's park is the deer-park of Lord Bagot, whose seat is at Blithefield.

_Market, Tuesday._--_Fairs_, Tuesday before Mid-lent Sunday, May 22,
September 4, for horses and horned cattle.

[Sidenote: Hobby-horse dance]

[B] ABBOTSBURY consists of a single parish, divided into three streets, nearly in the form of the letter Y, lying in a valley surrounded and protected by bold hills near the sea. There is a tradition that this place was called Abodesbyry by St. Peter himself, in the infancy of Christianity, but it is more probably supposed to have derived its name from the magnificent abbey, originally founded here, in the early part of the eleventh century. The ruins of the abbey (which was once large and splendid, but is now nearly demolished), consist of a large barn, a stable, supposed to have been the dormitory, a porch which belonged to the conventual church, the principal entrance, a portion of the walls, and two buildings conjectured to have been used for domestic purposes. The barn, which, when entire, was the largest in the county, is now so dilapidated, that only a part of it can be used. The church, in which Orcus and his wife, the founders, were buried, is, with the exception of the porch and a pile of ruins under some neighbouring elms, totally destroyed; but the numerous chantries and chapels which belonged to it sufficiently prove its ancient magnificence. On an eminence, at a short distance from the town, stands a small building called St. Catherine's Chapel, which is supposed to have been erected about the time of Edward IV., and which from its height and lofty situation, serves both for a sea and land mark. Abbotsbury Church appears to have been built a short time before the reformation; the pulpit is pierced by musket balls, said to have been fired by Cromwell's soldiers, at the officiating minister, whom, however, they missed. But it is more likely to have occurred at the time of Sir Anthony Astley Cooper's attack on the royalists, at the siege of Sir John Strangeway's house, in 1651. About a mile to the south-west of Abbotsbury, is the "decoy," where great quantities of wild fowl are annually taken. But the object which most engages the attention of strangers, in the neighbourhood of this town, is the celebrated "swannery," which, not long since, was the property of the Earl of Ilchester. In the open or broad space of the fleet are kept six or seven hundred swans, formerly one thousand five hundred, including hoppers--a small species of swans, who feed and range, and return home again.

_Fair_, July 10, for sheep and toys.

[Sidenote: Tradition of St. Peter]

[Sidenote: A ruined abbey.]

[Sidenote: St. Catherine's chapel, a sea mark.]

[Sidenote: Wild fowl decoy, and swannery.]

[A] ABBOTTS LANGLEY. Before the Conquest, and till the dissolution of the monasteries, this place was in the possession of the abbots of St. Albans. About the time of Henry I., Nicholas Breakspear, a native of this place, was advanced to the rank of cardinal, and at length became pope, by the title of Adrian IV.; being the only Englishman that ever attained that dignity. He died, not without suspicion of poison, in 1158.

[Sidenote: Englishman made Pope.]

[B] ABER (which signifies the mouth of a river, port, or harbour) is situated on the river Gwyngregyr, which here discharges itself into the Irish Sea. The native Welsh princes had a palace at this place, some remains of which are shewn as the residence of Llewelyn ap Griffith. It is one of the ferries to Anglesea, and a convenient place from which to visit the formidable Penmaen Mawr mountain. The passage from hence across the Laven Sands to Beaumaris is by no means safe, as the sands frequently shift; but the large bell of this village is constantly rung in foggy weather, in the hope that its sound may serve to direct those whom imperious necessity obliges to cross under all disadvantages. Two miles from this pleasing village, following the banks of the stream, which flows through highly picturesque scenery, there is a most romantic glen, and a very fine waterfall; the upper part of this cataract is sometimes broken into three or four divisions, by the rugged force of the impending cliff, but the lower one forms a broad sheet, and descends about sixty feet, in a very grand style.

_Mail_ arrives 3.15 A.M., departs 9.32 P.M.--_Inn_, Bull.

[Sidenote: Ferry to Anglesea.]

[Sidenote: Laven sands dangerous. The bell constantly tolled in foggy weather.]

[Sidenote: Romantic glen, and waterfall.]

[C] ABERAVON is situated at the mouth of the river Avon, on Swansea Bay, and has a harbour for small vessels. Although no charter exists for a market, one has been held here, more than a century past. There is a ridiculous belief, amongst the people of this place, that every Christmas Day, and that day alone, a large salmon presents himself in the river, and allows himself to be caught and handled by any one who chooses; but it would be considered an act of impiety to detain him.

_Fair_, April 30.

[Sidenote: Singular account of a Salmon.]

[D] ABERCONWAY is an ancient fortified town, beautifully situated upon the estuary of the river Conway. The town is nearly of a triangular shape, and is thought by some to have been the Conovium of the Romans. The annals of this place commence no earlier than with the history of its castle, which was erected in 1284, by command of Edward I., as a security against the insurrections of the Welsh. Soon after its erection, the royal founder was besieged in it, and the garrison almost reduced by famine to surrender, when they were extricated by the arrival of a fleet with provision. At the commencement of the civil wars, it was garrisoned on behalf of the king, by Dr. John Williams, Archbishop of York. In 1645 he gave the government of the castle to his nephew, William Hookes. Two years after, Prince Rupert superseded the Archbishop in the command of North Wales. He endeavoured to obtain redress from the king, but failed. Enraged at this injury, he joined Mytton, and assisted in the reduction of the place. The town was taken by storm, August 15, 1646, but the castle did not surrender till November 10. This fortress remained in tranquillity till a grant was made of it, by King Charles, to the Earl of Conway and Kilulta; when he had scarcely obtained possession, before he ordered an agent to remove the timber, iron, lead, and other materials. It was held on lease, by Owen Holland, Esq. from the crown, at an annual rent of six shillings and eightpence, and a dish of fish to Lord Holland, as often as he passed through the town. Thus, unprotected, it has suffered material injuries from wind and weather, and is reduced to a state of rapid decay. The ruins are remarkably picturesque, and very extensive. The town was surrounded by high massive walls, twelve feet thick, strengthened at intervals by twenty-four circular and semi-circular towers; these, with the four principal gateways, remain in tolerable preservation. There are scarcely any remains of the Cistercian Abbey, founded by Llewelyn ap Jorwerth, in 1185. The church contains a few modern monuments, belonging to the family of the Wynnes, formerly of this place. The font appears ancient; it is composed of black marble, curiously carved, and supported by a cluster of pilasters, standing upon a pedestal. In Castle Street is a very old house, called the college, which has a singular window, decorated with several coats of arms of the Stanley family. A day school is also kept in an ancient mansion, called Plas Mawr, situated near the market place, which was erected in 1585, by Robert Wynne, Esq. of Gwyder. The river Conway rises out of Llyn Conway, at the south extremity of the county, in the mountains of Penmachno. The ferry is of importance, as it lies upon one of the great roads from London to Ireland, but is justly considered a dangerous passage, and many are the accidents which have occurred. On Christmas Day, 1806, the boat conveying the Irish mail coach, was lost, and all the passengers, including the coachman and guard, were drowned, except two. At the Ferry-house a noble bay is formed where the tide enters the river. In this view, indeed, there are all the ingredients of a sublime and beautiful landscape. Few rivers, in England or Wales, in so short a course as twenty-nine miles, present so great a variety of beautiful scenery. Below Luna Hall, the falls of the Conway exhibit a noble cataract, about fifty feet; the stream of water, shooting directly from one aperture in the solid rock to a considerable distance, descends into a rocky basin, surrounded by hanging woods. One mile below this town, at Trefriw, the river becomes navigable, and contributes to the supply of the surrounding county. In Conway town there still exists a pearl fishery, and a chain suspension bridge has been recently erected in lieu of a dangerous ferry. The vale of Conway teems with interesting objects. Upon the west side is the abrupt termination of the Snowdon chain, down the declivities of which, through innumerable chasms, fissures, and channels, rush the superfluous waters of the lakes above, to mingle with the parent ocean. The principal employment of the poor, in this neighbourhood, is gathering the different species of fuci, commonly called sea-wreck, thrown up by the tide, or growing upon the breakers. This wreck they put into a kind of square fireplace, made upon the sand, and heat it till it becomes a liquid and forms a cake; when further baked or burnt it resembles cinders, and is called barilla or impure fossil alkali; in this state it is sold to manufacturers of soap and glass.

_Market_, Friday.--_Fairs_, March 26, April 30, June 20, August 19,
September 16, October 20, and November 15.--Inns, Harp, Bull's Head,
and White Lien.--_Mail_ arrives 2 A.M., departs 10-3/4 P.M.

[Sidenote: The Conovium of the Romans.]

[Sidenote: Town taken by storm, in 1646.]

[Sidenote: Curious tenure--6s. 8d. and a dish of fish.]

[Sidenote: Cistercian Abbey, founded by Llewelyn ap Jorwerth in 1185.]

[Sidenote: The ferry considered dangerous; loss of the Irish mail and 14 passengers, in 1806.]

[Sidenote: Falls of the Conway present a noble cataract, shooting from a solid rock.]

[Sidenote: Pearl fishery and suspension bridge.]

[Sidenote: Manufactory of barilla.]

[A] ABERDARE. _Fairs_, for cattle, April 19, Whit-Monday, November 14.

[B] ABEREDWY. This delightful village derived its name from its situation, near the junction of the River Wye and Edwy. Nothing in nature can exceed the beauty of the neighbouring scenery. The Edwy descends through lofty walls of rock; in some places, broken into crags, which frightfully overhang the abyss. Near the place are the ruins of a castle, the retreat of the last native Welsh Prince, Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. The object of Llewelyn's journey to Aberedwy was to consult the chief persons of the district, upon the best means of successfully opposing the King of England, then invading Wales. On his arrival he found himself disappointed. Instead of meeting with friends, he was surrounded by the enemy. Edmund Mortimer and John Gyfford, acquainted with his route, marched from Herefordshire, with their troops to meet him. The enemy were numerous--resistance was in vain--Llewelyn withdrew to Builth. The mountains being covered with snow, he caused the shoes of his horse to be reversed, in order to baffle pursuit, but the treacherous _smith_ betrayed him. Llewelyn broke down the bridge of Builth, but was closely followed by the English forces, who fruitlessly attempted to gain it. Sir Elias Walwyn crossed the river, with a detachment, about eight miles below, at a place called Little Tom's Ferry Boat, and coming unexpectedly on the Welsh army, routed them. Llewelyn himself was attacked and slain, unarmed, in a narrow valley, not two hundred yards from the scene of action. Adam Francton, the murderer of Llewelyn, took no notice of his victim, but joined in the pursuit of the Welsh. Returning with the view of plundering the slain, he discovered the wounded person was no other than the Prince of Wales; for on stripping him, he found a letter in cipher and his privy seal. The brutal Francton, overjoyed that the Welsh prince had fallen into his hands, cut off his head, and sent it to the King of England, and thus perished the last native Prince of Wales.

[Sidenote: Ruined castle--the retreat of Llewelyn, the last native Prince of Wales.]

[Sidenote: His horses shoes reversed.]

[Sidenote: Betrayed by his smith.]

[Sidenote: His army routed, and himself slain.]

[Sidenote: His head sent to the King of England.]

[C] ABERFORD is situated upon the River Cock, on the great northern road, on the banks of which river was fought the famous battle of Towton, in 1461, so called from a village in the vicinity. The town consists of a long straggling street, in the north of which are the remains of a Norman fortification, called Castle Carey; and the whole is in the line of the ancient Roman road. This town is curiously situated, as respects township: the west side is in Aberford-cum-Parlington; the east of the same end is Lotherton-cum-Aberford, and the north of the river is Aberford alone.

_Mail_ arrives 4.11 P.M., departs 8.46 A.M.--_Inn_,
Swan.

[Sidenote: Here the famous battle of Towton was fought.]

[D] ABERGAVENNY, (the ancient Gobanium of the Romans,) and its environs, have strong claims to the traveller's attention. Its castle and delightful terrace overlook the rich vale of Usk; its church, abounding in costly sculptured tombs, its beautifully variegated mountains, all conspire to render this place particularly attractive. This town was once fortified, and many portions of the work remain, particularly Tudor's Gate. The western entrance is furnished with two portcullises, and remarkable for the beautifully composed landscape seen through it. The style of building which forms the remains of this fortress marks its origin to have been subsequent to the Norman epoch. Excursions are frequently made to Blaenavon Iron Works, about six miles distant, which employ upwards of four thousand men. The mountainous territory containing these mineral treasures of iron, was demised by the crown to the Earl of Abergavenny, and is held under a lease by Hill and Co. A principal excursion from Abergavenny is that which leads northwards to Llanthony Abbey, a majestic ruin, seated in a deep recess of the black mountains, at the very extremity of Monmouthshire. Abergavenny is a place of much resort, being the thoroughfare from the west of Wales to Bath, Bristol, and Gloucestershire. Its principal manufacture is flannel, and its annual fairs for cattle are well attended.

_Mail_ arrives 2 P.M., departs 11 A.M.--INNS, Angel, and
Greyhound.--_Bankers_, Hill and Co., draw upon Esdaile and
Co.,--Jones and Co., draw upon Williams and Co.--_Fairs_, May 14,
lean cattle and sheep; 1st Monday after Trinity, linen and woollen
cloths; September 25, horses, hogs, and flannel.--_Market_ Tuesday.

[Sidenote: Gobanium of the Romans.]

[Sidenote: Tudor's Gate.]

[Sidenote: Blaenavon Iron Works. 4000 men employed.]

[Sidenote: Llanthony Abbey, a majestic ruin in the black mountains.]

[A] ABERYSTWITH, a market town and seaport in the hundred of Glenaur Glynn, and also a township in the parish of Llanbadarn Vawr. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Ystwith and Rhyddol, at which the former falls into the sea in the bay of Cardigan. The building of a castle, of which some vestiges remain, is attributed to Edward I. It stands on a craggy eminence projecting into the sea at the west of the town, and affords a magnificent view of the whole line of Welsh coast within the bay of Cardigan. The streets are steep and uneven.--The houses, which are principally formed of dark slate, present a very singular appearance. For some years past its celebrity, as a summer retreat and bathing-place, has been annually increasing, which is greatly contributed to by the beauty of the neighbourhood, and the commanding prospects around. The roads to it have been made excellent, and the customary amusements of plays and assemblies during the season add to the attractions for summer visitants. There was formerly a herring fishery, and the practice of fishing is still carried on with considerable advantage by the natives. About seven miles north of Aberystwith, on the sea coast, a considerable extent of land, has, by drainage, been recovered; twelve miles of embankment have been formed; and two navigable cuts, with a road of three miles and a stone bridge completed.

_Mail_ arrives 7 A.M. departs 5 P.M.--_Fairs_, 1st Monday in May and
November, chiefly for hiring servants.--_Bankers_, W. Davis and Co.,
draw on Esdaile and Co.--_Inns_, Gogerddon Arms, Old Lion, and
Talbot.--_Markets_, Monday and Saturday.

[Sidenote: Fine bathing place.]

[Sidenote: Twelve miles of embankment.]

[B] ABINGDON, at the very edge of the county of Berkshire, was called Shovesham, by the Anglo-Saxons, until the foundation of the abbey, from which period it began to assume the name of Abbandeen, or the Town of the Abbey. This monastery, the monks of which were Benedictines, was founded by Cissa, an Anglo-Saxon monarch, in 675. During the reign of Alfred it was demolished by the Danes, and remained in ruins till King Edgar partly restored it, in 954. Ethelwold, the abbot at that time, erected and embellished the church, and his successors contributed to its increase. After the Conquest, the wealth and grandeur of the abbey were equal to any similar foundation in England. William the Conqueror kept Easter in the abbey, A.D. 1084; and here was educated his youngest son, Henry, surnamed Beauclerc, afterwards King Henry I., in whose reign, one of the most eminent characters who received sepulture within the abbey, was the celebrated Jeffery of Monmouth, author of the British History,--a work, from which some of our best poets have derived materials for their sublime compositions. Shakspeare's Lear, and Milton's Comus, were both supplied from Jeffery's history. He flourished in the reign of Henry I. Among the natives of Abingdon, whose talents have rendered their possessors eminent, was Sir John Mason, a statesman of the sixteenth century. His memory is the more worthy to be revered, because, from a very obscure origin, his genius and perseverance advanced him to the rank of privy-counsellor, ambassador to France, and chancellor of the University of Oxford. His father was a cow-herd and his mother, sister to one of the abbey monks, who attended to his early tuition, and sent him to Oxford, where he became a fellow of All Souls' college. While in this situation, the liveliness of his temper occasioned him to be chosen to compliment Henry VIII. on his visit to the University, in the year 1523, which being executed in a most graceful manner, engaged the favour of the monarch, who promoted him to the honourable offices above-mentioned. He died in 1566, and was buried in St. Paul's cathedral.

_Mail_ arrives 2.49 A.M., departs 12.10 A.M.--_Fairs_, 1st Monday in
Lent, May 6, June 20, August 6, September 19, cattle; Monday before
Old Michaelmas, statute, and December 11, horses and
cattle.--_Bankers_, Knapp and Co., draw on Williams and Co.--_Inns_,
Crown and Thistle, and Queen's Arms.--_Markets_, Monday and Friday.

[Sidenote: Monastery of Benedictine monks.]

[Sidenote: William the Conqueror kept Easter, and his son was educated here. Jeffery of Monmouth buried in the abbey.]

[Sidenote: Sir J. Mason, born here--his father a cow-herd.]

Map| Names of Places. | County | Number of Miles From |
+--+-----------------------+----------+--------------+-----------------+
37|Abinger pa|Surrey |Dorking 4|Guildford 10|
15|Abinghall pa|Gloucester|Newnham 6|Mitchel Dean 1|
28|Abington pa|Northam |Northam 2|Wellingboro 9|
6|Abington, Gt.& Lit. pa|Cambridge |Linton 3|Cambridge 9|
6|Abington in the Clay pa|Cambridge |Royston 5|Potton 7|
23|Ab Kettleby pa|Leicester |Melton Mow 3|Leicester 16|
15|Ablington ti|Gloucester|Fairford 5|Cirencester 7|
10|Abney ham|Derby |Tideswell 5|Sheffield 14|
49|Above Sawdde ham|Caermar |Llangadock 1|Llandovery 7|
22|Above Town div|Lancashire|Garstang 11|Burton 11|
22|Abram to|Lancashire|Wigan 4|Bolton 9|
15|Abson with Wick chap|Gloucester|Bristol 8|Sodbury 5|
21|Abthorp chap|Northam |Towcester 3|Brackley 9|
54|Aburthin pa|Glamorg |Llantrissant 8|Bridgend 7|
24|Aby pa|Lincoln |Alford 2|Louth 9|
46|Acaster Malbis pa|W.R. York |York 4|Selby 8|
46|Acaster Selby to|W.R. York | ... 5| ... 7|
22|Accrington, New to|Lancaster |Blackburn 4|Haslingden 5|
22|Accrington, Old chap|Lancaster | ... 6| ... 4|
30|Achurch pa|Northam |Thrapston 4|Oundle 4|
43|Acklam pa|N.R. York |New Malton 6|Gt. Driffield 15|
44|Acklam chap|N.R. York |Yarm 5|Stockton 3|
28|Acklington to|Northum |Alnwick 8|Morpeth 13|
45|Ackton to|W.R. York |Pontefract 3|Wakefield 5|
45|Ackworth[A] pa|W.R. York | ... 3| ... 7|
+--+-----------------------+----------+--------------+-----------------+
|Dist.|
Map| Names of Places. | number of Miles From |Lond.|Population.
+--+-----------------------+-------------------------+-----+-----------+
37|Abinger pa|Ockley 5| 2| 767|
15|Abinghall pa|Monmouth 12| 118| 235|
28|Abington pa|Moulton 3| 67| 155|
6|Abington, Gt. & Lit. pa|Newmarket 12| 50| 594|
6|Abington in the Clay pa|Cambridge 15| 42| 259|
23|Ab Kettleby pa|Loughboro 13| 108| 331|
15|Ablington ti|Northleach 7| 85| 103|
10|Abney ham|Chapel-Frith 8| 164| 112|
49|Above Sawdde ham|Llandilo Var 8| 195| 803|
22|Above Town div|KirkbyLons 15| 240| 591|
22|Abram to|Chorley 11| 197| 511|
15|Abson with Wick chap|Marshfield 4| 107| 824|
21|Abthorp chap|Banbury 15| 63| 477|
54|Aburthin pa|Cowbridge 1| 173| ...|
24|Aby pa|Horncastle 12| 142| 204|
46|Acaster Malbis pa|Tadcaster 8| 190| 707|
46|Acaster Selby to| ... 8| 190| 201|
22|Accrington, New to|Burnley 8| 208| 4960|
22|Accrington, Old chap| ... 6| 208| 1323|
30|Achurch pa|Kettering 12| 73| 239|
43|Acklam pa|York 14| 210| 827|
44|Acklam chap|Guisboro 9| 244| 371|
28|Acklington to|Rothbury 13| 300| 285|
45|Ackton to|Leeds 9| 174| 51|
45|Ackworth[A] pa| ... 11| 174| 1660|
+--+-----------------------+-------------------------+-----+-----------+

[A] ACKWORTH is a parish and township, in the upper division of Osgold Cross Wapentake, nominally divided into higher and lower Ackworth. It is celebrated for its Quakers' School, which was purchased in 1777, with eighty-five acres of land, from the trustees of the Foundling Hospital, and rendered a seminary for the children of the more humble class of Friends. The number of pupils, is one hundred and eighty boys, and one hundred and twenty girls.

[Sidenote: Quakers' school.]

Map| Names of Places. | County | Number of Miles From
+--+------------------------+----------+-------------+---------------+
27|Acle[A] m. t. & pa|Norfolk |Norwich 11|Yarmouth 9|
45|Acomb pa|W.R. York |York 2|Wetherby 10|
29|Acomb East to|Northumb |Corbridge 15|Aldston Moor 9|
29|Acomb West to|Northumb | ... 5| 18|
17|Aconbury[B] chap|Hereford |Hereford 4|Ross 9|
21|Acrise pa|Kent |Folkstone 4|Dover 8|
7 |Acton to & pa|Chester |Nantwich 2|Tarporley 9|
7 |Acton to|Chester |Northwich 4|Frodsham 7|
52|Acton to|Denbigh |Wrexham 1|Holt 5|
25|Acton pa|Middlesex |Harrow 8|Brentford 3|
29|Acton to|Northumb |Alnwick 8|Rothbury 8|
36|Acton pa|Suffolk |Lavenham 3|Sudbury 3|
42|Acton Beauchamp pa|Worcester |Bromyard 4|Worcester 11|
33|Acton Burnell[C] to & pa|Salop |Wenlock 7|Shrewsbury 7|
+--+------------------------+----------+-------------+---------------+
|Dist. |
Map| Names of Places. | Number of Miles From |Lond. |Population
+--+------------------------+------------------------+------+------+
27|Acle[A] m. t. & pa|Loddon 8| 121| 820|
45|Acomb pa|New Malton 20| 201| 882|
29|Acomb East to|Hexham 11| 275| 36|
29|Acomb West to| ... 3| 275| 523|
17|Aconbury[B] chap|Ledbury 14| 130| 163|
21|Acrise pa|Canterbury 11| 67| 194|
7 |Acton to & pa|Middlewich 11| 166| 3928|
7 |Acton to|Chester 15| 177| 309|
52|Acton to| ... 9| 190| 215|
25|Acton pa|Uxbridge 10| 5| 2453|
29|Acton to|Morpeth 10| 300| 91|
36|Acton pa|Bildeston 8| 57| 565|
42|Acton Beauchamp pa|Ledbury 10| 122| 239|
33|ACTON Burnell[C] to & pa|Ch. Stretton 7| 155| 381|
+--+------------------------+------------------------+------+------+

[A] ACLE. _Market_, Thursday.--_Fair_, Wednesday before Michaelmas day.

[B] ACONBURY. At this place a nunnery of the order of St. Augustine was founded by Margery, wife of Walter de Lacey, in the reign of King John. The Cliffords were large benefactors to this house, which, at the dissolution, possessed _L75. 7s. 6d._ per annum. There are some remains yet standing, occupied as a farm house. On the summit of Aconbury Hill, a bold and extensive eminence, well wooded, and commanding a charming view over the adjacent county, are traces of a large encampment.

[Sidenote: Nunnery.]

[C] ACTON BURNELL is celebrated for the remains of an ancient castle, founded by Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath and Wells, a man of eminent abilities, first treasurer, and afterwards chancellor of England, who was much employed by King Edward I. in Welsh affairs. He died at Berwick, in 1292, and was buried in the cathedral at Wells. The castle is a quadrangular building, with a square tower at each corner. The hall in which King Edward I. held his parliament, in 1283, was 183 feet long, by 41 broad, but the gable ends only remain. The Statutum de Mercatoribus enacted here, is from that circumstance better known as the Statute of Acton Burnell. The successor of the bishop, at the castle, was Sir Edward Burnell, son of Philip Burnell and Maud, daughter of Richard Arundel. He served in many actions in Scotland, under Edward I., and always appeared in great splendour, attended by a chariot decked with banners of his arms. He was summoned to parliament from the fifth to the eighth year of Edward the second's reign, and died in 1315. In 1346, the castle came into the possession of Nicholas Lord Burnell, who died in 1382, and is buried in the church under an altar tomb, inlaid with his effigy in brass. In the reign of Henry VI. the Lovell family were in possession of this estate, which was forfeited by Lord Lovell, in consequence of his adherence to King Richard III. Henry VII. being seated on the throne, granted Acton Burnell, together with other estates in this county, to Jasper Tudor, Earl of Bedford; after whose death it reverted to the crown, and Henry VIII. granted it to Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, distinguished for his valour at the battle of Flodden. Sir Humphrey Lee, of Langley, in this parish, was created a baronet, May 3, 1620. Acton Burnell Park is now the residence of Sir Edward Joseph Smythe, Bart. whose family have been seated here from the time of Charles II., when Sir Edward Smythe, of Esh, in Durham, created a baronet, Feb. 23, 1660, married the daughter and heiress of Sir Richard Lee, Bart. of Langley. The mansion, on a verdant lawn, bordered by a shrubbery, presents a handsome elevation of fine white stone, having a noble Ionic portico, under which is the carriage entrance. Behind the house is the deer park, on a finely wooded eminence, affording one of the most beautiful prospects in the county. The chapelry of Ruckley and Langley is in this parish.

[Sidenote: Edward I. held his parliament here in 1283.]

[Sidenote: Lord Burnell's effigy in brass on the altar tomb.]

[Sidenote: The seat of Sir E.J. Smythe.]

Map| Names of Places. | County | Number of Miles From |
+--+-----------------------+----------+--------------+---------------+
7|Acton Grange to|Chester |Warrington 4|Northwich 10|
15|Acton Iron pa|Gloucester|Chip. Sodbu 2|Thornbury 7|
33|Acton Pigott chap|Salop |Much Wenlo 6|Shrewsbury 8|
33|Acton Reynold to|Salop |Shrewsbury 8|Wem 6|
33|Acton Round chap|Salop |Wenlock 3|Bridgenorth 6|
33|Acton Scott pa|Salop |Ch. Stretton 4|Bish. Castle 10|
35|Acton Trussell to & pa|Stafford |Penkridge 3|Stafford 4|
15|Acton Turville chap|Gloucester|Tetbury 11|Chippenham 12|
35|Adbaston pa|Stafford |Eccleshall 14|Newport 5|
31|Adderbury East to & pa|Oxford |Banbury 3|Deddington 3|
33|Adderley pa|Salop |Drayton 4|Whitchurch 8|
29|Adderston to|Northumb |Beiford 3|Alnwick 12|
17|Adforton to|Hereford |Ludlow 8|Presteign 8|
9|Addingham pa|Cumberland|Kirk Oswald 2|Penrith 8|
45|Addingham pa|W.R. York |Skipton 5|Ottley 8|
37|Addington[A] pa|Surrey |Croydon 4|Westerham 10|
5|Addington pa|Bucks |Winslow 2|Buckingham 5|
21|Addington pa|Kent |Maidstone 7|Rochester 8|
28|Addington, Gt to & pa|Northamp |Thrapston 4|Kettering 7|
28|Addington, Lit to & pa|Northamp | ... 5| ... 8|
21|Addisham pa|Kent |Wingham 3|Canterbury 6|
45|Addle[B] to & pa|W.R. York |Leeds 5|Ottley 6|
46|Addle-cum-Eccup to|W.R. York | 5| ... 6|
45|Addlingfleet[C] pa|W.R. York |Snaith 11|Burton 2|
+--+-----------------------+----------+--------------+---------------+
|Dist.
Map| Names of Places. |Number of Miles From |Lond.|Population
+--+-----------------------+-------------------------+-----+---------+
7|Acton Grange to|Runcorn 5| 183| 148|
15|Acton Iron pa|Bristol 9| 112| 1372|
33|Acton Pigott chap|Ch. Stretton 9| 154| ... |
33|Acton Reynold to|Drayton 12| 152| 173|
33|Acton Round chap|Ludlow 17| 145| 203|
33|Acton Scott pa|Ludlow 10| 155| 204|
35|Acton Trussell to & pa|Lichfield 15| 131| 551|
31|Acton Turville chap|Sodbury 5| 102| 236|
35|Adbaston pa|Hodnet 7| 152| 601|
31|Adderbury East to & pa|Aynhoe 4| 70| 2471|
33|Adderley pa|Wem 12| 157| 468|
29|Adderston to|Wooler 10| 319| 322|
17|Adforton to|Knighton 8| 150| 218|
9|Addingham pa|Aldstn Moor 12| 291| 719|
45|Addingham pa|Keighley 5| 213| 2251|
37|Addington[A] pa|Bromley 5| 12| 463|
5|Addington pa|Bicester 11| 50| 74|
21|Addington pa|Wrotham 3| 27| 206|
28|Addington, Gt to & pa|Higam Ferrers 5| 70| 282|
28|Addington, Lit to & pa| ... 5| 70| 264|
21|Addisham pa|Sandwich 6| 62| 390|
45|Addle[B] to & pa|Bradford 8| 205| 1063|
46|Addle-cum-Eccup to| ... 8| 291| 703|
45|Addlingfleet[C] pa||Howden 6| 170| 478|
+--+-----------------------+-------------------------+-----+---------+

[A] ADDINGTON is on the borders of Kent. Addington Place, a seat erected by Alderman Trecothick, in 1772, was purchased in 1807, for the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The manor of Addington is held by the feudal service of finding a man to make a mess, called Gerout, in the king's kitchen, at the coronation, and serving it up in his own person at Westminster Hall. In the reign of William the Conqueror, Addington appears to have been held by Tezelin, cook to the king, which accounts for the origin of the required culinary service. The Archbishop of Canterbury is now the claimant of the service alluded to. Near the village is a curious cluster of tumuli, or mounds of earth raised over the bodies of the slain, about twenty-five in number, of inconsiderable height. One of them is nearly forty feet in diameter, two are about half that size, and the rest very small.

[Sidenote: Coronation custom.]

[Sidenote: Cluster of tumuli.]

[B] ADDLE. The church in this town is considered to be one of the most perfect specimens of Roman architecture remaining in England. In 1702, the traces of an ancient Roman town, with fragments of urns, and of an aqueduct of stone were found in the adjacent moor.

[Sidenote: Roman architecture.]

[C] ADDLINGFLEET. A parish and township in the lower division of Osgold Cross, including the townships of Fockerby, Haldenby, and Eastoft. The village is situated very near the junction of the Trent with the Humber, the latter river being one of the largest in the kingdom, formed by the united waters of the Trent, Ouse, Derwent, Aire, and other minor streams. At this part it is about a mile broad, it is the Abus of Ptolemy. It runs towards the east, washing the port of Hull, where it receives the river called by the same name; from thence, taking a south-easterly direction, it expands itself into an estuary nearly seven miles across, and mingles with the German ocean. This river, which, with very few exceptions, receives all the waters of Yorkshire from the Ouse, and the greater part of those from the midland counties from the Trent, commands the inland navigation of very extensive and commercial parts of England; namely, those of the Mersey, Dee, Ribble, Severn, Thames, and Avon; it also forms the boundary between Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

[Sidenote: Boundary between Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.]

[A] ADLINGTON. Through this township runs the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It contains several coal mines. Adlington Hall, the seat of Sir Robert Clayton, Bart., was rebuilt about 1780; it stands in a low situation, on the borders of an extensive park, and contains some very good pictures, amongst which is a head of Charles I., taken after death. Ellerbeck Hall is the seat of John Hodson, Esq. In this neighbourhood is Park Hall, the seat of R.P. German, Esq. The inhabitants of Adlington are chiefly employed in the cotton manufactories of the vicinity.

[Sidenote: Seat of Sir. Robert Clayton, Bart.]

[B] ADWALTON formerly possessed a market which is now disused. On Adwalton Moor, a battle was fought, in 1642, between the Earl of Newcastle, commanding for the king, and the parliamentary general, Lord Fairfax, in which the latter was defeated.

_Fairs_, February 6, March 9, Easter Thursday, Thursday fortnight
after Easter, Whit-Thursday; and every second Thursday thence to
Michaelmas, for lean cattle; November 5, and December 23.

[Sidenote: Battle fought here in 1642.]

[C] St. AGNES is situated on the Bristol Channel. The town and parish, including a considerable mining district, is thickly strewed with the cottages of the miners. It is more frequently called Lighthouse Island, from a very high and strong light-house erected here, to warn the mariner from the rocks, which are more numerous about this than any other of the Scilly Islands. This building is upwards of sixty feet high, and stands on the most elevated ground. The light is produced by twenty-one parabolic reflectors of copper, plated with silver, and having each an argand lamp in its focus. The reflectors are disposed of in three clusters, of seven in each cluster, and the frame in which they are fixed stands perpendicularly to the horizon, on a shaft united to a machine below, which makes the whole revolve every two minutes. By this motion the light progressively sweeps the whole horizon; and by its gradual intermission and increase, it is readily distinguished from any other. Its brilliancy is also extraordinary; and by these combined efforts its benefits are greatly increased, as the seaman is at once rendered completely sensible of his situation. This light was designed by the ingenious Mr. Adam Walker, (lecturer on natural and experimental philosophy,) under whose inspection it was constructed. The light-house itself is of stone, and was erected, as appears from an inscription over the door, by Captain Hugh Till, and Captain Simon Bayley, in the year 1680. The charges attending the light are defrayed by the Trinity House. At St. Agnes is a pilchard fishery. St. Agnes' Beacon, six hundred and sixty-four feet above the level of the sea, is formed out of an ancient cairn, or tumulus of stones; near which, a summer-house has been built, from whence is a fine view of St. Ives, and an extensive sea prospect. Near the same spot is St. Agnes' Well, of which many miraculous stories are in circulation, from its presumed holy and sanative properties.

Comments

Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11Chapter I: Part 1

0%33 min left in chapter