is a bridge of thirty-seven arches. Here was an old abbey: they are
pulling down the ruins to build a new church.
[Sidenote: +Derventio.+]
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXXVI.]
A mile below Derby, upon the river Derwent, stood the old Roman city
Derventio, now called Little Chester. I traced the track of the wall
quite round, and in some places saw under ground the foundation of it
in the pastures, and some vaults along the side of it: they dig it up
daily to mend the ways with. Mr. Lord’s cellar is built on one side of
the wall three yards thick: it is of a square form, standing between
the Roman way called the Ricning street and the river. Within the walls
are foundations of houses in all the pastures; and in the fields round
the castle (as they call it) you may see the tracks of the streets
laid with gravel: in a dry summer the grass over them is very bare.
Divers wells are found, some still remaining, square, curbed with good
stone. Brass, silver, and gold Roman coins have been found in great
abundance; earthen pipes, aqueducts, and all kinds of antiquities.
Towards the river they have dug up human bones, brass rings, and the
like. There was a bridge over the river, for it was too deep and rapid
for a ford: they can feel the foundations of it with a staff. In Mr.
Hodgkin’s cellar a stag’s head with horns was dug up; probably a temple
thereabouts: a square well in his garden three foot and a half one way,
and four another.
[Sidenote: +Ricning-way.+]
A little further northward upon the Ricning street,[44] which seems to
take its name from the Saxon _rige_, _dorsum_, is Horreston castle,
whose ruins on a hoary rock are nearly obliterated; and out of it
they cut great quantities of rubstones to whet scythes withal. We are
now got into the very Peak of Derbyshire, the British Alps, where the
odd prospects afford some entertainment to a traveller, and relieve
the fatigue of so tedious a road. Now you pass over barren moors, in
perpetual danger of slipping into coal-pits and lead-mines; or ride for
miles together, on the edge of a steep hill, on solid slippery rock or
loose stones, with a valley underneath, where you can scarce discover
the bottom with your eye; which brought into my mind that beautiful
verse in Virgil,
_Saxa per & scopulos & depressas convalles._
Instead of trees and hedges, they fence in their poor meadow or arable
with walls of loose stones picked up from beneath their feet. The
extended sides of the mountains are generally powdered over as it were
with rocks, streams of water dribbling down every where; and now bolder
cataracts diversify the romantic scene.
At the smelting-mills they melt down the lead ore, and run it into a
mould, whence it becomes pigs as they call it: the bellows continually
are kept in motion by running water. We were complemented to be let
down two hundred yards deep into the mines, if we pleased. We came to
a monstrous parcel of gigantic rocks, seemingly piled one a-top of
another as in the wars of the gods, called the Torr: there were a few
inhabitants at bottom, in little cottages, who durst trust themselves
under so ruinous a shelter: it was fitly represented by those verses of
the poet,
_Stabat acuta silex, præcisis undique saxis,
Speluncæ dorso insurgens, altissima visu.
Dirarum nidis domus opportuna volucrum!_ +Virg.+ viii. Æn.
[Illustration: 86 DERVENTIO
_31 Sept. 1721._
Simon Degg Ar. _Castrum Romanum jam suum d.d. W. Stukeley_]
I took the pains to clamber on hands and knees almost to the top, and
entered another hermit’s cell, who had a mind, if possible, to get
quite out of the world: it is hewn in the rock, with a most dreary
prospect before it: on one end is a crucifix and a little niche, where
I suppose the mistaken zeal of the starved anchorite placed his saint,
or such trinket. Over-against it, about half a mile off, is another
such cliff; but by the care of a gentleman that lives underneath (Mr.
Ashe) it is reduced into a more agreeable form: there is an easy ascent
up to it by steps hewn out of the rock, and abundance of alcoves,
grots, summer-houses, cellars, pinacles, dials, balustrades, urns, &c.
all of the same materials: earth is carried to the top, and fine grassy
walks with greens planted along them, upon this hanging terrace, whence
you have a free view over many a craggy mountain. I was highly pleased
with so elegant a composure, where Art and industry had so well played
its part against rugged Nature.
[Sidenote: +Chatsworth.+]
We went through Wirksworth, and over the rapid Derwent, whilst on a
sudden (like the advantageous change of a scene) we were surprised at
the sight of Chatsworth, the famous seat of the duke of Devonshire,
deservedly reckoned one of the wonders of the Peak, as remarkable for
its situation in so wild a place as its curious fabric and ornaments.
The river here for a while puts on a smooth aspect, and glides gently
by, as unwilling to leave so glorious a place: between it and the house
is a fine venerable walk of trees, retaining the name of that great
philosopher Hobbes, who studied frequently under its shade. A noble
piece of iron-work gates and balusters exposes the front of the house
and court, terminated at the corners next the road with two large
stone pedestals of Attic work, curiously adorned with trophies of war,
and utensils of all the sciences, cut in _basso relievo_. This face
of the building is Ionic, the whole being a square of a single order,
but every side of a different model: a court in the middle, with a
piazza of Doric columns of one stone each overlaid with prodigious
architraves. The stone is of an excellent sort, veined like marble,
hewn out of the neighbouring quarries, and tumbled down the adjacent
hill: it is introduced into the work in very large sizes, finely
jointed. In the anti-room to the hall are flat stones, of fourteen
foot square, laid upon the heads of four pillars, and so throughout:
in the hall stairs the landing or resting steps of the same dimension:
the doors, chimneys, window-cases, stairs, &c. of marble; the sashes
very large, gilt; the squares two foot broad: the cielings and walls
of all the apartments charged with rare painting of Varrio and other
famous hands: the bath-room all of marble curiously wrought. The
chapel is a most ravishing place: the altar-end and floor marble, the
seats and gallery cedar, the rest of the wall and cieling painted. The
gardens abound with green-houses, summer-houses, walks, wildernesses,
orangeries, with all the furniture of statues, urns, greens, &c. with
canals, basons and water-works of various forms and contrivance,
sea-horses, drakes, dolphins, and other fountains that throw up the
water: an artificial willow-tree of copper spouts and drops water from
every leaf: a wonderful cascade, where, from a neat house of stone like
a temple, out of the mouths of beasts, pipes, urns, &c. a whole river
descends the slope of a hill, a quarter of a mile in length, over
steps, with a terrible noise and broken appearance, till it is lost
under ground. Beyond the garden, upon the hills, is a park, and that
overlooked by a very high and rocky mountain: here are some statues and
other antiquities.
[Sidenote: +Buxton.+]
Hence we went by Bakewel, and left Haddon-house belonging to the duke
of Rutland on our left hand, in a pleasant and fruitful valley. We
travelled ten miles over a perfect desert to Buxton, encompassed with
waste and boggy mountains and naked cliffs: the tops of the hills
hereabouts are quagmires, or springs, furnishing numerous rivers
running hence all manner of ways. Nature seems to have thrown these
precipicious heights into the middle of the island on purpose for her
limbeck, to distil the liquid sources of springs by some unknown power.
The valleys are the firmest ground, made of the gritty washings of
the mountains: we were every moment diverted with the appearance of
curious plants, but no tree to be seen. At Buxton are the admirable
warm springs, which invite numbers of strangers yearly, especially
from the northern countries. The duke of Devonshire has built a large
and convenient house for their reception: the bath-room is arched over
head, and the whole made handsome, convenient, and delightful. This
collection of tepid waters, exceeding clear, will receive twenty people
at a time to walk and swim in: the temper thereof, equal to new milk,
or that of one’s own blood, procures a moderate perspiration: its
effect is remarkable for giving that gentle relaxation of the solids,
which takes off the weariness and fatigue of a journey, and refreshes
immediately: it is useful physically in many cases, and may be indulged
more than the hot baths of Somersetshire, which frequently do harm for
that reason, through an imprudent use. Such a one as this was imitated
by the sumptuous bagnios of the Roman emperors. Sir Tho. Delves, who
received a cure here, gave the pump and a pretty stone alcove over the
drinking-spring in the yard: the water may be raised to what height you
please. Philosophers have long sought for a solution of the cause of
these hot springs: the chymists know many mixtures will produce a flame
and effervescence, particularly steel filings and sulphur, when water
is poured thereon; but that these could continue the same course and
quantity of water, and this regular heat, through all ages and seasons,
is worthy of admiration. Indulgent Nature indeed has made some amends
to the inhabitants of this barren region by this inestimable gift.
We found in one of the rooms these verses, wrote upon the wall by a
physician that formerly frequented the place:
_Corpore debilior Grani se proluit undis,
Quærit aquas Aponi, quem febris atra necat.
Ut penitus renem purget cur Psaulia tanti,
Vel quæ Lucinæ gaudia, Calderiæ?
Sola mihi Buxtona placet, Buxtona Britannis
Undæ Grani, Aponus, Psaulia, Calderiæ._
About half a mile off is that stupendous cavern called Pool’s Hole,
under a great mountain: the entrance at the foot thereof is very low
and narrow, so that you must stoop to get in: but immediately it
dilates into a wide and lofty concavity, which reaches above a quarter
of a mile end-wise and farther, as they tell us: some old women with
lighted candles are guides in this Cimmerian obscurity: water drops
from the roof every where, and incrusts all the stones with long
crystals and fluors: whence a thousand imaginary figures are shown you,
by the name of lions, fonts, lanterns, organs, flitch of bacon, &c. At
length you come to the Queen of Scots pillar, as a _terminus_ of most
people’s curiosity. A stream of water runs along the middle, among the
fallen rocks, with a hideous noise, re-echoed from all sides of the
horrid concave: on the left hand is a sort of chamber, where they say
Pool, a famous robber, lived. We may very well apply these verses to
the place:
_At specus & Caci detecta apparuit ingens
Regia, & umbrosæ penitus patuere cavernæ:
Non secus ac si qua penitus vi terræ dehiscens
Infernas reseret sedes & regna recludat
Pallida, diis invisa, superque immane barathrum
Cernatur——_ +Virg.+ Æn. viii.
Within appears old Pool’s tremendous cave,
With glimmering lights redoubled horror shown;
Yawning, as earth by strong convulsions torn
Opens the caverns of the Stygian king
Dire, hateful to the gods, and the black pit
Discloses wide——
We entered the pleasanter country of Cheshire at Lyme, the seat of
Mr. Leigh: here are curious gardens, lakes, cascades, fountains,
summer-houses. This is a fine level, woody, and rich county, abounding
with lakes of water called meres: the towns stand but thin, and it
being mostly inclosure, there are paved causeways for horses along
the clayey roads: many ancient seats and parks, but most ruinous and
decayed. We were entertained by the worthy Sir Francis Leycester at his
seat, Nether Tabley, by Knutsford, upon the Roman way from Mancunium
to Deva: this house stands in the midst of a mere: here is a good
library completed by the curious possessor, with a vast addition to his
ancestors’ store, of all the English history especially. In cleansing
this mote some time since they found an old British axe, or some such
thing, made of large flint, neatly ground into an edge, with a hole in
the middle to fasten into a handle: it would serve for a battle-axe.
Rotherston church stands upon a hill, and commands a lovely prospect
across a mere, a mile and half in length and a mile over, where
amongst great variety of fish are smelts found, properly inhabitants
of the sea. There is a floating island, formed from turf, sustained
by implication of the roots of _alnus nigra baccifera_ growing on it,
which the wind wafts over from one side to the other. On the south side
of the steeple is this inscription:
*Orate pro anima domini willmi hardwicke vicarii istius ecclesiae
et pro animabus omnium parochianorum qui hoc sculpt.*
Out of the church-yard you see to the Yorkshire hills beyond
Manchester. By the church-porch were lately dug up three large stone
coffins. In the church are abundance of coats of arms. Among other
curious plants grow hereabouts _calamus aromaticus_ and _ros solis_.
The Roman road from Manchester to Chester passes the Mersey river at
Stretford, through Altringham, to the north of Rotherston mere; then by
Chapel in the street, by Winingham, to Northwich; then by Sandy way,
the Chamber or Edesbury, it passes the river at Stanford, so called
from the stony ford, to Chester.
[Sidenote: +Condate.+]
We were at Northwich, which I take to be Condate, as all distances
persuade me. It is still, among others hereabouts, famous for
brine-springs, whence they make great quantities of finest salt, by
boiling the water in large iron pans of small depth: as fast as the
salt crystallises, they rake it out and dry it in conic wicker baskets:
the duty paid by it amounts to a great sum of money. About thirty years
ago on the south side of the town they discovered immense mines of
rock salt, which they continually dig up, and send in great lumps to
the maritime parts, where it is dissolved and made into eating-salt.
We were let down by a bucket a hundred and fifty foot deep to the
bottom of the salt quarry, a most pleasant subterraneous prospect: it
looks like a large cathedral, supported by rows of pillars and roof
of crystal, all of the same rock, transparent and glittering from the
numerous candles of the workmen, labouring with their steel pick-axes
in digging it away: this rock-work of salt extends to several acres
of ground. There is a very good church in the town: the end of the
choir is semicircular: the roof of the church is very fine, whereon
are carved several of the wicker baskets before mentioned; whence they
report it was built out of the profits of the salt works. At Lawton
Yates they bore for the salt spring to sixty yards deep; lower down, at
Hassal, it is forty seven; at Wheeloc, eighteen; about Middlewich it is
less; at Northwich it arises to open day; which seems to intimate that
the salt spring runs between layers of the earth in an horizontal line:
upon boring, it rises with great impetuosity, so that the workmen have
scarce time to get out of the wells. This is all along the side of a
brook that comes from a remarkable hill called Mawcop, upon the edge
of Staffordshire, so that the ground rises above the true level in the
mentioned proportion.
[Sidenote: +Mancunium.+]
Manchester, in Lancashire, is the _Mancunium_ of the Romans, the
largest, most rich, populous, and busy village in England. There
are about two thousand four hundred families. The site of the Roman
_castrum_, between Sir John Bland’s and Manchester, is now called
Knock Castle. They have a fabulous report of Turquin a giant living
there, killed by Sir Lancelot de Lake, a knight of king Arthur’s: in
it was found a Saxon ring, mentioned in Hickes’s _Thesaurus_, now in
possession of Sir Hans Sloan. A Roman altar dug up here, described by
Dr. Lister, Philos. Trans. N. 155. p. 457. and a large gold Roman ring.
The Castle field, as sometime called, is about as big as Lincoln’s-Inn
square, the foundation of the wall and ditch remaining. Some call it
Man-castle: its name comes from the British _maen_, _lapis_, meaning
its rocky soil. The old church, though very large, having three
rows of neat pillars, was not capable of containing the people at
divine service; whence they raised, by voluntary subscriptions, a new
edifice after the London models, finished last year: the choir is
alcove-fashion, and the pilasters painted of _lapis-lazuli_ colour.
There is a fine new street built to the north. Their trade, which is
incredibly large, consists much in fustians, girth-web, tickings,
tapes, &c. which is dispersed all over the kingdom, and to foreign
parts: they have looms that work twenty-four laces at a time, which
was stolen from the Dutch. The college has a good library for public
use, endowed with 116l. per ann. to buy more books, and a salary for
the librarian. There is a free-school maintained by a mill upon the
river, which raises 300l. per annum. On the same river, for the space
of three miles upwards, there are no less than sixty water-mills. The
town stands chiefly on a rock; and across the river is another large
town, called Salthorp. Dr. Yarburgh, son to him late of Newark, showed
me a great collection of old Greek, Persian, Tartarian, and Punic coins
brought from Asia. About a mile off, at the seat of Sir John Bland, is
a Roman altar, lately dug up thereabouts: in the mosses, as they call
them in this country, they often find reliques of antiquity, such as
arrow-heads, celts, pick-axes, kettles, &c. of brass; many are in the
repository of the library: likewise subterraneous fir-trees, as in most
other countries in the like sort of ground. French wheat grows commonly
hereabouts, much used among the poor people, of very different species
from ours: they have likewise wheat with long beards like barley, and
barley with four rows of grain on an ear, and great plenty of potatoes.
[Sidenote: +Deva.+]
We passed through Delamere forest, upon the Roman road, in our way
to Chester. They say here was formerly an old city, now called the
Chamber on the Forest; I suppose, some fort or camp to secure the
road. From hence you have a fine prospect to the Welsh mountains,
such a noble scene of nature as I never beheld before. Beeston castle
is on our left, built upon a rocky precipice. Chester is a fine old
city, and colony of the Romans, the residence some time of the _legio
vicesima victrix_: a hypocaust was lately found, lined with bricks
made by that legion. I need not repeat what other authors say of the
antiquities at this place. The rows or piazzas are singular, through
the whole town giving shelter to foot people. I fancied it a remain
of the Roman porticos. Four churches beside the cathedral, which is
a pile venerable indeed for age and almost ruin: there are shadows
of many pictures on the walls, _madonnas_, saints, bishops, &c. but
defaced. At the west end are some images of the earls Palatine of
Chester in niches. The adjoining abbey is quite ruined. The walls
round the city are kept in very good repair at the charge of the
corporation, and serve for a pleasant airy walk. The Exchange is a neat
building, supported by columns, thirteen foot high, of one stone each:
over it is the city-hall, a well-contrived court of judicature. The
castle was formerly the palace, and where the earls assembled their
parliaments, and enacted laws independent of the kings of England,
and determined all judicial trials themselves. Abundance of Roman and
British antiquities are found hereabouts. At Stretton, Roman coins,
and a camp-kettle of copper dug up at Codington: near it divers other
antiquities. The old Watling-street way from Dover came originally
hither through Stretton and Aldford; though I suppose in after-times of
the Romans they turned it off more southward into Wales, for sake of
the many towns seated on the Severn.
[Sidenote: +Wales.+]
[Sidenote: +Bonium.+]
Next we entered Wales, and came to Wrexham in Flintshire. Here is a
good church, and the finest tower-steeple I ever saw, except Boston:
it is adorned with abundance of images. There is a new town-house
built like that at Chester. The common people speak the Welsh. The
gentry are well-bred, hospitable, generous and open-hearted: the
females are generally handsome. I took a great deal of pleasure in
hearing the natives talk in their own language, and remarked a great
many words among them still retained in our country of Lincolnshire
Holland: it is probable enough that our fens and morasses might be a
long security to us against the Saxons, as it had been to them against
the Romans. I shall give instances of a few words. When we put oatmeal
into water-gruel or milk, we call it _lithing_ the pot: the same is
signified by the Welsh word _llith_. Davis thinks the English _slide_
comes from the British _llithro_, _labi_: we call it _slither_. A
_bull-beggar_, or _boggleboe_, is manifestly the British _bwbach_,
with all its synonymes. A top we call a _whirligig_, purely British.
We say a _whisking_ fellow, dexterous, ready: British _gwisgi_, To
_whyne_; British _gwynio_. Very many such like occur in Dr. Skinner’s
_Etymologicum_, which he would fain persuade us the Welsh learnt from
the Saxons, but without reason. We passed by the valley upon the river
Dee, where was the famous British monastery in early times, whereof
Pelagius was abbot, whose British name was Morgan; but no remains
discernible. What some talk concerning it, probably the vestiges of
the Roman city; for many foundations, coins, and antiquities have been
dug up; and not long since two gates of the city were left. We entered
Shropshire, passing by Ellsmere and Wem to Newport, where is a noble
foundation for a school well endowed by William Adams esq; to the value
of 7000l. over the door is this distich, _in fundatorem_:
_Scripsisti heredem patriam tibi quæ dedit ortum,
Scriberis ergo tuæ, jure, pater patriæ._
he gave 550l. towards building the town-house.
[Sidenote: +Royal Oak.+]