Part 7 (2/2)
Armin chap
Thorne 9
175
567
27
Armingall pa
Blofield 6
120
88
35
Armitage[D] pa
Lichfield 6
124
977
45
Armley[E] to
Wakefield 9
192
5159
+--+---------------------+-------------------------+-----+-------+
[A] ARKENGARTH-DALE contains lead mines, which were worked in the reign of King John, and they are still so valuable, that a few years ago the produce was estimated at 2000 tons annually; the inhabitants are chiefly miners.
[Sidenote: Valuable lead mines.]
[B] ARLSEY, or ARSLEY. This village was anciently a market town. In ”Doomsday Book,” (a book made by order of William the Conqueror, in which all the estates of the kingdom were registered;) its market on Wednesday is recorded, and the tolls valued at 10s. per annum. A fair was held here so long past as the year 1270; but both the market and fair have long been disused. An ancient entrenchment near the road to Baldock, called Etonbury, was probably the original site of the castle occupied by the Lords of the Manor. This castle appears to have a place of considerable strength. Amongst the ancient monuments in the church is one erected to the memory of Richard Edwards, who is called on his epitaph, the last Grand Reader of the Temple.
[Sidenote: An ancient entrenchment.]
[C] ARMATHWAITE. Near this village is a castle, situated on the of the delightful river Eden, in a deep vale; the building from its monastic gloom, appears rather to have been calculated for seclusion than security. The front has been modernized, and is built of hewn stone. Its antiquity has not been ascertained, certain it is the Skeltons resided here as early as the reign of Henry VIII. The most romantic and picturesque scenery surrounds this lovely spot. A magnificent hill throws its solemn shade on the tranquil surface of the river, here broadened into a lake like form. Amongst other grand ma.s.ses of rock is a projecting crag of a bold and grotesque form called the Cat Glent, the rendezvous of many wild inhabitants of the feline tribe; beyond these is a mill and a few sequestered cottages. From this spot the river Eden is no longer tranquil, but rus.h.i.+ng down a cataract pours in sonorous violence over a bed of opposing rock, whose immovable crags whirl the stream into eddies as it pa.s.ses them in its fury. Near this place a nunnery was established by William Rufus, who like other profligates, ”trembled amidst his impiety,” and was willing enough to secure a chance of heaven, provided it could be obtained by any other means than virtuous practice. At the dissolution of Monasteries, owing to the frequent hostilities between the Scots and English, their income amounted to only 18 guineas per annum.
[Sidenote: Rendezvous of wild cats]
[Sidenote: Nunnery founded by William II.]
[D] ARMITAGE is situated on the river Soar, in the hundred of Offlow, South, including the hamlet of Handsacre. The entrance to the church is very curiously built in the Saxon style, and the chapel is separated from the nave by a handsome arch. The Grand Trunk Ca.n.a.l pa.s.ses through a very n.o.ble subterraneous cavern or tunnel, in this parish. The town received its name from having been the residence of a hermit.
[Sidenote: A remarkable tunnel.]
[E] ARMLEY. This towns.h.i.+p is in the parish of St. Patrick, and the liberty of Leeds. It is situated on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Ca.n.a.l, and of the river Aire, on which there are a number of mills employed in various branches of the clothing trade. An object once of great antiquarian curiosity, called Giants Hill, which was a Danish fortification, is now scarcely traceable, in consequence of its having been cut through to form the Leeds and Liverpool ca.n.a.l.
Map
Names of Places.
County.
Number of Miles From
+--+----------------------+----------+--------------+--------------+ 42
Armscott ham
Worcester
s.h.i.+pston 3
Evesham 10
28
Armston ham
Northamp
Oundle 3
Thrapston 7
45
Armthorpe pa
W.R. York
Doncaster 3
Thorne 7
45
Arncliffe to & pa
W.R. York
Settle 9
Askrigg 12
31
Arncott vill
Oxford
Bicester 3
Oxford 17
12
Arne pa
Dorset
Wareham 5
Poole 5
23
Arnesby pa
Leicester
Leicester 8
Lutterworth 9
30
Arnold pa
Nottingham
Nottingham 4
Mansfield 10
16
Arreton pa
Hants
Newport 3
Ryde 6
6
Arrington[A] pa
Cambridge
Caxton 5
Cambridge 11
7
Arrow to
Chester
Great Neston 6
Liverpool 5
39
Arrow to & pa
Warwick
Alcester 1
Stratford 8
45
Arthington to
W.R. York
Otley 5
Wetherby 9
28
Arthingworth pa
Northamp
Harborough 5
Rothwell 4
9
Arthuret[B] pa
c.u.mberland
Longtown 1
Gretna Green 4
37
Arlington ti
Surrey
Guildford 1
G.o.dalming 3
38
Arundel[C] bo to & pa
Suss.e.x
Chichester 10
Bognor 7
26
Arvans, St. to & pa
Monmouth
Chepstow 3
Tintern Abb. 3
+--+----------------------+----------+--------------+--------------+
Dist.
Map
Names of Places.
Number of Miles From
Lond.
Population.
+--+----------------------+-------------------------+-----+--------+ 42
Armscott ham
Alcester 13
86
130
28
Armston ham
Peterboro' 13
77
25
45
Armthorpe pa
Bawtry 7
162
368
45
Arncliffe to & pa
Middleham 15
231
964
31
Arncott vill
Woodstock 11
54
...
12
Arne pa
Corfe Castle 5
110
171
23
Arnesby pa
Harborough 10
93
442
30
Arnold pa
Oxton 4
128
4054
16
Arreton pa
Niton 7
83
1864
6
Arrington[A] pa
Royston 11
49
254
7
Arrow to
Chester 18
200
91
39
Arrow to & pa
Henley in Ar. 8
103
466
45
Arthington to
Leeds 7
198
360
28
Arthingworth pa
Northamp 11
77
225
9
Arthuret[B] pa
Carlisle 7
310
2903
37
Arlington ti
Farnham 10
31
...
38
Arundel[C] bo to & pa
Worthing. 10
55
2803
26
Arvans, St. to & pa
Monmouth 10
138
304
+--+----------------------+-------------------------+-----+--------+
[A] ARRINGTON. This village was anciently called Ermington. It is near Lord Hardwicke's Park. At this place, in the year 1721, the skeletons of sixteen human bodies were found in digging for a water course, within two feet of the surface of the ground. Some pieces of iron much rusted, conjectured to have been pieces of swords were also found. It is supposed the skeletons were the remains of persons who had been killed in endeavouring to obtain possession of the pa.s.s over the river Cam, during the civil wars.
[Sidenote: Sixteen skeletons found here.]
[B] ARTHURET. This village is situated on a point of land which in early times was said to have been called Arthur's Head, from whence the name is derived. In this place was both born and buried, Archibald Armstrong, Jester to both King James I., and Charles I. By an incident suitable to his profession, his funeral took place on ”All Fools Day,” the first of April. He was banished the court for speaking too freely of Archbishop Laud's measure of introducing the Liturgy into Scotland, which had produced a considerable tumult. On the arrival of the news of these riots in England, Archy facetiously asked his grace, ”Who's the fool now.” The joke was bitterly resented by the prelate, who procured an order of council to banish him from the court, for speaking disrespectful words of the Archbishop of Canterbury. This parish is bounded partly by Solway Frith, and forms part of the debateable lands so celebrated in Scottish history; these lands and the celebrated Solway Moss, we shall have occasion to speak further of in the course of the work.
[Sidenote: A merry jester buried on ”All Fool's Day.”]
[C] ARUNDEL, is situated on the declivity of a hill, on the north bank of the river Arun, over which there is a bridge. It consists of two princ.i.p.al streets, one of which runs north and south, and the other westward from the point of the union. Many of the houses are built in the castellated style. The church, situated at the north end of the town, originally belonged to a priory of Benedictines, and is supposed to have been founded soon after the conquest of Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel. It is a handsome gothic building with transepts, from the centre of which rises a square tower, with a wooden spire. Some beautiful monuments of the Earls of Arundel may be seen; and one, more magnificent than the rest, is of alabaster, a calcareous earth, which differs from marble, in being combined not with carbonic, but with sulphuric acid. This monument is erected to the memory of Thomas Fitz-Alan, and Beatrice, his countess, a daughter of John, King of Portugal. The charter by which the town is governed, was granted by Queen Elizabeth. It formerly sent two members, but by the Reform Bill, it now sends but one; the ten pound householders are calculated at 380.
The borough comprises the parish of Arundel and the returning officer is the mayor. Here was formerly a harbour sufficient to contain vessels of one hundred tons burthen, but it has suffered great damage by the sea.
Great quant.i.ties of timber for s.h.i.+p building, are still s.h.i.+pped from this place, which has but little trade, yet it is much benefitted in summer by the numerous visitors who resort to it for sea bathing. Of the castle, which stands on the north-east side of the town, mention is first made in the will of King Alfred, who bequeathed it, with the town, to his nephew Adhelm. A popular tradition ascribes the foundation of it to Beris, ”a giant of ancient times,” in confirmation of which opinion a tower is still pointed out, called Beris Tower. The Conqueror gave it to his kinsman Roger de Montgomery, whom he also created Earl of Arundel, which t.i.tle belonged to three persons of this family, till Robert Bellesme was outlawed by Henry I. for the a.s.sistance he gave to that monarch's brother, Robert. The castle was then settled on Queen Adeliza, who, after the death of her royal consort, gave her hand to William de Albini, one of the most accomplished men of his age. Here the dowager-queen performed the rites of hospitality towards the Empress Maud, in the attempt of that princess to ascend the throne. The last male heir of the name of Albini, died in 1243, when the castle and manor of Arundel fell to his sister, Isabel, whose husband, John Fitz-Alan, made the castle his residence, and a.s.sumed the t.i.tle of Earl of Arundel.
The fourth in descent from him forfeited his life and estates, in the attempt to ruin the Despensers, favourites of Edward II.; but the estates were restored to his son, whose successor, in the reign of Richard II., being accused of a conspiracy to seize the king, and put to death the lords of the council, was beheaded; the king presiding at the execution. His son, Thomas Fitz-Alan, was reinstated by Henry IV.; but, he dying without issue, in 1415, the castle devolved to his cousin, Sir John Fitz-Alan, who laid claim to, and obtained the t.i.tle, on which an act was pa.s.sed, that the possession of this castle and honour conferred the dignity of Earl without creation. The last Fitz-Alan died in the 22d of Elizabeth, leaving a daughter, who married Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, thus carrying the earldom and estate into that family, to whom they still belong.
[Sidenote: Beautiful monuments in the church.]
[Sidenote: Quant.i.ties of Suss.e.x oak s.h.i.+pped from this place.]
[Sidenote: Tradition ascribes the foundation of the castle to a giant.]
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