Part 15 (1/2)
[B] BADLESMERE. Bartholomew de Badlesmere, lord of the manor in the reign of Edward the Second, obtained a license for founding a house of regular canons in this place. The church is a small and very plain Saxon structure. In the porch are the fronts of two ancient wooden seats, carved in high relief; one represents a s.h.i.+eld, on which are the star, ribbon, and motto of the order of the garter: on the other are some Scriptural sentences, relative to the Holy Trinity, in four circles, united by bands; so that the words Pater, Filius, Spisces and Deus, though only once repeated in the circles, form a part of every sentence.
[Sidenote: Curious carvings in wood.]
[C] BADMINTON, (Great) has been the seat of the ducal family of Beaufort, ever since the demolition of Ragland Castle, in the civil wars. Badminton House, the family residence of the duke, is situated in a n.o.ble park nearly nine miles in circ.u.mference, through which various avenues have been formed. It was erected by the first duke of Beaufort in the year 1682. It is a very extensive building, on the French model.
In the hall is a large sarcophagus of Roman sculpture, representing a baccha.n.a.lian procession; this was given to the third duke of Beaufort, by Cardinal Alberoni. By that distinguished prelate, who died in 1745, many curious and original paintings were procured during his residence in Italy; among them is a Holy Family, by Raphael; and several by Guido and Carlo Dolci are much esteemed. He also purchased the very singular and finely painted satirical picture by Salvator Rosa, for which that artist was expelled Rome. ”The Sovereigns of the different nations are here depicted by different animals, as an eagle, a wolf, a sheep, a hog, a fox, a cow, and an a.s.s; the latter has the pontifical pall thrown over him, and the blind G.o.ddess, Fortune, is represented showering her gifts over the whole group.” Some excellent landscapes, by the Italian masters, are also preserved here; and a very fine series of fourteen portraits, of the Beauforts, from John of Gaunt, from whom they trace their genealogy. Badminton church is an elegant structure; it was built by the late duke in 1785, and contains many monuments of the Beaufort family.
[Sidenote: Duke of Beaufort's seat.]
[Sidenote: Fine paintings.]
Map
Names of Places.
County.
Number of Miles From
+--+--------------------+----------+------------+-------------+ 15
Badminton, Little ti
Gloucester
Sodbury 6
Tetbury 10
42
Badsey pa
Worcester
Evesham 2
Broadway 4
37
Badshot ti
Surrey
Farnham 2
Guildford 9
45
Badsworth pa
W.R. York
Pontefract 5
Wakefield 9
36
Badwell-Ash pa
Suffolk
Stowmarket 8
Ixworth 4
34
Bagborough-West pa
Somerset
Taunton 12
Watchet 7
43
Bagby chap
N.R. York
Thirsk 3
Borobridge 11
23
Baggrave lib
Leicester
Leicester 9
Melton 7
39
Baginton[A] pa
Warwick
Coventry 4
Rugby 13
54
Baglan[B] pa
Glamorgan
Neath 4
Aberavon 2
+--+--------------------+----------+------------+-------------+
Dist.
Map
Names of Places.
Number of Miles From
Lond.
Population.
+--+--------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+ 15
Badminton, Little ti
Malmesbury 10
106
116
42
Badsey pa
Alcester 15
98
463
37
Badshot ti
Frimley 7
37
45
Badsworth pa
Doncaster 11
171
782
36
Badwell-Ash pa
Bury 12
78
490
34
Bagborough-West pa
Stowey 8
156
453
43
Bagby chap
Easingwold 8
220
289
23
Baggrave lib
Houghton 5
100
16
39
Baginton[A] pa
Kenilworth 4
90
257
54
Baglan[B] pa
Swansea 13
194
410
+--+--------------------+-----------------------+-----+-------+
[A] BAGINTON. The Hall, a seat of a descendant of the Bromley family, who purchased the estate in the reign of James I., was built by secretary Bromley. This gentleman, one of the most honest and able servants of Queen Anne, was Speaker of the House of Commons. In proof of the high estimation in which he was held, it is necessary only to cite a memorable circ.u.mstance relative to the residence under notice. In 1706, the family seat at Baginton was reduced to the ground by fire.
Intelligence of this calamity was conveyed to the owner while attending his duty in the House of Commons, and a considerable sum was immediately voted by parliament towards a restoration of the structure. Here is barely to be traced the site of the castellated residence of Sir William Bagot, a firm adherent of Richard II., at which the Duke of Hereford, afterwards Henry IV., lodged the night previous to his projected personal contest with Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, in the presence of the King on Gosford Green, where the lists were formed; the scene is admirably described by Shakespeare.
[Sidenote: Once destroyed by fire].
[B] BAGLAN is a parish in the hundred of Neath. The village is of the most romantic beauty, and the scenery in the neighbourhood is of a delightful character. Near this place is Britton Ferry, which is interesting, not only on account of its sylvan fascinations, but as being the domain of Lord Jersey, whose extensive plantations spread over several bold hills westward of the Neath river, a stream which here emerges in a fine sweep, between woody banks, partly broken into cliffs and at a short distance descends into the sea. ”From a delightful shady walk over the stream, we branched off,” says Mr. Barber, ”into an 'alley green,' which led us up a steep hill, covered with large trees, and tangled underwood; the ascent was judiciously traced, where several bare crags, projecting from the soil, formed an opposite contrast to the luxuriant verdure which prevailed around. On gaining the summit, the charms of Britton Ferry disclosed themselves in 'an ample theatre of sylvan grace,' of more than common beauty: beyond which, the Bristol Channel, bounded by the aerial tint of its opposite coast, formed the distance. From this roaming prospect, however, the eye gladly returned to gaze on the local beauties of the scene, the tufted knoll, the dark glade, and the majestic river.” The mansion is a very ordinary building; the house is low having two wings, with attic windows in the roof, ornamented with a bull.u.s.traded parapet. The neat simplicity of the hamlet deserves remark; perhaps the church is unrivalled, both for its picturesque situation, and moral interest. The custom of planting evergreens over the remains of departed friends, and bedecking them with flowers at certain seasons of the year, is here attended to with peculiar care; and to this pleasing tribute of tenderness and affection the ”Bard of Avon” refers in the following beautiful lines:--
”With fairest flowers while summer lasts, I'll sweeten thy sad grave, thou shalt not lack The flower that's like thy face, pale primrose: nor The azured harebell, like thy veins: no, nor The leaf of eglantine, whom not to slander, Out-sweetened not thy breath.”
David Ap Gw.i.l.l.ym also beautifully alludes to this practice: ”Oh, while thy season of flowers, and thy tender sprays thick of leaves remain, I will pluck the roses from the brakes, the flowers from the meads, the vivid trefoils, beauties of the ground, and the gaily smiling bloom of the verdant herbs, humbly will I lay them on the grave of Ivor!” This part of Wales is so mild in its climate, that myrtles, magnolias, and other tender exotics, grow luxuriantly in the open air. Near Baglan is a well with medicinal properties, but many superst.i.tious notices are a.s.sociated with its use in the neighbourhood.
_Mail_ arrives at Aberavon, 2 miles distant, 6 evening; departs, 7.30 morning.
[Sidenote: Lord Jersey's seat].
[Sidenote: Britton Ferry.]
[Sidenote: Planting evergreens over graves.]
Map
Names of Places.
County.
Number of Miles From
+--+------------------+----------+------------+-------------+ 4
Bagley Wood ti
Berks
Abingdon 3
Oxford 3
34
Bagnall to
Stafford
Leek 6
Newcastle 6
4
Bagnor to
Berks
Newbury 2
Hungerford 7
37
Bagshot[A] vil
Surrey
Staines 10
Blackwater 4
27
Bagthorpe pa
Norfolk
Burnham 7
Fakenham 9
7
Baguley to
Chester
Knutsford 2
Altringham 5
23
Bagworth chap
Leicester
M. Bosworth 5
Ashby 9
45
Baildon[B] to&chap
W.R. York
Bradford 5
Otley 6
22
Bailey to
Lancaster
c.l.i.thero 5
Blackburn 8
+--+------------------+----------+-------------+------------+
Dist.
Map
Names of Places.
Number of Miles From
Lond.
Population.
+--+------------------+------------------------+-----+------+ 4
Bagley Wood ti
c.u.mnor 4
57
21
34
Bagnall to
Cheadle 8
154
306
4
Bagnor to
Lambourn 10
58
594
37
Bagshot[A] vil
Windsor 11
26
1912
27
Bagthorpe pa
Lynn 14
109
73
7
Baguley to
Stockport 11
176
468
23
Bagworth chap
Leicester 10
108
328
45
Baildon[B] to&chap
Keighley 7
201
3041
22
Bailey to