Chapter VIII: Part 8

On y^e other side the dwelling house w^{ch} is severall steps up it—Gravell walkes full of flowers and greens and a box hedge Cut finely with Little trees, some Cut round, and another hedge of strip’d holly Cut Even and some of Lawrell Cut Even Likewise. Out of this you go into a flower garden divided into knotts, in which were 14 Cyprus trees w^{ch} were grown up very tall some of them, and kept Cutt Close in four squares down to y^e bottom. Towards y^e top they Enclined to a point or spire. Thence into another garden w^{th} gravell walkes, and so into a summer house through w^{ch} you Enter a good Bowling green, w^{ch} also goes out of another garden, w^{ch} takes in y^e whole breadth of y^e house and is full of flowers and greens and dwarfe trees and little borders of Severall sorts of greens Cut Even and Close, of tyme, severall sorts and of savin w^{ch} is another Coullour, and of Lavender Cotten another Coullour, and Rosemary and severall others. From this Bowling green in y^e Middle you descend 18 stepps in a Demi Circle inwards halfe way, then y^e stones are set round and so y^e half pace is, and y^e other stepps are Round turned outward, and y^e Lowest much y^e Largest as was y^e uppermost of y^e first. This leads to a place designed for ponds to keep ffish in but this place will not admitt of any water works altho’ its a deep Dirty Country. They neither have good gravell or marle to make a pond secure to hold water, nor are they near Enough y^e springs, but are forced to be supply’d w^{th} water by pipes from y^e River trent that is a mile off, and yet the whole place seems a quage, and when one is descended y^e hill this seemes to be the only thing wanting, for just by the Bowling-green is a very fine wilderness with many Large walks of a great Length full of all sorts of trees, scycamores, willows, Hazel, Chesnutts, walnuts, set very thicke and so shorn smooth to y^e top w^{ch} is left as a tuff or Crown—they are very Lofty in growth w^{ch} makes y^e Length of a walke Look Nobly. There is also a Row on y^e outside of firrs round Every grove 2 yards or 3 distant—some silver ffirrs—some Norroway—some Scotts and pine trees: these hold their beauty round y^e groves in y^e winter when y^e others Cast their Leaves. This was from Stafford 3 mile and to Woolsley was 3 mile more through narrow stoney Lanes through great Heywood.

Att Jnstree, M^r Shetwins, I saw a fine pomegranate tree as tall as myself, the Leafe is a long slender Leafe of a yellowish green Edged w^{th} red and feeles pretty thicke, y^e Blossom is white and very double. There was a terrass walke in one of y^e Gardens that gave y^e full prospect of y^e Country a great way about—its a deep Country—you are going these 3 miles to Woolsley a great while. There was at S^r Charles Woolsly’s some of y^e best good land and some of y^e worst, as is y^e Kankwood, but here y^e Roads are pretty good and hard w^{ch} makes it pleasant. There is much fine fruite here S^r Charles takeing great delight in his Gardens, I must say I never saw trees so well dress’d and pruned, y^e walls so Equally Cover’d as there. There is severall sorts of strawbery’s but y^e vermillion is y^e finest, very large as any Garden strawbery and of a fine scarlet Coullour, but its a Later sort; there was a pretty almond tree in Bloome y^e flower not unlike a Rosemary flower. From thence I tooke my progress Northward and went from hence to NewCastle under Line, through Stone w^{ch} was 9 miles, and then to Trentum, and passed by a great house of M^r Leveston Gore, and went on the side of a high hill below which the River Trent rann and turn’d its silver streame forward and backward into s. s w^{ch} Looked very pleasant Circleing about y^e fine meadows in their flourishing tyme bedecked w^{th} hay almost Ripe and flowers. 6 mile more to NewCastle under Line where is the fine shineing Channell Coale; so y^e proverb to both y^e New-Castles of bringing Coales to y^m is a needless Labour, one being famous for this Coale thats Cloven and makes white ashes as is this, and y^e NewCastle on y^e Tyne is for y^e sea Coale y^t Cakes and is what is Common and famillier to every smith in all villages. I went to this NewCastle in Staffordshire to see the makeing of y^e fine tea potts. Cups and saucers of y^e fine red Earth in imitation and as Curious as y^t w^{ch} Comes from China, but was defeated in my design, they Comeing to an End of their Clay they made use of for y^t sort of ware, and therefore was remov’d to some other place where they were not settled at their work so Could not see it; therefore I went on to Beteby 6 miles farther and went by a Ruinated Castle y^e walls still remaining Called Healy Castle—this was deep Clay way. This town is halfe in Staffordshire and halfe in Cheshire, one side of y^e streete in y^e one, and y^e other in y^e latter, so y^t they often jest on it in travelling one wheele goes in Staffordshire y^e other wheele in Cheshire.

Here is a great mer or standing water 2 miles Compass—great store of good fish; it belongs to one M^r Egerton: thence I went to Nantwitch 5 long miles. Nantwitch is a pretty large town and well built: here are y^e salt springs of w^{ch} they make salt and many salterns w^{ch} were a boyling y^e salt. This is a pretty Rich land; you must travell on a Causey; I went 3 miles on a Causey through much wood. Its from Nantwitch to Chester town 14 long miles, y^e wayes being deep: its much on Enclosures and I passed by severall large pooles of waters, but what I wonder’d at was y^t tho’ this shire is remarkable for a greate deale of greate Cheeses and Dairys I did not see more than 20 or 30 Cowes in a troope feeding, but on Enquiry find y^e Custome of y^e Country to joyn their milking together of a whole village and so make their great Cheeses. West Chester town lies in a bottom and runs a greate length and is pretty big—there are 10 Churches.

The Cathedrall is Large and Lofty, y^e quire well Carv’d, fine tapistry hangings at y^e alter, a good organ: The Bishops pallace is on the Right hand of it and the Doctors houses, all built of Stone. There is a new hall building w^{ch} is for y^e assize and it stands on great Stone pillars w^{ch} is to be y^e exchange w^{ch} will be very Convenient and handsome; the hall is round, its built of Bricke and Stone Coynes, there are Leads all round w^{th} battlements and in the middle is a tower, there are ballconies on y^e Side and windows quite round y^e Cupillow that shews y^e whole town round. There is another town hall—a long Lofty place, and another by the Side w^{ch} is Called the Councill Roome both for y^e Major and Aldermen to meete for y^e buissinesse of y^e Corporation. Y^e town is walled all aboute w^{th} battlem^{ts} and a walke all round pav’d w^{th} stone, I allmost Encompass’d y^e walls. Ye streetes are of a greate breadth, but there is one thing takes much from their appeareing so and from their beauty, for on each side in most places they have made penthouses so broad set on pillars w^{ch} persons walk under Covert, and is made up and down steps under which are ware houses. Tho’ a penthouse or pallasadoe be convenient for security from y^e sun or weather and were it no broader than for two to passe one by y^e other it would be well and No dissight to y^e grace of y^e Streetes, but this does darken y^e streetes and hinder y^e Light of y^e houses in many places to y^e streete ward below, indeed in some places were it only before y^e Chiefe persons houses it would be Convenient where its flatt and Even w^{th} the streetes. The town is mostly timber buildings, the trade and Concourse of people to it is Chiefly from the jntercourse it has with Ireland—most take this passage; and also y^e jntercourse w^{th} Wales w^{ch} is parted from it and England by y^e river Dee w^{ch} washes y^e Castle Walls in w^{ch} they keep their Stores, but nothing fine in it. The walls and towers seemes in good repaire. At the End of y^e town just by the Castle you Crosse over a very large and Long Bridge over the River Dee w^{ch} has the tyde Comes up much beyond the town; its 7 mile off y^t it falls into y^e sea, but its very broad below y^e town, when at high tyde is like a very broad sea: there they have a little Dock and build shipps of 200 tunn, I saw some on the stocks.

Cross this River by this Bridge Enters Fflintshire and so Crossed over y^e marches w^{ch} is hazardous to strangers, therefore M^r W^m Allen—w^{ch} was y^e major of Chester that time and gave me a very Civil treate being an acquaintance of my Brother S^r Edmund Harrison—so order’d his son and another Gentleman to Ride w^{th} me to Direct, to Harding w^{ch} was 5 miles. Just by that was a very fine new built house of Brick and in y^e Exact forme of y^e London Architecture w^{ch} was this M^r Majors house and good gardens.

Att Harding, where was my Relation D^r Percivalls wife who was Minister of y^t place: his parish was 8 miles in Extent and 2 lordships in it, and y^e ruines of two great Castles in it remaines—its good Rich Land here, much on Enclosures and woods.

In a tarresse walke in my Relations garden I could very plainly see Chester and y^e River Dee with all its Washes over the Marsh ground w^{ch} look’d very finely: here are sands w^{ch} makes it very difficult for strangers to passe w^{th} out a guide. From hence my Relation Carry’d me to Holly Well and pass’d thro’ Flint town w^{ch} is the shire town 5 mile from harding; its a very Ragged place many villages in England are better, y^e houses all thatched and stone walls, but so decay’d that in many places Ready are to tumble down. There was a town hall such a one as it was; it was at a Session tyme w^n I was there w^{ch} shew’d it at its Prime. There is a Castle w^{ch} still remaines w^{th} its towers built of stone, its down to y^e water side: from thence to Holy well is 3 mile mostly by y^e water side w^{ch} is Reckon’d the sea—here I went just in sight of high Lake where were many shipps Rideing along that harbour.

S^t Winfreds Well is built over w^{th} stone on Pillars Like a Tryumphall arch or tower on y^e gates of a Church, there is a pavem^t of stone w^{th} in—round 3 sides of y^e well w^{ch} is joyn’d on y^e fourth side by a great arch of stone w^{ch} Lies over y^e water y^t runs of from y^e well; its many springs w^{ch} bubbles up very fast and Lookes Cleane in a Compass w^{ch} is 8 square walled in w^{th} stone. In y^e bottom w^{ch} you see as Clear as Chrystall are 9 stones Layd in an oval on w^{ch} are dropps of Red Coullour some almost quite Covering the top of y^e stone, w^{ch} is pretended to be y^e blood of this holy saint whose head was struck off here and so where her body Laid this spring burst forth and remaines till now a very Rapid Current, w^{ch} runs off from this well under a barre by w^{ch} there are stone stepps for y^e persons to descend w^{ch} will bathe themselves in the well, and so they walke along y^e Streame to the other End and then come out, but there is nothing to Shelter them but are Exposed to all the Company that are walking about y^e well and to y^e Little houses and part of y^e Streete w^{ch} runs along by it but y^e Religeuse are not to mind it, it seemes the saint they do honour to in this place must beare them out in all things. They tell of many lameness’s and aches and distempers w^{ch} are Cured by it, its a Cold water and Cleare and runs off very quick so y^t it would be a pleasant refreshm^t in y^e sumer to washe ones self in it, but its shallow not up to y^e Waste so its not Easye to Dive and washe in, but I thinke I Could not have been persuaded to have gone in unless I might have had Curtains to have drawn about some part of it to have shelter’d from y^e Streete, for y^e wett garments are no Covering to y^e body; but there I saw abundance of y^e devout papists on their Knees all round a well. Poor people are deluded into an jgnorant blind zeale and to be pity’d by us y^t have the advantage of knowing better and ought to be better. There is some stones of a Reddish Coullour in y^e well s^d to be some of S^t Winifred’s blood also, w^{ch} y^e poore people take out and bring to y^e strangers for Curiosity and Relicts, and also moss about y^e bancks full of great virtue for Every thing. But its a Certaine gaine to y^e poore people—every one gives them something for bringing them moss and y^e stones, but lest they should in length of tyme be quite gather’d up they take Care to replenish it dayly from some mossy hill and so stick it along y^e sides of y^e well—there is good streames runs from it and by meanes of steepe descent runs down and turns mills. They come also to drinke of y^e water w^{ch} they take up in y^e first square w^{ch} is walled round and where the springs Rise and they say its of wonder full operation. Y^e taste to me was but like good spring water w^{ch} w^{th} wine and sugar and Lemons might make a pleasant Draught after walking amongst those shady trees of w^{ch} there is a great many and some straight and tall like a grove but not very uniforme. From thence I went back to Harding w^{ch} is 8 very Long Miles. At Holly well they speake Welsh; the inhabitants go barefoote and bare leg’d—a nasty sort of people. Their meate is very small here, Mutton is noe bigger than Little Lamb, what of it there is was sweete; their wine good being Neare y^e Sea side, and are well provided with ffish—very good Salmon and Eeles and other ffish I had at Harding. This shire is improperly Called Fflintshire there being noe flints in all y^e Country. There are great Coale pitts of the Channell Coale thats Cloven huge great pieces: they have great wheeles that are turned w^{th} horses y^t draw up the water and so draine the Mines w^{ch} would Else be over flowed so as they Could not dig the Coale; they have also Engines y^t draw up their Coale in sort of baskets Like hand barrows w^{ch} they wind up like a Bucket in a well, for their mines are dug down through a sort of well and sometymes its pretty Low before they Come to y^e Coales; it makes y^e Road unsafe because of y^e Coale pitts and also from y^e Sloughs and quicksands, all here about being mostly near y^e bancks of y^e water. In this Country are quarrys of Stone, Copper and Iron Mines and salt hills, its a hilly place, very steep descents and great many very high hills, but I went not so farre as Pen Ma Mower but Cross’d y^e river Dee haveing first went two mile by these Coale mines (at least 10) in a place (?) its a thing w^{ch} holds neer two bushell that is their Basket they draw up w^{ch} is bought for 6 pence. I forded over y^e Dee when y^e tide was out all upon the sands at Least a mile, w^{ch} was as smooth as a Die being a few hours left of y^e flood. Y^e sands are here soe Loose y^t the tydes does move them from one place to another at Every flood, y^t the same place one used to ffoard a month or two before is not to be pass’d now, for as it brings the sands in heaps to one place so it leaves others in deep holes w^{ch} are Cover’d w^{th} water and Loose sand that would swallow up a horse or Carriages; so I had two Guides to Conduct me over. The Carriages w^{ch} are used to it and pass Continually at y^e Ebbs of water observes y^e drift of sands and so Escape y^e danger. It was at least a mile I went on y^e sands before I Came to y^e middle of y^e Channell w^{ch} was pretty deep and with such a Current or tyde w^{ch} was falling out to sea together w^{th} y^e wind, the horses feete could scarce stand against it, but it was but narrow just the deep part of the Channell and so soone over. When the tyde is fully out they frequently fford in many places w^{ch} they marke as the sands fall and Can go near 9 or 10 mile over y^e sands from Chester to Burton or to Flint town almost; but many persons that have known the ffoards well y^t have Come a year or halfe a year after, if they venture on their former knowledge have been overwhelm’d in the Ditches made by y^e sands w^{ch} is deep Enough to swallow up a Coach or waggon; but they Convey their Coales from Wales and any other things by waggon when the tyde is out to Chester and other parts. From Burton w^{ch} was on y^e side of England the shore, I went to y^e fferry 9 miles to the river Meresy another great River and a perfect sea for 20 mile or more. It Comes out of Lancashire from Warrington and both this and y^e Dee Empts themselves into y^e sea almost together a few Leagues from Leverpoole, w^{ch} poole is form’d by a poynt of land that runs almost round the Entrance from y^e sea, being narrow and hazardous to strangers to saile in in the winter. Y^e mouth of y^e river by reason of y^e Sands and Rocks is a gate to y^e River; this I ferry’d over and was an hour and halfe in y^e passage, its of great breadth and at low water is so deep and salt as y^e sea almost, tho’ it does not Cast so green a hew on y^e water as ye sea, but else the waves toss and y^e Rocks grate all round it and is as dangerous as y^e sea. Its a sort of Hoy that I ferried over and my horses—y^e boate would have held 100 people.

Leverpoole w^{ch} is in Lancashire is built just on the river Mersy mostly new built houses of brick and stone after the London fashion; y^e first original was a few fishermens houses and now is grown to a large fine town and but a parish and one Church, tho’ there be 24 streetes in it. There is Indeed a little Chappell and there are a great many dessenters in the town. Its a very Rich trading town, y^e houses of Brick and stone built high and Even that a streete quite through Lookes very handsome—the streetes well pitched. There are abundance of persons you see very well dress’d and of good fashion, y^e streetes are faire and Long, its London in miniature as much as ever I saw anything. There is a very pretty Exchange stands on 8 pillars besides the Corners w^{ch} are Each Arche pillars all of stone and its railed in, over w^{ch} is a very handsome town hall—over all is a tower and Cupilow thats so high that from thence one has y^e whole view of y^e town and the Country round—in a Clear day you may see y^e Jsle of Man w^{ch} also was in view from out of Wales at Harding on the high tarrass walke in my Cos’n Percivalls garden.

Thence to Prescote 7 very long miles, but pretty good way, mostly Lanes; there I passed by Nosel the Earle of Darbys house w^{ch} Looked very nobly w^{th} many towers and balls on them; it stands amongst tall trees and Lookes like a pleasant grove all about it, its an old house runs a great Compass of ground. Y^e town of Prescote stands on a high hill, a very pretty neate Market town—a Large market place and broad streetes well pitch’d.

Thence to Wiggon, 7 long miles more mostly in Lanes and some hollow wayes and some pretty deep stony way so forced us upon y^e high Causey, but some of y^e way was good w^{ch} I went pretty fast and yet by reason of the tediousness of y^e miles for length I was 5 hours going that 14 mile; I could have gone 30 miles about London in y^e tyme. There was pretty much woods and Lanes through which I passed, and pass’d by a mer or Lake of water; there are many of these here about, but not going through Ormskerk. I avoided going by the famous Mer Call’d Martin mer that as y^e proverb sayes has parted many a man and his mare—indeed it being neare evening and not getting a Guide I was a little afraid to go that way it being very hazardous for Strangers to passe by it. Some part of y^t mer one M^r Ffleetewood has been at y^e Expence to draine so as to be able to use the ground for tillage, having by trenches and floodgates w^{th} banks shutt out y^e waters y^t still kept it a marsh and moorish ground, but it was a very great Charge; however it shews by industry and some Expence, if Gentlemen would set about it, Most of y^e waste ground thats now a ffenny Moor and Mostly water might be rendered usefull and in a few yeares answere y^e first great Charge on it. Wiggons is another pretty Market town built of stone and brick: here it is that the fine Channell Coales are in perfection—burns as light as a Candle—set the Coales together w^{th} some fire and it shall give a snap and burn up light. Of this Coale they make Saltcellars, Stand-dishes and many boxes and things w^{ch} are sent about for Curiositys and sold in London and are often offer’d in the Exchange in Company w^{th} white or black marble and most people deceived by them w^{ch} have not been in those Countrys and know it, but such persons discover it and will Call for a Candle to trye them whether marble or Coale: its very finely pollish’d and Lookes much like jett or Ebany wood for w^{ch} one might Easily take it when in boxes &c &c. I bought some of them for Curiosity sake. 2 mile off Wigon towards Warrington (w^{ch} was some of my way back againe but for y^e Curiosity’s sake I did,) is the Burning well w^{ch} burns like brandy; its a little sorry hole in one of y^e grounds 100 yards from y^e Road that Comes from Warrington to Wiggon just by a hedge or banck, its full of dirt and mud almost but the water Continually bubbles up as if it were a pott boyling w^{ch} is the spring or severall springs in that place; Nevertheless I felt y^e water and it was a Cold Spring. Y^e man w^{ch} shewed it me, w^{th} a dish tooke out a good quantety of y^e water and threw away and then w^{th} a piece of Rush he lighted by a Candle y^t he brought in a lanthorne, he set y^e water in y^e well on fire and it burn’d blewish just like spirits and Continued a good while, but by reason of y^e great raines y^t ffell y^e night before y^e spring was weaker and had not thrown off the raine water, otherwise it used to flame all over y^e well a good height, now it burnt weaker; at last the wind blew out y^e mans Candle and he severall tymes lighted y^e bitt of Rush or splinter of wood by y^e flame y^t burnt in y^e well. This is a little unaccountable; I apprehend its a sort of an unctious matter in y^e Earth and soe through its veines the springs run w^{ch} Causes it so to burn, for I observ’d when they dug into y^e banche and opened the sort of Clay or mudd, it burnt fiercer and more from y^e well. I returned againe to Wiggon two mile and thence to Preston and passed by S^r John Bradshaws house w^{ch} stood on y^e declineing of a hill in y^e midst of a fine grove of trees. Severall fine walkes and Rows of trees thereabout; just in the Road on the banck where on the hedge stood was Errected a high stone pillar Carv’d and a ball on y^e top with an jnscription Cutt on it shewing the Cause of it, being the monument of an officer that in a fight just there, his horse takeing y^e hedge and Ditch on some distaste he tooke at y^e Gunns and smoake, flung out his sword out of y^e scabbard and flung his Master down on y^e poynt of it w^{ch} ran him through that he dyed and Lyes buried on y^e Spott.

Preston is reckon’d but 12 mile from Wiggon but they Exceed in Length by farre those y^t I thought long the day before from Leverpoole; its true to avoid the many Mers and marshy places it was a great Compass I tooke, and passed down and up very steep hills, and this way was good Gravell way; but passing by many very Large arches y^t were only single ones but as Large as two great gate wayes, and y^e water I went through y^t ran und^{er} them was so shallow notwithstanding these were Extreme high arches, I enquired the Meaneing and was inform’d that on great raines those brookes would be swelled to so great a height that unless those arches were so high, noe passing while it were so.

They are but narrow bridges for foote or horse and at such floods they are fforced in many places to boate it till they Come to those arches on the great Bridges w^{ch} are across their great Rivers; this happens sometymes on sudden great showers for a day or two in y^e summer, but y^e winter is often or mostly soe that there are deep waters so as not Easily Cross’d; but once in 3 or 4 years there is some of those very greate floods I mentioned before, that they are fforced to boate from bridge to bridge w^{ch} is little Enough then to secure them. I passed by at Least half a doz^n of these high single arches besides severall great stone Bridges of 4 or 6 arches which are very high also over their greatest rivers. Preston stands on a hill and is a very good market town; Satterday is their market w^{ch} day I was there and saw it was provided with all sorts of things—Leather, Corn Coales, butter, Cheese and fruite and garden things: there is a very spacious Market place and pretty Church and severall good houses. At y^e Entrance of y^e town was a very good house w^{ch} was a Lawyers all stone work 5 windows in y^e front and high built according to y^e Eastern building near London; the ascent to y^e house was 14 or 15 stone stepps Large and a handsome Court with open jron Pallasadoes in the gate, and on Each side, the whole breadth of y^e house, w^{ch} discover’d the gardens on Each side of the house, neately kept flowers and greens; there was also many steps up to y^e house from y^e Court—it was a Compleate building. There was 2 or 3 more such houses in y^e town and Indeed the Generallity of y^e buildings, Especially in 2 or 3 of y^e great streetes were very handsome, better than in most Country towns and y^e streetes spacious and well pitch’d. I was about 4 houres going this twelve mile and Could have gone 20 in the tyme in most Countrys, nay by the people of these parts this twelve is as long and as much tyme taken up in going it as to go from thence to Lancaster w^{ch} is 20 mile, and I Can Confirme this by my own Experience for I went to Goscoyne w^{ch} is 10 miles and halfe way to Lancaster in two houres, where I baited, and here it was I was first presented w^{th} y^e Clap bread w^{ch} is much talked of made all of oates. I was surpris’d when the Cloth was Laid, they brought a great Basket such as one uses to undress Children with and set it on the table full of thin waffers as big as Pancakes and drye that they Easily breake into shivers, but Coming to dinner found it to be y^e only thing I must Eate for bread. Y^e taste of oate bread is pleasant enough and where its well made is very acceptable, but for y^e most part its scarce baked and full of drye flour on y^e outside. Y^e description of how its made ought to Come in here but I Reserve it to y^e place I saw it made at the best way. As I Come to this place which was much over downs or a Race ground I Came along by some of y^e old Picts walls, y^e ruines of which here and there remaines in many parts of y^e Country. Gascoyn is a little market town—one Church in it w^{ch} is a mile off from y^e town, and y^e parish is 8 miles long, which discourag’d me in staying there being Satterday night and so pressed on to Lancaster.

I percieve most of y^e parishes are a great tract of Land and very Large and also beneficial, for all over Lancastershire the revenues of y^e parsonages are Considerable 2 and 300^£ 500 and 800 a piece, y^e parson at Liverpoole has 1100 a yeare, and its frequent Everywhere 3 or 400^£. Thence to Lancaster town 10 mile more which I Easily Reached in 2 hours and a halfe or 3 hours; I passed through abundance of villages almost at y^e End of Every mile, mostly all along Lanes being an Enclosed Country. They have one good thing in most parts of this principality, or County palatine its rather Call’d, that at all Cross wayes there are posts w^{th} hands pointing to each road w^{th} y^e names of y^e great town or market towns that it Leads to, w^{ch} does make up for y^e Length of y^e miles y^t strangers may not Loose their Road and have it to goe back againe. You have a great divertion on this road haveing a pleasing prospect of y^e Countrys a great distance round, and see it full of jnclosures and some woods, three miles off y^e town you see it very plaine and y^e sea, Even y^e main ocean; in one place an arm of it Comes up w^{th} in 2 mile of y^e town. Y^e River Liene runs by the town and so into y^e sea. Y^e situation of Lancaster town is very good, y^e Church neately built of stone, y^e Castle w^{ch} is just by, both on a very great ascent from y^e Rest of y^e town and so is in open view, y^e town and River Lying Round it beneath. On y^e Castle tower walking quite round by y^e battlements I saw y^e whole town and river at a view, w^{ch} runs almost quite round and returns againe by y^e town, and saw y^e sea beyond and y^e great high hills beyond y^t part of y^e sea, w^{ch} are in Wales, and also into Westmoreland to the great hills there Called ffurness ffells or hills, being a string of vast high hills together: also into Cumberland to y^e great hill Called Black Comb hill whence they digg their black Lead and no where Else; but they open y^e mine but once in Severall yeares. I also saw into Yorkshire,—there is Lead, Copper, gold and silver in some of those hills and marble and Christall also.

Lancaster town is old and much decay’d: there has been a monastery, the walls of part of it remaine and some of y^e Carv’d stones and ffigures; there is in it a good garden and a pond in it w^{th} a little jsland on w^{ch} an apple tree grows—a Jenitin; and Strawberys all round its Rootes and y^e banks of the Little jsle. There are 2 pretty wells and a vault that Leads a great way under ground up as farre as y^e Castle, w^{ch} is a good distance. In the River there are great weres or falls of water made for Salmon ffishing, where they hang their nets and Catch great quantety’s of ffish, w^{ch} is neare the bridge. The town seemes not to be much in trade as some others, but the great store of fish makes them Live plentifully as also the great plenty of all provisions. The streets are some of them well pitch’d and of a good size; when I came into the town the stones were so slippery Crossing some Channells that my horse was quite down on his nose, but did at length recover himself, and so I was not thrown off or jnjured w^{ch} I desire to bless God for, as for the many preservations I mett with. I Cannot say the town seemes a lazy town and there are trades of all sorts, there is a Large meeteing house, but their minister was but a mean preacher; there are 2 Churches in the town which are pretty near Each other.

Thence I went to Kendall in Westmoreland over steepe stony hills all like Rocks, 6 miles to one Lady Middleton, and by some Gentlemen w^{ch} were travelling that way that was their acquaintance, had the advantage of going through her parke, and saved the going Round a bad stony passage. It was very pleasant under the shade of the tall trees. It was an old timber house, but the family being from home we had a free passage through it on to the Road againe, much of w^{ch} was stony and steep—far worse than the Peake in Darbyshire. This Lady Middleton was a papist and I believe the Gentlemen y^t was travelling were too. Thence to Kendall ten mile more, most of y^e way was in Lanes when I was out of the stony hills, and then into jnclosed Lands, here in 6 miles to the town you have very Rich good Land Enclosed—Little round green hills flourishing w^{th} Corn and grass as green and fresh, being in the prime season in July. There is not much woods but only the hedge rows round the grounds w^{ch} Looks very fine. In these Northern Countyes they have only the summer Graine, as barley, oates, peas, beans, and Lentils, noe wheate or Rhye for they are so cold and Late in their yeare they Cannot venture at that sort of tillage, so have none but what they are supply’d out of other Countys adjacent. The Land seemes here in many places very ffertile; they have much Rhye in Lancashire Yorkshire and Stafford and Shropshire and so Herriford and Worcestershire, w^{ch} I found very troublesome in my journeys, for they would not own they had any such thing in their bread, but it so disagrees w^{th} me as allwayes to make me sick w^{ch} I found by its Effects whenever I met w^{th} any, tho’ I did not discern it by the taste; in Suffolke and Norfolke I also met w^{th} it, but in these parts its altogether y^e oatbread. Kendall is a town built all of stone, one very broad streete in which is the Market Crosse; its a goode tradeing town mostly famed for the Cottons: Kendall Cotton is used for blanckets and the Scotts use them for their Plodds and there is much made here and also Linsi-woolseys, and a great deale of Leather tann’d here, and all sorts of Commodityes—twice a weeke is y^e market ffurnished w^{th} all sorts of things.

The River Can w^{ch} gives name to the town is pretty Large but full of Rocks and stones that makes shelves and falls in the water, its stor’d w^{th} plenty of good ffish and there are great ffalls of water partly naturall and added to by putting more stones in manner of Wyers, at w^{ch} they Catch Salmon when they Leape with speares. The Roaring of y^e water at these places sometymes does foretell wet weather; they do observe when the water roares most in the fall on the Northside it will be ffaire, if on the Southside of the town it will be wet. Some of them are falls as high as a house. The same observation is at Lancaster at the Wires where they Catch Salmon; against Stormes or raines it will be turbulent and Rore as may be heard into the town. There are 3 or 4 good houses in the town, y^e rest are like good traders houses very neate and tight. The streetes are all pitch’d w^{ch} is Extreame Easy to be repair’d, for the whole Country is like one Entire Rock or pitching almost all y^e Roads. At the Kings arms, one M^{rs} Rowlandson, she does pott up the Charr ffish the best of any in the Country: I was Curious to have some and so bespoke some of her, and also was as Curious to see the great water w^{ch} is the only place that ffish is to be found in, and so went from Kendall to Bondor 6 miles thro’ narrow Lanes, but the Lands in y^e jnclosures are Rich. But here Can be noe Carriages, but very narrow ones like Little wheele-barrows that with a horse they Convey their fewell and all things Else. They also use horses on which they have a sort of Pannyers some Close, some open, that they strew full of hay turff and Lime and Dung and Every thing they would use, and the reason is plaine, from the narrowness of the Lanes where is good Lands they will Loose as Little as they Can, and where its hilly and stoney no other Carriages Can pass, so they use these horse Carriages, and abundance of horses I see all about Kendall streetes with their Burdens. This Kendall is the biggest town and much in y^e heart of Westmoreland, but Appleby 10 mile off is the shire town where the session and assizes are held and is 7 miles to this great Lake Wiandermer or great standing water w^{ch} is 10 mile long and near halfe a mile over in some places. It has many Little hills or jsles in it, one of a great bigness of 30 acres of ground on which is a house, y^e Gentleman that is Lord of y^e Manour Lives in it—S^r Christopher Phillips; he has a great Command of y^e water and of y^e villages thereabout and many Priviledges, he makes a Major or Bailiff of y^e place during life; its but a small mean place, M^r Majors was the best Entertaining house where I was. Y^e Isle did not Looke to be so bigg at y^e shore, but takeing boate I went on it and found it as large and very good Barley and oates and grass. The water is very Cleer and full of good ffish, but y^e Charr ffish being out of season Could not Easily be taken, so I saw none alive but of other ffish I had a very good supper. The season of the Charr ffish is between Michaelmas and Christmas; at that tyme I have had of them, w^{ch} they pott with sweete spices. They are as big as a small trout, Rather slenderer and y^e skinn full of spotts, some Red Like the finns of a Perch and the jnside flesh Looks as Red as any salmon if they are in season; their taste is very Rich and fatt tho’ not so strong or Clogging as the Lamprys are, but its as fatt and Rich a food. This great water seemes to flow and wane about with y^e wind but it does not Ebb and flow Like the sea with the tyde, neither does it run so as to be perceivable, tho’ at y^e End of it a Little Rivulet trills from it into the Sea, but it seemes to be a standing Lake Encompass’d with vast high hills, y^t are perfect Rocks and barren ground of a vast height, from which many Little Springs out of y^e Rock does bubble up and descend down and fall into this water. Notwithstanding great raines y^e water does not seem much Encreas’d tho’ it must be so, then it does draine off more at the End of the Lake. These hills w^{ch} they Call Ffurness Ffells a long Row Continued some miles, and some of them are Call’d Donum ffells and soe from the places they adjoyne to are named, but they hold the whole length of the water w^{ch} is 10 mile; they have fome parts of them that has wayes that they Can by degrees in a Compass ascend them and so they go onward. In the Countrys, they are fferried over the Lake when they go to market. On y^e other side over those ffells there is a sort of Stones Like Rubbish or Broken pieces of stones, w^{ch} Lies about a quarry, that Lies all in the bottom of y^e water; where its so shallow as at the shores it is and very Cleer you see the bottom; between these stones are weeds w^{ch} grows up, that I had some taken up just Like samfyer and I have a fancy its a sort of sampire that Indeed is gather’d in y^e Rocks by the sea and water, and this grows in the water but it resembles it in Coullour, ffigure and the taste not much unlike—it was somewhat waterish. There was also fine moss growing in the bottom of y^e water. Here it was I saw y^e oat Clap bread made. They mix their flour with water, so soft as to rowle it in their hands into a ball, and then they have a board made round and something hollow in the middle riseing by degrees all round to the Edge a little higher, but so little as one would take it to be only a board warp’d, this is to Cast out the Cake thinn and so they Clap it round and drive it to y^e Edge in a Due proportion till drove as thinn as a paper and still they Clap it and drive it round, and then they have a plaite of jron same size w^{th} their Clap board, and so shove off the Cake on it and so set it on Coales and bake it; when Enough on one side they slide it off and put the other side; if their jron plaite is smooth and they take Care their Coales or Embers are not too hot but just to make it Looke yellow, it will bake and be as Crisp and pleasant to Eate as any thing you Can jmagine, but as we say of all sorts of bread there is a vast deal of difference in what is housewifely made and what is ill made, so this if its well mixed and Rowled up and but a little flour on the outside which will drye on and make it mealy is a very good sort of food. This is the sort of bread they use in all these Countrys, and in Scotland they breake into their milk or broth or Else sup that up and bite off their bread between while they spread butter on it and Eate it with their meate. They have no other Sort of bread unless at market towns and that is scarce to be had unless the market dayes, soe they make their Cake and Eate it presently, for its not so good if 2 or 3 dayes old. It made me reflect on the description made in Scripture of this Kneeding Cakes and bakeing them on the hearth whenever they had Company Come to their houses, and I Cannot but thinke it was after this manner they made their bread in y^e old tymes Especially those Eastern Countryes where their bread might be soone dry’d and spoil’d. Their little Carts I was speakeing of they use hereabout, the wheeles are fastned to the axletree and so turn altogether, they hold not above what 5 wheelbarrows would Carry at three or four tymes, which the Girles and Boys and women does go about with drawn by one horse to Carry any thing they want. Here is a great deal of good grass and Summer Corn and pastures, its Rich Land in the bottoms as one may Call them Considering the vast hills above them on all sides, yet they Contain a number of Lesser hills one below another, so that tho’ at one Looke you think it but a little Land Every body has; Yet it being so full of hills its many acres w^{ch} if at Length in a plain would Extend a vast way. I was about a quarter of an hour in the boate before I reach’d y^e island w^{ch} is in the midst of the water so by that you may guesse at the breadth of the water in the whole, they fferry man and horse over it; its sometymes perfectly Calme. Thence I Rode almost all the waye in sight of this great water, some tymes I lost it by reason of y^e great hills interposeing and so a Continu’d up hill and down hill and that pretty steep, even when I was in that they Called bottoms w^{ch} are very rich good grounds, and so I gained by degrees from Lower to higher hills w^{ch} I allwayes went up and down before I Came to another hill. At last I attained to the side of one of these hills or ffells of Rocks, w^{ch} I passed on the side much about the Middle, for Looking down to the bottom it was at Least a Mile all full of those Lesser hills and jnclosures, so Looking upward I was as farre from the top which was all Rocks, and something more barren tho’ there was some trees and woods growing in y^e Rocks and hanging over all down y^e Brow of some of the hills. From these great ffells there are severall springs out of y^e Rock that trickle down their sides, and as they meete with stones and Rocks in the way, when something obstructs their passage and so they Come with more violence, that gives a pleaseing sound and murmuring noise. These descend by degrees at last fall into the Low grounds and fructifye it w^{ch} makes y^e Land soe ffruit full in the valleys, and upon those very high ffells or Rocky hills its (tho’) soe high yet a moorish sort of ground whence they digg abundance of Peat w^{ch} they use for their fewell, being in many places a barren ground yeilding noe wood &c. I rode in sight of this Winander water as I was ascending another of those barren ffells w^{ch} tho’ I at last was not halfe way up, yet was an hour going it up and down on the other side, going only on the side of it about y^e middle of it, but it was of such a height as to shew one a great deale of y^e Country when it happens to be between those hills, Else those interposeing hinders any sight but of y^e Clouds. I see a good way behind me another of those waters or mers but not very bigge. These great hills are so full of Loose stones and shelves of Rocks y^t its very unsafe to Ride them down.

There is good Marble amongst those Rocks. As I walked down at this place I was walled on both sides by those inaccessible high rocky barren hills w^{ch} hangs over ones head in some places and appears very terrible, and from them springs many Little Currents of water from the sides and Clefts, w^{ch} trickle down to some Lower part where it runs swiftly over the stones and shelves in the way, w^{ch} makes a pleasant Rush and murmuring noise, and Like a snowball is Encreased by Each spring trickling down on either side of those hills, and so descends into the bottoms w^{ch} are a moorish ground in w^{ch} in many places the waters stand, and so forme some of those Lakes as it did here. Y^e Confluence of all these little springs being gathered together in this lake, w^{ch} was soe deep as the Current of water y^t passed through it was scarce to be perceived till one Came to the farther End from whence it run a good little River and pretty quick, over w^{ch} many bridges are Laid. Here I Came to villages of sad little hutts made up of drye walls, only stones piled together and y^e Roofs of same slatt; there seemed to be little or noe tunnells for their Chimneys and have no morter or Plaister within or without. For the most part I tooke them at first sight for a sort of houses or Barns to fodder Cattle in, not thinking them to be dwelling houses, they being scattering houses, here one, there another, in some places they may be 20 or 30 together; and the Churches the same. It must needs be very Cold dwellings, but it shews some thing of y^e Lazyness of y^e people; indeed here and there there was a house plaister’d, but there is sad Entertainment—that sort of Clap bread and butter and Cheese and a Cup of beer all one Can have, they are 8 mile from a market town and their miles are tedious to go both for illness of way and length of y^e miles.