GALAVA.
The Roman city lies on the east side of the Louther, just by Brougham castle, whose walls, and those of the park, are for part built of the stones from the old city, being manifestly of a Roman cut. The trace of the place is very easily discovered, where the ditch went between the Roman road and the river. I saw many fragments of altars and inscriptions at the hall nearer the bridge, all exposed, in the court-yard, to weather, and injuries of every sort. In the wall by the Roman road beyond Brougham castle, and near the countess of Pembroke’s pillar, is a pretty busto, part of a funeral monument; the bulla of the mantle most conspicuous, though much injured. Farther on, in the same dry wall, nearer the corner, is another basso relievo, but so defaced, that I could not make any thing of it. The Roman road coming from Carlisle, very apparent as they tell me, passes above or north of the town of Penrith, under the beacon-hill; then passes the river just under the castle; then went by the south side of the city, where its pavement is now firm and good; then where Countess pillar now stands: here it is visible as far as the horizon in a very strait lane, going full east to Appleby. Vast quantities of Roman stone, taken up in the city, have been burnt into lime. Coins, Mosaic floors, and every sort of antiquity, are daily found: they cannot strike a stroke into the ground but inscriptions, pillars, and some sort or other of ancient remains, appear. The site of the city is an elevated piece of ground by the river side; a woody country about it: a vast hill, or fell, of an immense height, goes all along the partition of this county from Durham, in sight here; and by the side of it, three remarkable lesser hills, or pikes, as they call them deservedly; being extremely sharp and conical, and very regularly so.
On the corner of Clifton house is an inscription with carving on it: it is an admirable fine stone, or rather two joined together in the middle; placed at the very top of a gable end: two winged Victories, with garlands and palm-branches in their hands, stand on their sides.
I saw at Lowther, the seat of lord Lonsdale, an ugly brass figure with wings, and somewhat like a laurel-garland about his head, found in the Picts wall near Drumburg castle.
The square plot of the city is very perfect, on the south side of Brougham castle: it had a broad ditch round it. The castle stands on the north end of it, and was built of its wall; the track of which is visible upon the edge of the vallum. The high ground by Countess pillar, where most of the inscriptions were found, seems to have been the site of the city, and this the castle or fort; the Roman road lying between. A good way farther on the road toward Kirkby, there is a hawthorn-tree with a buck’s horns fastened upon it: this stands by one of great note and antiquity, now decayed, where was a brass plate of
“Hercules kill’d Hart of Greece,
And Hart of Greece kill’d Hercules.”
They say the bark of the tree had covered the bottom of the horns for a great many inches.
In the church-yard of Penrith is a monument of a giant, Sir Owen Cæsarius, a knight, I suppose, of their king Arthur; two pyramidal stones with rude carvings and letters on them, seemingly Runic. This church is new built, and fitted up very handsomely. Selden speaks of an image at Lowther. There is a castle at Penrith in the upper part of the town. Over-against Brougham is Isanparles, an odd rock.
The Madan-way goes over Cross-fell very perfect: an inscription on the side of a house built upon it: it goes to Barwic on the Wall. Cross-fell is the highest ground hereabouts; they can see the Irish sea from thence. A fine meadow by the river side over-against the Roman castrum. The stones of the city are of a different sort from those of the country.
Mr. Gale says there is such a work as the round table near his house in Yorkshire, with many barrows near it. Mayborough is finely incircled by the river Eimot, which is very deep. Dr. Hugh Todd, minister of Penrith, has a great collection of antiquities.
Many Roman inscriptions have been found lately at Netherhall, by the sea side near Workington, which are placed on the stable-wall at lord Lonsdale’s there. The fine inscription at the end of Clifton house has been there for 300 years, exposed to the rain and weather; so that the inscription is worn away; only it seems that imper. legat. aug. in Africa, is just visible. Another inscription is on the inside of the barn there. Some Roman carvings on the quarry whence the pillars of Penrith church were taken. I saw a Roman vessel of copper found near Clifton: it is deep, with a handle to it like a skillet, on which is stamped the maker’s name, TALIOF: within this is placed a cullender, and within that another: the use of it, I guess, was to carry lighted charcoal in, at the sacrifices. The spring below Clifton is a pretty grotto, much talked of, where, as I said, the anniversary meeting is on May-day. The great barrow incompassed with stones, by the Eimot side, is called Haransley hill.