there is also an entire Church in y^e Cathedral by it self w^{ch} is y^e
parish Church. There are in all 6 parishes and so many Churches besides
y^e Cathedrall. Over the alter is painted glass Chequer’d blew white and
Red, so deepe the Coull^r is struck into the Glass as makes it darkish,
in one of the Isles is a square place, on each side y^e Wall is filled
with y^e Kings pictures from y^e Conquest to their present Majestyes;
there is also one Picture pretty Large of a Saxon King in his Robes and
an abbott with his brethren, petitioning to build this Cathedrall which
before belonged to y^e Isle of Ely where was y^e Bishops see. There is
also one large Picture of another Bishop petitioning King Harry y^e
8^{th} to ffinish and paint y^e Church. On y^e other side the wall is
filled up w^{th} y^e severall abbots and Bishops since ye Conquest that
have been of Chichester. In their advancement they are brought from
Bristol to Chichester and next advance is to Ely and so on to greater
revenues. The tower is 260 odd steps, from whence you may see the whole
town. There are 3 or 4 good New houses, one is y^e Dean’s, Mr Edds, a
very good man; from thence I saw y^e Isle of Wight, Spitthead; the sea
comes within a mile of ye Citty, Remarkable for Lobsters and Crabs
Chichester is. There is an Engine or Mill about a Mile off the town
draws up salt water at one side from the sea and fresh water from a
Little rivulet w^{ch} descends from a hill, and so supply’s y^e town.
Halfe way off y^e tower you go round y^e quire and Looke down into it,
there are severall effigies of marble and allabaster of y^e Bishops of
the place and one of the Earle of Arundell and his Lady.
Chichester is 50 mile from London y^e Direct way by Guildford, but I
went through more of Sussex w^{ch} is much in blind dark Lanes and up
and down Steepe hills, to Billinghurst and passed through Arundell parke
belonging to y^e Duke of Norfolke, this was 18 mile, from whence I went
to Dorken in Surry 15 mile, where are y^e best trouts in y^e river
w^{ch} runns by Box hill a Remarkable diversion to people that go to
Epsum. The hill is full of box w^{ch} is Cutt out in severall walks
shady and pleasant to walk in tho’ the Smell is not very agreeable; the
brow of the hill being Such a height gives a Large prospect of a
ffruitfull vale full of inclosures and woods, and this River Runns
twining itself about and is called y^e Swallow, and Just about Dorken
and Leatherhead 4 mile thence it sinkes away in many places w^{ch} they
call Swallow holes, this Must be some quicksand, but y^e Report of it is
it sincks here and runnes und^r ground a Mile or two and rises about
Moles and Runs againe. Camden does credit this and repeates a tryal one
made of forceing a Duck into one of those falls w^{ch} Came out at y^e
other side by Moles w^{th} its ffeathers allmost all Rubbed off w^{ch}
supposses y^e passage to be streight, but how they Could force y^e Duck
into so difficult a way or whither anything of this is more than
Conjecture must be Left to every ones Liberty to judge. From Dorken its
10 mile to Kingsston, a Chalky hard Road w^{ch} is in Surrey, this
stands on the Thames, its a great Market for Corne; I was there on
Satturday and saw great quantity’s of Corn and Mault sold; thence I
passed by Richmond park wall a good way and Came in sight of Hampton
Court w^{ch} is a Noble Building, had the good queen Mary Lived to have
ffinished it, it would have been y^e noblest palace in y^e Kingdom. I
passed the end of Wanstead and Clapham and part of Lambeth having
Chealsey College in view and y^e whole Cittys of Westminster and London
so thro’ Southwarke over London bridge into Middlesex 10 mile in all
from Kingston—this Little journey was 220 mile.
Another journey into Herrifordshire from London, by Uxbridge to Islip 5
miles that is 7 mile off Oxford, from Islip to Woodstock where remaines
no foote steps of faire Rosomonds Bower, only y^e walls round y^e parke
and the little brookes that supply’d it w^{th} water for y^e baths and
wells and ponds. Thence to Morton Hindmost in Glocestershire to a
Relations house, My Uncle Rich^d ffiennes’s widdow, a little neate stone
built town, good Innes for y^e travellers being y^e road from London to
Worcester and Herrifford and wales. Thence over Broadway hill to Parshur
in all 30 mile by 12 of y^e Clock, thence to Upton, where we pass on a
large bridge over y^e fine River the Severn w^{ch} runs from Worcester
and to Glocester, Shrewsbury and to Bristol where it runns into the
sea—in some places its very broad, Some Miles over, but here it was no
broader than y^e Thames is at Staines—it affords good ffish, Salmon and
severall sorts besides. I think this River does not Ebb and flow so
farre into y^e Land. Here we Enter into Worcestershire and ascend
Manborn hills or as some term them y^e English Alps, a Ridge of hills
Divideing Worcestershire and Heriforshire and was formerly Esteemed the
divideing England and Wales, Herriford Shropshire &c. were Weltch
Countys. They are at least 2 or 3 miles up and are in a Pirramidy
fashion on y^e top. I rode up upon y^e top of one of y^e highest from
whence Could discern the Country above 40 miles round and noe hills but
what appeared Like Burrows or Mole hills, these being so high Nothing
Could Limitt y^e Eye but distance. Just at y^e Bottom stands Worcester
town which Looks like a Large well built town of Brick and Stone—I was
not in it. On the one Side of this high Ridge of hills Lies Worcester:
Oxford Glocestershire &c. appears in plaines, enclosures, Woods and
Rivers and many Great hills tho’ to this they appeare Low: on the other
Side is Herriforshire w^{ch} appears Like a Country off Gardens and
Orchards the whole Country being very full of fruite trees &c. it lookes
like nothing else—the apple and pear trees &c. are so thick even in
their Corn fields and hedgerows. The descent is as long and steep in
some places as its riseing was. Thence to a Relations house my uncle
John ffiennes and his son; New house, 20 mile from Parshur which I rode
all in one day in June and y^e miles are here very long so that at Least
it may be esteemed the Last 20 mile as long as the 30 mile gone in the
morning. My Cos’n ffiennes has made a very convenient habitation at this
place w^{ch} Contrary to its Name was an old built house—Timber worke,
but by his alteration and additions of good Brick walls round the Court
and 4 pretty gardens, w^{th} good Walks grass platts much good fruite,
of w^{ch} the Country does Easily produce, and if persons are Curious in
planting may have y^e best w^{ch} my Cosen has here, and the walls some
Lower than other gives the sight of y^e Garden at one view. Severall
large orchards behind the house with new Stables and offices w^{ch}
makes it look well. Itts in sight of severall houses, but all old
buildings—Lady Hopton’s in a Low meadow—there are woods by it and a
Little river parts them, called y^e Framy w^{ch} gives Name to Severall
Little villages as Cannon froom, Bishops ffroom, Castle froom; this
runnes into another Little river Called the Lug and both runnes into the
River Wye w^{ch} is on y^e back side of Herriford town. This was 7 miles
from us, its a pretty little town of timber buildings, the streetes are
well pitched and handsome as to breadth and Length. The river Wye is as
broad as the Thames is at Maidenhead bridge, or hardly so broad, its a
Rapid River and seemed much disturb’d; there is very good ffish in it;
it did not looke Cleare w^n I saw it, but was thick and yellow but y^t
is against foul weather.
The Mount which is the only thing of y^e Castle that remaines Commands
the sight of y^e river and town. The Cathedrall is very neate but small,
the Carving of the wood in the Quire was good. In the Library I was
shown by y^e Dean of Herriford y^e History of pope Joan with her
Picture, it was printed in and with the history of all the popes in Rome
successively—it was writt in old English, but I made a shift to read it.
There is ye Bishops Palace and y^e Deanes and Doctors houses w^{ch} are
the best buildings, but they are not very ffine or Large. 7 mile thence
on a flatt is M^r Paul folie’s Seate called Stoake in whose parlour you
see Herriford quite plainer—its a very good old house of Timber worke
but old ffashion’d, and good Roome for Gardens, but all in an old fform
and mode and M^r Folie Intends to make both a new house and gardens. The
latter I saw staked out, so it will be to no purpose to say anything of
it as its now only y^e good Barns and Stables that are new Covered
w^{th} slate, y^e ffine Bowling-green walled in, and a Summer-house in
it all new. There is beyond this, ffine woods and a delicate Parke above
the house—pailed in; y^t is stored with deare both red and ffallow and
affords 12 brace in a season, there are also fine Coppices.
From thence to Newhouse againe 7 mile, hither we went 5 or 6 tymes from
Newhouse to Broughton. We went by Eshum and y^e Vale of y^e Red horse
being a Vale of a great extent, the earth is all Red, its a very Rich
Country for Corn and ffruites and woods. Its Called y^e Vale of Eshum or
of y^e Red horse from a Red horse Cut out on some of y^e hills about it
and y^e Earth all Looking Red, y^e horse Lookes so as y^t of y^e white
horse Vale. Here is all very heavy way to Weston 25 mile in Glocester,
to a Parsonage of my Cos’n Pheramus ffiennes given him for his life by
his and our Grandfather Will^m Lord Viscount Say and Seale—its a neate
building all stone, and y^e walls round Court, Gardens and yards, all
are of Stone.
A mile thence was one of his sisters marry’d to a Parson M^r Browne that
has a very neate and Convenient Little house and Gardens. A mile from
thence is a very high hill from whence I Could see a great
distance—Warwick and Coventry and a large tract of Land all round. Att
the foote of this hill Lyes Camden Town w^{ch} I went through, its built
all of stone as is the Church w^{th} the Effigie of the Little
Viscountess Camden that lived to a great age and was Mother to the Earle
of Gainsborough; its Cut out in white Marble and stands in an arch in
the wall, w^{th} two Leav’d doores to it, to keep it from y^e dust—there
were severall little Monuments besides in the Church. From thence to
Brailes and thence to Broughton 19 miles to my Brother Say, w^{ch} is 50
miles from London; I went by Alsbury 20 thence 30 to London.
A journey I went into the New fforest in Hampshire to Ffarnum 38 mile,
there we go by Aberstone the Duke of Boltons house, stands on y^e Side
of a hill where are ffine Gardens and much ffruite. From Ffernum you see
the Castle w^{ch} is y^e Bishops of Winchesters house, its a large
building; thence you go to Alton 7 mile, thence to Alsford 7 mile more,
you go along on the hills in sight of the River all w^{ch} gives name to
those places, its a good Chaulkey way. Thence to Winchester 7 mile—in
one mile off the town is Woolsey y^t was formerly y^e Bishops house, a
large Rambling building like a little town, this is on Maudline hill
whereon a Considerable ffaire is kept neare Michelmas, y^e Traffique
mostly hopps which y^t Country produceth good and Cheese—its noted for a
vast many of Waines from Severall parts especially from the West
Country.
Winchester is a large town was once y^e metropolis, there is a wall
Encompassing it with severall Gates; the streetes are pretty good, Large
and long, y^e buildings but Low and old, only some few in the Close
w^{ch} are new built of the Doctors houses by y^e Colledge and the
Church. Y^e Deans house is a good old house, timber buildings; there are
some of the roomes Lofty and large, a dineing, drawing room and bed
Chamber very good; a long Gallery runns through the house and opens into
the Garden by a Descent of Severall Stone stepps. Y^e Garden is but
small—there are Green and gravel walkes higher and Lower, but its all in
an old fashion’d form but neately kept and severall Curiosityes in potts
of flowers and greens. The Bishops palace stands in a Low Ground or
Watry Meadow, its a timber building but so unpleasant that the Bishop
lives not at it but at Ffarly Castle about 20 mile off.
The Cathedrall at Winchester is one of y^e biggest in England and is to
be admired for its Largeness, not its neatness or Curiosity, there is an
ascent of 20 steps up to the quire that is finely Carved in y^e wood,
and on the top all round stands in ffine painted Chests the bones of the
Kings of England y^t were buried there; for Winchester was the Regal
Citty w^{ch} now it has lost, as also a peculiar art of dying y^e best
purples. In the Church there are no good Monuments worth notice, the
body of the Church is very large, y^e Steeple Lookes Noble, but y^e
Spire is not a neare so high as Salisbury. In the town is a new building
begun by K. Charles the Second for a Palace when he Came to hunt and for
aire and diversions in the Country. I saw y^e Modell of it w^{ch} was
very fine and so would it have been if ffinished; but there is only y^e
outside shell is set up, there were designed fine apartm^{ts} and two
Chapples but its never like to be finish’d now.
There is a good river runns thro’ the town, at y^e backside the Castle
stood high, but there now remaines only y^e ruined walls and banks on
w^{ch} they make gardens and hopp yards, w^{ch} runnes a great Length on
the side of y^e brow of the hill that some part of y^e town is built
on—it Lookes pretty. Here is a good Colledge it is on y^e same
foundation y^t New Colledge in Oxford are; both built and Endowed by
Great Will^m of Wickam an ancester of y^e ffiennes and Lord Say and
Seale. So all the founders Kindred by his own Statutes are first to be
Chosen and have a Right to many priviledges—its only in default or want
of any of his Kindred or of Such and Such Parishes w^{ch} he names that
any other person ought or Can be Chosen a Child of this Colledg. They
have such a Number above 100—they have their Diet and a gown every year,
and so much mony Every quarter, and here they have their Learning and
provision.
There are also fellowships—w^{ch} as they become vacant they who are
fitt its bestowed on them—on w^{ch} a young Man May Maintain himself
well and so improve his Learning. These fellowships at New Colledg are
forfeited if they do not live there, or for y^e most part; and also as
soone as they are Marryed they are put out in number fellows and master
and warden, but at winchester the fellowships are of greater value and
do appertaine to a person during Life in Case he Comes and resides for
y^e most part there, even when they are marryed.
I thinke there are but 7 fellowships here. There is a warden of y^e
Colledge and a Schoolemaster and usher at Winchester. Y^e Colledge is a
good Pile of Building there is a very pretty Chapple in it and a very
fine Library w^{ch} is in y^e Cloysters y^t are very good for walking.
There is a large hall they eate in and have their exact Commons to Every
one, so have the fellows, their Lodgings are Convenient and all their
offices, the Warden has built a new appartment for himself w^{ch} looks
well about a mile or two beyond Winchester, we go by S^t Cross, a Large
hospitall for old men and I thinke most is for y^e decayed schollars.
The Masters place is worth 1000 pound a yeare—it used to be annexed to
y^e Warden of the Colledges place, by their ffoundation they are to give
reliefe to any Travellers that call there so farre as a Loafe of bread
as big as our two penny bread is and a Draught of beare and a piece of
mony. I thinke its y^e value of a Groate. Ffrom thence I came to
Redbridge, thence to Buckland in the new forest in all 20 mile; ffrom
Buckland w^{ch} was a Relation’s house—S^r Rob^t Smiths—its a mile to
Limington a seaport town—it has some few small shipps belongs to it and
some Little trade, but y^e Greatest trade is by their Salterns. Y^e Sea
water they draw into Trenches and so into Severall ponds y^t are secured
in y^e bottom to retain it, and it stands for y^e Sun to Exhale y^e
Watry fresh part of it, and if it prove a drye sumer they make the best
and most Salt, for y^e raine spoyles y^e ponds by weakning y^e Salt.
When they think its fit to boyle they draw off the water from y^e ponds
by pipes w^{ch} Conveys it into a house full of Large Square Iron and
Copper panns; they are shallow but they are a yard or two if not more
Square, these are fixed in Rowes one by another it may be twenty on a
Side, in a house under which is the ffurnace y^t burns fiercely to keepe
these panns boyling apace, and as it Candy’s about y^e Edges or bottom
so they Shovell it up and fill it in great Baskets and so the thinner
part runns through on Moulds they set to Catch it, w^{ch} they Call Salt
Cakes. Y^e rest in y^e Baskets drye and is very good Salt and as fast as
they Shovell out the boyling Salt out of y^e panns they do replenish it
w^{th} more of their Salt water in their pipes. They told me when the
Season was drye and so the Salt water in its prime they Could make 60
quarters of Salt in one of those panns w^{ch} they Constantly attend
Night and day all the while the fire is in the ffurnace, because it
would burn to waste and Spoyle y^e panns w^{ch} by their Constant Use
wants often to be repaired. They Leave off Satterday Night and let out
y^e fire and so begin and kindle their fire Monday Morning. Its a pretty
Charge to light the fire. Their Season for makeing Salt is not above 4
or 5 Months in y^e year and y^t only in a dry Summer. These houses have
above 20 some 30 others more of these panns in them, they are Made of
Copper. They are very Carefull to keep their ponds well secured and
Mended by good Clay and Gravell in the bottom and Sides and so by sluces
they fill them out of the sea at high-tides and so Conveyed from pond to
pond till fit to boyle. Ffrom Limmington to Lindhurst is 6 mile, where
is a house of y^e Kings w^n he comes to hunt in the new fforest, and y^e
Lord Warden of the fforest is there when he Comes to hunt and Hawk, to
Whome Comes all the Gentry of the Country to waite on him—he dines at
Night from 7 to 12 of the Clock. He is served in plaite, those y^t hunt
with him all day Comes and Dines or Supps with him. He has power to
dispose and order y^e Concerns of y^e forrest for y^e timber for shipps
and to have it Cherrish’d and secured from Spoyle, as also the deare and
Game to be preserved, y^e disposeing of the Lodges are in his power.
There are 15 Lodges and these are disposed to Gentlemen that have
underkeepers y^t takes care of it, and w^t is peculiar to y^e New
forrest and known no where Else are these Brouce Deare; at these
severall Lodges y^e Keepers gather Brome and at Certaine tymes in y^e
day by a Call gathers all the Dear in within the railes which belongs to
Each Lodge, and so they Come up and feed upon this Brouce and are by
that meanes very fatt and very tame, so as to Come quite to Eate out of
y^e hand. All the day besides they range about and if they meete anybody
if it be their own keeper without y^e pail of y^e Lodge they will run
from him as wild as Can be. These Lodges are about 4 miles asunder and
its a great Priviledge and advantage to be a Cheefe Keeper of any of
these Lodges; they have Venison as much as they please and Can easily
shoote it when the troop Comes up w^{th} in y^e paile, for none are
allowed to Shoot out in y^e forrest, nor are allowed to go out w^{th}
Gun or dog or to keep any Except Gentlemen, and not they if they have
been found Shooteing in y^e fforest. I think its ffellony for any to
kill y^e Kings dear. there are severall Rangers of y^e fforest, and 6
verderers y^t are their justices or judges of all matters Relateing to
y^e fforest, these ought allwayes to reside in y^e fforest and are to
attend the King when he Comes into y^e new fforest. Clothed in green,
they have a buck and Doe Every year for their ffee, besides being
Masters—the under keepers are at their beck so y^t they Can get as Much
venison as they want. There is also a Rider of y^e fforest who is to see
about y^t all things are secure and well done and y^e Timber kept and
Deer, to see they are not spoyled or Destroyed: his Right is to all the
Deer y^t are hurt or Maimed as also he is to have y^e Shoulder of y^e
first Stagg that is hunted and killed in the Season. There is a Bow man
w^{ch} is to provide y^e King w^{th} Bow and arrow when he Comes into
y^e fforest—they have some priviledge also but y^e shooteing by bow and
arrow being Left off, y^t office is not regarded.
Ffrom Lindhurst about a Mile is a parke called new parke enclosed out of
y^e fforrest with Pailes, it belongs to y^e Kings house; there is a
house in it w^{ch} was the Lodge—a large old Timber house. Ffrom
Limington to y^e Isle of Wight its about 4 Leagues; to Yarmouth you go
by Hurst Castle, y^t runnes on a point of land into y^e sea just by the
Needles within a League of Yarmouth, and those needles are severall
Great Rocks on y^t side of the Island, craggy, and severall stand out
into the sea w^{ch} makes it very hazardous for shipps to pass there,
Especially in a Storme or for Strangers—y^e passage being narrow between
the Needles and Hurst Castle, Can easily Command any ship that would
pass there. Yarmouth is a little Sea-port and has a Little Castle that
Can annoy Any Enemy that should pass by Hurst, so between them may well
Secure y^t part of y^e Isle and all on y^e back side of the jsland are
those Needles y^t are a Natural ffortification it being inaccessible.
So at another part of y^e jsle there is Sandumffort w^{ch} is a pretty
strong place. Y^e jsland is 10 mile in the breadth and 30 mile in
Length—Upon Most of the high hills you see the wall of y^e sea on both
Sides, if not all round you as in some places. Ffrom Yarmouth to Newport
is seven mile, a little town y^t y^e Arm of the Sea Comes up to—its one
of the biggest towns in y^e Island; in a mile off it is Casbrooke Castle
into w^{ch} King Charles y^e first retired when he was worsted by y^e
Parliaments forces—there are some good roomes still that remaine but y^e
most part are destroyed and only ruined walls to be seen. There is a
deep well of 40 ffathom they draw up y^e bucket by a great Wheele in
w^{ch} they put a horse or ass—a stone thrown down sounds a long tyme
ere you hear it splash into y^e water. About seven miles thence is Cowes
both East and west 2 ports for Shipps to ride in and be Recruited w^{th}
all sorts of provisions w^{ch} is done on very reasonable terms. Y^e
ffertillity of the whole jsland produces Corn of all sorts in great
plenty, and all sorts of Cattle and butter; Cheese as also Great Store
of ffish and ffowle; there is some Little part fforrest land but for y^e
most part are Meddows and good downs.
The little ports are all fitted for y^e Seamen and their affaires,
Little houses, not but there are severall good old houses that are
Gentlemens seats, as S^r Robert Dilington at Knighton and S^r John
oglander at Nunwell, S^r Robert Worstly and severall More. S^r Rob^t
Holmes has a good Estate there, he was the Governour of y^e Island and
of Yarmouth Castle and there he is buried, Where is his Statue Cutt in
Length in white Marble in the Church and railed in with Iron Grates; he
was raised from Nothing and an imperious Govern^r, and what he Scrap’d
together was forced to Leave to his Nephew and base Daughter, haveing no
other, and they have set up this Stately monument which Cost a Great
deal. There is one place called Mottstone just by the sea side, the Name
Comes from many Great Stones that stand up in the Grounds not unlike y^e
stones at Stonidge in Wiltshire, but this sort of stone is in Many
places of y^e Island and most of the houses are built of Stone, some few
Brick. From a hill just above Cowes that runns along by the Sea side You
May Easily see Spitthead And S^t Hellens point and all the Shipps that
Lay along y^e Road and that Lay in Portsmouth haven. From Ride is 3
Leagues to portsmouth, I pass’d it in an hour. Portsmouth is a very Good
town, Well built with Stone and brick, its not a large town, there are
Walls and Gates about it, and at Least eight Bridges and Gates without
one another w^{th} Ditches which secures it very Strongly to y^e
Land-ward, to the Sea the ffortifications are not so strong; there is a
plattform with Guns and Pallisadoes. There is a good dock for Building
Shipps, but about 6 mile off at Red bridge are the best Shipps built.
There are most of the great Shipps Lye at Anchor here.