I was walled on both sides by those inaccessible high rocky barren hills
w^{ch} hangs over ones head in some places and appears very terrible,
and from them springs many Little Currents of water from the sides and
Clefts, w^{ch} trickle down to some Lower part where it runs swiftly
over the stones and shelves in the way, w^{ch} makes a pleasant Rush and
murmuring noise, and Like a snowball is Encreased by Each spring
trickling down on either side of those hills, and so descends into the
bottoms w^{ch} are a moorish ground in w^{ch} in many places the waters
stand, and so forme some of those Lakes as it did here. Y^e Confluence
of all these little springs being gathered together in this lake, w^{ch}
was soe deep as the Current of water y^t passed through it was scarce to
be perceived till one Came to the farther End from whence it run a good
little River and pretty quick, over w^{ch} many bridges are Laid. Here I
Came to villages of sad little hutts made up of drye walls, only stones
piled together and y^e Roofs of same slatt; there seemed to be little or
noe tunnells for their Chimneys and have no morter or Plaister within or
without. For the most part I tooke them at first sight for a sort of
houses or Barns to fodder Cattle in, not thinking them to be dwelling
houses, they being scattering houses, here one, there another, in some
places they may be 20 or 30 together; and the Churches the same. It must
needs be very Cold dwellings, but it shews some thing of y^e Lazyness of
y^e people; indeed here and there there was a house plaister’d, but
there is sad Entertainment—that sort of Clap bread and butter and Cheese
and a Cup of beer all one Can have, they are 8 mile from a market town
and their miles are tedious to go both for illness of way and length of
y^e miles.
They reckon it but 8 mile from the place I was at the night before, but
I was 3 or 4 hours at Least going it. Here I found a very good smith to
shoe y^e horses, for these stony hills and wayes pulls off a shoe
presently, and wears them as thinn that it was a Constant Charge to shoe
my horses every 2 or 3 dayes, but this smith did shoe them so well and
so good shoes y^t they held some of the shooes 6 weekes. Y^e stonyness
of the wayes all here about teaches them y^e art of makeing good shooes
and setting them on fast. Here I cross’d one of y^e stone bridges y^t
was pretty Large w^{ch} Entred me into Cumberlandshire. This River
together with y^e additionall springs Continually running into it all
the way from those vaste precipices Comes into a Low place and form a
broad water w^{ch} is very Cleer and Reaches 7 mile in Length, Uleswater
its Called, such another water as that of Wiandermer only that reaches
10 mile in Length, from Amblside to y^e sea, and this is but 7 such
miles Long. Its full of such sort of Stones and flatts in the bottom as
y^e other, neer the brimm where its Shallowe you see it Cleer to y^e
bottom; this is secured on Each side by such formidable heights as those
Rocky ffells in same manner as the other was. I rode the whole Length of
this water by its side, sometyme a Little higher upon the side of the
hill and sometyme just by the shore, and for 3 or 4 miles I Rode through
a fine fforest or Parke where was deer skipping about and haires, w^{ch}
by meanes of a good Greyhound I had a Little Course, but we being
strangers could not so fast pursue it in the grounds full of hillocks
and ffurse and soe she Escaped us. I observed the boundaries of all
these great waters (which are a sort of deep Lakes or kind of standing
waters) are those sort of Barren Rocky hills w^{ch} are so vastly high.
I Call this a standing water because its not like other great Rivers as
y^e Trent Severne, Hull or Thames &c. to appear to Run w^{th} a streame
or Current, but only as it Rowles from side to side Like waves as the
wind moves it; its true at the End of this being a Low fall of Ground it
runs off in a Little streame. There is Exceeding good ffish here and all
sorts of provision at y^e market towns. Their market town was Peroth 10
long miles. A mile or two beyond this Ullswater,—Tuesday is the market
day w^{ch} was the Day I came thither. Its a Long way for y^e market
people to goe but they and their horses are used to it and go w^{th}
much more facility than strangers. At y^e end of this Ullswater is a
fine round hill Look’d as green and full of wood very pleasant, w^{th}
grass and Corne very ffruitefull, and hereabout we Leave these Desart
and Barren Rocky hills, not that they are Limitted to Westmoreland only
for had I gone farther to y^e Left hand into Cumberland I should have
found more such, and they tell me farr worse for height and stony-nesse
about White haven side and Cockermouth, so y^t tho’ both the County’s
have very good land and fruitfull, so they equally partake of y^e bad,
tho’ Indeed Westmoreland takes it name from its aboundings in springs
which distilling itself on Lower ground, if of a spungy soile made it
marshy or Lakes, and in many places very fruitfull in summer graine and
grasse, but y^e northerly winds blow Cold so long on them y^t they never
attempt sowing their Land with wheate or Rhye. Y^e stones and slatt
about Peroth Look’d so Red y^t at my Entrance into the town thought its
buildings were all of brick, but after found it to be the Coullour of
the stone w^{ch} I saw in the Quarrys Look very Red, their slatt is the
same w^{ch} Cover their houses. Its a pretty Large town—a good Market
for Cloth that they spinn in the Country—hempe and also woollen. Its a
great Market for all sorts of Cattle, meate Corne &c &c. Here are two
Rivers one Called y^e Emount w^{ch} parts Cumberland and Westmoreland,
w^{ch} bridge I should have passed over had I Come the direct Roade from
Kendall to Peroth, but strikeing off to Ambleside to Wiandermer I came
another End of y^e town. In this River are greate falls of waters Call’d
Cataracts, by Reason of the Rock and shelves in it w^{ch} makes a great
noise w^{ch} is heard more against foul weathers into the town, tho’ the
bridge be halfe a mile out of y^e town. The other River is Called Louder
w^{ch} gives name to Lord Landsdown’s house Call’d Louder hall w^{ch} is
four mile from Peroth. I went to it through fine woods, the front is
just faceing the great roade from Kendall and Lookes very nobly, w^{th}
severall Rows of trees w^{ch} Leads to Large jron gates, open barres,
into the stable yard w^{ch} is a fine building on y^e one side of y^e
house very uniform, and just against it is such another Row of buildings
y^e other side of y^e house Like two wings w^{ch} is the offices. Its
built Each Like a fine house jutting out at Each End and y^e middle is
w^{th} Pillars, white, and Carvings Like the Entrance of a building.
These are just Equal and alike and Encompass the two sides of the first
Court w^{ch} Enters, with Large jron gates and jron Palasadoes in the
breadth, and then there is an ascent of 15 stone steps turned round,
very Large, and on the top Large jron gates pallisad of jron betweene
stone pillars, w^{ch} runs the breadth of the front. This Court is with
paved walks of broad stone, one broad one to the house, y^e other of
same breadth runs aCrosse to the stables and offices, and so there is 4
Large Squares of grass in w^{ch} there is a large Statue of Stone in the
midst of Each, and 4 Little Cupids or Little Boys in Each Corner of the
4 squares. Then one ascends severall more steps to another Little Court
v^{th} open Iron Railes, and this is divided Into severall grass plotts
by paved walks of stone to the severall doores, some of w^{ch} are
straight, others slope: the grass plotts being seven and in Each statue
the middle-most is taller than the rest, this is just the front of y^e
house where you Enter a porch w^{th} Pillars of Lime stone, but y^e
house is y^e Red sort of stone of y^e Country. Below staires you Enter a
space that Leads severall wayes to all the offices, and on one side is a
Large parlour w^{ch} Lookes out on these green plotts w^{th} images. The
staircase very well wanscoated and Carv’d, at y^e top you are Landed
into a noble hall very Lofty, the top and sides are exquisitely painted
by y^e best hand in England which did the painting at Windsor. The Top
is the Gods and goddesses that are sitting at some great feast and a
great tribunal before y^m; Each Corner is the seasons of the yeare
w^{th} the variety of weather Raines and rainbows, stormy winds, sun
shine, snow and frost with multitudes of other fancys and varietyes in
painting and Looks very natural—it Cost 500^£ that roome alone. Thence
into a Dineing room and drawing roome well wanscoated of oake, Large
pannells plaine, no frettwork nor Carvings or Glass worke, only in
Chimney pieces. 3 handsome Chambers, one scarlet Cloth strip’d and very
fashionably made up, the hangings the same, another flower’d Damaske
Lined with fine jndian Embroidery, the third Roome had a blew satten bed
Embroider’d. In this Roome was very fine orris hangings in w^{ch} was
much silk and gold and silver; a Little Roome by in w^{ch} was a green
and white Damaske Canopy bed w^{ch} was hung w^{th} some of the same
hangings being made for y^e Duke of Lortherdale and had his armes in
many places—by his Dying were sold to Lord Landsdon.
They Containe a Scottish story of the 4 quarters of the yeare. The
roomes are all well pitch’d and well ffinish’d, and many good Pictures
of y^e family, and severall good fancy’s of human and animals, a good
gallery so adorn’d w^{ch} Leads to a Closet that Looks into y^e
Chappell; all things very neate tho’ nothing Extraord^y besides y^e hall
painting. The Chimney pieces are of a dark Coull^d Marble w^{ch} is
taken out of the ground just by—its well polish’d. There was some few
white marble vein’d, but that is not Dug out of this Country. The house
is a flatt rooffe and stands amidst a wood of Rows of trees, w^{ch}
w^{th} these statues and those in two gardens on Each side (w^{ch} for
their walks and plantations is not ffinish’d but full of Statues) which
with the house is so well Contrived to be seen at one view. Y^e Lady
Landsdown sent and treated me with a Breakfast, Cold things and sweete
meates all serv’d in plaite, but it was so Early in the morning that she
being jndisposed was not up. So I returned back 4 mile to Peroth and
Came in sight of Severall Genteele seates or Gentlemens houses, and Came
by a Round green spott of a Large Circumfference which they keep Cut
round w^{th} a banke round it like a Bench; its story is that it was the
table a great Giant 6 yards tall, used to Dine at, and there Entertain’d
anoth^r of nine yards tall which he afterwards killed; there is the
Length in the Church yard how far he Could Leape—a great many Yards.
There was also on the Church at Peroth a fine Clock w^{ch} had severall
motions—there was the Starrs and signes, there was the Encrease and
Changes of y^e moone, by a Darke and golden side of a Little Globe. A
mile from Peroth in a Low bottom and moorish place stands Mag and her
sisters; the story is that these soliciting her to an unlawfull Love by
an Enchantment are turned w^{th} her into stone; the stone in the middle
w^{ch} is Call’d Mag is much bigger and have some fforme Like a statue
or ffigure of a body, but the Rest are but soe many Craggy stones, but
they affirme they Cannot be Counted twice alike as is the story of
Stonidge, but the number of these are not above 30. However what the
first design of placeing them there Either as a marke of y^t sort of
moorish Ground or what Else, the thing is not so wonderfull as that of
Stonidge, because there is noe such sort of stone in 20 miles off those
downs and how they of so vast a bulk and weight should be brought
thither, whereas all this Country abounds with Quarrys of stone and its
mostly Rocks. The waye from thence to Carlisle over much heath where
they have many stone Quarrys and Cut much peate and turff w^{ch} is
their Chief fuel. Its reckon’d but 16 mile from Peroth to Carlisle, but
they are pretty Long, besides my going out of y^e waye above 3 or 4 mile
w^{ch} made it 20. They were very Long and I was a great while Rideing
it. You pass by the Little hutts and hovels the poor Live in Like
Barnes—some have them daub’d w^{th} mud-wall—others drye walls.
Carlisle stands in view at Least 4 mile distant, y^e town is walled in
and all built of stone. The Cathedrall stands high and very Eminent to
be seen above y^e town. You Enter over the Bridge and Double gates
w^{ch} are jron grates and Lined w^{th} a Case of doores of thick
timber, there are 3 gates to the town, one Called the English gate at
which I entred. The other the jrish w^{ch} Leads on to Whitehaven and
Cockermouth, the other y^e Scottish gate through which I went into
Scotland. The walls of the town and Battlements and towers are in very
good Repaire and Looks well. Y^e Cathedrall all built of stone which
Looked stately but nothing Curious; there was some few houses as y^e
Deans and treasurer and some of y^e Doctors houses walled in with Little
gardens, their fronts Looked Gracefully; Else I saw no house Except the
present Majors house of brick and stone, and one house which was y^e
Chancellors built of stone very Lofty, 5 good sarshe windows in y^e
front, and this within a Stone wall’d Garden well kept, and Iron gates
to discover it to view with stone Pillars. Ye streetes are very broad
and handsome well Pitched.
I walked round the walls and saw the River w^{ch} twists and turns
itself round the grounds, Called the Emount, w^{ch} at 3 or 4 miles off
is flow’d by the sea. The other River is the Essex w^{ch} is very broad
and Ebbs and flows about a mile or two off. There Remaines only some of
the walls and ruines of y^e Castle, w^{ch} does shew it to have been a
very strong town formerly. The walls are of a prodigious thickness and
vast great stones, its moated round and with draw bridges. There is a
Large Market place w^{th} a good Cross and hall, and is well supply’d as
I am Inform’d w^{th} provision at Easye rate, but my Landlady
notwithstanding ran me up the Largest Reckoning for allmost nothing, it
was y^e dearest Lodging I met with and she pretended she Could get me
nothing else; so for 2 joynts of mutton and a pinte of wine and bread
and beer I had a 12 shilling Reckoning, but since I find tho’ I was in
the biggest house in town I was in the worst accomodation, and so found
it, and a young giddy Landlady y^t Could only Dress fine and Entertain
the soldiers. From hence I tooke a guide the next day and so went for
Scotland and Rode 3 or 4 mile by y^e side of this River Emount w^{ch} is
full of very good ffish. I Rode sometymes on a high Ridge over a hill,
sometymes on the sands, it turning and winding about that I went almost
all the way by it and saw them with boates fishing for Salmon and
troute, w^{ch} made my journey very pleasant. Leaving this River I Came
to the Essex w^{ch} is very broad and hazardous to Crosse Even when the
tyde is out, by which it leaves a broad sand on Each side, which in some
places is unsafe, made me take a good guide which Carry’d me aboute and
a Crosse some part of it here, and some part in another place, it being
Deep in y^e Channell where I did Crosse w^{ch} was in sight of y^e mouth
of the river that runs into the sea. On the sand before the water was
quite gone from it I saw a great bird w^{ch} Look’d almost black picking
up ffish and busking in the water, it Looked like an Eagle and by its
dimentions Could scarce be any other bird. Thence I went into Scotland
over the river Serke which is also flowed by y^e sea, but in the Summer
tyme is not soe deep but Can be pass’d over—tho’ pretty deep but narrow.
It affords good ffish, but all here about w^{ch} are Called borderers
seem to be very poor people w^{ch} I impute to their sloth. Scotland
this part of it is a Low Marshy ground where they Cutt turff and peate
for the fewell, tho’ I should apprehend y^e sea might Convey Coales to
them. I see Little that they are Employ’d besides ffishing w^{ch} makes
provision plentifull or Else their Cutting and Carving turff and peate,
w^{ch} the women and great Girles bare legged does Lead a horse w^{ch}
draws a sort of carriage, the Wheeles like a Dung-pott and hold about 4
wheele barrows. These people tho’ with naked Leggs are yet wrapp’d up in
plodds, a piece of woollen Like a Blanket, or Else Rideing hoods—and
this when they are in their houses. I tooke them for people w^{ch} were
sick, seeing 2 or 3 great wenches as tall and bigg as any woman sat
hovering between their bed and Chimney corner, all jdle doing nothing or
at Least was not settled to any work tho’ it was nine of the Clock when
I Came thither, haveing gone 7 long miles that morning. This is a Little
Market town Called Adison Bank the houses Look just Like the booths at a
fair, I am sure j have been in some of them that were tollerable
dwellings to these, they have no Chimneys, their smoke Comes out all
over the house and there are great holes in y^e sides of their houses
w^{ch} Letts out the smoake when they have been well smoaked in it.
There is no Roome in their houses but is up to y^e thatch and in which
are 2 or 3 beds, Even to their parlours and buttery, and notwithstanding
y^e Cleaning of their parlour for me I was not able to beare the roome;
the smell of the hay was a perfume and what I Rather Chose to stay and
see my horses Eate their provender in the stable than to stand in y^t
roome for I Could not bring my self to sit down. My Landlady offered me
a good dish of ffish and brought me butter in a Lairdly Dish with the
Clap bread, but I Could have no stomach to Eate any of the ffood they
should order, and finding they had noe wheaten bread I told her I Could
not Eate their Clapt out bread, soe I bought the ffish she got for me
w^{ch} was full Cheape Enough, nine pence for two pieces of Salmon halfe
a one neer a yard Long, and a very Large trout of an amber Coullour, soe
drinking w^{th} out Eateing some of their wine w^{ch} was Exceeding good
Claret w^{ch} they stand Conveniently for to have from France, and
Indeed it was the best and truest Ffrench wine I have dranck this seven
year and very Clear, I had y^e first tapping of y^e Little vessell and
it was very fine. Then I went up to their Church w^{ch} Looks Rather
Like some Little house built of stone and bricke such as our ordinary
people in a village Live in. Y^e doores were and y^e Seates and pulpit
was in so disregarded a manner that one would have thought there was no
use of it, but there is a parson which Lives just by, whose house is y^e
best in the place, and they are all fine folks in their Sundays
Cloathes. I observe y^e Church yard is full of grave stones pretty Large
with Coates of armes, and some had a Coronet on the Eschutcheons Cut in
the stone. I saw but one house that Look’d Like a house about a quarter
of a mile, w^{ch} was some gentlemans that was built 2 or 3 roomes and
some over them of brick and stone, the rest were all Like Barns or hutts
for Cattle. This is threescore miles from Edenborough and the neerest
town to this place is 18 miles, and there would not have been much
better entertainement or accomodation, and their miles are soe long in
these Countrys made me afraid to venture, Least after a tedious journey
I should not be able to get a bed I Could Lye in. It seemes there are
very few towns Except Edenburough Abberdeen and Kerk w^{ch} Can give
better treatement to strangers, therefore for the most part persons y^t
travell there go from one Noblemans house to another. Those houses are
all Kind of Castles and they Live great tho’ in so nasty a way as all
things are in even those houses one has Little Stomach to Eate or use
anything, as I have been told by some that has travell’d there, and I am
sure I mett with a sample of it enough to discourage my progress farther
in Scotland. I attribute it wholly to their sloth for I see they sitt
and do Little. I think there were one or two at Last did take spinning
in hand at a Lazy way. Thence I tooke my ffish to Carry it to a place
for the English to dress it and repass’d the Serke and the River Essex
and there I saw y^e Common people men women and Children take off their
shooes, and holding up their Cloathes wade through the rivers when y^e
tide was out, and truely some there were that when they Come to y^e
other side put on shoes and stockings and had ffine Plodds Cast over
them and their Garb seemed above y^e Common people; but this is their
Constant way of travelling from one place to anoth^r—if any river to
pass they make no use of Bridges and have not many. I Came to Long town
w^{ch} is 3 long mile from Addison Bank and is Called a Border and
Indeed is very like y^e Scotsland. Thence I Cross’d over a tedious long
heath to Brampton a mile over Lime River and here I had my dinner
dress’d—thence to Mucks hall 6 miles. Here I pass’d by my Lord Carletons
which stands in the midst of woods. You goe through Lanes and Little
sort of woods or hedge rows and many Little purling rivers or Brooks out
of y^e rocks. At Muneks Hall I Cross’d such another brooke and so out of
Cumberland I Entred Northumberland. This is y^e place y^e judges Dine,
its a sorry place for Entertainement of such a Company; here the
Sherriffs meete them, it being the Entrance of Northumberland w^{ch} is
much Like the other County. This it seemes Camden relates to be a
Kingdom. This I am sure of, the more I travell’d Northward the Longer I
found y^e miles, I am sure these 6 miles and y^e other 6 miles to
Hartwhistle might with modesty be esteemed double the Number in most of
y^e Countys in England, Especially in and about 30 or 40 miles off
London. I did not go 2 of those miles in an hour. Just at my Entrance
into Northumberland I ascended a very steep hill of w^{ch} there are
many, but one about 2 mile forward was Exceeding steep, full of great
Rocks and stone—some of it along on a Row (the remainder of the Picts
walls or ffortification) at y^e bottom of w^{ch} was an old Castle the
walls and towers of which was mostly Standing. Its a sort of Black
moorish ground and so wet I observ’d as my Man Rode up that sort of
precipice or steep his horses heeles Cast up water every step, and their
feete Cut deepe in, Even quite up to y^e top. Such up and down hills and
sort of boggy ground it was and y^e night Drawing fast on, y^e miles so
Long, that I tooke a guide to direct me to avoid those ill places. This
Hartwhistle is a Little town, there was one Inn but they had noe hay nor
would get none, and when my servants had got some Else where they were
angry and would not Entertaine me, so I was forced to take up in a poor
Cottage w^{ch} was open to y^e Thatch and no partitions but hurdles
plaistered. Indeed y^e Loft as they Called it w^{ch} was over the other
roomes was shelter’d but w^{th} a hurdle; here I was fforced to take up
my abode and y^e Landlady brought me out her best sheetes w^{ch} serv’d
to secure my own sheetes from her dirty blanckets, and Indeed I had her
fine sheete to spread over y^e top of the Clothes; but noe sleepe Could
I get, they burning turff and their Chimneys are sort of fflews or open
tunnills, y^t y^e smoake does annoy the roomes. This is but 12 miles
from another part of Scotland, the houses are but a Little better built,
its true the inside of them are kept a Little better. Not far from this
a Mile or two is a greate hill from which rises 3 rivers: the Teese
w^{ch} is y^e border between Durham and York, y^e Ouse that runns to
Yorke, and the River Tyne which runns to NewCastle and is the divider of
Northumberland and Durham. This river Tyne runns 7 miles and then joyns
w^{th} the other river Tyne that Comes out of Northumberland and so they
run on to NewCastle. From Hartwhistle I went pretty much up hill and
down and had the River Tyne much in view for 6 miles, then I cross’d
over it on a Large stone bridge and so Rode by its bank or pretty much
in sight of it on the other side to Hexholme 6 mile more. This is one of
the best towns in Northumberland Except NewCastle, w^{ch} is one place
the Sessions are kept for the shire; its built of Stone and looks very
well, there are 2 gates to it, many streetes, some are pretty broad, all
well pitch’d, w^{th} a spacious Market place w^{th} a town hall on the
Market Crosse. Thence I went through y^e Lord Darentwaters parke just by
his house w^{ch} is an old building not very Large, for 3 mile in all,
to a Little village where I cross’d over the Tyne on a Long Bridge of
stone w^{th} many arches. The river is in some places broader than in
others, its true at this tyme of y^e yeare being Midsumer the springs
are the Lowest and the Rivers shallow, and where there is any Rocks or
stones Left quite bare of water.