I find the Roman road went across the church-yard originally, and so by the common street to the bridge over the Irke, called Scotland bridge: then it ascends the hill, and proceeds with its original direction north-east to Rochdale, which way the old Coccium was. Edward the elder by our monkish authors is said to have built a castle here, which probably was by the church and college; and the church may be founded on its ruins: this drew the town that way: the meeting of the two rivers there, and the steep rocks upon them, rendered it a convenient situation for such a work.
The college founded by Chetham, a tradesman, has a very good library, and good salary: here are about fifty boys maintained.
Mr. Prescot of Chester has a gold Otho found here. I saw a Celt found in the mosses.
CONDATE.
We rode all the way upon the Roman road from Manchester to this place: it is the common road throughout, except a little near Altringham: that market-town has caused it to be left, by a common; but we recover it again at Bowden hill, whence we had the prospect of it a long way before us, in a strait line: it leaves Altringham a little to the east, passes west of Rotherston mere, close on the west of North Tabley house, and so directly to Northwich, which therefore must be of necessity the Condate of Antoninus. The Britons called these wiches, or places of salt-works, Hellath, from heli, salsugo: the last syllable seems to be in Condate: then it will signify the principal salt-work, cond, caput. Part of the road hither, by the Bollin river, they call Wash-way, from its wateriness; which shows the derivation of our country washes. This town stands in an angle made by the Weaver river and the Dane, both which are passed by bridges, sometimes overflow with great fury. South of the bridge, upon the high ground by the Chester road, is a great tumulus, or keep, of Saxon work, called the Castle. This is a pretty large town, but meanly built, depending intirely upon the salt trade: here are the strongest springs of brine, and the wonderful mines or rocks of salt, 60 yards under ground, which they work like coal-mines: how far they extend, is not known. I doubt not but there are many more all over this country: these are found out by chance, not many years since: they carry it into Ireland, Wales, and other places; and boil it up afresh with seawater. It is a most liberal gift of Nature, a compendious way of making salt; these springs being stronger than the ocean: the rock salt stronger than they; for it is perfect salt, transparent like crystal: it lies not in veins, or strata, as other minerals, or metals; but a solid rock, of unknown dimensions, which they hew away with steeled pick-axes, leaving pillars and spaces, as big as a cathedral. Poplar-trees are plentiful in this country: they all lean eastward, as continually pressed by the west winds from the sea.
The country from Northwich to Chester is intirely sand, and very deep: a barren view; once a forest. They dig up the turf every where for fewel; which prevents for ever its being capable of cultivation, otherwise not impracticable: the oaks are all gone. Mid-way is the Chamber in the forest, as called, upon a very high hill of sandy stone. Here they say Edelfleda, the great Mercian princess, built a city; I rather believe, a fortress, and that probably one of the Romans originally, to guard this road. We can scarce affirm any thing of the Roman way is visible, except at first setting out from Northwich, and near Chester, where it falls into the original Watling-street, half a mile off the city, by the river side: but there can be no manner of doubt but that a Roman way was drawn here, to that we rode on before: how it was done by that people, I cannot guess; for it was impracticable to raise a bank; and it would be wholly vain in this sand, unless they dug it away to the bottom, which is impossible: I suppose it was by stones set on both sides at proper distances, for a direction only, which are since carried away, or buried by the sands; for now and then we saw a stone seeming to be milliary. There is a horse-race, with a very good course; which shows the turf is well consolidated, where not skimmed off for the purposes aforesaid. When we draw near to Chester, we see on the left the Welsh mountains: on one, which is a very steep precipice on all sides, stands Beeston castle: before us, they rise one above another, and leave the clouds below their summits. Mr. Gale gives us several instances of Condate, and the like words, signifying a place where is the union of some rivers: and such is the situation of Northwich, where the Dane and the Weaver meet at the town; and the Pever a little below it, by the salt-rock. At Tarvin, where the road passes over a river approaching to Chester, is Stanford, so called from it.
DEVA. Chester.
This is a noble old city, the work of the victorious 20th Legion, the conquerors of these western regions. It is manifest at first sight, that they regarded, in the plan of it, the known form of their camps: it is a parallelogram set to the four quarters of the heavens; the longest side north and south: suburbs are extended eastward, and a new gate called the bars, where the Watling-street, and the road from Condate, enters: the Roman walls take in exactly the space of 10,000 foot, or two miles. The soil is sandy, upon rock of a red colour and sandy composure, with small pebbles intermixed. The soil has been more or less sandy ever since we left the Chiltern hills at Dunstable.
65·2d. The outside Front of the Roman Gate of the Watling-street call’d East Gate
at Chester, as standing 2. Aug. 1725.