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

by Thomas Dugdale

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
45	Austhorpe[A]	to	W.R. York	Leeds	4	Wetherby	10	Abberford	5	189	150
9	Austhwaite	ham	Cumberland	Ravenglass	11	Ulverston	10	Bootle	7	283	101
45	Austonley	to	W.R. York	Huddersfield	8	Barnsley	9	Wakefield	11	181	1420
39	Austrey	pa	Warwick	Tamworth	6	Atherstone	7	Orton	2	112	540
45	Austwick	to	W.R. York	Settle	5	Ingleton	9	Hawes	20	241	614
24	Authorpe	pa	Lincoln	Alford	4	Louth	7	Horncastle	13	144	121
41	Avebury, or Abury[B]	pa	Wilts	Marlborough	7	Swindon	11	Calne	6	82	747
14	Aveley	pa	Essex	Purfleet	2	G. Thurrock	4	Wennington	4	21	758
17	Avenbury	pa	Hereford	Bromyard	2	Ledbury	13	Hereford	15	125	314
15	Avening	pa	Gloucester	Tetbury	4	M. Hampton	5	Horseley	3	99	2396
30	Averham[C]	pa	Nottingham	Newark	3	Southwell	5	Tuxford	13	127	182
11	Aveton-Gifford	pa	Devon	Modbury	3	Dartmouth	13	Kingsbridge	5	208	939

[A] AUSTHORPE. This township gave birth to the celebrated civil engineer John Smeaton, distinguished as the architect of Eddystone Light-house, and, as the conductor of various other important undertakings. He Birth-place of Smeaton the architect. was the son of an attorney, who, observing that he had a strong taste for mechanics, wisely allowed him to follow the impulse of his genius, and become a mathematical instrument maker. He commenced business in that capacity, in Holborn, London, in 1750. His great undertaking—the erection of the light-house on the Eddystone rock, was accomplished in the year 1759, and it was executed in such a manner as almost to bid defiance to the power of time or accident. His death took place in his native village, September 8, 1792.—See Eddystone Light-house.

[B] AVEBURY or ABURY, is situated within the very area of a British temple, and claims the particular attention of the topographer and antiquary. The enclosure, which is formed by a wide and deep ditch, and a lofty external vallum, contains many large stones, some of which are erect, and the others lying on the ground. Southward of this place, at some distance, are other large stones, erect or prostrate; and, westward, are two others, erect. Several walls and houses of the village are constructed A British temple formed of enormous stones. with broken masses of these ponderous monuments; yet enough remains to excite curiosity and prompt research. The following is a description of this great temple, in its original state:—Immediately within the ditch, and encompassing the whole area, was a continued series of large upright stones, consisting of one hundred in number; these stones were placed at the distance of twenty-seven feet from each other, and usually measured from fifteen to seventeen feet in height, and about forty feet in circumference. Within the area of this circle, the diameter of which was about 1400 feet, were two double circles; the exterior circles were about 466 feet in diameter, and formed by thirty stones of similar dimensions equally distant from each other, as in the large enclosing circle. Of these singular stones there are but few remaining; but from the extraordinary dimension of these relics of antiquity, the traveller may judge for himself the correctness of our notice.

Mail arrives at Beckhampton Inn, (1 mile distant,) at 5.20 morning; departs 9.45 night.

[C] AVERHAM. This place is principally remarkable for a monument contained in the church erected to the memory of Sir William Sutton, once lord of the manor, on which it is quaintly recorded that he had sixteen children, and an equal number of each sex; of whom the one half

"Ushered to heaven their father, and the other
Remained behind him to attend their mother."

Map	Names of Places		County	Number of Miles From						Dist. Lond.	Popul ation.
4	Avington[A]	pa	Berks	Hungerford	3	Newbury	6	Kintbury	2	62	191
18	Avington[B]	pa	Hants	Winchester	5	Alresford	4	Basingstoke	14	60	26
41	Avon	chap	Wilts	Chippenham	3	Malmsbury	9	Calne	7	94	226
39	Avon Dassett	pa	Warwick	Banbury	6	Kineton	6	Southam	9	75
11	Awliscombe	pa	Devon	Honiton	2	Ottery St.M.	6	Collumpton	10	154	598
16	Awre	pa	Gloucester	Blakeney	3	Berkeley	3	Newnham	4	124	1309
34	Axbridge[C]	bo. m.t. & p	Somerset	Wells	10	Chedder	2	Bristol	18	130	998
41	Axford	ti	Wilts	Marlborough	3	Ramsbury	4	Albourne	5	73	450

[A] AVINGTON. Sir Francis Burdett is lord of this manor, and patron Sir Francis Burdett. of the rectory. The church, which remains nearly in its original state, exhibits a curious specimen of Saxon architecture. Within the walls it measures 75 feet by 14 feet and a half. The nave is separated from the chancel by an arch richly ornamented by a zig-zag moulding, and a great variety of grotesque heads springing from two enriched piers; the arch is formed of the segments of two circles, each having different centres. In this church there is also a very singular font, of rude workmanship, surrounded with grotesque figures, executed in bass-relief; that is to say, sculpture, the figures of which do not stand out from the ground in their full proportion.

[B] AVINGTON, anciently Abyngton, is remarkable for its beautiful park, the seat of Chandos Grenville, Duke of Buckingham, Lord Lieutenant Seat of the Duke of Buckingham. of the county of Bucks. The manor was originally a royal demesne, or estate in lands, and was given by king Edgar to the monastery of St. Swithin at Winchester, in the year 961; it continued in the possession of that house until the dissolution of monasteries, when it became the property of the clerks of Mitcheldever, (a village about five miles distant,) with whom it remained until the reign of Elizabeth; and then passed to the Bruges, or Brydges family, afterwards raised to the dukedom of Chandos. Anna Maria Brudenell, the infamous Countess of Shrewsbury, married one of this family; her former husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, died from a wound received in a duel with the Duke of Buckingham, during the fighting of which the Countess had the audacity to hold the horse of her gallant, disguised as a page. Charles the Second was frequently the A seat of one of the paramours of Charles II. guest of this notorious woman at the mansion of Avington, which thus became the scene of that licentious monarch's pleasures. The mansion, which is mostly built of brick, has been greatly improved since it came into the possession of the present proprietor. It is situated in a well planted and secluded valley, nearly environed with high downs, which from their bare and open state, form a singular though not unpleasing contrast with the scenery immediately contiguous to the house. Several of the apartments are fitted up with great elegance, and enriched by a choice collection of valuable paintings.

[C] AXBRIDGE. This town is one of the polling places for the eastern division of the county of Somerset, but the court for the election of the Knights of the Shire is at Wells. The borough sent members to parliament during the reigns of the three first Edwards, but was afterwards excused on the plea of poverty. It consists chiefly of one street, winding A borough excused on a plea of poverty. from east to west, about half a mile in length. The shambles and market are towards the east end. Although so small, it is governed by a corporation, consisting of a mayor, bailiff, and ten aldermen, and twenty-two burgesses, with a recorder, town-clerk, and other officers. Knit hose are manufactured in this town. The church, occupying an eminence, near the market-house, is a large and handsome gothic structure, in the form of a cross. The cloth of the communion table is elegantly wrought in silk, by Mrs. Abigail, who employed seven years in completing it. This lady, and several of her family, have monuments in the church.