Curiosities Of Great Britain: England And Wales Delineated Part 12

+--+------------------------+------------------------+-----+------+ 39 Atherstone-upon-Stour pa Campden 9 92 87 22 Atherton, or } Wigan 7 198 4181 Chowbents to & chap } 10 Atlow chap Derby 13 139 517 51 Atpar m.t. Carmarthen 21 230 30 Attenborough[A] pa Loughboro' 10 119 1094 24 Atterly to Gainsboro' 12 148 110 45 Attercliffe to Barnsley 13 162 3741 23 Atterton ham Nuneaton 5 105 76 31 Attington ex. p. ham Watlington 6 42 7 27 Attleborough[B] m.t. & p Watton 10 94 1939 +--+------------------------+------------------------+-----+------+

[A] ATTENBOROUGH. This village, supposed to be the ancient Attenton, lies nearly on the banks of the river Trent. Its church is large, and also well filled: it serves for Chilwell, Toueton, and part of Bramcote.

This place is remarkable, for having given birth to Henry Ireton, the regicide, son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell. He was the eldest son of Gervase Ireton, Esq., and brother to Sir John Ireton, Lord Mayor of London in 1658. He was a gentleman commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, in 1629, and at the age of 19 he took one degree in Arts. Wood tells us, that he had the character in that college of a stubborn and saucy fellow towards the seniors. Afterwards he went to the Middle Temple, where he became grounded in the common law. When the rebellion broke out he took up arms against the king, was a recruiter in the long parliament, and about that time married Bridget, one of the daughters of Cromwell, then only colonel of a regiment. He became first a captain, afterwards colonel, and at length commissary-general, in 1645. He is said to have been the best prayer-maker and preacher in the whole army. He drew up the famous remonstrance requiring justice to be done on their sovereign.

He sat as judge on the king's trial, and was one of the committee that appointed the time and place of execution. In Cromwell's expedition to Ireland, he was appointed second in command, with the rank of major-general, and was afterwards made president of Munster; being left as deputy by Cromwell, in 1649, he died the next year of a sudden disorder at Limerick. On his death, the parliament settled a pension of 2000. per annum on his widow and children, out of the estates of the Duke of Buckingham.

[Sidenote: Birth-place of the regicide, son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell.]

[B] ATTLEBOROUGH, or ATTLEBURGH. This small market town was formerly a place of considerable consequence. During the Saxon era it was a post of strength and served as a check to the Danes in their predatory incursions. Its fortifications are said to have been conspicuous in the time of Henry II. Attleborough formerly belonged to the Mortimers; from them it pa.s.sed to the Ratcliffe family, of whom it was purchased by Sir Francis Blickley, Bart., whence it came into possession of the family of Ash. A college, dedicated to the Holy Cross, was founded here in the reign of Richard II., by Sir Robert de Mortimer, for a custos and four fellows. The church, with the east end is entire; it is in the collegiate form, and consists of a large nave with aisles and a north and south transept; it contains the monuments of many persons of distinction. On a flat stone in the nave is an inscription to the memory of Captain John Gibbs, a celebrated horse racer and gamester, in the reign of Charles I. This person having laid a wager that he would drive his carriage and four horses up and down the steepest place of the Devil's Ditch, on Newmarket Heath, succeeded in winning the bet, by making a very light chaise, with a jointed perch, and without any pole.

It is worthy of remark, that the first turnpike road in the kingdom, was made at Attleborough, by an Act pa.s.sed for that purpose in 1707.

_Market_, Thursday.--_Fairs_, Thursday before Easter; Thursday after Holy Trinity; August 15, for cattle and Toys.--_Mail_ arrives 7.27 A.M.; departs 6.38 P.M.

[Sidenote: Anecdote of Captain J. Gibbs.]

Map Names of Places. County. Number of Miles From +--+----------------------+--------+--------------+--------------+ 39 Attleborough ham Warwick Nuneaton 1 Coventry 9 27 Attlebridge pa Norfolk Reepham 5 Aylesham 8 46 Atwicke to & pa E.R.York Hornsea 2 Bridlington 12 24 Auborn to & pa Lincoln Lincoln 8 Newark 10 13 Auckland, St.} Andrew[A]} to & pa Durham Bp. Auckland 1 Darlington 11 13 Auckland, St. Helen ch Durham ... 3 ... 10 13 Auckland, West to Durham ... 3 ... 10 14 Audley End[B] ham Ess.e.x Saff. Walden 1 Newport 2 7 Audlem to & pa Chester Nantwich 6 Whitchurch 9 +--+----------------------+--------+--------------+--------------+ Dist. Map Names of Places. Number of Miles From Lond. Population.

+--+----------------------+-----------------------+--------------+ 39 Attleborough ham Hinckley 5 100 27 Attlebridge pa Norwich 9 112 117 46 Atwicke to & pa Beverley 13 189 285 24 Auborn to & pa Navenby 6 127 356 13 Auckland, St.} Andrew[A]} to & pa Durham 11 248 11137 13 Auckland, St. Helen ch ... 13 246 410 13 Auckland, West to ... 13 246 1106 14 Audley End[B] ham Chesterford 4 42 7 Audlem to & pa Woore 5 163 2978 +--+----------------------+-----------------------+----+---------+

[A] ST. ANDREWS, AUCKLAND. This place is celebrated for the church having been made collegiate by Bishop Beck, although it is probable there was some foundation here before the time of that prelate. The edifice is situated on a rising ground, in a valley near the banks of the river Gaunless, and has the form of a cross with a tower at the west end. In the inside is a curious wooden figure, said to be an effigy of one of the family of Polland, which represents a knight sitting cross-legged and dressed in a coat of mail, with his hands raised and his feet resting on a lion.

[Sidenote: Curious effigy.]

[B] AUDLEY END is princ.i.p.ally celebrated for its vicinity to Audley House, which was sold by the third Earl of Suffolk, to Charles II., for 50,000., the king, however, left a great part of the sum on mortgage.

The present mansion, though a large and magnificent structure, consists only of a small part of the original building, owing to its curtailment at various times. When in its perfect state, it was esteemed one of the most splendid and capacious mansions in the country; and, if not superior, was nearly equal to the palaces of Hampton Court, Nonsuch, and Richmond. At the time when it was first built, large, rather than comfortable or handsome houses were fas.h.i.+onable. Influenced by these sentiments, Thomas Howard, the first Earl of Suffolk, (as Walpole observes,) determined to have "an immense pile of building," and 190,000. was expended upon its erection. It is said that, when the house was finished, King James was invited to see it. Having surveyed the structure with great astonishment, the earl asked him "how he liked it?" "Very well," replied James, "but troth man," continued he sarcastically, "it is too much for a king, but it may do for a Lord High Treasurer." An elegant domestic chapel, constructed by the late Lord Howard, occupies the north west corner of the house. It is fitted up with cl.u.s.tered columns, pointed arches, and fan like tracery; and, in imitation of a cathedral, it has a nave, side-aisles and transepts. The windows are filled with painted gla.s.s, by Pickett of York, who executed them in 1771, from Biaggio Rebecca's designs.

_Fair_, August 5, for cheese.

[Sidenote: Anecdote of James I.]

Map Names of Places. County. Number of Miles From +--+-----------------------+----------+------------+--------------+ 35 Audley to & pa Stafford Newcastle 4 Leek 14 22 Aughton chap Lancaster Lancaster 7 K. Lonsdale 8 22 Aughton pa Lancaster Ormskirk 2 Liverpool 10 46 Aughton[A] to & pa E.R. York Howden 7 Selby 7 45 Aughton to W.R. York Rotherham 5 Sheffield 7 24 Aukborough[B] pa Lincoln Barton 10 Burton 3 30 Aukley to Nottingham Bawtry 5 Gainsboro' 13 10 Ault-Hucknall pa Derby Mansfield 6 Chesterfield 7 24 Aunsby pa Lincoln Folkingham 6 Sleaford 6 15 Aust, or Aust-Clive[C]} ti. & chap} Gloucester Thornbury 4 Bristol 11 +--+-----------------------+----------+------------+--------------+ Dist. Map Names of Places. Number of Miles From Lond. Population.

+--+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----+--------+ 35 Audley to & pa Congleton 9 154 3617 22 Aughton chap Burton 7 217 199 22 Aughton pa Prescott 10 208 1462 46 Aughton[A] to & pa York 11 189 665 45 Aughton to Tickhill 11 156 24 Aukborough[B] pa Howden 10 172 467 30 Aukley to Doncaster 6 158 297 10 Ault-Hucknall pa Bolsover 4 144 618 24 Aunsby pa Grantham 9 112 117 15 Aust, or Aust-Clive[C]} ti. & chap} Chepstow 5 123 203 +--+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----+--------+

[A] AUGHTON. This village is chiefly distinguished for having been the seat of an ancient and respectable family long since extinct, or dispersed. The Askes, who succeeded the family of Hai, resided here from about the year 1365, till the reign of Charles I., when the head of the family was one of the judges of that unfortunate monarch. Of this family, also, was Sir Robert Aske, a man of daring and enthusiastic courage, possessing considerable talents, who headed the insurrection called "the Pilgrimage of Grace," in the days of Henry VIII. Of the family seat, nothing remains but the site, marked by several moats.

[Sidenote: Once the seat of Sir Robert Aske.]

[B] AUKBOROUGH. Dr. Stukely having discovered a Roman castrum and a vicinal road here, supposed it to be the Aquis of Ravennas. The Roman station is square, each side 300 feet; the entrance is at the north, and the west side faces the steep cliff that over-hangs the Trent. The situation of this castle at the north-west angle of Lincolns.h.i.+re, renders it a kind of watch tower over Nottingham and Yorks.h.i.+re, which it surveys. The camp is now called "Countess Close," and tradition speaks of a Countess of Warwick having resided here. The vallum and ditch are nearly entire; a square plat called the "Oreen," is supposed to have been appropriated for the soldiers when on duty. Within this is a round walk into a labyrinth, called Julian's Bower; these bowers are usually found in the neighbourhood of Roman towns, and are objects of great curiosity to uninformed people. Dr. Stukeley is of opinion that they were the arena of some of their ancient games, brought into Italy from Troy, and that they derived their name from "borough," any work consisting of ramparts of earth, and not from "bower" an arbour. The views in this neighbourhood are very beautiful; the winding Trent with its rich level plains of meadow, all alive with herds of cattle; the cliff, commanding a n.o.ble view of the three rivers; the hanging woods and ornamented walks, all form a great contrast to what Lincolns.h.i.+re is often represented by those who have visited only the fenny parts of this fertile county.

[Sidenote: Julian's bower.]

[C] AUST, or AUST CLIVE. Here is a celebrated ferry over the Severn into South Wales. The Propraetor, Ostorius Scapula, was accustomed to ferry his legions over near this place. In the time of Edward the Elder, who was lying here with his army, Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, was stationed at Beachley, on the opposite bank. Llewellyn, who was required to pay homage to the English Sovereign, refused to cross the pa.s.sage; but Edward immediately crossing in a boat, was seen, as he approached the sh.o.r.e by Llewellyn, who, overcome by the condescension, rushed into the water, and taking the monarch upon his shoulders, carried him to land, and did him homage for the princ.i.p.ality. The Severn is here nearly two miles across.

[Sidenote: Celebrated pa.s.sage into South Wales.]

Map Names of Places. County. Number of Miles From +--+----------------------+----------+-----------+-------------+ 8 Austell, or St. } Austle[A] m.t. & pa} Cornwall Truro 14 Lostwithiel 9 45 Austerfield to & chap W.R. York Bawtry 2 Thorne 11 7 Austerson to Chester Northwich 4 Frodsham 6 +--+----------------------+----------+-----------+-------------+ Dist. Map Names of Places. Number of Miles From Lond. Population.

+--+----------------------+----------------------+-----+-------+ 8 Austell, or St. } Austle[A] m.t. & pa} Grampound 6 243 8758 45 Austerfield to & chap Doncaster 9 155 280 7 Austerson to Tarporley 10 177 69 +--+----------------------+----------------------+-----+-------+

[A] ST. AUSTELL is a considerable market town, which belongs to the north-eastern division of the county, and is one of the polling places.

The petty sessions of the hundred of Powder are held here. Considerable quant.i.ties of corn and other articles are brought to the market. The town is seated on the eastern side of a hill which slopes gradually to a rivulet which runs along a narrow valley; this stream, and the inequality of the ground, have been rendered eminently useful to the manufactories of the neighbourhood. The water which has been conducted round the side of the hills, in its course impels the machinery of several stamping-mills, which have been erected on different levels. It is also employed to cleanse and separate the tin from the pounded ma.s.s.

Through its vicinity to the great tin mine of Polgooth, St. Austell has within the last sixty or seventy years, considerably increased in the number of its houses and inhabitants. The holding of the Blackmore Court here, which is the most considerable of the stannary courts, or courts relating to the tin works, have also contributed to augment its prosperity. The old town, or rather village, was at some little distance to the east, and its site is still marked by a few cottages; the present town is the regular thoroughfare for travellers from Plymouth to Falmouth; the streets are very narrow, and not having any pavement for foot pa.s.sengers are somewhat unsafe. The only blowing houses in the county are at the east end of this town; they are three in number, and very s.p.a.cious; the old smelting houses are supplied with coals, and are reverberatory; but in these blowing houses the fire is of charcoal, and ignited by air impelled through tubes by cylinders instead of bellows; this mode of fluxing the ore is considered by the workmen far preferable to the other. The inhabitants of this town, from its proximity to the sea, are princ.i.p.ally employed in the pilchard fishery and in mining; there is however a small manufactory of serges. The parish church is a fine old fabric, consisting of three aisles; the tower and some other parts of the structure are fancifully ornamented; various carvings, monstrous heads, angels, and other figures appear on the cornices. From the repet.i.tion of the shovel, pick, hammers, and other tools, it seems probable that the miners were the principle contributors towards the expences of the building. In the year 1774, as some tinners were searching for tin in a stream work near the town, about seventeen feet under the surface of the ground, they discovered a silver cup, which is now used for wine at the Communion table, in which were several ancient pieces of gold and silver ornaments; they consisted of bracelets, rings, and buckles, evidently for a person of high rank, with many of the most curious Saxon coins ever discovered at one time. All these articles fell out on moving the ground, and some were probably lost in shovelling out the rubbish; those which were picked up were dispersed about the country, and many of them broken. The celebrated Pentuan stone quarry, from which the materials of many churches and family seats have been taken, is in this parish. Polgooth mine (before mentioned) was considered the richest ever worked in England, and is situated about two miles south-west of the town. The surrounding country appears for many miles bleak, desolate, and barren, yet its bowels contain vast treasures; though, as a talented author has observed, "like the shabby mien of a miser, its aspect does not correspond with its h.o.a.rds." The shafts by which the miners descend, and through which the ore is raised to the surface, are scattered over a considerable extent of sterile ground, whose dreary appearance, and the sallow countenances of the miners, concur to excite ideas of gloom, apprehension, and melancholy.

The number of shafts is not less than fifty, from twenty to thirty of which are constantly in use. When a stranger is induced to descend, he is previously accoutred in a flannel s.h.i.+rt and trowsers, a close cap, an old hat to shelter his face from droppings, and a thick pair of shoes. A lighted candle is put into one hand, and a spare one suspended to a b.u.t.ton of his jacket. Every part of the ordinary clothing is laid aside, and the flannel dress worn close to the skin, in order to absorb the profuse perspiration which the closeness of the mine or the labour of mounting the ladders may occasion.

_Market_, Friday.--_Fairs_, Whit Thursday, and Nov. 30, for oxen, sheep, and cloth.--_Mail_ arrives 12.35 afternoon; departs 10.27.

morning.

[Sidenote: Blackmore Court held here.]

[Sidenote: Silver cup found 17 ft. under ground.]

Map Names of Places. County. Number of Miles From +--+-----------------------+----------+--------------+-------------+ 45 Austhorpe[A] to W.R. York Leeds 4 Wetherby 10 9 Austhwaite ham c.u.mberland Ravengla.s.s 11 Ulverston 10 45 Austonley to W.R. York Huddersfield 8 Barnsley 9 39 Austrey pa Warwick Tamworth 6 Atherstone 7 45 Austwick to W.R. York Settle 5 Ingleton 9 24 Authorpe pa Lincoln Alford 4 Louth 7 41 Avebury, or Abury[B] pa Wilts Marlborough 7 Swindon 11 14 Aveley pa Ess.e.x Purfleet 2 G. Thurrock 4 17 Avenbury pa Hereford Bromyard 2 Ledbury 13 15 Avening pa Gloucester Tetbury 4 M. Hampton 5 30 Averham[C] pa Nottingham Newark 3 Southwell 5 11 Aveton-Gifford pa Devon Modbury 3 Dartmouth 13 +--+-----------------------+----------+--------------+-------------+ Dist. Map Names of Places. Number of Miles From Lond. Population.

+--+-----------------------+-------------------------+-------------+ 45 Austhorpe[A] to Abberford 5 189 150 9 Austhwaite ham Bootle 7 283 101 45 Austonley to Wakefield 11 181 1420 39 Austrey pa Orton 2 112 540 45 Austwick to Hawes 20 241 614 24 Authorpe pa Horncastle 13 144 121 41 Avebury, or Abury[B] pa Calne 6 82 747 14 Aveley pa Wennington 4 21 758 17 Avenbury pa Hereford 15 125 314 15 Avening pa Horseley 3 99 2396 30 Averham[C] pa Tuxford 13 127 182 11 Aveton-Gifford pa Kingsbridge 5 208 939 +--+-----------------------+-------------------------+-------------+

[A] AUSTHORPE. This towns.h.i.+p gave birth to the celebrated civil engineer John Smeaton, distinguished as the architect of Eddystone Light-house, and, as the conductor of various other important undertakings. He was the son of an attorney, who, observing that he had a strong taste for mechanics, wisely allowed him to follow the impulse of his genius, and become a mathematical instrument maker. He commenced business in that capacity, in Holborn, London, in 1750. His great undertaking--the erection of the light-house on the Eddystone rock, was accomplished in the year 1759, and it was executed in such a manner as almost to bid defiance to the power of time or accident. His death took place in his native village, September 8, 1792.--See Eddystone Light-house.

[Sidenote: Birth-place of Smeaton the architect.]

[B] AVEBURY or ABURY, is situated within the very area of a British temple, and claims the particular attention of the topographer and antiquary. The enclosure, which is formed by a wide and deep ditch, and a lofty external vallum, contains many large stones, some of which are erect, and the others lying on the ground. Southward of this place, at some distance, are other large stones, erect or prostrate; and, westward, are two others, erect. Several walls and houses of the village are constructed with broken ma.s.ses of these ponderous monuments; yet enough remains to excite curiosity and prompt research. The following is a description of this great temple, in its original state:--Immediately within the ditch, and encompa.s.sing the whole area, was a continued series of large upright stones, consisting of one hundred in number; these stones were placed at the distance of twenty-seven feet from each other, and usually measured from fifteen to seventeen feet in height, and about forty feet in circ.u.mference. Within the area of this circle, the diameter of which was about 1400 feet, were two double circles; the exterior circles were about 466 feet in diameter, and formed by thirty stones of similar dimensions equally distant from each other, as in the large enclosing circle. Of these singular stones there are but few remaining; but from the extraordinary dimension of these relics of antiquity, the traveller may judge for himself the correctness of our notice.

_Mail_ arrives at Beckhampton Inn, (1 mile distant,) at 5.20 morning; departs 9.45 night.

[Sidenote: A British temple formed of enormous stones.]

[C] AVERHAM. This place is princ.i.p.ally remarkable for a monument contained in the church erected to the memory of Sir William Sutton, once lord of the manor, on which it is quaintly recorded that he had sixteen children, and an equal number of each s.e.x; of whom the one half

"Ushered to heaven their father, and the other Remained behind him to attend their mother."

Map Names of Places. County. Number of Miles From +--+------------------------+----------+-------------+--------------+ 4 Avington[A] pa Berks Hungerford 3 Newbury 6 18 Avington[B] pa Hants Winchester 5 Alresford 4 41 Avon chap Wilts Chippenham 3 Malmsbury 9 39 Avon Da.s.sett pa Warwick Banbury 6 Kineton 6 11 Awlis...o...b.. pa Devon Honiton 2 Ottery St.M. 6 16 Awre pa Gloucester Blakeney 3 Berkeley 3 34 Axbridge[C] bo. m.t. & p Somerset Wells 10 Chedder 2 41 Axford ti Wilts Marlborough 3 Ramsbury 4 +--+------------------------+----------+-------------+--------------+ Dist. Map Names of Places. Number of Miles From Lond. Population.

+--+------------------------+------------------------+-----+--------+ 4 Avington[A] pa Kintbury 2 62 191 18 Avington[B] pa Basingstoke 14 60 26 41 Avon chap Calne 7 94 226 39 Avon Da.s.sett pa Southam 9 75 11 Awlis...o...b.. pa Collumpton 10 154 598 16 Awre pa Newnham 4 124 1309 34 Axbridge[C] bo. m.t. & p Bristol 18 130 998 41 Axford ti Albourne 5 73 450 +--+------------------------+------------------------+-----+--------+

[A] AVINGTON. Sir Francis Burdett is lord of this manor, and patron of the rectory. The church, which remains nearly in its original state, exhibits a curious specimen of Saxon architecture. Within the walls it measures 75 feet by 14 feet and a half. The nave is separated from the chancel by an arch richly ornamented by a zig-zag moulding, and a great variety of grotesque heads springing from two enriched piers; the arch is formed of the segments of two circles, each having different centres.

In this church there is also a very singular font, of rude workmans.h.i.+p, surrounded with grotesque figures, executed in ba.s.s-relief; that is to say, sculpture, the figures of which do not stand out from the ground in their full proportion.

[Sidenote: Sir Francis Burdett.]

[B] AVINGTON, anciently Abyngton, is remarkable for its beautiful park, the seat of Chandos Grenville, Duke of Buckingham, Lord Lieutenant of the county of Bucks. The manor was originally a royal demesne, or estate in lands, and was given by king Edgar to the monastery of St. Swithin at Winchester, in the year 961; it continued in the possession of that house until the dissolution of monasteries, when it became the property of the clerks of Mitcheldever, (a village about five miles distant,) with whom it remained until the reign of Elizabeth; and then pa.s.sed to the Bruges, or Brydges family, afterwards raised to the dukedom of Chandos. Anna Maria Brudenell, the infamous Countess of Shrewsbury, married one of this family; her former husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, died from a wound received in a duel with the Duke of Buckingham, during the fighting of which the Countess had the audacity to hold the horse of her gallant, disguised as a page. Charles the Second was frequently the guest of this notorious woman at the mansion of Avington, which thus became the scene of that licentious monarch's pleasures. The mansion, which is mostly built of brick, has been greatly improved since it came into the possession of the present proprietor. It is situated in a well planted and secluded valley, nearly environed with high downs, which from their bare and open state, form a singular though not unpleasing contrast with the scenery immediately contiguous to the house. Several of the apartments are fitted up with great elegance, and enriched by a choice collection of valuable paintings.

[Sidenote: Seat of the Duke of Buckingham.]