100·2d. RELIGIOVS
Remnant of Ramsey Abby Gatehouse 1713.
Tower on ye Moor near Tatershal Lincr.
Capella ruinosa Spiritus apud Basingstroke.
Henrico Torkington de Stukely mag. Ar. Tabula Votiva.
Of Severus thus writes Herodian III. Antoninus, and Geta his brother, governed the empire jointly: they sailed from Britain, and went to Rome with their father’s reliques; for his body being burnt, they carried thither his ashes, put into an alabaster urn with gums and sweets, that they might be reposed in the sacred monuments of the princes.
There were two reasons why the Roman Emperors residing here chose to make York their imperial seat. 1. Because of its vicinity to the Scotch frontiers, where they were perpetually upon their guard upon the Wall against their incursions. 2. Because it is in a fruitful country, upon a navigable river; but more because they could bring hither corn from the southern countries of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, &c. all the way by water carriage, from the river Ouse or Nen at Peterborough, up the Cardike, the Witham to Lincoln, the Fossdike (undoubtedly a work of theirs) the Trent, across the Humber, up the Ouse to York; a particular not yet taken notice of. The old arch in the bar leading to Micklegate is said to be Roman.
CALCARIA. Tadcaster.
We still kept on the Roman road all the way hither. A great sconce a little way off York, called the Mount, consisting of four bastions raised in the civil wars. It is a most delicious country, overflowing with plenty. The Roman castrum here is now called the Castle-field; it was square, about 400 foot, and had walls round: it stands north of the town, near the church and river: its ground within, and rampires are high; but it must be understood withall, that the place has been altered, and made into a castle of later form, with a keep or mount. I heard of coins being found here; but at Newton Kyme, a mile off, vast quantities of antiquities are discovered. The castle at Tadcaster is called Kelkbar; a remnant of the ancient name. This country is a lime-stone quarry, and, by reason of its convenient rivers, was a trading place in that commodity in the time of the Romans; whence its name. Many barrows are to be seen hereabouts, for I suppose it was formerly a down.