Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11 / Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set.

by Thomas Dugdale

[D] ASTWELL. In this hamlet is an ancient mansion, formerly the seat of the Earl of Ferrers. Several of the rooms exhibit in the wainscot Seat of Earl Ferrers and chimney pieces, armorial bearings and other carved decorations. A dilapidated room at the east end was formerly a chapel.

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
3	Astwick	pa	Bedford	Biggleswade	5	Shefford	6	Baldock	3	40	97
5	Astwood	pa	Bucks	Newport Pag	6	Woburn	10	Olney	6	51	268
24	Aswarby	pa	Lincoln	Folkingham	4	Sleaford	5	Grantham	12	110	113
24	Aswardby	pa	Lincoln	Spilsby	4	Alford	7	Horncastle	8	136	80
33	Atcham	pa	Salop	Shrewsbury	4	Acton Burn.	6	Shiffnal	14	149	463
39	Atch-Lench	ham	Worcester	Evesham	4	Alcester	6	Pershore	7	104	82
54	Athan, St.[A]	pa	Glamorgan	Cowbridge	4	Cardiff	15	Bridgend	10	174	312
12	Athelampton	pa	Dorset	Dorchester	7	Bere Regis	7	Blandford	13	116	79
36	Athelington, or Allington	pa	Suffolk	Eye	5	Framlingham	8	Debenham	6	88	129
34	Athelney, Isle of		Somerset
11	Atherington	pa	Devon	Torrington	7	Barnstaple	8	S. Molton	9	204	592
39	Atherstone[B]	m.t. & pa	Warwick	Nuneaton	6	Sheepy	3	Tamworth	8	105	3870

[A] ST. ATHAN. In this village is a castle, called East Orchard, built in the year 1691, by Roger Berkrols; it stands on the edge of an extensive flat: a luxuriant wild fig tree grows out of the cement of the chapel walls. Perhaps the Turkey fig tree might be propagated with more success, grafted upon this wildling, which probably originated in the cultivated fig planted in the gardens of the Norman lords. In St. Athan's church there The largest inhabited castle in Wales. are two uncommonly fine gothic monuments of the Berkrol's family: there are likewise in this parish the remains of two castles—West Orchard and Castleton; but these are not of such great antiquity. From this spot there is a good view of Fonmore, or Fronmon Castle, which is the most extensive and august of the Welch inhabited castles. The kitchen is said to be the largest in the kingdom. In Fronmon castle is an excellent portrait of Oliver Cromwell. The flat and steep-holms are seen from this neighbourhood: the former has its light-house. It is situated nearly ten miles from the sea lock of the canal, and three miles from the adjacent steep-holms, which is a smaller island than the former, though more conspicuous from its great height above the water; it is quite barren and uninhabited. The flat holms at low tide is an extensive sheet of mud, excepting one deep Account of the dangerous beach. channel. The landing place is near the castle rock, a dangerous, but romantic beach, so called from its similarity to a castle, it is very large, and is said to resemble Abergavenny castle. In the centre is a bold arch, which at high water is covered. The hollow sound of the sea roaring through the arch, and the waves occasionally retreating, and then forcing their way back with redoubled fury, has an uncommonly fine effect. At low tide the shore all around the base is dry. The island is four or five miles in circumference; the soil is good, and would, if well cultivated, be very productive. From the light-house, which is 80 feet in height, is a delightful prospect of the Bristol Channel and the shores of Somerset and Glamorgan. It is the resort of many visitors in the summer season.

[B] ATHERSTONE. This market town is supposed to have derived its name from "a stone" under which an "adder" of enormous size was found; it is situated on the Watling Street, and divided from Leicestershire by the river Anker, and was a place of some importance at the Conquest: at which time the town was given to the monks of Bee in Normandy, who obtained for it a market day and an annual fair, which Some foreign monks obtained this market. brought it into consequence. A monastery of friars, (Hermits of Saint Augustine,) was founded at Atherstone in the year 1375. The church belonging to the friary was completed in the reign of Richard II. A free grammar school was founded here by Sir William Devereux and two other benevolent persons in the year 1573. The chancel of the friary church was appropriated to the use of this seminary, and is still dedicated to the same purpose. The mansion, or hall house was sometime after separated from the chapel, and rebuilt at a short distance upon a pleasant bank, commanding an extensive view over the adjacent counties of Leicester, Derby, and Stafford. Two nights before the battle of Bosworth Field (which is but nine miles distant), the Duke of Richmond lay at Atherstone, where he had his interview with the two Stanley's, in which such measures of co-operation were concerted as occasioned the overthrow of King Richard III., and it is said, that many persons from the subsequent battle were buried below this old mansion, from which the spot has retained the name of the bloody bank. It appears, however, to have been so called from being the place where contests of less serious results were usually decided by the young champions of the ancient foundation school, which is still supported by a respectable endowment. Atherstone Hall has Atherstone Hall. recently been much improved by extended buildings and ornamental plantations. It is situated near Merevale Hall, the seat of D.S. Dugdale, Esq., and Grendon Hall, that of Sir G. Chetwynd, Bart. Here are manufactories of hats, ribbons, and shalloons, and considerable business is done at the four annual fairs; that in September being the most considerable in England for the sale of cheese. The passage of the Coventry canal, uniting with that of the Trent and Mersey, within a hundred yards of the town, adds very considerably to its facilities of trading. The poet Drayton, author of the "Polyolbion," was a native of Atherstone.

Market, Tuesday.—Fairs, April 7, for horses, cows, and sheep; July 18, holyday; September 19, for horses, cows, and cheese; December 4, for horses and fat cattle.—Mail arrives 8.41 A.M.; departs 5.36 P.M.—Inns, Red Lion, and Three Tuns.—Bankers, W. and J.H. Chapman; draw upon Spooner and Co.

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
39	Atherstone-upon-Stour	pa	Warwick	Stratford	3	Shipston	9	Campden	9	92	87
22	Atherton, or Chowbents	to & chap	Lancaster	Newton	7	Bolton	5	Wigan	7	198	4181
10	Atlow	chap	Derby	Ashbourn	4	Wirksworth	6	Derby	13	139	517
51	Atpar	m.t.	Cardigan	Newcastle	1	Cardigan	10	Carmarthen	21	230
30	Attenborough[A]	pa	Nottingham	Nottingham	6	Derby	10	Loughboro'	10	119	1094
24	Atterly	to	Lincoln	Mar. Rising	9	Brigg	10	Gainsboro'	12	148	110
45	Attercliffe	to	W.R. York	Sheffield	2	Rotherham	4	Barnsley	13	162	3741
23	Atterton	ham	Leicester	Atherstone	3	Hinckley	6	Nuneaton	5	105	76
31	Attington	ex. p.ham	Oxford	Tetsworth	1	Thame	3	Watlington	6	42	7
27	Attleborough[B]	m.t. & p	Norfolk	Norwich	15	Buckenham	4	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, Birth-place of the regicide, son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell. 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.

[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 passed 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. Anecdote of Captain J. Gibbs. 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 passed 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.

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
39	Attleborough	ham	Warwick	Nuneaton	1	Coventry	9	Hinckley	5	100
27	Attlebridge	pa	Norfolk	Reepham	5	Aylesham	8	Norwich	9	112	117
46	Atwicke	to & pa	E.R.York	Hornsea	2	Bridlington	12	Beverley	13	189	285
24	Auborn	to & pa	Lincoln	Lincoln	8	Newark	10	Navenby	6	127	356
13	Auckland, St. Andrew[A]	to & pa	Durham	Bp. Auckland	1	Darlington	11	Durham	11	248	11137
13	Auckland, St. Helen	ch	Durham	...	3	...	10	...	13	246	410
13	Auckland, West	to	Durham	...	3	...	10	...	13	246	1106
14	Audley End[B]	ham	Essex	Saff. Walden	1	Newport	2	Chesterford	4	42
7	Audlem	to & pa	Chester	Nantwich	6	Whitchurch	9	Woore	5	163	2978