[Illustration: RUINS OF ULVERSCROFT PRIORY.]
Charnwood Forest, like almost every other place in England, contains the
remains of religious houses. There was a priory at Ulverscroft, not far
from Bradgate, and some picturesque moss-grown remains still exist, said
to be the finest ruin in Leicestershire. Grace Dieu Abbey was also in
the forest, and on the dissolution of the monasteries was granted to the
Beaumonts; the ruins of this abbey were much frequented by Wordsworth,
who dedicated his poems to their owner. The Cistercians have in the
present century established the monastery of Mont St. Bernard in the
forest, and brought large tracts under cultivation as garden-land.
Bardon, the highest hill of Charnwood, which is near by, rises nine
hundred feet, an obtuse-angled triangular summit that can be seen for
miles away: not far from the forest are several famous places. The
abandoned castle of Ashby de la Zouche has been made the site of an
interesting town, deriving much prosperity from its neighboring
coal-mines: this castle was built by Lord Hastings, and here dwelt
Ivanhoe. The ruins of the tower, chapel, and great hall are objects of
much interest, and in the chapel is the "finger pillory" for the
punishment of those who were disorderly in church. Staunton Harold, the
seat of Earl Ferrars, is north of the town, while about nine miles to
the north-east of Ashby is Donington Hall, the palace of the Marquis of
Hastings: this estate is connected with Langley Priory, three miles
southward; the latter domain belonged to the Cheslyns fifty years ago,
and had an income of $40,000 a year. Between lavish hospitality and
ruinous lawsuits the entire property was eaten up, and Richard Cheslyn
became practically a pauper; but he bore ill-fortune with good grace,
and maintained his genial character to the last, being always well
received at all the noble houses where he formerly visited. Sir Bernard
Burke writes that Cheslyn "at dinner-parties, at which every portion of
his dress was the cast-off clothes of his grander friends, always looked
and was the gentleman; he made no secret of his poverty or of the
generous hands that had 'rigged him out.' 'This coat,' he has been heard
to say, 'was Radcliffe's; these pants, Granby's; this waistcoat,
Scarborough's.' His cheerfulness never forsook him; he was the victim of
others' mismanagement and profusion, not of his own." John Shakespear,
the famous linguist, whose talents were discovered by Lord Moira, who
had him educated, was a cowherd on the Langley estate. The poor cowherd
afterwards bought the estates for $700,000, and they were his home
through life.
[Illustration: RUINS OF GRACE DIEU ABBEY.]