Chapter 2

[A] ABERDARE.Fairs, for cattle, April 19, Whit-Monday, November 14.

[B] ABEREDWY. This delightful village derived its name from its situation, near the junction of the River Wye and Edwy. Nothing in nature can exceed the beauty of the neighbouring scenery. The Edwy descends through lofty walls of rock; in some places, broken into crags, which frightfully overhang the abyss. Near the place are the ruins of a castle, the retreat of the last native Welsh Prince, Llewelyn apRuined castle—the retreat of Llewelyn, the last native Prince of Wales.Gruffydd. The object of Llewelyn's journey to Aberedwy was to consult the chief persons of the district, upon the best means of successfully opposing the King of England, then invading Wales. On his arrival he found himself disappointed. Instead of meeting with friends, he was surrounded by the enemy. Edmund Mortimer and John Gyfford, acquainted with his route, marched from Herefordshire, with their troops to meet him. The enemy were numerous—resistance was in vain—Llewelyn withdrew to Builth. The mountains being covered with snow, he caused the shoes of his horse to be reversed, in order toHis horses shoes reversed.baffle pursuit, but the treacheroussmithbetrayed him. Llewelyn broke down the bridge of Builth, but was closely followed by the English forces, who fruitlessly attempted to gain it. Sir Elias WalwynBetrayed by his smith.crossed the river, with a detachment, about eight miles below, at a place called Little Tom's Ferry Boat, and coming unexpectedly on the Welsh army, routed them. Llewelyn himself was attacked and slain, unarmed, in a narrow valley, not two hundred yards from the scene of action. Adam Francton, the murderer of Llewelyn, took no notice ofHis army routed, and himself slain.his victim, but joined in the pursuit of the Welsh. Returning with the view of plundering the slain, he discovered the wounded person was no other than the Prince of Wales; for on stripping him, he found a letter in cipher and his privy seal. The brutal Francton, overjoyed that the Welsh prince had fallen into his hands, cut off his head, and sentHis head sent to the King of England.it to the King of England, and thus perished the last native Prince of Wales.

[C] ABERFORD is situated upon the River Cock, on the great northern road, on the banks of which river was fought the famous battle of Towton, in 1461, so called from a village in the vicinity. The town consists of a long straggling street, in the north of which are the remains of a NormanHere the famous battle of Towton was fought.fortification, called Castle Carey; and the whole is in the line of the ancient Roman road. This town is curiously situated, as respects township: the west side is in Aberford-cum-Parlington; the east of the same end is Lotherton-cum-Aberford, and the north of the river is Aberford alone.

Mailarrives 4.11P.M., departs 8.46A.M.—Inn, Swan.

[D] ABERGAVENNY, (the ancient Gobanium of the Romans,) and itsGobanium of the Romans.environs, have strong claims to the traveller's attention. Its castle and delightful terrace overlook the rich vale of Usk; its church, abounding in costly sculptured tombs, its beautifully variegated mountains, all conspire to render this place particularly attractive. This town was once fortified, and many portions of the work remain, particularlyTudor's Gate.Tudor's Gate. The western entrance is furnished with two portcullises, and remarkable for the beautifully composed landscape seen through it. The style of building which forms the remains of this fortress marks its origin to have been subsequent to the Norman epoch. Excursions are frequently made to Blaenavon Iron Works, about six miles distant,Blaenavon Iron Works. 4000 men employed.which employ upwards of four thousand men. The mountainous territory containing these mineral treasures of iron, was demised by the crown to the Earl of Abergavenny, and is held under a lease by Hill and Co. A principal excursion from Abergavenny is that which leads northwards to Llanthony Abbey, a majestic ruin, seated inLlanthony Abbey, a majestic ruin in the black mountains.a deep recess of the black mountains, at the very extremity of Monmouthshire. Abergavenny is a place of much resort, being the thoroughfare from the west of Wales to Bath, Bristol, and Gloucestershire. Its principal manufacture is flannel, and its annual fairs for cattle are well attended.

Mailarrives 2 P.M., departs 11 A.M.—Inns, Angel, and Greyhound.—Bankers, Hill and Co., draw upon Esdaile and Co.,—Jones and Co., draw upon Williams and Co.—Fairs, May 14, lean cattle and sheep; 1st Monday after Trinity, linen and woollen cloths; September 25, horses, hogs, and flannel.—MarketTuesday.

[A] ABERYSTWITH, a market town and seaport in the hundred of Glenaur Glynn, and also a township in the parish of Llanbadarn Vawr. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Ystwith and Rhyddol, at which the former falls into the sea in the bay of Cardigan. The building of a castle, of which some vestiges remain, is attributed to Edward I. It stands on a craggy eminence projecting into the sea at the west of the town, and affords a magnificent view of the whole line of Welsh coast within the bay of Cardigan. The streets are steep and uneven.—The houses, which are principally formed of dark slate, present a very singular appearance. For some years past its celebrity, as a summer retreat and bathing-place, has been annually increasing, which is greatlyFine bathing place.contributed to by the beauty of the neighbourhood, and the commanding prospects around. The roads to it have been made excellent, and the customary amusements of plays and assemblies during the season add to the attractions for summer visitants. There was formerly a herring fishery, and the practice of fishing is still carried on with considerable advantage by the natives. About seven miles north of Aberystwith, on the sea coast, a considerable extent of land, has, by drainage, beenTwelve miles of embankment.recovered; twelve miles of embankment have been formed; and two navigable cuts, with a road of three miles and a stone bridge completed.

Mailarrives 7 A.M. departs 5 P.M.—Fairs, 1st Monday in May and November, chiefly for hiring servants.—Bankers, W. Davis and Co., draw on Esdaile and Co.—Inns, Gogerddon Arms, Old Lion, and Talbot.—Markets, Monday and Saturday.

[B] ABINGDON, at the very edge of the county of Berkshire, was called Shovesham, by the Anglo-Saxons, until the foundation of theMonastery of Benedictine monks.abbey, from which period it began to assume the name of Abbandeen, or the Town of the Abbey. This monastery, the monks of which were Benedictines, was founded by Cissa, an Anglo-Saxon monarch, in 675. During the reign of Alfred it was demolished by the Danes, and remained in ruins till King Edgar partly restored it, in 954. Ethelwold, the abbot at that time, erected and embellished the church, and his successors contributed to its increase. After the Conquest, the wealth and grandeur of the abbey were equal to any similar foundation in England. William the Conqueror kept Easter in the abbey, A.D. 1084;William the Conqueror kept Easter, and his son was educated here. Jeffery of Monmouth buried in the abbey.and here was educated his youngest son, Henry, surnamed Beauclerc, afterwards King Henry I., in whose reign, one of the most eminent characters who received sepulture within the abbey, was the celebrated Jeffery of Monmouth, author of the British History,—a work, from which some of our best poets have derived materials for their sublime compositions. Shakspeare's Lear, and Milton's Comus, were both supplied from Jeffery's history. He flourished in the reign of Henry I. Among the natives of Abingdon, whose talents have rendered their possessors eminent, was Sir John Mason, a statesman of the sixteenth century. His memory is the more worthy to be revered, because, from a very obscure origin, his genius and perseveranceSir J. Mason, born here—his father a cow-herd.advanced him to the rank of privy-counsellor, ambassador to France, and chancellor of the University of Oxford. His father was a cow-herd and his mother, sister to one of the abbey monks, who attended to his early tuition, and sent him to Oxford, where he became a fellow of All Souls' college. While in this situation, the liveliness of his temper occasioned him to be chosen to compliment Henry VIII. on his visit to the University, in the year 1523, which being executed in a most graceful manner, engaged the favour of the monarch, who promoted him to the honourable offices above-mentioned. He died in 1566, and was buried in St. Paul's cathedral.

Mailarrives 2.49 A.M., departs 12.10 A.M.—Fairs, 1st Monday in Lent, May 6, June 20, August 6, September 19, cattle; Monday before Old Michaelmas, statute, and December 11, horses and cattle.—Bankers, Knapp and Co., draw on Williams and Co.—Inns, Crown and Thistle, and Queen's Arms.—Markets, Monday and Friday.

[A] ACKWORTH is a parish and township, in the upper division of Osgold Cross Wapentake, nominally divided into higher and lowerQuakers' school.Ackworth. It is celebrated for its Quakers' School, which was purchased in 1777, with eighty-five acres of land, from the trustees of the Foundling Hospital, and rendered a seminary for the children of the more humble class of Friends. The number of pupils, is one hundred and eighty boys, and one hundred and twenty girls.

[A] ACLE.Market, Thursday.—Fair, Wednesday before Michaelmas day.

[B] ACONBURY. At this place a nunnery of the order of St. Augustine was founded by Margery, wife of Walter de Lacey, in the reignNunnery.of King John. The Cliffords were large benefactors to this house, which, at the dissolution, possessed£75. 7s. 6d.per annum. There are some remains yet standing, occupied as a farm house. On the summit of Aconbury Hill, a bold and extensive eminence, well wooded, and commanding a charming view over the adjacent county, are traces of a large encampment.

[C] ACTON BURNELL is celebrated for the remains of an ancient castle, founded by Robert Burnell, bishop of Bath and Wells, a man of eminent abilities, first treasurer, and afterwards chancellor of England, who was much employed by King Edward I. in Welsh affairs. He died at Berwick, in 1292, and was buried in the cathedral at Wells. The castle is a quadrangular building, with a square tower at each corner. The hall in which King Edward I. held his parliament, in 1283, wasEdward I. held his parliament here in 1283.183 feet long, by 41 broad, but the gable ends only remain. The Statutum de Mercatoribus enacted here, is from that circumstance better known as the Statute of Acton Burnell. The successor of the bishop, at the castle, was Sir Edward Burnell, son of Philip Burnell and Maud, daughter of Richard Arundel. He served in many actions in Scotland, under Edward I., and always appeared in great splendour, attended by a chariot decked with banners of his arms. He was summoned to parliament from the fifth to the eighth year of Edward the second's reign, and died in 1315. In 1346, the castle came into the possession of Nicholas Lord Burnell, who died in 1382, and is buried in the church under an altar tomb, inlaid with his effigy in brass. In the reign of Henry VI. the LovellLord Burnell's effigy in brass on the altar tomb.family were in possession of this estate, which was forfeited by Lord Lovell, in consequence of his adherence to King Richard III. Henry VII. being seated on the throne, granted Acton Burnell, together with other estates in this county, to Jasper Tudor, Earl of Bedford; after whose death it reverted to the crown, and Henry VIII. granted it to Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, distinguished for his valour at the battle of Flodden. Sir Humphrey Lee, of Langley, in this parish, was created a baronet, May 3, 1620. Acton Burnell Park is now the residence of Sir Edward Joseph Smythe, Bart. whose family have been seated here from the time of Charles II., when Sir Edward Smythe, of Esh, in Durham,The seat of Sir E.J. Smythe.created a baronet, Feb. 23, 1660, married the daughter and heiress of Sir Richard Lee, Bart. of Langley. The mansion, on a verdant lawn, bordered by a shrubbery, presents a handsome elevation of fine white stone, having a noble Ionic portico, under which is the carriage entrance. Behind the house is the deer park, on a finely wooded eminence, affording one of the most beautiful prospects in the county. The chapelry of Ruckley and Langley is in this parish.

[A] ADDINGTON is on the borders of Kent. Addington Place, a seat erected by Alderman Trecothick, in 1772, was purchased in 1807, for the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The manor of Addington is held by the feudal service of finding a man to make a mess, called Gerout, in the king's kitchen, at the coronation, and serving it up inCoronation custom.his own person at Westminster Hall. In the reign of William the Conqueror, Addington appears to have been held by Tezelin, cook to the king, which accounts for the origin of the required culinary service. The Archbishop of Canterbury is now the claimant of the service alluded to. Near the village is a curious cluster of tumuli, or moundsCluster of tumuli.of earth raised over the bodies of the slain, about twenty-five in number, of inconsiderable height. One of them is nearly forty feet in diameter, two are about half that size, and the rest very small.

[B] ADDLE. The church in this town is considered to be one of the most perfect specimens of Roman architecture remaining in England. In 1702, the traces of an ancient Roman town, with fragments of urns,Roman architecture.and of an aqueduct of stone were found in the adjacent moor.

[C] ADDLINGFLEET. A parish and township in the lower division of Osgold Cross, including the townships of Fockerby, Haldenby, and Eastoft. The village is situated very near the junction of the Trent with the Humber, the latter river being one of the largest in the kingdom, formed by the united waters of the Trent, Ouse, Derwent, Aire, and other minor streams. At this part it is about a mile broad, it is the Abus of Ptolemy. It runs towards the east, washing the port of Hull, where it receives the river called by the same name; from thence, taking a south-easterly direction, it expands itself intoBoundary between Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.an estuary nearly seven miles across, and mingles with the German ocean. This river, which, with very few exceptions, receives all the waters of Yorkshire from the Ouse, and the greater part of those from the midland counties from the Trent, commands the inland navigation of very extensive and commercial parts of England; namely, those of the Mersey, Dee, Ribble, Severn, Thames, and Avon; it also forms the boundary between Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

[A] ADLINGTON. Through this township runs the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It contains several coal mines. Adlington Hall, the seatSeat of Sir. Robert Clayton, Bart.of Sir Robert Clayton, Bart., was rebuilt about 1780; it stands in a low situation, on the borders of an extensive park, and contains some very good pictures, amongst which is a head of Charles I., taken after death. Ellerbeck Hall is the seat of John Hodson, Esq. In this neighbourhood is Park Hall, the seat of R.P. German, Esq. The inhabitants of Adlington are chiefly employed in the cotton manufactories of the vicinity.

[B] ADWALTON formerly possessed a market which is now disused. On Adwalton Moor, a battle was fought, in 1642, betweenBattle fought here in 1642.the Earl of Newcastle, commanding for the king, and the parliamentary general, Lord Fairfax, in which the latter was defeated.

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