9 A.M. and returns to Shrewsbury at 4 P.M.
BOLAS PARVA,
a small township consisting of only two farms, is pleasantly situated
five miles south from Hodnet; at the census of 1841 there were nine
houses and 44 inhabitants. The township comprises 594A. 1R. 15P. of
land, which is vested in the devisees of the late Mr. Hatherall. The
tithes have been commuted for £112. 1s. 1d. William Jennings is the only
resident farmer in the township; Thomas Jones holds the other farm, but
resides in the adjoining township.
HAWKSTONE
is a township, in the parish of Hodnet, six miles S.W. from Market
Drayton, eight miles and a half S. from Whitchurch, and thirteen miles
N.N. by W. from Shrewsbury. At the census in 1841 here were six houses
and 60 inhabitants. The township contains 693A. 2R. 32P. of land, the
tithes of which have been commuted for £115. HAWKSTONE PARK, the
magnificent seat of Viscount Hill, is delightfully situated in a park of
great extent and picturesque beauty, not far from the turnpike road
leading from Shrewsbury to Whitchurch, and has long been an alluring
object to the admirers of nature, as well as to persons of taste and
curiosity. The mansion is of brick, with stone finishings, and occupies
three sides of a quadrangle, but it does not appear by whom it was
originally built. The principal front is approached by a flight of
steps, leading through a noble portico (supported by four elegant pillars
of the composite order), considered an admirable piece of architecture.
Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., added the wings, and made other considerable
additions to the hall, which was the family mansion of the Hills in the
time of Edward VI., in which reign we find, A.D. 1549, Sir Rowland Hill,
Bart., was Lord Mayor of London. _The Entrance Hall_ is adorned with
ancient and modern armour, much of it collected at Waterloo, by the late
General Lord Hill. _The Saloon_ is a lofty and spacious apartment,
fitted up in a costly manner, and adorned with some fine paintings; among
which is the Siege of Namur, the five principal characters of which were
taken from life. They are William III., the Elector of Bavaria, the Duke
of Marlborough, Count Cohorn, and the Right Hon. Richard Hill, who was at
that time Paymaster of the Army, Member of the Privy Council, and Envoy
at the Court of Turin. _The Drawing Room_ is a noble apartment,
exquisitely furnished, and containing several fine paintings, executed by
some of the most celebrated masters. The ceiling and walls are richly
ornamented and gilt, and the furniture is of the same gorgeous
description. _The Library_ contains an extensive and valuable collection
of books, chiefly modern works; several fine paintings; and in a glass
case are the sword and orders of the late General Lord Hill. _The
Billiard Room_ contains several valuable pillars brought from Egypt by
General Lord Hill. _The Chapel_ forms the south-west wing of the hall,
and is now undergoing a complete reparation. A marble pulpit and stained
glass windows (the latter illustrative of scripture history) have been
added, which give the interior a solemn and imposing appearance. _The
Museum_ contains many interesting objects of curiosity, and an extensive
and valuable collection of British birds. Adjoining the library is the
_Sculpture Gallery_. There are also various other apartments, adorned in
the most tasteful and costly style, which our limits will not allow us to
notice. _The Gardens_ are laid out with taste, and contain a number of
small ponds for aquatic birds. Near the hall on a gentle eminence is the
_Summer House_, a handsome octagonal building of Grinshill freestone; the
interior of which is painted in fresco, and represents the four seasons.
From the window there is a pleasing prospect of a fine sheet of water;
and in the distance appear the Broxton hills and Delamere forest, in
Cheshire. A pleasant walk leads from the summer house to the _Gulph_,
which separates the grotto rock from the opposite heights. On emerging
from the beautiful lawn, the most romantic scenery suddenly presents
itself to the eye of the spectator; and proceeding along a rising walk on
the side of the rock, the traveller is conducted to the entrance of _The
Grotto_, a cleft in the rock, which had lain for ages undiscovered, till
Sir Richard Hill caused all the earth to be dug away, when it was found
that the two sides of the rock so nearly corresponded with each other
that they were doubtless once united, and separated either by an
earthquake or some other violent convulsion of the earth. After
proceeding about a hundred yards, you arrive at the grotto, which is a
vast subterraneous cave, supported by rude pillars hewn out of the solid
rock; in the midst of which is a spacious recess, ingeniously inlaid with
shells, fossils, and curious petrefactions. Through a colonnade of rude
pillars this labyrinth is quitted by a door on the west, which opens on
an awful precipice of huge rocks and pending crags, hoary with age,
forming a striking contrast with the verdant lawn and fertile plain in
the distance. Proceeding under the grotto hill, by a road cut out of the
shelving rock, and looking upwards, you behold enormous crags hanging
over you, as if on the very point of falling. This hill stretches to the
south-west to a considerable distance; and the gigantic rocks heaped one
upon another look more like ruined castles than the turrets of nature.
On leaving the grotto hill, you proceed by the side of stately oaks and
rugged cliffs till you arrive at a natural cave called _The Retreat_, the
top of which is tinged with variegated copper. In this cave, with its
straw-matted seat and stone table, is a beautiful stanza, penned by the
late Sir Richard Hill. After quitting the retreat, you pass by _The
Canopy_ and _The Indian Rock_, surrounded by scenery of the most romantic
character, and mount up a curiously hewn pathway along the rock till you
reach a little cottage, in which is the figure of a hermit, in a sitting
posture, with a table before him, on which is a skull, an hour glass, a
book, and a pair of spectacles. The next attraction is _St. Francis’s
Cave_, the entrance to which is under a curiously twisted root of a
venerable yew tree. After groping for some yards in total darkness, you
suddenly emerge into cheering light, and which ever way you turn the most
enchanting prospects are stretched out before you. A detached piece of
rock of a pyramidical form is called _The Fox’s Knob_, from the
circumstance of a fox, some years ago, leaping from the top to the valley
beneath; and being followed by some of the dogs, the pursuers and the
pursued perished together. Turning to the left, a verdant walk leads to
the summit of _The Terrace_. This delightful walk is embosomed in the
varied foliage of forest trees, which reach down to the ground, with
openings here and there through which distant prospects are viewed.
Passing beyond the limits of these Alpine heights, you arrive at
_Reynard’s Banqueting House_, a natural cavern, in which were found the
remains of hares, rabbits, and all sorts of poultry, which the foxes had
carried there to feast upon.
On the highest point of the terrace is erected a noble OBELISK, built of
white freestone, and about one hundred and twelve feet high. From the
top of this column a most unbounded prospect presents itself to view, and
England and Wales vie with each other in the loftiness of their mountains
and the richness of their plains. The gallery of the obelisk forms an
observatory for the astronomer. The inscription on the base transmits to
posterity the piety and noble acts of a venerable ancestor, a statue of
whom in his lord mayor’s gown, copied from an ancient monument which
stood in the church of St. Stephen’s, Walbrook, before the fire of
London, is placed on the top, holding the Magna Charta in his hand. The
following is the inscription at the base:—
“The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.”—_Psalm_,
cvi. 6.
The first stone of this pillar was laid by Sir Richard Hill, Bart.
(member in several parliaments for this county), on the 1st day of
October, in the year 1795; who caused it to be erected, not only for the
various uses of an observatory and to feast the eye by presenting it at
one view with a most luxuriant and extensive prospect, which takes in not
less than twelve (or, as some assert, fifteen) counties, but from motives
of justice, respect, and gratitude, to the memory of a truly great and
good man, viz., Sir Rowland Hill, Knight, who was born at the family
mansion, Hawkstone, in the reign of King Henry VII., and being bred to
trade and free of the city of London, became one of the most considerable
and opulent merchants of his time, and was lord mayor of the same in the
second and third years of the reign of Edward VI., anno 1549 and 1550,
and was the first Protestant that filled that high office. Having
embraced the principles of the Reformation, he zealously exerted himself
in behalf of the Protestant cause, and having been diligent in the use of
all religious exercises, “prayerful, conscientious, and watchful” (as a
writer of his character expresses it), yet trusting only in the merit of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he exchanged this life for a better, a
short while after the death of that pious young monarch, being aged
nearly seventy-eight years.
For a considerable time previous to his decease he gave up his mercantile
occupations that he might with more devotedness of heart attend to the
great concerns of another world. His lands, possessions, and church
patronage were immense, particularly in the counties of Salop and
Chester, the number of his tenants (none of whom he ever raised or fined)
amounting to 1,181, as appears from his own hand writing. His private
virtues, good deeds and munificent spirit, were quite unlimited and
extended—like the prospect before us, east, west, north, and south, far
surpassing all bounds. “Being sensible,” saith Fuller, speaking of him
in his “_Worthies of England_,” “that his great estate was given him of
God,” it was his desire to devote it to His glory. He built a spacious
church in his own parish Hodnet, and likewise the neighbouring church at
Stoke at his own expense. He built Tern and Atcham bridges in this
county, both of hewn stone, and containing several arches each. He also
built other large bridges of timber. He built and endowed several large
schools, particularly that of Drayton. He made and paved divers highways
for the public utility. He founded exhibitions and educated many
students at both universities, and supported at the inns and courts
others who were brought up to the law. He was the unwearied friend of
the widow and fatherless. He clothed annually three hundred poor people
in his neighbourhood, both with shirts and coats; and in the city of
London he gave £500 (an immense sum in those days) to St. Bartholomew’s
Hospital, besides (saith Fuller) £600 to Christ’s Hospital. He also gave
most liberally to all other hospitals, and at his death bequeathed £150
to the poor of all the wards in London. He had no children, but his
relations and kinsfolk were numerous, who all partook largely of his
bounty, both in his lifetime and at his death. He constantly kept up a
great family household, where he maintained good hospitality. Many
resorted to him for his wise and salutary advice, and none who came to
him were sent empty or dissatisfied away. Go thou and do likewise, as
far as thy ability will permit, without injury to thy own relations. It
is worthy of remark that as Sir Rowland Hill was the first protestant
lord mayor, anno 1549, so his father, Thomas Hill, Esq., of Hawkstone,
was the last lord mayor of the Roman Catholic persuasion.
A walk from the terrace leads to the WHITE TOWER, a Gothic structure,
situated on a bold projection on the south-west side of the terrace,
which is a conspicuous object for several miles round. In the glen not
far from the White Tower is a cave in the rock, made accessible by means
of some steps through a narrow romantic walk, and which is remarkable for
having been the hiding place of an ancestor of the Hill family, who met
with great hardships from the parliamentary forces during the
commonwealth. In memory of this gentleman the late Sir Richard Hill
caused a handsome urn to be placed near the cave above mentioned, with
the following inscription on the base of it:—
Anno 1784.
This urn
was placed here by Sir Richard Hill, Bart.,
(eldest son of Sir Rowland Hill, Bart.)
one of the Knights of this Shire,
as a token of affection to the memory of his much respected ancestor,
Rowland Hill, of Hawkstone, Esquire;
a gentleman remarkable for his great wisdom, piety, and charity, who,
being
a zealous royalist, hid himself in this glen, in the civil wars in
the
time of King Charles the First.
But being discovered, was imprisoned in the adjacent castle, commonly
called Red Castle, whilst his house was pillaged and ransacked by the
rebels. The castle itself was soon after demolished.
His son, Rowland Hill, Esq., coming to his assistance, also suffered
much in the same loyal cause.
THE VINEYARD is a sequestered glen, embosomed in foliage and screened by
the rocks behind and on each side, and open only to the south sun, and
apparently peculiarly adapted to the growth and culture of the vine; but
although every effort was tried, the attempt did not succeed. It was
laid out in the manner of a fortification, with turrets, walls, and
bastions, at very great expense, by the late Sir Richard Hill. From the
tower may be seen the town of Shrewsbury, many of the Cambrian hills, the
magnificent Wrekin, and the towering heights of the Briedden hills, on
the latter of which is the pillar erected in honour of Lord Rodney.
About a mile from the tower is the BURGH WALLS, or BURY WALLS, the
remains of a grand Roman camp, allowed by antiquarians to be the most
perfect in the kingdom. It encompasses about twenty acres of ground, and
is screened on all sides but one by a chain of inaccessible rocks. The
side on which there is no natural defence is strongly guarded by a triple
entrenchment, which must have been a work of immense labour. Here Roman
coins have frequently been found, and in the year 1821 a spur, pronounced
by competent judges to be of Roman workmanship, was found in the garden
of the Bury farm, about a quarter of a mile from Bury Walls. The ELYSIAN
HILL is another object of attraction; and here you find various rude and
whimsical seats to rest upon, by the side of the mossy bank or rocky
cavern, as you ascend the steep acclivity. An enchanting valley divides
this hill from the RED CASTLE HILL, so called from the colour of the
rock, and of the stone with which the castle is built. Having ascended
the romantic heights, you enter the castle through a strong door or
gateway. This fortress, long the seat of warriors, and remarkable for
its strength and the prodigious thickness of its walls, is now a heap of
ruins, and inhabited only by birds of prey, whilst its martial sons are
buried in oblivion, and nothing left to perpetuate their deeds of prowess
but these fragments of desolation. Dugdale informs us that this castle
was erected in the reign of Henry III.; but an ancient manuscript in the
Audley family proves it to have had a much earlier existence. It is
there said that “Maud, or Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, gave to
John de Audley and to his heirs, the lands about Red Castle, in the
county of Salop, for certain services done by him to the state.” The
castle and surrounding domain were purchased by Sir Rowland Hill, Bart.,
about the middle of the eighteenth century. On the castle hill there is
a deep well, commonly called the GIANT’S WELL, the depth of which, from
the top of the tower, is two hundred and six feet; it is ten feet in
diameter at the entrance, and hewn out of the solid rock. The tower is
also hewn out of the solid rock to the height of about forty feet. Near
to the well a coffin was found, many years ago, which, on being exposed
to the air, crumbled into dust; in it were discovered several human
bones, and the iron beard of an arrow. The southern entrance to the
glen, which divides the castle into two nearly equal parts, is flanked on
each side by a rock, on which formerly stood watch towers; and where the
fosse, which intersected the glen, required additional defence or
altitude, masonry was employed. A wall of great strength has crossed the
glen at each end, passing up the slopes of the hill, connecting the rocks
which overlook the entrances, and enclosing an area of an oblong form.
The approach to the highest division of the castle is by steps cut out of
the solid rock, and continued through a low tortuous passage, the
entrance to which has been guarded by a door. A wall of about three
hundred feet in circumference has been carried round the summit of the
rock, the sides of which are for the most part perpendicular. The park
is richly adorned with timber, and the scenery is pleasingly diversified
and enchanting—the awfulness of its shades, the horrors of its
precipices, the verdure of its hollows, and the loftiness of its rocks,
all combine to give an additional charm to the fairy scene. A fine sheet
of water, in some parts nearly one hundred yards in breadth, stretches
for upwards of two miles in length, and forms the boundary to the north
and west sides of the park. The park is stocked with herds of Scotch
bullocks, and upwards of six hundred head of deer.
The principal residents in Hawkstone are Rowland Viscount Hill, Hawkstone
Park; Rev. William Blackley, domestic chaplain; William Carling, butler;
Mrs. Morgan, housekeeper; Frederick Nieman, gardener; John Hopkins,
farmer; and Thomas Holding, farmer.
HOPTON AND ESPLEY,
a township in the parish of Hodnet, one mile south from the church,
contains 969A. 2R. 16P. of land, and in 1841 had twelve houses and 77
inhabitants; the tithes have been commuted for £183. 12s. 7d. There are
only three farms in this township, two of which are the property of
Viscount Hill, and the other is the property of A. C. H. Percy, Esq.
The principal residents are Samuel Cartwright, farmer, Hopton; George
Gill, farmer and land agent to Viscount Hill, Hopton; John Liversage,
farmer, Espley.
KENSTONE,
a township and small village one mile W.W. by S. from Hodnet, contains
858A. 0R. 9P. of land, mostly a bold undulating district, the high
grounds of which are covered with thriving plantations. The land is
chiefly the property of Viscount Hill; Mr. George Clay is the owner of
one farm. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel near the verge of
the township, on the turnpike road leading from Hodnet to Wem. The
tithes have been commuted for £73. 1s. 8d. At the census of 1841 there
were twenty houses and 104 inhabitants.
DIRECTORY.—James Cartwright, farmer; Martha Ellis, farmer; George Clay,
farmer; Richard Powell, farmer, Hopley Hill; William Gregory, carpenter
and joiner.
LOSSFORD, OR LOSTFORD,
a small township two and a half miles N. from Hodnet, with a few
scattered houses, near the turnpike road from Hodnet to Market Drayton,
contains 438A. 0R. 9P. of land, which is the property of Richard Corbet,
Esq., and Miss Mary Murhall; the latter resides at a neat residence of
modern construction, on an acclivity near the turnpike road. In 1841
here were 11 houses and 64 inhabitants. A small stream intersects the
township, and tradition says that a person was formerly lost here in
fording the stream, and hence the name of Lost-ford, now corrupted to
Lossford, has been given to the township.
DIRECTORY.—Thomas Glassey, farmer; John Lodmore, farmer and cheese
factor; John Merry, farmer; Miss Mary Murhall, farmer.
MARCHAMLEY
is a township and small village pleasantly situated on elevated ground,
commanding fine prospects of the surrounding country, one mile N.W. from
Hodnet, and six miles S.W. from Market Drayton. The township contains
1424A. 0R. 29P. of land, and in 1841 here were 84 houses and 441
inhabitants; the tithes have been commuted for £217. 2s. 9d.; Viscount
Hill is the principal landowner in the township. The village is situated
near the entrance to Hawkstone Park, some portions of which are within
the bounds of this township. The poor of Marchamley and the other
townships comprising the parish of Hodnet participate in the benefit
arising from the several charities noticed with the township of Hodnet.
The farm premises of Viscount Hill, who holds a considerable extent of
land in his own hands, are situated at Marchamley.
DIRECTORY.—Thomas Cotton, farmer; Jane Lane, shopkeeper; Robert Graham,
farmer and architect and builder; Richard James, police constable; John
Martin, joiner; John Powell, farmer, The Well House; Samuel Vaughan,
blacksmith; Samuel Whittaker, farm steward to Viscount Hill.
PEPLOW,
a township and small rural village in the parish of Hodnet, three miles
S. from the parish church, contains 1,388A. 2R. 30P. of land, which is
the property of Viscount Hill. At the census of 1841 there were 28
houses and 220 inhabitants. The tithes have been commuted for £532. 19s.
9d. The hall is a spacious brick mansion, which was originally built by
the Pigott family; it is now the residence of Captain George Hill. On
the north side of the hall is a private chapel, an ancient structure
mantled with ivy, where the residents at Peplow usually attend divine
service, which is performed by the rector or curate of Hodnet. Not far
from the chapel is a neat school and residence for the teacher, which was
built and is supported by Viscount Hill. The township is watered by the
river Tern, the meadow lands on the banks of which are enriched by that
river occasionally overflowing its banks; a little below the village it
turns a corn mill. The land for the most part in this locality is flat,
it has been greatly improved by superior cultivation, and is generally
highly productive.
DIRECTORY.—Captain George Hill, Peplow Hall; Ralph Brett, corn miller;
John Cartwright, farmer; Thomas Casewell, farmer; Samuel Deakin, farmer;
Richard Everall, farmer; James Gray, farmer, Hall Green; Samuel Hughes,
blacksmith; Thos. Liversage, blacksmith; John Ravencroft, farmer; Samuel
Shuker, shoemaker; George Topham, farmer, maltster, and butcher;
Elizabeth Williams, schoolmistress.
WESTON UNDER RED CASTLE