In this parish is Castle Killy-biry, or Killy-biny, consisting of about six acres of ground upon a well-advanced hill, within a treble intrenchment of earth. Perhaps one of the castles possessed by that arch-traitor the Pictish Mordred, slain by King Arthur, (see [Dundagell],) from whence his soldiers were routed; for the circumstance of this castle on the Alan river may agree with those verses mentioned under Lentegles by Camelford, for the river Camel is properly called the Alan river, as well as Camel.
Below Egles-hayle church (on the Alan river as aforesaid), where the sea creek or cove of Padstow Haven makes its daily flux and reflux, stands Ward Bridge, i. e. guard or watch bridge; otherwise, as Mr. Carew says, called Wade Bridge, from a little ford near it, which afforded, when the tide was out, a short but dangerous passage over it. But where this little vadum, or ford, should be, I know not, there being no other river to pass over from east to west but the Alan river aforesaid. Which bridge, as an artificial ligament, fasteneth the two parishes of Egles-hayle and St. Breock together, they being in all other places separated by the river. It was built in the latter end of Edward the Fourth’s reign, and beginning of Henry the Seventh’s; not, as Leland says, at the county charge, but, as all other works of this kind were, viz. by collections, and commutation of penance for sins
committed; for it was not made a county bridge till the beginning of James the First’s reign. Now this licence of all spiritual benedictions, collection, and commutation of penance, throughout the counties of Cornwall and Devon, was there granted by Dr. Peter Courtenay, Bishop of Exeter, to Thomas Longbound, then Vicar of Egles-hayle, his chaplain or vicar, 1485, who raised a considerable sum of money by that means, viz. of absolution, as also from charitable and well-disposed Christians. The undertaker, that expert mason John de Harlyn, and the treasurer Longbound, brought the bridge’s building to that perfection as it now stands, consisting of seventeen arches of stone of great height and magnitude, all built with great cost and labour, through which (as aforesaid) the sea passes up and down daily through the Alan river to Tagus, (i. e. Goodwood,) a mile, and is navigable for boats, barges, and lighters, to that place, which there bring sea sand, and other commodities, for the country-people’s use.
On the lower side of the bridge, from Padstow Haven, ships and barks laden with merchandise frequently arrive, of burthen from twenty to sixty tons, from Bristol, Wales, Ireland, and other places, where their commodities have better vent than at Padstow, two or three miles below, nearer the main sea.
Leland, in his Itinerary, tells us, volume the second, that some of the arches of this bridge were laid upon quicksand, which for some time made the treasurer and undertaker despair of success, till they projected the laying of packs of wool under the groundwork, which proved such a useful expedient as carried on the fabric according to their desire, and the same stands firm to this day.
After this bridge was erected, Longbound, the vicar, gave a small parcel of land towards the repair thereof, now worth 20l. per annum, and enfeoffed the twelve men of this parish, and their successors, in trust with the same for ever. There are also other lands in St. Breock, given by
the Prior of Bodmin, and other well-affected benefactors to the bridge, for the same purpose. At present this bridge stock is about 300l. and is set at the yearly rent for about 10l. per annum. Lastly, this just and indefatigable benefactor Longbound, after he had finished the bridge, with the moneys and stones left, caused to be built the tower of Egles-hayle church, as it now stands; over the belfry-door of which, in stone, on the north side, are cut in an escutcheon his arms, viz. a human heart, and superscribed Longbound. On the other side of the door aforesaid are cut, impaled, a chevron between two falcons, and a chevron between three ravens’ heads. Which first I take to be the arms of Kestell, and the latter of Ravenscroft of Cheshire, his wife.
From this parish was denominated an old family of gentlemen surnamed de Egles-hayle, of which family was Matheus de Egleshayle, Sheriff of Devon from the 1st year of Edward the First to the 6th, who gave for his arms, Argent, a cross Sable, and a fleur-de-lis in the first quarter.
TONKIN.
In this parish stands the lordship and barton of Pencarrow, which name may signify a deer-park. But I take the name of Pencarrow to be of a much more ancient date than the first bringing of deer into this land, and that the name is taken from the natural circumstances of the place, as compounded of pen-car-ow, head-rock-ry, for in this place is digged a quarry of bright clear freestone, that works with tool, plane, or hammer, equal to any other in Cornwall, as may be seen by the beautiful house Sir John Molesworth has built with it, and which is not yet quite finished. And surely it may be said of this barton, without disparagement to any other man’s lands, that for wood, water, and stone, it may compare with, if not exceed, any other part of the kingdom; neither do the lands come