Richmondshire has in it 5 waking takes as they Call them, answerable to that they Call hundreds in other Countys; Each waking takes has market towns in them and are under a Baliffe Each, which are nominated by the Earle of Holderness who is the Sole Lord of the whole—its 30 mile in Extent. Richmond town one cannot see till just upon it, being Encompass’d wth great high hills: I descended a very steep hill to it from whence saw the whole town which itself stands on a hill tho’ not so high as these by it. Its buildings are all stone, ye streetes are Like rocks themselves, there is a very Large space for the Markets wch are Divided for the ffish market, fflesh market, and Corn; there is a Large market Crosse, a square space walled in with severall steps up, and its flatt on the top and of a good height. There is by it a Large Church and the ruines of a Castle, the pieces of the walls on a hill. I walked round by the walls, the River running beneath a great descent to it, its full of stones and Rocks and soe very Easye to Make or keep up their wires or falls of water, wch in some places is naturall yt ye water falls over Rocks wth great force wch is Convenient for Catching Salmon by speare when they Leap over those Bayes. All rivers are Low and Dryer in the Summer soe I saw them at the greatest disadvantage being in some places almost drye and the Rocks and stones appear bare, but by those high and Large stone bridges I pass’d wch Lay aCross the Rivers shewd the Great Depth and breadth they used to be ye Winter tymes. There was two good houses in ye town, one was Mr Darcys the Earle of Holderness’ brother, the other was Mr Yorkes, both stood then and were Chosen Parliament men. They had good gardens walled in, all stone, as in the whole town, though I must say it Looks Like a sad shatter’d town and fallen much to Decay and Like a Disregarded place. I passed on towards Burrowbridge and Came not farre from Hornby Castle the Earle of Holderness, and also Suddber hall 2 mile off Richmond Mr Darcys house; this Road was much on Lanes wch were narrow but Exceeding Long, some 3 or 4 mile before you Came to any open place and then I Came to a Common wch was as tedious to me, at Least 5 or 6 mile before I Came to an End of it, then I pass’d through a few Little villages and so I Came the 19 mile to Burrowbridge in Yorkshire. Here I was the most sensible of the Long Yorkshire Miles, this North Rideing of that County is much Longer Miles than the other parts which I had been in before. At Burrowbridge I pass’d the River Lid or Ouse on a Large stone Bridge: this River affords very good ffish, salmon and Codffish and plenty of Crawffish. Here I met wth the Clutter of ye Chooseing Parliament men. Thence I went for Knarsebrough 5 mile more; this dayes journey was a Long 24 miles, jndeed ye wayes were very good and drye being ye midst of summer. Here I Came to my old Landlady Mason where I Lay the yeare before to Drink the spaw, and from thence I went to Harragate over Knarsbrough fforest to Leeds 12 mile, and I went by Harwood Castle—the ruined walls some remaines. It was much in Lanes and uphills and Down hills, some Little part was open Common; on the Hill that Leads down to the town gives a pleaseing prospect of it. Leeds is a Large town, severall Large streetes, Cleane and well pitch’d and good houses all built of stone. Some have good Gardens and Steps up to their houses and walls before them. This is Esteemed the Wealthyest town of its bigness in the Country its manufacture is ye woollen Cloth—the Yorkshire Cloth in wch they are all Employ’d and are Esteemed very Rich and very proud. They have provision soe plentiful yt they may Live wth very Little Expense and get much variety; here if one Calls for a tankard of Ale wch is allwayes a groate its the only dear thing all over Yorkshire, their ale is very strong, but for paying this Groat for your ale you may have a slice of meate Either hott or Cold according to the tyme of day you Call, or Else butter and Cheese Gratis into the bargaine; this was a Generall Custom in most parts of Yorkshire but now they have almost Changed it, and tho’ they still retaine the great price for the ale, yet Make strangers pay for their meate, and at some places at great rates, notwithstanding how Cheape they have all their provision. There is still this Custome on a Market day at Leeds, the sign of ye bush just by the Bridge, any body yt will goe and Call for one tanchard of ale and a pinte of wine and pay for these only shall be set to a table to Eate wth 2 or 3 dishes of good meate and a dish of sweetmeates after. Had I known this and ye Day wch was their Market I would have Come then but I happened to Come a day after ye market, however I did only pay for 3 tankards of ale and wt I Eate, and my servants was gratis. This town is full of discenters, there are 2 Large meeting places, here is also a good schoole for young Gentlewomen; the streetes are very broad, the Market Large. Thence I went to Eland 12 long mile more pretty much steep, up hills and down the same. I crossed over a River at Leeds on a Large stone bridge; ye Country is much on Enclosures, good ground.
I goe by quarreys of stone and pitts of Coales wch are both very good, soe that for fewell and building as well as good grounds for feeding Cattle and for Corne they are so well provided that together with their Industry they must needs be very Rich. All the hills about Eland is full of jnclosures and Coverts of wood yt Looks very pleasant. This town gives title to ye Marquis Hallifax son, as does Hallifax to ye Marquis. This Lyes but 5 or 6 mile hence, its a stony town and the roads to it soe stony and difficult yt I was Discouraged in going, the town now being almost ruined and Come to Decay, and ye Engine that that town was famous for to behead their Criminalls at one stroake wth a pully this was destroyed since their Charter or Liberty was Lost or taken from them, because most barbarously and rigourously acted Even wth an absolute power wch they had of all ye town; on those Informations I resolved not to goe to that ragged town tho’ there are many good people and a Large meeteing.
From Eland I went to ye Blackstone Edge 8 mile, when I had gone 3 of the miles I Came to a great Precipice or vast descent of a hill as full of stones as if paved and Exceedingly steep; I take it to be much steeper than Blackstone Edge tho’ not soe long. Ye End of this steep was a Little village all stony alsoe. These parts have some resemblance to Darbyshire only here are more woody places and jnclosures. Then I Came to Blackstone Edge noted all over England for a dismal high precipice and steep in the ascent and descent on Either End; its a very moorish ground all about and Even just at the top, tho’ so high, that you travel on a Causey wch is very troublesome as its a moist ground soe as is usual on these high hills; they stagnate the aire and hold mist and raines almost perpetually. As I ascended, ye Morning was pretty faire, but a sort of mist met me and small raine just as I attained ye top, wch made me feare a wet day and yt the aire would have been so thick to have quite Lost me ye sight of ye Country, but when I attained ye top where is a great heap raised up wch parts Yorkshire—and there I entred Lancashire—the mist began to Lessen, and as I descended on this side ye ffog more and more went off and a Little raine fell tho’ at a Little distance in our view, the sun shone on ye vale wch Indeed is of a Large Extent here, and ye advantage of soe high a hill wch is at Least 2 mile up discovers the grounds beneath as a fruitfull valley full of jnclosures and Cut hedges and trees. That wch adds to the formidableness of Blackstone Edge is that on ye one hand you have a vast precipice almost the whole way both as one ascends and descends, and in some places ye precipice is on Either hand. This hill took me up Much tyme to gaine the top and alsoe to descend it and put me in mind of the Description of ye Alpes in Italy, where the Clouds drive all about and as it were below them, wch descends Lower into Mists, then into raines and soe tho’ on the top it hold snow and haile falling on the passengers, wch at Length the Lower they go Comes into raine and so into sun-shine—at the foote of those valleys, fruitfull, ye sunshine and singing of birds. This was ye accō My father gave of those Alps when he passed them and I Could not but think this Carryed some resemblance tho’ in Little, yet a proportion to that.
From ye foot of this Blackstone I went to Rochdale 4 mile, a pretty neate town built all of stone; here I went to an acquaintances house Mr Taylor and was Civilly Entertained. Here is a good Large Meeteing place well filled; these parts Religion does better flourish than in places where they have better advantages. Here I observ’d the Grounds were all Enclosed with Quicksetts Cut smoothe and as Even on fine Green Bancks, and as well kept as for a Garden, and so most of my way to Manchester I Rode between such hedges, its a thing remarked by most their great Curiosity in this kind.
Manchester Lookes exceedingly well at the Entrance,—very substantiall buildings, the houses are not very Lofty but mostly of Brick and stone, the old houses are timber work; there is a very Large Church all stone and stands high soe that walking round the Churchyard you see the whole town. There is good Carving in wood in the Quire of ye Church and severall Little Chappells where in are some Little Monuments; there is one that was ye founder of ye Colledge and Library where hangs his pictures, for just by the Church is the Colledge wch is a pretty neate building wth a Large space for ye boys to play in, and a good Garden walled in; there are 60 blew Coate boys in it, I saw their appartments and was in the Cellars and Dranke of their beer wch was very good; I alsoe saw ye Kitchen and saw their bread Cutting for their supper and their piggins for their beer. There is a Cloyster round a Court, in it is a Large roome for ye judges to Eate in, and also for ye roomes for heareing and dispatching their buissness, there is a Large Library—2 Long walls full of books on Each side,—there is alsoe ye globes at ye End and Maps, there is alsoe a Long whispering trumpet, and there I saw ye skinn of ye Rattle Snake 6 ffoote Long wth many other Curiositys, their anatomy of a man wired together, a jaw of a shark; there was a very ffine Clock and weather glass. Out of ye Library there are Leads on wch one has the sight of ye town wch is Large, as alsoe ye other town that Lyes below it Called Salfor and is Divided from this by the river Ouall over wch is a stone bridge wth many arches. Salfor has only a Little Chappell of Ease and is belonging to ye Parish of Manchester.
There is another river Called the Shark wch runs into ye Uval. The market place is Large, it takes up two streetes Length when the Market is kept for their Linnen Cloth, Cottentickings wth is the manufacture of ye town. Here is a very fine Schoole for young Gentlewomen as good as any in London, and musick and danceing and things are very plenty here—this is a thriveing place. Hence I went a very pleasant roade Much on ye downs mostly Campion ground, some few Enclosures, I went by Dunum the Earle of Warringtons house wch stands in a very fine parcke, it stands Low but appeared very well to sight, its old fashioned building wch appeares more in ye Inside, and the furniture old, but good gardens walled in. I also passed by severall Gentlemens seates, one was Mr Cholmonlys, another Mr Listers, surrounded wth good Walks and shady trees in rows, and severall Large pooles of water some Containeing severall acres. I passed over two or three stone bridges Cross Little rivers, so to Norwitch wch is 14 mile. I Entred Cheshire 3 mile before I Came to ye town, its not very Large, its full of Salt works the brine pitts being all here about, and so they make all things Convenient to follow ye makeing the salt so yt ye town is full of smoak from ye salterns on all sides. They have within these few yeares found in their brine pitts a hard Rocky salt that Lookes Cleer Like Suger Candy and its taste shews it to be salt, they Call this Rock salt, it will make very good brine wth fresh water to use quickly. This they Carry to the water side into Wales and by those Rivers that are flow’d wth ye tyde, and soe they boile these pieces of Rock in some of the salt water when ye tyde’s in, wch produces as strong and good salt as the others. Thence I went to Sandy head 3 mile farther. There was 12 salterns together at Norwitch—all ye witches are places they make salt in—Nantwitch and Droctwitch they make salt, for at Each place they have the salt hills where the brine pits springs: this is not farre from ye place whence they digg the mill stones.
From Sandy Lane head where I baited, to Whit Church is 16 long miles over a Long heath for 4 or 5 mile, then to Bestonwood and Came by Beston Castle on a very high hill, ye walls remaineing round it, wch I Left a Little on my Right hand just at ye foote of ye hill, and so I Crossed ye great Road wch Comes from Nantwitch to Chester being then just ye midd way to Either, being 7 mile to Each. There I think I may say was ye only tyme I had reason to suspect I was Engaged wth some highway men. 2 fellows all on a suddain from ye wood fell into ye Road, they Look’d truss’d up wth great Coates and as it were bundles about them wch I believe was pistolls, but they dogg’d me one before ye other behind and would often Look back to Each other, and frequently justle my horse out of ye way to get between one of my servants horses and mine, and when they first Came up to us did disown their knowledge of ye way and would often stay a little behind and talke together, then Come up againe, but the providence of God so order’d it as there was men at work in ye fields haymakeing, and it being market day at WhitChurch, as I drew neer to yt in 3 or 4 mile was Continually met wth some of ye market people, so they at Last Called Each other off and soe Left us and turned back; but as they Rode wth us 3 or 4 miles at Last they described the places we should Come by, and a high pillar finely painted in ye Road about 3 mile off of Whitchurch (wch accordingly we saw as we pass’d on) wch shew’d them noe strangers to ye Road as they at first pretended. I passed over a Little brooke a mile before I Came to WhitChurch wch Entred me into Shropshire. This is a Large market town, here are two very fine gardens, one belongs to an apothecary, full of all fruites and greens; ye other was at ye Crown jnn where I staid, it was exceeding neate wth oring and Lemmon trees, Mirtle, striped and gilded hollytrees, box and ffilleroy finely Cut, and ffirrs and merumsuratum wch makes the fine snuff, and fine flowers all things almost in a little tract of Garden Ground. From thence its 14 mile to Shrewsbury and pretty Level way. Ye miles were long and ye wind blew very Cold, I went on a Causey 2 or 3 miles to ye town, so yt in ye winter the way is bad and deep but on the Causey.
Ye town stands Low, ye spires of 2 of ye Churches stand high and appear Eminent above ye town, there is ye remaines of a Castle, ye walls and battlements and some towers wch I walked round, from whence had ye whole view of ye town wch is walled round wth battlements and walks round, some of which I went on. Its here the fine river Severn Encompasses ye greatest part of ye town and twines and twists its self about, its not very broad here but its very deep and is Esteemed ye finest river in England to Carry such a depth of water for 80 or more miles together Ere it runns into ye sea wch is at Bristol. This Comes out of Wales, Ross and Monmouthshire, there it turns about and Comes to ye town. On Each side there are 3 bridges over it, in ye town one of them yt I walked over had some few houses built on it, as London bridge, at one End of it. Its pleasant to walk by ye river; there is just by it the Councill house an old building. Here are three free schooles together, built of free stone, 3 Large roomes to teach the Children, wth severall masters. Ye first has 150£ a year ye second 100 ye third 50£ a year and teach Children from reading English till fit for ye University, and its free for Children not only of ye town but for all over England if they Exceed not ye numbers. Here is a very fine Market Cross of stone Carv’d, in another place there is an Exchequer or hall for ye towns affaires, there is alsoe a hall for ye Welsh manufacture. There is a water house wch supplys ye town through pipes wth water, but its drawn up wth horses and it seemes not to be a good and Easye way, so they jntend to make it with a water Engine in the town. There are many good houses but mostly old buildings, timber; there is some remaines of a great abbey and just by it ye great Church, but nothing fine or worth notice save ye abbey Gardens wth gravell walks set full of all sorts of greens—orange and Lemmon trees: I had a paper of their flowers—were very fine,—there was alsoe ffirrs, myrtles and hollys of all sorts and a green house full of all sorts of Curiosityes of flowers and greens—there was ye aloes plant. Out of this went another Garden much Larger wth severall fine grass walks kept Exactly Cut and roled for Company to walke in. Every Wednesday most of ye town ye Ladyes and Gentlemen walk there as in St James’ parke, and there are abundance of people of Quality Lives in Shrewsbury, more than in any town Except Nottingham; its true there are noe fine houses but there are many Large old houses that are Convenient and stately, and its a pleasant town to Live in and great plenty wch makes it Cheap Living. This is very near bordering on Wales and was reckon’d formerly one of ye Welsh County’s as was Herifordshire. Here is a very good schoole for young Gentlewomen for Learning work and behaviour and musick.
From Shrewsbury I went through the great ffaire wch was just kept that day there, full of all sorts of things and all the roade for 10 mile at Least I met ye people and Commoditys going to the ffaire. 2 mile thence I passed over the River Cern on a Large stone bridge, this is deep and joyns the Severn and soe I Rode by the great hill Called the Reeke noted for the highest piece of ground in England, but it must be by those that only Live in the heart of ye Kingdom and about London, for there are much higher hills in the north and West and alsoe not 40 mile distant from it; Manborn hills seems vastly higher. This hill stands just by itself a round hill and does raise its head much above ye hills neare it, and on the one side does Looke a great steepe down, but still my thoughts of the ffells in Cumberland and Westmoreland are soe farr beyond it in height that this would not be mentioned there; it is seen 20 mile off and soe may many other hills, but when I Rode just under it I was full Convinc’d its height was not in Compẽtion wth those in other parts that I have seen.
There are great hills all about wch I pass’d over full of Coale pitts. Here I Came into ye Whatling Streete wch is one of ye great roads of England wch divided ye Land into so many Kingdoms under ye Saxons. The roads are pretty good but ye miles are Long, from Shrewsbury to ye Reeke is 9 mile, from thence to Sr Thomas Patsells house 10 mile more; here I went to see his Gardens wch are talk’d off as ye finest and best kept, ye house is old and Low, if ye Gentleman had Lived he Did design a new house, its now his sons who is an Infant. Before you Come to ye house for a quarter of a mile you Ride between fine Cut hedges, and ye nearer ye approach the finer still, they are very high and Cut Smoothe and Even just Like ye hedges at Astrop waters, and of Each side beyond are woods, some regular Rows, some in its native Rudeness, wth ponds beyond in grounds beneath it. Ye End of this walke you Enter a Large gate of open Iron grates, wth as many more jron grates on Each side as the Breadth of ye gate, opposite to this is just another that opens into those grounds I first mention’d. There is a Large pitched Court wth some open jron gates and grates at Each End, yt gives the visto quite a Cross through to other Rows of trees wch runs up all about ye severall avenues.