round the bottom of the famous Skidhaw, a high mountain named from
its fancied likewise to a shoe (_yscyd_.) Penruddoc, a town near it,
with a Welsh name. These desolate and hilly regions were the retiring
places of the Britons from the power of the Romans; which perhaps is
the reason of the great number of temples scattered throughout the
country; for a mile before we came to Keswick, on an eminence in the
middle of a great concavity of those rude hills, and not far from the
banks of the river Greata, I observed another Celtic work, very intire:
it is 100 foot in diameter, and consists of forty stones, some very
large. At the east end of it is a grave, made of such other stones, in
number about ten: this is placed in the very east point of the circle,
and within it: there is not a stone wanting, though some are removed
a little out of their first station: they call it the Carsles, and,
corruptly I suppose, Castle-rig. There seemed to be another larger
circle in the next pasture toward the town.
The ascent to this hill (Skidhaw) is from the east; for the west side
of it is exceeding steep, and drawn down into frightful ribs, like the
roots of a tree. There is a place on the top called Skidhaw maen; a
kind of sea-mark, by what information I could get: it seems to be a
_kist-vaen_. Cnut-berries grow a-top of it, a delicious fruit.
There is no doubt, that when the globe of the earth received its
motion round its _axis_, all the solid parts of metals, minerals
and stone, flew to the outward parts at farthest distance from the
centre, contrary to the assumption of our theorists, and the laws
of Nature; for which reason we find the most hard materials on the
highest mountains: these by time, and the heat of the external air,
consolidated, and left great cavities lower down, when the matter
underneath came closer together, and could not bring down these
arch-like bodies: at length, when the parts of the globe became
accustomed to this motion, the remainder of its internal matter I will
allow to sink according to its specific gravity; and questionless the
central constituents are heavier than that between it and the present
surface; and probably this is fluid. Supposing then the matter of
iron-stone fell to the centre, it formed a great magnet, according
to Dr. Halley’s _hypothesis_, and may have a liberty of turning
round itself with a slow motion, the intermediate fluid giving it
that liberty; though, as to a subterraneous world, as that famous
mathematician would suggest, I cannot believe the least of it: but this
internal magnet, being not fastened to the whole earth, will naturally,
as he supposes, have a motion of its own, somewhat different from that
of the earth, and retain a regular revolution of that motion; which
solves the famous variation of the magnetic needle.
Keswick is placed in a narrow bottom, under these vast mountains, which
seem to hang over our heads. There is a place called Castle-head, a
great rock, which has, no doubt, been a castle, I fancy in British
times, and called a _caer_, whence the name of the town, _Caerswic_,
as _Keston_ in Kent, from the camp there, originally _Caerston_. Here
are variety of mines hereabouts; some of lead, some of copper, and
others of black-lead, which is no contemptible manufacture: there are
scarce any other black lead mines, but what are here; they use it for
glasing pots: it lies pretty much above ground. In our way hither we
had sight of that vast receptacle of water called Ulles lake; and, when
going hence to Cockermouth, we rode all along the side of a great lake
upon the river Derwent. These collections of fluid element are owing
to the rocks, which suffer not the water thoroughly to drain out of
the valleys. When one stands at the end of these lakes, the prospect
is exceeding delightful; the mountains on each side rising to a great
height, one behind another the whole length, and broke off into short
ones, like the scenes at a playhouse: nor need a painter go to Italy
for variety and grandeur of prospects. Though the sides of these hills
are very stony, and even rocks of marble, yet the valleys every where
look very green, and produce great crops, in years when they have a
reasonable share of dry weather: but that, I believe, is not very
frequent; for the hills will scarce suffer any clouds to pass over from
any quarter, but dash them in pieces; so that the frequency of springs
and cascades, and the rapidity and force of the brooks and rivers, is
wonderful.
[Illustration: 70·2ᵈ.
_The roman Altar found at Elenborough now at Whitehaven in the seat
of James Louther Esqʳ_
_Stukeley. delin._]
[Illustration: 71·2ᵈ.
_The back view of the Altar at Mʳ Louthers, Whitehaven._
_Stukeley. delin._]
[Illustration: 72·2ᵈ.
_Two basso relievo’s in the house wall at Elenborough._
_Stukeley delin._]
[Illustration: 73·2ᵈ.
Roman Monuments _found at_ Elenborough _now in the house of_
Humphry Senhouse _Esqʳ._
_Stukeley delin._ _Sturt sc_]
COCKERMOUTH.
At this place they manufacture cotton yarn for candlewicks. It owes
its name to the river Cocker, here emptying itself into the Derwent.
The castle belonging to the dukes of Somerset stands in the angle of
union, and very pleasantly: the valley is rich ground: it was a stately
building, and strong in the old manner; but now they daily pull it
down for the sake of its materials. They report that the earth of the
_vallum_ on the outside the walls was fetched from Ireland, whence no
venomous creature can pass over it. A fine vault here, which they call
the Chapel.
OLENACVM. +Elenborough.+
[Sidenote: TAB. LXIII.]
Going toward this Roman station, we passed the river Derwent, and over
a moor not far from the sea, where are coal-mines. Elenborough is a
little village on the river Elen, the daughter of a great Roman city,
which has produced a copious and instructive harvest of antiquities; as
may be seen in Mr. Camden, p. 826. I quote Dr. Gibson’s first edition;
for his second does disgrace this most excellent author, by mixing the
notes with his masterly text. Here that great genius of old Britain,
with Sir Robert Cotton, was entertained by the ancestor of the present
possessor, Humphrey Senhouse, esq; who inherits a true love for these
studies. His seat is on the other side the river: the walls of the
house are incrusted over, as we may say, with inscriptions, carvings,
and bas reliefs, taken from the ruins of the Roman city. The first
cohort of the Dalmatians, the first cohort of the Spaniards, and the
first cohort of the Bœtasians, here kept garrison; as appears by the
inscriptions.
[Sidenote: TAB. LXX. LXXI.]
That noble altar now at Sir James Lowther’s, at Whitehaven, belongs
to this place; the grandest yet seen in Britain: it is five foot and
a half high: on the back, VOLANTI VIVAS import a sacred wish for the
prosperity of his friend Volantius, hoping to see him again. Mr. Gale
has observed several of this sort in Gruter.
In the wall of Mr. Senhouse’s dwelling is a curiosity seldom to be met
with; a very large stone, whereon a man on horseback is designed to be
carved, but left unfinished: it is a pleasure to see only the sketch
of a Roman artist; and we are not to suspect these works here are so
barbarous as our authors make them, for want of proper skill in drawing.
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXII.]
There is another _relievo_ of a lady sacrificing, which by the
compartment of the inscription at bottom, though worn out, seems to
have been fixed upon a temple by the founders. A most stately altar is
placed in the middle of the garden, with a sun-dial on the _discus_.
Some are somewhat more securely set up within the porch: many given
away; as, one to the bishop of the Isle of Man; another, to Wm. Kirkby
esq; at Ashlec in Kirkby, Lancashire: two altars lately found are
placed upon a farm-house, which is now commonly known by the name of
_Volantium_, falsely fixed upon this station: this is by the sea-side
in Mr. Senhouse’s demesnes. It is much to be lamented that these fine
remains should now be exposed to the weather.[B]
The _castrum_ is just 400 foot square, two ditches about it, and three
entrances: it had likewise a stone wall on the high _vallum_. On the
north side of this _castrum_ lay the city OLENACVM, of a great extent,
as is plain from the ruins of it, but dug up all about. The family of
the Senhouses, and the Eaglesfields whose heiress they married, have
been continually digging here; and the ruins are still inexhaustible:
the dwelling-house and all the out-houses are built from it, as from a
quarry: hundreds of cart-loads of hewn stone now lie there.
One may trace many square plots of the houses, and of the streets,
paved with broad flag-stones, that are visibly worn with use. All
the walls that divide the pastures are made of these squared stones:
I saw innumerable of them upon the spot, with mouldings on them of
various sorts, gutter-stones, architraves, cornices, &c. The faces
of the squared stones are generally not perfectly smoothed, but have
the mark of the axe upon them; and I see many such sort of masonry in
the old gates of London. Coins innumerable have been found formerly,
now but seldom; urns, and other antiquities, which it is endless to
particularise.
Mr. Senhouse told me there is a paved military way, besides the streets
of the city, going hence northward along the sea-coast; another, to
Papcastle by Cockermouth. Most of the inscriptions are found in the
city and precincts; bits of altars, and fragments. In the castle are
many vaults still left. The altar at Sir James Lowther’s was found in
the north-west angle of the castle, on the _vallum_.
Here is a most magnificent prospect of the Scotch coast of Galway, and
of the great sea between the two kingdoms. In the evening, when the sun
shines, and it is clear weather, the lights and shadows of those lofty
hills are extremely entertaining. The Isle of Man appears perfectly.
The river Elen did not empty itself, formerly, directly into the ocean,
as at present, but went northward under the cliff, till it came under
the castle: the old channel of it is visible: the sea has eaten away
a large quantity of marsh and high ground between it and the castle.
To this elbow of land, which made the mouth of the river, is the name
OLENACVM owing. They talk likewise of anchors being found thereabouts:
many Roman hand-mill stones found at Elenborough. I imagine this river
is one of the Alaunas. Toward Cockermouth the western roots of the
Cumbrian hills being very steep, exhibit a most curious spectacle; the
declining sun shining on them from over the Irish sea; so that we need
not travel to the Alps for magnificent views of this nature.
PAPCASTLE.
A mile off Cockermouth, on the north side of the river, lies this
Roman station. The river water is very clear, according to its name,
notwithstanding the floods here, owing to its running through rocky
ground. The Roman _castrum_ lies upon the top of the hill, above
the village. I soon traced out its whole circumference, though the
inhabitants had not the least notion of where it stood, supposing it
to be lower down. I saw a bit of the Roman wall, which they wonder at,
because it strikes fire when struck upon with a pick-axe, by reason
of the hardness of the mortar: it lies by the road-side going to
Wigton; and there the ditch is plainly visible, though half filled up
with the rubbish of the wall. The whole town, and perhaps Cockermouth
castle and town, are built out of it; likewise the walls of all the
pastures and corn-fields adjoining. Free-stone cut is very common,
which they say must have been fetched a good way off, because there is
none such in the neighbourhood; and a great deal of ashler is still
left in the ground. The field upon the top of the hill, the highest
part of the _castrum_, is called the Boroughs. A man told me he found
a hand mill-stone about the bulk of his hat, which he admired for its
prettiness: he found a Roman coin too of Claudius, and others; but
they are lost. Several other people told me they found coins upon
the side of the hill; and the children pick them up after a shower
of rain. Mr. Senhouse showed me a silver Geta, _pont._ reverse,
_princeps juventutis_, among others found here. The famous font, now
at Bridekirk, was taken up at this place, in the pasture south of the
south-east angle of the city, by the lane called Moor-went. In the same
place lately they found a subterraneous vault, floored with free-stone,
of very large dimensions; the top of it made with the same sort of
stone, all brought a distance off. The name of Boroughs includes both
closes where the old city, or rather _castrum_, stood; for they find
stones and slates with iron pins in them, coins, and all other matters
of antiquity, upon the whole spot below the _castrum_, toward the water
side. This was a beautiful and well-chosen place, a south-west side of
a hill, a most noble river running under it, and a pretty good country
about it, as one may judge by the churches; for that I find generally a
good criterion of the goodness of a country, as Mr. Senhouse observed,
who accompanied me hither. On the side of the hill are many pretty
springs: at one of them we drank a bottle of wine, to the memory of the
founders; then poured some of the red juice into the fountain-head,
to the Nymph of the place. A person told us he had dug up, in the
Boroughs, the foundation of a wall where the stones were laid slanting
side by side, and liquid mortar poured upon them, as was often the
Roman method; likewise several floors made of cement. The kind of
slates dug up here, are brought too a good way off. Mr. Senhouse
says he can trace the remains of the Roman road between this place
and Elenborough in many places. This certainly was a town thoroughly
peopled; and perhaps its name was _Derventio_, because standing upon
this river Derwent. Fitz-house is on the south side of the river. Mr.
Gilpin of Whitehaven has seen many Roman coins found at Papcastle,
especially of Adrian.
WHITE-HAVEN.
This is a new sea-port town, standing in a little bay, sprung up from
its conveniency for the coal-mines hard by. There are many salt-works
upon this coast. Rock-samphire grows here. This western country, left
beyond the monstrous hills, is sand and clay. Skidhaw is in view from
hence, and with the rest deceives one exceedingly in its distance; for
one of these hills, which we should be apt to compute a mile off, is
seven; the eye judging according to the angle it makes from the horizon
in such objects as it has been accustomed to. Here is but a small
rivulet, which is a detriment to the haven, for want of scowering. They
transport great quantities of coals to Ireland and other places. We
walked two miles in these coal-works, the _stratum_ of pure coal being
all the way about ten foot thick, declining gradually, about one foot
in five, till we got 300 foot below the surface; a rock of stone over
head all along. Their method of digging is generally to run the grooves
in a strait line, others going out on both sides at right angles; so
that square pillars of coal are left to support the incumbent rock:
hence some roads are made along the descent, the others parallel to its
declivity. There are trappings now and then, but not very frequent,
nor great; and those are both along the declivity, and sideways. Their
methods of conveying the coal to the shafts where they are drawn
up, and of conveying air from one passage to the other, to prevent
damps and stagnations, and of drawing up the water from one height
to another, are very dextrous, and worth seeing. At last the famous
fire-engine discharges the water, which is a notable piece of machinery
working itself intirely: it creates a _vacuum_ by first rarifying the
air with hot steam, then condenses it suddenly by cold water; whence
a piston is drawn up and down alternately, at one end of a beam: this
actuates a pump at the other end, which, let down into the works,
draws the water out: it makes about 14 strokes in a minute; so that
it empties 140 hogsheads in an hour, with moderate working. With this
quantity of declivity it goes toward the sea, and below its level at
present; and so, no doubt, proceeds under the sea as far as the outward
shell of the globe reaches. From this it is most indisputable, that the
convex thereof is formed into a spiral figure of layers of different
materials; and it must be owing to the first rotation of the earth upon
its own axis.
Here is likewise a great copperas work, which is effected by laying a
great quantity of sulphurous and ferruginous earth into a great yard,
walled about. This stuff is partly got out of the coal-mines, and out
of the adjacent hills; in long tract of time the rains falling here,
and passing through this earth, drain into a receptacle; into that
they put all the old iron they can get, which it eats up presently:
this is boiled to a proper degree of evaporation, then is let into
leaden cisterns, where it crystallises against the sides of the vessels
in pure copperas: it shoots into figures of regular surfaces, some
triangular, others hexangular, &c.
MORBIVM,
Moresby, a mile north of Whitehaven. Here is a Roman _castrum_,
notorious enough, at some distance, by its elevation above the plain of
the field it stands in. This is one of the castles built at convenient
intervals along this coast, to guard against the depredations of the
Scots by sea: it lies upon a piece of high ground in a valley, bounded
by higher all around, except seaward. Parton haven, where they are
now making a new pier, is on one side; and a large creek, or little
bay, on the other. The wall that stood on the edge of the _vallum_ was
just 400 foot square, as that at Elenborough. There is a great dry
wall of stones now stands in its place, the stones taken originally
from it: they are all squared: the stones of all the pastures, fences,
and houses round about, and the stones of Mr. Brome’s house, and the
churches, are most evidently taken thence; being of the Roman cut, as
the inhabitants take notice, and wonder at it: they own the stone is of
a different grit from that of the place.
The site of the Roman castle has been ploughed up. Many coins and urns
found about the place; stones in great quantities still within the
place: I saw one squarish, of a very large bulk. A reddish sort of
slate to cover houses is dug here; they do not know of any such nearer
than Scotland: such was the indefatigable labour of the Romans. There
is no ditch about this castle; but the _vallum_ is pretty high quite
round. The church stands on the east side of it: in the church-yard is
an ash-tree, that bends eastward fifty foot from the stem, by the force
of the westerly winds continually pressing on it.
The new front of the hall is of an excellent model; I doubt not but it
is from some of the admirable Inigo Jones’s designs: the inside is of
the same relish. The Isle of Man is very clearly discerned from this
place; and the Scotch coast quite to the mull of Galway: it is about
thirty miles off.
In some pastures a little east of the place I saw a flat stone set
upright by the road-side, and converted into a stile: it was a monument
of some young Roman, but pretty much worn: he is robed with a _toga_,
and holds a scroll in his right hand, to denote his being a scholar,
perhaps a pleader, a disciple of the famous Papinian. I could not see
to the bottom of it, where probably is an inscription. The man that
rents the ground says it was found in the ditch, under the hedge, a
little lower down.
At the next stile of the same pasture is another monumental stone of
an old man; for such seems to be the head cut in the _tympanum_ above.
The inscription upon it is scarce legible: it was poorly cut at first,
and has been thus long exposed with the face upwards; and because it
is somewhat broader than the wall, and was apt to fall down, the man
knocked off all one side of it: he has been courted with money and fair
words to part with it, but in vain. Thus, as well as I can judge, the
inscription should be read:
_Dis Manibus sacrum Mertio Maximo, militum phractariorum equestori,
stipendiorum decem, vixit triginta quinque annos._
There are evident signs of a Roman road from _Morbium_ to Papcastle
all the way, especially over the moor. The soil all along to the
west of the Cumbrian hills, between them and the sea, is sandy, with
rock underneath, sometimes lime-stone, sometimes of the red stone.
_Morbium_, in the _Notitia_, is said to be the station of the _numerus
cataphractariorum_; and the inscription above proves it.
There were six Roman castles against this western shore in Cumberland;
a cohort in each took up half a legion to garrison: they are ten
miles distant from each other; Mawborough, ten miles from Boulness;
Elenborough; _Morbium_; another at Egremont; _Maglove_, Ravenglass. I
suppose they were made by Stilico, who is celebrated for it in Claudian.
_Me quoque vicinis pereuntem gentibus inquit,
Munivit Stilico totam cum Scotus Hiernem
Movit & infesto spumavit remige Thetis.
Illius effectum curis, ne bella timerem
Scotica; nec Pictum tremeres ne littore toto
Prospicerem dubiis venientem Saxona ventis._
He was general to Theodosius.
CASTRVM EXPLORATORVM.
Now called Old Carlisle; a mile off Wigton, upon an eminence: the
fairest show of foundations I ever yet saw: one might almost draw
an intire plan of it, and of every dwelling. The _castrum_ was
double-ditched, 500 foot from south-east to north-west, 400 the other
way: the wall has been dug up to the foundations; but the hollow where
it stood on the edge of the rampart appears quite round, and the track
of all the streets and buildings obvious. A street of forty foot wide
quite round the inside of the wall. From the north-east entrance two
Roman roads depart; one full north, as far as we could see, paved with
coggles; on each side of it are the square plots of houses: the other
road marches north-east, paved in like manner; it passes over two
great moors, and there it is very apparent: we travelled along it to
Carlisle. I saw a group of barrows near it. Many antiquities have been
found at Old Carlisle, and inscriptions; one on the side of a house a
mile off Wigton, as Mr. Gilpin told me: others are at Ilkirk.
There are several springs all round the bottom of the hill, and
quarries; and an extensive prospect, especially toward the sea-shore.
Some coal-works in our journey from Cockermouth hither. I doubt not but
the Romans had knowledge of this subterraneous treasure, though they
neglected it, because there was wood enough in their time: but Solinus
mentions it among the wonders of Britain, that they burnt _globos
saxeos_ into ashes. I saw a silver Antoninus Pius found here; reverse,
_rector orbis_.
_Latius arctoi præconia persequar amnis.
Addam urbis tacito subterlaveris alveo
Mœniaque antiquis te prospectantia muris.
Addam præsidiis dubiarum condita rerum._
+Ausonius.+
LVGVVALVM. +Carlisle.+
At the gates are guard-houses of stone, built by Cromwell from the
demolished cathedral; and in the middle of the market-place, a fort
with four bastions, roofed like a house, with holes for the gunners
to shoot out at with small arms. At the south-east end of the city
is a citadel built by Henry VIII. as is plain from its conformity to
Deal, Walmer, &c. In levelling the ground of the fish-market they
found many coins, which we saw in Mr. Goodman’s hands: he has an altar
found in the river Irthing, by the Picts wall: also in Mr. Stanwix’s
summer-house wall is an inscription of the sixth legion, and a pretty
altar, but the inscription worn out. Fragments of Roman squared stones
appear in every quarter of the city, and several square wells in the
streets, of Roman workmanship. A great quantity of Roman coin dug up
under St. Cuthbert’s church. Probably the city stood chiefly on that
spot where the castle now is, as the highest ground, but did not reach
so far eastward as the present city. One may walk about the walls of
this city, as at Chester: there was a double ditch round it.
There are many hollowed stones found hereabouts, much like the marble
mortars of apothecaries, with a notch in them. I take them to be the
hand-mills of the Roman soldiers, wherein they ground their corn with
a stone, and sometimes perhaps became their urns; making their chief
instrument in sustentation of life, their inseparable companion in
death.