?:^:vw^K^'f-^ ^arttell Htttucraitg Cibrarg atljara. New ^orfe LIBRARY OF LEWIS BINGLEY WYNNE A.B.,A.M.,COLUMBtAN COLLEGE.-7t .-73 WASHINGTON. D. C. THE GIFT OF MRS. MARY A. WYNNE AND JOHN H. WYNNE CORNELL '99 1922 Cornell University Library DA 625.N75 1837 3 1924 028 082 364 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028082364 if IJLLILJSTMATE®. MM ^ ?c„ THE Fffl«JEH2X TTO-WEM, CHESTER WAltl.S FISHEE, SON, » C9 LOUi)ON. & PARIS, 1837 THE COUNTIES OF CHESTER, DERBY, LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY THOMAS ALLOM. WITH HISTORICA.L AND TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTIONS. BY T. NOBLE AND T. ROSE. " CASTLES 'MID PHINCELY PAEKS ARE THEEE, ' WHILE HILL AND VALLEY, RICH WITH FLOCKS AND HERDS, EMBANK THE MEADOWS, WHERE THE RIVERS PLOW, AND INDUSTRY IN TOWNS AND HAMLETS SHOUTS. THERE CITIES REAR THEIR LEARNED HALLS, AND MARTS WITH VARIED FABRICS CROWD THE WEALTHY PORTS." CHARLES HAMMOND. FISHER, SON, & CO., LONDON, PARIS, AND NEW YORK. ADDRESS. In bringing this series of Picturesque Illustrations in England to a close for the present, the Proprietors, ever anxious to produce Publications which blend the graphic attractions of the artist with the labours of the topographist and the geographer, cannot refrain from adding to their thanks for the support which the work now suspended has received, the respectful recommendation to public patronage of their Views of Syria, the Holy Land, and those portions of Western Asia so intimately connected with Ancient History and the important facts of our Holy Religion, and which, as they occupy tracts of country that lie on the inland route to our Indian Enjpire, are so highly worthy of investigation. A new edition of Part I. has lately been issued, for which a dupli- cate set of plates was rendered necessary in order to meet the enlarged and increasing demand. Of this interesting and valuable adjunct to our Geographical, Commercial, and Religious knowledge, an influential paper remarks : — " We have frequently contemplated works similar in design to the present with delight and admiration ; for, in them we behold at once the romantic and the sublime beauties of nature, or her abodes of love- liness and simphcity, drawn by the finger of some more than usually talented artist. This work is, however, by far the noblest attempt which has yet been made to open Oriental scenes to our view. Indeed, the Eastern world was, until recently, like the dwellings of the genii, a land which few were permitted to enter, and return from, in safety. Even at this day, comparatively little is known of its ' cloud-capp'd towers, its gorgeous palaces,' and its stupendous ruins ; sublimely beautiful even in the silence of their decay. Such are those of Balbec and Palmyra, the city of the Desert; and others, the eras of whose splendour are sunk so far in the abyss of past ages, that we are almost led to contemplate them as monuments of a former world. " A peculiar charm and fascination hang over all these countries. They are those in which man dwelt in a state of innocence and primeval greatness ; where an Alexander marched, a Semiramis reigned, a Mahomet conquered — and the Redeemer died. " On the Christian, the Eastern world has claims of powerful interest. There, for example, still may be found the spot on which the Son of God stood and wept over Jerusalem, so soon to be despoiled of all its glories ; where the temple of Solomon, the admiration of the Goyim, and the boast of the sons of Abraham, once stood in unequalled magnificence — the mosque of Omar, the friend of the Arabian Prophet, proudly rears its head, as in mockery and defiance of a degraded nation, still groaning under the curse of the Eternal. In the paths of the East wandered the early saints and martyrs of Christianity; and there rest the bones of thousands of our own forefathers, slain in their enthusiastic search after glory, or vengeance on the enemies of the Cross. There, poets of unrivalled sweetness and beauty, whose songs have rarely been heard by European ears, embodied all the charms of their matchless and luxuriant landscapes, or the wild- ness of their native deserts, the exploits of their heroes, and the loves of their youths and maidens, in strains of the wildest witchery, or most touching tenderness." LIST OF PLATES. 1 Vignette Title — Phoenix Tower, Chester Walls page 5. PAGE 2 Ashby de la Zouch, Castle of . Leicestershire . 35 3 Bardon Hill, looking west . . Leicestershire . 25 4 Belvoir Castle Leicestershire .13 5 Belvoir Castle, from the Dairy ■ Leicestershire . 14 6 Belvoir Castle Leicestershire . 45 7 Boston Church and Grand Sluice Lincolnshire . 18 8 Bottesford Church, Interior of . Leicestershire . 46 9 Burley, or Burley-on-the-Hill . Rutlandshire . 61 10 Castle of thePeverils, in thePeak Derbyshire . . 38 11 Chatsworth Derbyshire . » 42 12 ChatsworthHouse, FrontView of, Derbyshire . . 53 13 Chee Tor ....... Derbyshire . . 58 14 Chester, New Bridge .... Cheshire ... 24 15 Chester, Old Bridge Street . . Cheshire ... 25 16 Chester, View from the Walls of, Cheshire ... 43 17 Chester, Water Gate Street . . Cheshire ... 44 18 Chester, Bridges, Castle, Prison, Cheshire ... 50 19 Chester, New County Hall . . Cheshire ... 52 20 Cholmondeley Castle .... Cheshire ... 73 21 Clumber • . Nottinghamshire 10 22 Croyland Abbey Lincolnshire . 69 23 Doddington Park, (Castellet) . Cheshire ... 62 24 Donnington Hall Leicestershire . 36 25 Dovedale Derbyshire . . 41 26 Eaton Hall, West Front of . . Cheshire ... 38 27 Eaton Hall, East Front of . . Cheshire ... 33 28 Ferry, Derwent — ^Matlock Bath Derbyshire . . 7 29 Grantham Market Place . . Lincolnshire ■ 18 30 Grimsthorpe Castle .... Lincolnshire . 47 31 Haddon Hall Derbyshire . . 16 32 Haddon Hall, Court of . . . Derbyshire . . 16 33 Hardwick Hall Derbyshire . . 59 34 High Tor, near Matlock . . . Derbyshire , . 6 35 Hucknall Church Nottinghamshire 71 36 Leicester Leicestershire . 26 37 Lincoln Cathedral, Entrance to, Lincolnshire . . 9 38 Lincoln, from the Castle . ■ Lincolnshire. . 21 PAGE 39 Lincoln Cathedral .... Lincolnshire .28 40 Lincoln, High Bridge . . . Lincolnshire . . 28 41 Lincoln, South-east View from the river Witham .... Lincolnshire . . 47 42 Louth, Church and Town of . Lincolnshire . . 65 43 Lyme Hall Cheshire ... 64 44 Market, Harborough .... Leicestershire . 58 45 Matlock, Scene at ... . Derbyshire . . 30 46 Melton Mowbray Club-House . Leicestershire . 57 47 Miller's Dale Derbyshire . . 66 48 Mortimer's Hole, Nottingham Castle .... 33 49 Newark Castle Nottinghamshire 16 50 Newark Church Nottinghamshire 48 51 Newstead Abbey Nottinghamshire 19 52 Newstead Abbey (second View) Nottinghamshire 19 53 Normanton Park Rutlandshire . 61 54 Nottingham and its environs . Nottinghamshire 11 55 Nottingham Castle .... Nottinghamshire 31 56 Nottingham Market-Place . . Nottinghamshire 40 57 Nottingham Park Nottinghamshire 76 58 Radford Folly, near Nottingham Nottinghamshire 56 59 Rooter, or Roo-Tor, Rocks . . Derbyshire . . 55 60 Rufford Hall Nottinghamshire 14 61 Rutland Cavern, near Matlock . Derbyshire . .37 62 Southwell Nottinghamshire 71 63 Southwell Minster, or Collegiate Church (Interior of ) . . . Nottinghamshire 49 64 Scrivelsby Hall . . . . ; Lincolnshire . . 70 65 Stone Bow, Lincoln .... Lincolnshire . . 24 66 Stow Church, Interior of . . Lincolnshire . . 65 67 Tattershall Castle .... Lincolnshire . . 8 68 Vale of the Winnets .... Derbyshire . . 67 69 Water Tower Chester . . . 73 ■ 70 Welbeck Abbey : . . , . Nottinghamshire 75 71 Willersley Castle Derbyshire . . 29 72 Wollaston Hall Nottinghamshire 57 73 Worksop Manor Nottinghamshire 39 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, $nuiStratetr. PHOENIX TOWER,— CHESTER. The walls of Chester, originally built for the defence of the city, are now converted into a delightful promenade for the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood ; and the measured step of the sentinel, with "all the pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war," has been succeeded by light and airy footsteps, and the harmless pageant of a recreative lounge. These massive walls rank amongst the principal antiquities of Chester; and are the best specimen of ancient fortification remaining in the kingdom. The excellent state of preservation in which they have been and continue to be kept, is owing to a murage duty granted by Edward I. on merchandise brought to the town by sea ; the revenue thence arising being exclusively set apart for their repair. This toll, or custom, is far less productive since Liverpool has attained so decided a preference as a mercantile port, than it was in former times ; but the murage duties, aided by the corporation funds, have been competent to preserve in good condition these interesting remains of the olden time. The walls of Chester, in common with most other fortifications of this nature, had originally a number of towers standing within bow-shot of each other, to eiFect a com- munication throughout the entire hue, and prevent a sudden surprise in any quarter. From these turrets the garrison were enabled to annoy and harass a besieging army ; and, from their contiguity, could also render assistance to each other, when by a concentration of their strength they might prevent the enemy from dislodging the occupants of any particular tower, or from effecting a breach in the walls. Time, however, has razed the whole of these towers, save oije — the Phoenix Tower, which "remaineth to this very day," an object of no ordinary interest, whether regarded as a relic of antiquity, or sur- veyed with reference to historical associations. B 6 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, History bears testimony to the loyal and devoted attachment of the city of Chester to the unfortunate Charles I. ; and the zealous struggle here maintained on behalf of a monarch who eventually sunk beneath the weight of popular vengeance, excited by an undue exercise of the royal prerogative, forms a distinguishing record in its annals. During the siege of Chester, in 1645, by the parUamentary army under the command of Sir WiUiam Brereton, the garrison suffered the most severe privations on account of their firm adherence to the royal cause. The army of Charles having come to a decisive engagement with the enemy on Rowton Moor, the king had the mortification to witness from the Phoenix Tower, and the great tower of the cathedral, the entire discomfiture of his forces, who were driven by their opponents from the field of battle, and pursued by them to the very gates of Chester. The garrison shortly after were compelled to surrender. The prospects which are ' obtained from the walls are extensive and picturesque, combining a rich variety of scenery. Immediately beneath them is that fine extensive plain where the races are held, called the Rood-eye or Roodie, from an ancient rood or cross that formerly marked the spot. The fortifications were originally embattled, and of considerable height ; but, since internal commotions have ceased, they have been lowered to suit their present use. They are about five feet in width, and are entered by four gateways, opening to the four cardinal points. The custody of the gates was once deemed a post so honourable, that several noble families entei-ed their claims to this distinction. To the postern on the east side of the city is attached a tradition, which explains that the gate was closed by one of the mayors of Chester, in consequence of his daughter having been stolen and conveyed away through this outlet, when pursuing her diversions with " the maidens of Pepper Street." Hence arose the taunting proverb— " When the daughter is stolen, shut the Pepper Gate ;" and probably to this legend, or fact, whichever it be, we owe the Gothamite precaution-^" When the steed is taken, lock the stable door." THE HIGH TOR, NEAR MATLOCK,— DERBYSHIRE. The village of Matlock is situate on the banks of the river Derwent, at the distance of nearly eighteen miles north by west from Derby. This dehghtful locality is no less celebrated for its splendid and picturesque scenery, than for the medicinal virtue of its springs, whose sanative properties were first discovered in the seventeenth century. The High Tor, (or rock,) near Matlock, rises perpendicularly from the Derwent to the height of four hundred and fifty feet, and forms a prominent feature in the scenery of Matlock Dale. This elevation is ascended by a path, whence, at different altitudes the visitor discovers prospects the most beautiful and romantic on which the eye could linger. Having reached the summit, the spectator looks down upon the silver Derwent, !isie;e USHER, SOir.fe C? LOUDOF.tESRlS.iaa?, LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 7 winding its course through a mountain defile formed by the High Tor and the opposite acclivity of Masson Hill. The highest point of the last named eminence has obtained the appellation of the Heights of Abraham ; and this abrupt elevation is perforated by more than one excavation or cavern, curious on account of their romantic forms, and for the specimens of ore and the stalactites which they contain. There are also petrifying springs at Matlock, which give a stony consistence to whatever is immersed in them ; Judge Vaughan, who for many years was distinguished on the midland circuit, had the last wig worn by him at the bar petrified in the principal of these springs. The views obtained from the High Tor are of the most diversified character. In one direction, the eye encounters a vast sweep of hills, embracing a picturesque assemblage of beautiful inclosures : on this side rises an almost inaccessible ridge, on the other a broken and varied precipice of rock and fohage. The Bath is hence seen, fronted with wood, and seated amidst fields varied with every tint of green, and reaching to the distant hills. From the most elevated point of the Tor the river is beheld, occasionally flashing and foaming over the rocky fragments which partially obstruct its course. From other stations, the same objects appear under combinations entirely different; and the picturesque character of the scenery in this locality appears to depend less on the number of striking objects for observation, than on the varied associations of which they admit The residence of Richard Arkwright, Esq. situate on the rising banks of the Derwent, between Matlock and Cromford, is unequalled for the beautiful and wild romance of its position, amidst a population numerous, active, and increasing in the comforts and information of social habits. FERRY OVER THE DERWENT, MATLOCK BATH. Matlock Bath is distant about a mile and a half from the village of Matlock. The beautiful scenery in this neighbourhood, together with the medicinal properties of its warm springs, has rendered the Bath a place of general and fashionable resort: the invahd regards it as the Hygeian fount, whence renovated health may be obtained ; and the pleasure-seeker discovers in its picturesque retreats all the charms of fairy-land. Matlock Bath consists principally of several inns and lodging-houses on the south- east side of the river Derwent, which afibrd excellent accommodation to the numerous visitors who repair hither. A sojourn at the Bath does not involve an inconvenient expense ; and the ceremony and parade which too frequently disfigure social intercourse, have here no place. The usual time of taking a bath, and drinking the water, is before breakfast, or between that meal and the dinner hour. The season for visiting Matlock extends from the end of April to November; but, to the lover of picturesque scenery, this neighbourhood presents attractions of no ordinary kind, even during the winter, 8 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, when the rich foliage and soft winds of the younger year have given place to annual desolation and the ravaging blast The buildings at Matlock Bath are constructed of stone, and present an elegant appearance. The roads and foot-ways in the vicinity are laid as smoothly as a garden promenade ; and from the nature of the soil, which absorbs all moisture so soon as it has fallen, the intervals between rain and sunshine may be employed by the most delicate visitors in perambulations, without the least fear of injury. The Bath is not, however, wanting in resources to amuse and while away " a day of cloud." A Museum, replete with interesting natural curiosities and works of art, is offered gratuitously for inspection ; connected with this building are two repositories for jewellery and articles of taste, where the fair sex may loiter — " To mock the diamond's lustre with their eyes." Matlock Dale, wherein the baths are situated, is justly accounted one of the most picturesque locaUties in the kingdom, and consists of a winding vale, watered by the Derwent river, and extending several miles in length. An endless variety of prospect is presented to the tourist, as he pursues his walk ; and i^ satiated vdth sun-lit beauty, he desires further gratification, the Rutland and Cumberland caverns are open to his inspection, and discover subterranean wonders — once seen, never to be forgotten. At the ferry station boats are in readiness for parties desirous of aquatic excursions, and for conveying visitors to and from either side of the river. TATTERSHALL CASTLE,— LINCOLNSHIRE. Tattershall is a small market tovra, seated on the river Bane, near its confluence with the Witham, at the distance of thirty miles south-east by east from Lincoln, and containing between six and seven hundred inhabitants. This place, anciently a Roman station, (a fact attested by the remains of two encampments in the immediate neighbourhood,) was given by the Conqueror to Eudo one of his followers; a descendant of whom erected a castle here, considerable remains of which are still existing. Robert, Earl of Tattershall, the last male descendant from Eudo in the direct line, died young, and the possessions then passed through the female branches of the family to the Cromwells, and from them to the CHntons. The Castle was weU nigh demolished during the civil wars. It stood on a moor, and was surrounded by two fosses, the outer one of earth, and the inner faced with brick, and supphed with water from the river Bane. The portion of the building now remaining was erected by Sir Ralph Cromwell, treasurer of the exchequer, in the reign of Henry VL It formed the north-west tower, rising to the height of about two hundred TATTERSffiAJLILi CASTILE, IL.JIMC® IL JJSMEK.E. ;HT1RA.MC]E to ILIIM'COILM CATEaEffliaAL. FISHER, SON * C? LONDON * PARIS , 18H7. % 10 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, the artificers of so remote a period, wanting many facilities which an increase of science has subsequently provided, should have nevertheless left behind them structures so vast and wonderful, so rich in decoration and grand in design, that, with all the additional aids of the present day, our architects take them as models, and are enthusiastic in their praise, without venturing to conceive the possibihty of improving them. CLUMBER,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Clumber Park, the seat of his grace the Duke of Newcastle, is situated in the vicinity of Worksop. Between thirty and forty years ago, the ground now forming this park was a large extent of wild forest land : the change that has taken place might well be deemed the work of a magician, or the creation of fairy hands. The site of the mansion lying rather low, the full effect of the building is not discovered till it bursts at once upon the view. The front is of white stone from a quarry in the neighbourhood, and presents an appearance of great magnificence; while the whole mass of building, including the spacious court of offices, forms a fine contrast to the hill, mantled with foliage, that rises beyond it. The effect is heightened yet more by a large piece of water, occupying the extended bosom of a winding vale, and terminated by a bridge of white stone, erected in a beautiful style of architecture. A Ught and extremely elegant Ionic colonnade adorns that front of the structure which faces the lake ; and the harmony in which the erections and accompaniments blend together, is seen to most advantage from the bridge before mentioned. Language has been exhausted in praise of this mansion. " It has been said, that it embraces magnificence and comfort more than any other nobleman's dwelUng in England; that every thing reflects the highest credit on the taste displayed in the accommodations and ornaments found in this delightful retreat; and that in this abode, the writer of romance might enrich his fancy, and the poet imagine himself wandering through an enchanted palace." The lofty Entrance Hall, supported by pillars, contains several fine paintings, and other works, of art. A lofty stone staircase next presents itself, with a curiously-wrought gilded raiUng. It' is adorned with valuable paintings, classic sculptures, and Roman sepulchral monuments. The library, a spacious apartment, containing a choice selec- tion of works in various languages, commands, from the windows, a charming prospect of the lake and pleasure-grounds ; while a smaller hbrary, or study, is enriched with a considerable number of family pictures. It would scarcely be possible in this description to name all the apartments included in this magnificent structure; but we cannot refrain from noticing the small drawing- room, enriched with' that famous work of art, by Correggio, Sigismunda weeping over LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 9 feet ; and is a rectangular brick structure, flanked by four embattled octangular turrets, three of which are still crowned with spires. The building is raised upon ponderous groined arches, supporting the ground floor, in which is a large open fire-place, bearing sculptures allusive to the Cromwell family. Tattershall church, standing on the east side of the outer moat, is a noble and spapious edifice, built, hke all the early Christian temples, in the form of a cross ; and consists of a nave, a transept, and a magnificent choir. The beautiful painted windows which formerly adorned the structure, were presented by Lord Fortescue to the Earl of Exeter, to be placed in the chapel of Burleigh House ; since then, the choir has fallen into dilapidation. This edifice was made collegiate in the time of Henry VI., but, after the dissolution, the whole of the ecclesiastical buildings were taken down, excepting the church, which even now presents, externally, an appearance of great beauty and grandeur. ENTRANCE TO LINCOLN CATHEDRAL. The first erection of Lincoln into an ecclesiastical see took place in the time of William Rufus, when a decree was issued for the removal of aU episcopal establishments to fortified places. Remigius, bishop of Dorchester, selected this spot for the seat of the diocese, and, having purchased lands, began the erection of a church. Scarcely was the sacred edifice completed, when Remigius died, leaving his successor to fix the stability of the new foundation. The tomb of Remigius is situated on the left of the choir, and bears the following inscription, written by bishop Fuller, in 1672. « Remigius, the founder of this church, lieth within this urn ; 'tis large enough for a " little man. But should you expect a sepulchre equal to his mind, to what a structure " would that rise ! Let then this church, which he built, be his tomb. Nor should a less " noble one be ascribed to his memory." The principal entrance to this cathedral has been much and deservedly admired : for expressive and solemn grandeur, it is perhaps not to be surpassed in ecclesiastical archi- tecture; and though the style is ornate to the last degree, the harmony of the entire design is preserved, and the decorative portions do not present the appearance of extraneous appendages. On each side of the large western doors, are regal statues, amounting in number to eleven, and representing kings of England, from William I. to Edward III. The prevailing character of the west front, but more particularly of the door-way, is that of the most fiorid early EngUsh style. The carvings and mouldings are elaborately wrought, and stand out in bold rehef. The entrance, which forms the subject of our Illustration, is a vast and complicated erection, executed with all the laborious care usually bestowed on a small model only. Indeed, we cannot look upon such a master- piece of art, and recur to the time of its production, without feeling astonishment that c CLU21IBIEIR.. Ei'®'ffTKJJ(SHAMSIHiniRE. KOrTnMGfflAM^ AMID) ITS JSMVHIROMS. riSHER. SON Sa C? LOTTOON * PARIS. 1837- 12 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, and destroy its fortifications, which was accordingly done. Descending to a later period, the mighty influences of the French revolution occasioned much excitement in the town ; and subsequently, the temporary destruction of our commercial intercourse by the war with France, led to acts of violence on the part of the people, who ascribed their distresses to the introduction of novel and improved machinery. A few years have taught them better, and convinced them, that the unerring construction and gigantic powers of British machinery, alone enables this country to hold pre-eminence in commerce over every other nation. Nottingham is seated nearly in the centre of the kingdom, on the side of a sandy rock, overlooking the vale of Trent, and close to the south-western extremity of Sherwood Forest, the noted resort of Robin Hood and his predatory band. Some of the streets are narrow ; but new and spacious avenues have been built during late years, and such general improvements effected as the wealth and importance of the town rendered desirable. The environs are delightful, and offer beautiful and interesting scenery for the painter and the admirer of nature. The waters of the Trent, after passing Nottingham in their course to unite with those at the mouth of the Humber near Gainsborough, receive the tributes of several small rivers, and the stream is expanded to a magnificent breadth. The public buildings will come more immediately under review in the course of our Illustrations ; here, therefore, we only advert briefly to the Subscription News-room and Library, erected at the west-end of the market-place ; the New Exchange, at the east- end; the Theatre, usually open during three months in the year; the Cavalry Barracks, at the upper extremity of the Castle Park; the Town-hall, and County-hall; the Churches of St. Mary, St. Nicholas, St. Peter, St. James, and St Paul, together with handsome and substantial erections for Dissenting congregations. Nottingham can fairly contest the palm with other towns in the kingdom, as respects the provision made for the education and support of the poor; the Blue Coat and National Schools are effectively managed, and the endowed charities are rich and well conducted. The principal articles of manufacture are stockings, both cotton and silk, bobbin-net, and lace; and the great mass of the population in Nottingham, and the neighbourhood^ find employment in the factories. Its vicinity to the Trent gives this town many faci- lities as a seat of commerce ; and the communication afforded by navigable canals renders the transition of goods easy to different parts of the kingdom. Weekly markets are held on Wednesday and Saturday; besides which there are five annual fairs Races take place every year, usually during the month of August; and the course, considered to be one of the finest in the country, is numerously attended. Henry Kirke White was bom at Nottingham, in 1785. After giving promise of excellence which few can hope to attain, he died, deeply regretted, during his residence at Cambridge, in 1806. BEXTOEIR. CASTLIE. L EKCE STEIRSHERIE. EISHEa, SOH. & C? LOBBON, k PJiBJS, 1837.. S)EE,T®!IB. CATTLE. FRfflMI THE ©AIRY. FISHER., SOW * a LONDON" A PARIS, 1BS7. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 1.3 BEL VOIR CASTLE,— LEICESTERSHIRE. Belvoir Castle, the magnificent seat of his grace the Duke of Rutland, occupies a roimantic situation on the summit of a natural cliff, the site of an ancient fortress, erected shortly after the Conquest It has been matter of dispute, whether to Leicestershire or Lincolnshire belongs the honour of possessing this noble edifice ; but, though it is situate on the very line of demarcation between the counties, Leicestershire is admitted to have superior right to the distinction. The estate of Belvoir came into the possession of the Manners' family by the marriage of Eleanor, eldest sister of Edmund, Lord Ros, a lineal possessor of the demesnes from the Conquest, with Robert de Manners of Ethall, in the county of Northumberland. The structure, as erected in the time of William I., had fallen into entire decay, when Thomas de Ros, created Earl of Rutland by Henry VIII., restored it, and " made it feirer than ever it was." Little, however, can now be ascertained of its ancient state ; and it is a task of scarcely less difficulty to describe the magnificence and splendour of the present building. The eminence on which BelVoir Castle stands, is covered with forest trees, which mantle its foundations, and are the privileged residence of "an innu- merable multitude of rooks." The appearance of the edifice, which assimilates in some degree to that of Windsor Castle, is singularly majestic. The view from the terrace comprehends the whole of the beautiful valley which lies round the castle, and extends over the surrounding country as far as Lincoln. This noble pile was under- going considerable alterations and improvements, principally in the interior, when, on the 26th of October^ 1816, a calamitous fire destroyed a great portion of the castle, and consumed many superb paintings and other invaluable property. The writer of this sketch well remembers the evening of the conflagration : he and others ascended the tower of a small church in Lincolnshire, whence they saw, at the distance of fifteen miles from the scene of ruin, a dark mass of lurid vapour hovering over the pile, and the flames bursting at intervals in terrific flashes, that appeared to threaten the entire demolition of the building. The loss sustained by the Duke of Rutland on this lamentable occasion is estimated at one hundred and twenty thousand pounds. The restoration has been complete, so far as human art and ingenuity could effect a renovation ; but the splendid paintings that formed the boast of Belvoir are irreparably lost. The elegant bridge shewn in our Illustration is one of the recent improvements, and renders the approach to the castle still more picturesque. 14 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, BELVOIR CASTLE,— FROM THE DAIRY. This view is taken from the Castle grounds, and in the vicinage of an elegant and highly ornamental erection named The Dairy. The vast dimensions of the structure are here seen to great advantage, and its superb character strikes the sight very forcibly. A residence more fit for royalty could scarcely be imagined; and the archives of Belvoir have the honour to record a visit from his late majesty George the Fourth, while Prince Regent. His royal highness arrived on the 2d of January, 1814, and was received with a salute of cannon from the battlements, the royal standard meanwhile floating on the Staunton Tower. The noble duke received his illustrious guest at the entrance to the castle ; and on his arrival in the drawing-room, the prince was presented with the golden key of Staunton Tower, from the then representative of the Staunton family, in whom is vested the command of this outwork. During his stay, his royal highness became sponsor at the baptism of the duke's eldest son, the Marquis of Granby ; and, previously to his departure, the prince was pleased to direct that one of the towers should, in remembrance of his visit, bear the name of The Regenfs Tower, and that a bust of himself should be placed in the centre of the apartment. The commands of his royal highness were obeyed ; and the honoured tower appears in our view with the royal standard of England waving over it. RUFFORD HALL,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. RufFord Hall (or Abbey) is an extensive edifice, erected upon the site, and engrafted into the remains, of an ancient monastic structure, founded here in 1148, by Gilbert de Gaunt, Earl of Lincoln, for a colony of Cistercian monks. This rehgious house was possessed of great revenues at the Dissolution, subsequent to which the demesnes were granted to George, Earl of Shrewsbury, from whom they passed, by the marriage of his grand-daughter and heiress, to Sir George Saville, of Barrowby, in Lincobshire, and in this family the possession of the building and lands still remains. The structure, as now existing, stands in a beautiful park of very large extent, at the distance of two miles south from OUerton. The site is extremely sequestered, and IS.IUFF©IR.1E> KtAILIL, WOT TIKTGMAMI SHIIIR.IE . MEWAM.K CASTILE. HWTTHJfGffllAKISHniSE . riSKER, SOU fc CT LONOOK* PA.RIS.1H3/ LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 15 the entrance front, embowered m a grove of spreading elm and beech trees, preserves much of its original character, notwithstanding the various alterations that have been made in the building by the Saville family. James I. and his son Charles are said to have made the Hall their residence when pursuing the diversions of the chase in Sherwood forest. A beautiful lake, spotted with small wooded islets, adorns the park, and adds greatly to the picturesque beauty of the locality. The interior of RufFord discovers a spacious entrance hall, altered to its present state in the reign of Elizabeth, and containing some ancient portraits. The Long Gallery is adorned with a fine collection of paintings, and offers a rich treat to the connoisseur. The apartment named " The Prince of Wales' Bed-room," and hung with splendid tapestry, owes its designation to a visit from his late majesty George the Fourth, when Prince of Wales. The Great Drawing-room is remarkable for its extent and a few choice paintings. Some of the principal paintings at Rufford HaU are the following: — Sisera and Judith ; a finely- executed work, and eulogized as being " horribly beautiful ;" the action of the piece, aided by the bold relief of the figures, causes an involuntary shudder in the beholder. John adoring Christ, and a Dead Christ ; both exquisitely done. There is one portrait which excites great attention, less perhaps for the merit of the painting than the peculiar notoriety of the party it is intended to represent ; it is that of the noted JBuckhorse, of whom it has been asserted that he frequently, for a trifling wager, under- took to fell a horse with a blow of his fist, a feat which he is also said to have accom- phshed without much apparent exertion : on other occasions, when in the prize-ring, it was his custom to suffer his adversary to exhaust all his strength by planting heavy blows on his person, which he took no care to parry, and afterwards, when his antagonist had become exhausted, he would make full and ample return. Christina, Queen of Sweden ; a boldly-painted portrait of a very masculine-lookiiig woman. Jedediah Buxton ; a por- trait which ought properly to belong to the Phrenological Society, [on account of the singular shape and character of the head. This extraordinary individual was gifted with wonderful calculating powers. He has been known to multiply thirty-nine figures into themselves, and even to fall in with ordinary conversation during the performance. He said that he was drunk once, in consequence of a great exercise of his retentive faculty, but recovered himself after a sleep of seven hours. His great question in figures was^- the reduction of a cube of upwards of two hundred millions of miles into barley-corns, and then into hair-breadths : the solution of such a problem, by mental calculation only, would appear, at first sight, absolutely impossible. The Hon. and Rev. John Lumley Saville, the present possessor of Rufford Hall, resides chiefly at the neighbouring village of Edwinstow, but he still maintains a small establishment at the Hall, to preserve and protect the property which has descended to him through a long line of ancestry. 16 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, NEWARK CASTLE,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Newark Castle was built, or re-edified, in the reign of Stephen, by Alexander, bishop of Lincoln ; and the appellation by which it was known, the iVew-work, gave name to the town that was subsequently erected in its neighbourhood. During the contentions between Charles and the Parliament, Newark was made a principal scene in the civil strife, and the castle is identified with the disasters of that turbulent period. This structure, though now in ruins, presents an august and venerable appearance. The most perfect portion of the building is the north front, overlooking the river Trent The general outline is quadrangular, and the dimensions are extensive ; within the exterior walls, however, very little now remains. The area has long been used as a bowling-green, and two rooms are neatly fitted up in the western tower for the use of the members. The remains of the castle hall would seem to show that it was erected subsequent to the other portions of the edifice; the projecting window, more especially, was undoubtedly inserted after, all the ancient modes of defence had gone out of use. Beneath the hall is an arched vault, or crypt, supported by a row of pillars down the centre, and having loop-holes . and embrasures towards the river. At one end are remains of the entrance to a subterranean passage, which is said to have extended a great way under ground : it was probably designed to be a place of temporary con- cealment, or a means of egress from the castle, when the pressure of an assault had compelled the garrison to discontinue the defence. Of the wall and gates which for- merly enclosed the tower, no vestige is now remaining. HADDON HALL,— DERBYSHIRE. rwo VIEWS. Haddon Hall, a seat of the Duke of Rutland, stands on a gentle eminence, amidst a dense mass of woods overhanging the river Wye, and at the distance of one mile south- east from BakewelL This baronial mansion, now uninhabited, is preserved as a complete and interesting specimen of ancient castellated structures; and is shewn to visitors by the tenant of a small dwelling at the entrance. The circular tower, with its rude winding staircase, is of very great antiquity. The hall has its elevated dais for festal occasions, and retains its ancient character; but there are large rooms above hung with tattered tapestery, and furnished with worked chairs, and appears to have been fitted up about the fifteenth century. It consists of buildings surrounding two quadrangular courts, erected at different periods. • .. . ^J^^'f''" '■' • ^ • THE C®0B.T OF ]HIAID)ro®r,f IHAldX Bcsnca. sou & a jlondon & pauig, I837 LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED 17 The towers and battlements of Haddon, when observed from a distance, convey the idea of a strongly fortified place ; and even on a near approach, the structure presents an aspect of defiance. It does not appear, however, that this building was ever provided with means of effectual resistance ; and its warlike character may be considered as the result of that style of architecture which formerly prevailed in baronial residences. The most ancient part of the structure is the tower, erected over the gateway, on the east side of the upper quadrangle : no evidence exists by which to determine the precise era, but the reign of the third Edward is mentioned as the probable period. The chapel, and the tower at the north-west corner of the building, are identified with the time of Henry VI. The long gallery was constructed in the reign of Elizabeth, and some portions of the edifice are of more modern date. The principal entrance to the Hall is at the north-west angle, under a high tower, and through a large arched gateway, leading by a flight of angular steps into the great court. This court is shown in the illustrative view ; and by calling in the aid of moon-light, together with groupings of characteristic figures, the artist has succeeded in producing an interesting picture of the olden time. Near the centre, on the east side of this area, is a flight of steps, leading to thereat porch, over the door of which are two shields, charged with the respective armorial bearings of Vernon and Pembridge. On the right of the passage, extending through the porch, is the hall, communicating with the grand staircase and the principal apartments ; and on the left are the culinary and other offices. The manor of Haddon was, shortly after the Conquest, in the possession of the AveneUs, from whom it passed, by marriage, to the famihes of Vernon and Basset. In the reign of Henry VI. the entire property was vested in Sir Richard Vernon. Sir George Vernon, the last male heir of this house, was so greatly distinguished by his hospitality and magnificent style of living, that he obtained the name of King of the Peak. At his death, the Haddon estates passed in marriage with his daughter to Sir John Manners, second son of Thomas, Earl of Rutland. The possession remains in this family to the present day. Haddon Hall continued to be the principal residence of the Dukes of Rutland till the commencement of the last century, when a removal was made to Belvoir Castle, another seat of the family. In the time of the first Duke of Rutland, not fewer than sevenscore servants were maintained at Haddon Hall ; and during Christmas, the true old English hospitality prevailed to a magnificent extent. Latterly, the voice of mirth and festivity has been less frequently heard ; but on the conclusion of the war with France, a splendid banquet and entertainment was given by the noble proprietor to a numerous assemblage of distinguished guests. 18 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, BOSTON CHURCH, AND GRA.ND SLUICE,— LINCOLNSHIRE. Boston is a port-town, situate on both sides of the river Witham, near its confluence with the German Ocean, and is distant thirty-four miles south-east from Lincoln, and one hundred and thirteen miles north from London. The principal feature in the present view is the church of St. Botolph, a magnificent and spacious structure, dedicated to the patron saint of the town, who is recorded to have founded a monastery at this place about the middle of the seventh century. This edifice is built in the decorated style of English architecture, and is usually considered the largest parochial church without cross aisles, in existence ; the entire length, within the walls, being not less than three hundred feet by one hundred feet in width. The ceiUng is constructed of English oak, supported by tall slender columns. A singular arrangement is observable in the number of steps^ windows, and pillars, throughout the building, which answer respectively to the days, weeks, and months contained in a year. That portion of the church, however, which strikes the eye most forcibly, and excites the highest admiration, is the lofty, octagonal lantern tower, rising to the height of three hundred feet. The position and altitude of this turret render it a conspicuous landmark for mariners, when traversing the dangerous channels of Lynn Deeps and Boston Deeps, or even when out at a considerable distance on the German Ocean. Formerly a light was nightly placed on the summit of the tower, to serve the office of a beacon, but subsequent arrangements have rendered the continuance of this practice unnecessary. The illustrative view is taken from the north, at a short distance from the Grand Sluice, whose gates confine the influx of waters, and extend the navigation of the river Witham nearly so far as Lincoln, with which city it connects by means of a canaL GRANTHAM MARKET-PLACE,— LINCOLNSHIRE. The town of Grantham is situate on the west side of the Witham, twenty-four miles south by west from Lincoln, and one hundred and eleven miles north by west from London. This place appears to carry back its origin to a very early period; and history records many and important privileges which it then enjoyed, together with the fact that Editha, queen of Edward the Confessor, held the manorial rights. The Knights Templars had formerly a preceptory at Grantham, and the remains of the ediflce appro- BOTTOM CHUmS^lH, AM© (ERAMIG) SLUHCIE. LflUCCBLMSHlIISIE. GIRAErTIHIA.EII MAIR.KET IPILACE, tt.EMC©aiUSffl)IlK.IE. najlER. sow .V C! luONDOK if PARIS, 1837. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLANT, ILLUSTRATED. 19 priated to their use now forms part of the Angel Inn. This old building appears in the centre of our view, and displays some grotesque ornaments; it has also three projections with mullioned windows, and a curiously-constructed parapet. The illustration, taken from the south entrance to the town, shows the ample space wherein the market is held every Saturday, and is enlivened with the bustling details that distinguish this day from the rest of the week. The market is extensively supplied with corn, and, on alternate weeks, there is a plentiful influx of cattle and live-stock in general. On the left hand, peering above the houses, is seen the lofty spire of St. Wulfran's church. The crocket ornaments on this structure present a singularly rich appearance ; they also recall to the writer's memory an exhibition of fool-hardiness which he witnessed at Grantham some years since. A person desirous of doing something that might distinguish him from the common mass, undertook to ascend the church spire on the outside by means of the crockets only, and, when arrived at the top, to tie a handker- chief round the pinnacle. This dangerous exploit he happily performed in safety, and afterwards waited cap in hand on the assembled multitude, conceiving that he was entitled to admiration and reward for a deed of peril foolishly encountered, and directed to no useful purpose. NEWSTEAD ABBEY,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. TWO VIEWS. Newstead Abbey is one of those favoured localities which possess many claims to distinction: its history commences in the reign of Henry II.; the edifice, together with all its accompaniments, is singularly picturesque; and, more than all besides, it is the ancestral domain, and has been the occasional abode, of a great master spirit of song, — one whose course excited a wonderment like that with which men behold the starry wanderer of an hundred years, when it returns within the precincts of this habitable sphere, and forms an epoch in their history. To the late Lord Byron this superb residence is indebted for an exciting interest which must attach to it so long as a love of true poetry exists. Newstead Abbey was founded about the year 1170, in the reign of Henry II.; and appropriated for the use of a religious brotherhood. At the time of the dissolution, when all the monastic treasure houses were compelled to disgorge their wealth, this foundation was possessed of most ample revenues. The Abbey was shortly after granted to Sir John Byron, then governor of Sherwood Forest, who fitted up part of the edifice lor his use, but suifered the church to fall into dilapidation, although the south aisle was incorporated into the dwelling-house, and included some of the principal apartments. The front of the Abbey Church is still a majestic ruin, resembling the west entrance to a cathedral, and is adorned with rich carvings. 20 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, An account of this edifice, which refers to its days of splendour, describes it as situated in the midst of an extensive and flourishing park. " On one side of the house is a large winding lake, and on the other side a noble expanse of water reaching nearly to the building. The banks are adorned with two picturesque castles, extending into the lake itself." The fifth baron, William, Lord Byron, great-uncle of the poet, had the misfortune to kill his friend and neighbour, William Chaworth, Esq., in an unhappy affray, and afterwards passed several of the last years of his life in austere seclusion, in which he suiFered the building to sustain dilapidation, and the grounds to be greatly injured by his neglect : to prevent which deterioration of the property, Captain John Byron, the father of our illustrious bard, obtained an injunction of the Court of Chancery. The house, which is quite in the antique style, with towers and battlements, has been thoroughly repaired by its present owner and occupant, Colonel Wildman,* It contains a great number of apartments, and two spacious galleries extending over the ancient cloisters. « It is impossible to contemplate the scene from the windows of the galleries without a recurrence to past times ; in fact, when we look down on the gothic arches, or up to the hoary battlements, midst all the sombre silence that reigns around, busy fancy peoples the scene with ideal beings, and the shadows of some small ash trees in the area may readily be mistaken, by an enthusiastic imagination, for the shade of a religious passing from his cell to the altar." An extensive crypt, running beneath the conventual church, has long been used as a cellar; and what was formerly the choristers' room, is fitted up as a bath. An ancient gothic green-house leads into the garden, (formerly the abbey burial-ground,) where the late Lord Byron erected a monu- mental pedestal in memory of his favourite Newfoundland dog. His lordship penned an inscription for the cenotaph, written under the influence of that morbid sensibility which unhappily cast a misanthropic gloom over a good portion of his virritings. This garden includes the dilapidated portion of the church, and is altogether a most interest- ing spot. The extensive park is no longer waste and uncultivated, but divided into farms, except in the immediate vicinity of the abbey, where the landscape is truly beautiful, having two lakes, together with plantations and ornamental buildings ; all har- monising with the splendid ruins and gothic mansion. After completing his residence at Cambridge, Lord Byron took up his abode at Newstead Abbey, and there wrote his " Hours of Idleness." This " vehtation of no promise" was criticised with merciless severity in the Edinburgh Review; and to this circumstance, probably, is mainly owing the subsequent success of his lordship's muse,; he was roused to energy, and gave note of preparation in the " English Bards and Scotch Reviewers ;" and when on his return from a continental tour he presented his " Childe Harold" to the world, he was universally hailed as the first poet of the age. » It will be remembered that in 1815 Lord Byron disposed of Newstead to T. Clawton. Esq. for £140,000 ; from the latter it was purchased by Colonel Wildman for £100,000. riEWSTEAIG) ABBETT, W(D)TTIIffGMAMSIHlIIlK.E . EISHEE.. SOK, & C? iOHUOK A PAlLIS. 185' LETCESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED, 21 LINCOLN, FROM THE CASTLE. The ancient city of Lincoln is a place of very considerable note in the ecclesiastical and miUtary annals of England. It is situated on the summit and declivity of a high hill, sloping with a deep descent to the south, where the river Witham runs at its base. A considerable portion of the city extends in a long street from the foot of the hill to the south. Camden states that this place formed a station or strong-hold of the ancient Britons prior to the coming of the Romans, and that it then bore the name of Lindcoit, from the neighbouring woods: no historical relation can, however, commence anterior to the Roman invasion, and httle can be said concerning Lincoln at that period beyond the fact, that indubitable vestiges and remains of the imperial power have been dis- covered in the vicinity. Yet even these discoveries alone are sufficient to create a powerful interest in the early history of this locality ; for who does not delight to trace the memorials of a people whose annals are identified with the cherished remains of classic lore ? The importance of this site as a Roman station must have been very considerable, as may be ascertained from the remains. The form of the encampment appears to have been that of a parallelogram, divided into four equal parts by streets intersecting at right angles, and having at their extremities strongly fortified gates, nearly facing the cardinal points. The whole was encompassed by an embattled wall, defended on three sides by a deep ditch, but on the southern side the natural acclivity of the hill was deemed a sufficient protection. In 1739, three stone coffins were discovered at the south-west corner of the close, near the Chequer Gate, vdth remains of a tessellated pavement, and, underneath, a Roman hypocaust. A similar discovery was made in 1782. Within the cloisters of the cathedral, part of a tessellated pavement is still preserved. On many occasions, vessels and trophies of the Roman era have been brought to light, and they are now treasured up in antiquarian collections. Shortly after the imperial forces had been withdrawn from Britain, to co-operate in the defence of Rome itself, at that time harassed and distressed by the repeated incursions of « the Scandi- navian horde," Lincoln, in common with other stations of importance, was successively seized upon by the Picts, the Saxons, and the Danes. At the period of the Conquest, Lincoln seems to have been one of the richest and most populous cities in the kingdom, and a great emporium of commerce. As a security against the disaffection of the people, who were rather disposed to view him as an usurping tyrant than hail him as a king, William caused to be erected four strong castles, of which that at Lincoln is one. The strength and situation of this fortress F 22 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, were well adapted to overcome and keep in subjection the numerous inhabitants of the neighbourhood. The few vestiges remaining to the present day attest the formidable aspect of the structure in its day of power. The walls are seven feet in thickness, and enclose a large area, formerly entered by a gateway, " between two round turrets still standing, under a large square tower." At present the appearance of Lincoln Castle is that of an interesting ruin : time has thrown a dim obscurity over its history, or, more correctly, has removed the events connected with it to a period so remote, that we view all that remains merely as an existing memorial of past generations, whose chronicles beguile the lingering hour, and serve only " to point a moral and adorn a tale." In the reign of Henry I. a navigable canal was made, commencing at Lincoln, and connecting the river Witham with the Trent. Tliis is known at the present day by the name of the Foss Dyke ; and it was probably the first work of the kind in this country. In 1 140, the empress Maud, who came over to England to dispute the title of Stephen to the throne, took up her abode at Lincoln, where she endured a siege ; but she was eventually compelled to retire, and the king obtained possession of the town. The notoriety which this place acquired during this contest, obtained for it a degree of consequence in the estimation of succeeding princes. After Henry the Second had been crowned in London, the solemnity was again performed at Lincoln. When the barons of the kingdom rose in arms to put down the tyranny of John, the city was taken by Gilbert de Gaunt, earl of Lincoln, while the castle, still remained faithful to the king. Having raised a powerful army, John was hastening to the assistance of this fortress, when the loss of his treasures, carriages, and baggage, whilst crossing the Washes from Norfolk, so affected him, that his death followed shortly after. Every reader of Shakspeare— and who is not a reader of his historical dramas?— will instinctively turn to the Bard of Avon, for an imaginative scene illustrative of this incident : — Fakonbridge. Oh ! I am scalded with iny violent ntotion, And spleen of speed to see your majesty. King John. O cousin, thou art come to set mine ey« : The tackle of my heart is cracked and burned ; And all the shrouds, wherewith my life should sail, Are turned to one thread, one little hair. My heart hath one poor string to stiiv it by. Which holds but till thy news he uttered : And then all this thou seest is but a clod And module of confounded royalty. Fakonbridge The Dauphin is preparing hitherward ; Where, heaven he knows, how we shall answer hiii : For, in a night, the best part of my power As I upon advantage did remove. Were, in the Washes, all unwarily, Devou, ed by the unexpected flood. (King dies.) TIHIE STOKE BOW, LIIH COLW. .ii^.if:K. aotj Jt c? .LOMUOEi fc iv.ii.!^ isa'/. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 23 Parliaments were frequently summoned at Lincoln, during the reigns of the earlier monarchs ; but the most important circumstance connected with its legislative proceed- ings is the confirmation of Magna Charta by Edward the First. On the commencement of civil strife between Charles the First and his parliament, the king came to Lincoln, where he was received with great loyalty ; though in the progress of the war, the castle, after enduring a protracted siege, was compelled to surrender to the parUamentarians. The diocese of Lincoln had at one period acquired so vast an accumulation of wealth and territory, that it was said, to be " ready to sink under the incumbent weight of its own greatness ;" and though Henry the Second took from it the diocese of Ely, and Henry the Eighth those of Peterborough and Oxford, it still remains the largest and one of the richest sees in the kingdom. The cathedral is a magnificent pile of building, situated on the highest part of a hill ; and the flatness of the neighbouring country makes it an object of striking interest at the distance of twenty miles. The form of the building differs little from that of similar edifices ; and a certain affinity which these structures uniformly bear to each other, renders it unnecessary, in this brief and general sketch, to advert more particularly to its external appearance. This diocese was deprived of a considerable portion of its wealth by Henry the Eighth, through the instrumentality of Henry Holbech, prelate, who, to ingratiate himself with royalty, effected a separation of the principal manors from the see, and in other ways struck at the prosperity g-nd character of the foundation. It was in the first year of his translation that the high pinnacle of the cathedral fell to the ground — a significant omen of approaching evil. On the side of the hill at Lincoln i^ the site of the Jew's House, as it is still termed. The remains are evidently those of a splendid edifice, which is said to have been possessed by a Jewess, who was executed in the reign of Edward the First for clipping the coin of the realm. The Jews at that time formed a very large portion of the population in Lincoln, and hence we may infer that it was even then a place of con- siderable trade. An act of merciless barbarity towards these unfortunate people sullies the history of the period. The great wealth and usurious practices of the Hebrews excited the public mind against them ; and the throne itself co-operated with the cruel prejudices of the people, to exterminate the devoted race. Edward the First had already extorted from them one-third of their property, and refused them permission to leave the country, when a report, well calculated to rouse the public mind to a state of frenzy, was circulated, that a child of the name of Hugh had been crucified by the Jews during one of their religious solemnities. The particulars of the accusation would be farcical, could they be separated from the dreadful issue that ensued. The principal authority on this subject is Mathew Paris, who gravely relates,— that during ten days this child was confined in a secret chamber, and fattened with bread and milk; that afterwards invitation was sent to the Jews throughout the kingdom to attend its cruci- fixion ; and that when it was buried, the earth cast it forth, and would not contain it ; when bein"' afterwards thrown into a well, it was there found by the mother, at whose instigation one hundred (or, as others say, eighteen hundred) Jews were delivered up 24 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, to the hangman. The body of the child, it is fiarther stated, was given to the canons of Lincoln, from whom it received the honours of martyrdom. Such is the detail of this transaction : the crime was a fiction— the punishment a terrible truth. History cannot perhaps furnish a stronger example of national prejudice and religious antipathy, kindled and cherished by the grossest ignorance and the most debasing superstition. In the course of our Illustrations, other views .of the city of Lincoln will appear ; in connexion with which, additional details concerning its history and modern character will be given. THE STONE BOW, LINCOLN. The Stone Bow is an ancient embattled structure, said to have been erected in the reign of Richard the Second, but offering evidence, in its style of architecture, of a much later date. The south front consists of a fine arched gateway, flanked on each side by a round tower with posterns. In a niche on the eastern tower, is a statue of the Angel Gabriel holding a scroll ; and in a corresponding niche in front of the other tower, that of the Virgin Mary trampling on a serpent; over the gateway, the arms of the city- are sculptured. Previous to the erection, in 1809, of the New Sessions House, the upper room of the Stone Bow was appropriated to " the court of oyer, terminer, and general gaol delivery ;" and the apartments at the east end were used as the city gaol. The west end of the building is let out as private dwellings. THE NEW BRIDGE, CHESTER. The New Bridge at Chester is an elegant erection, from a design by Mr. T. Harrison, constructed of Peckforton stone, with quoins of granite. It consists of only one arch, spanning an extent of two hundred feet A new and spacious avenue has been made, leading from St. Michael's Church to the New Bridge, and, being formed on a level, it avoids the steep descent down Lower Bridge Street and the ascent through Hanbridge. Opposite thereto. Earl Grosvenor has erected a lodge, intended as a grand entrance to the grounds of Eaton Hall. J,'*' - ' ^'^ .'■ TME HEW BIRIIIEXSIE, CHESTEIK,. S. Brads1iii.-w- JJLIG) IBIRiEIBGE STRIEET. CHESTl FrSHER . SOW k C. LONPOW k PARIS, 1S35'. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 25 OLD BRIDGE STREET, CHESTER. The streets of Chester, being for the most part cut out of the rock, lie several feet below the general surface, and to this circumstance is owing the very singular con- struction of the houses. In many parts, a line of low shops or warehouses are placed level with the street, and over them a balustrated gallery, with steps at intervals leading to it. Along these galleries, or "rows," as they are provincially 'named, are houses with shops, and projecting over them the upper stories of the buildings. Some of the rows are much frequented as promenades, for which indeed they are well adapted, being sheltered from the unpleasant effects of sun and rain. Old Bridge Street is tolerably wide and airy; and, as will be supposed from the character of the buildings, exceedingly picturesque. It has been quaintly remarked, that in instances where new erections have risen up amidst the antique ones, ■" the idea conveyed to the beholder is that of the picture of a fine gentleman of the present day placed between the portraitures of a brace of beaux of the days of Queen Elizabeth." BARDON HILL, LOOKING WEST, LEICESTERSHIRE. Throughout the county of Leicester, the general surface presents a multitude of gently rising hills. The highest parts are some of the peaks in Charnwood Forest, which consist of barren rocks composed of a species of granite. The elevation of these hills does not exceed nine hundred feet above the level of the sea; yet the views obtained from them are amongst the most extensive and beautiful in the kingdom. From Bardon Hill, one of the Charnwood eminences, whose elevation exceeds all the rest, a greater extent of surface is said to be presented to the eye than from any other point of view in our island. " Lincoln Cathedral, at the distance of sixty miles, makes a prominent object in the prospect." The Dunstable and the Malvern hills, with the Sugar Loaf in South Wales, and several of the mountains in Shropshire and North Wales, are distinctly seen. The Derbyshire hills, even to the highest peak, appear to he close at hand. Hence, it is remarked, the eye may range over the whole midland district of England. " An outline, described from the extremities of the views, would include nearly one-fourth of England and Wales. It may be deemed, without risk, one of the most extraordinary points of view in nature." G 26 THE COUNTfES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, Charnwood hills are entirely unique in their character : seen from a distance, they appear as an extensive range of vast mountains ; and even when approached, the promi- nencies preserve the characteristics of the mountain style. The peculiarities of this district are alluded to by Drayton in his Polyolbion : — " Oh, Charnwood, be thou call'd the choicest of thy kind, The like in any place what flood hath hapt to find ? No tract in all this isle, the proudest let her be. Can shew a sylvan nymph for beauty like to thee : The Satyrs and the Fauns, by Dian set to keep Rough hills and forest holts, were sadly seen to weep. When thy high-palmed harts, the sport of boors and hounds. By gripple borderers' hands were banished thy grounds." LEICESTER. The town of Leicester was founded at a very remote period : traditional authority dates its erection eight hundred and fifty years prior to the Christian era, by King Lear, whose daughter Cordelia succeeded him in the government of his kingdom. What degree of credit is due to this account, it is impossible to say, though it appears unquestionable that the town existed long before the coming of the Romans, and was by them adopted as one of their stipendiary cities. The presence of the imperial power in this neigh- bourhood has been attested in the usual way, by the discovery of numerous remains. During the Saxon Heptarchy, the county of Leicester formed part of the kingdom of Mercia, and from its central situation it would undoubtedly become the frequent arena of the petty contentions which harassed the country while divided into separate princi- palities, each governed by a distinct authority. It is said that Ethelred, king of Northumberland, being an avowed enemy to Christianity, led a powerful army to Leicester, and sacrificed to his religious zeal a vast number of the inhabitants. Penda, king of the Mercians, caused his son to be crowned at Leicester, previous to his mar- riage with the daughter of Oswy, king of Northumberland. Subsequent to its desolation by the Danes, this town was rebuilt by Ethelred, king of Mercia, and his queen Elfrida. After the Conquest, Leicester became part of the royal demesne, and a castle was erected according to usual custom, (or one, formerly existing, repaired and put into a state of defence,) at once to protect the vicinity and keep it in due subjection. The high and palmy days of the castle were those of the Lancastrian monarchs ; but in the reign of Richard the Third the fortress had so entirely gone to decay, that during his sojourn here, a few evenings before his fall, he preferred the mean accommodations of an inn to the royal apartments. BAKBPSf 1HM,3L, ILfQxDKIIM© WEST, E^MSCIEsSTEMSMIMS; '-=*":^«^>.- s:=,iE)i(niESTE: FtSHEE, sow, fr C? LomDOH, fe EAilIS,1837, ^ LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 27 At the moment that we are writing this descriptive sketch, we perceive an announce- ment in the Lincoln Gazette, that " the house in which Richard the Third slept on his road to Bosworth Field, has been taken down, to give place to a new building." During the parliamentary wars, the town of Leicester suffered severely ; the royalist party obtained possession of it by storm, but their opponents retook it within a month afterwards ; orders were then issued by the Roundheads, to raze the castle, and dispose of the materials. What is still remaining of the structure is incorporated with other buildings subsequently erected on the site ; the most conspicuous portion is an arched gateway and tower, named the Magazine, from its having been appropriated as a dep6t for the train-band military stores. Leicester Abbey, of which scarcely any vestige exists, was situated within the distance of a mile from the town. The privileges and immunities of this religious house were very considerable; and the services which it rendered to the neighbourhood especially, and occasionally to the throne itself, amply repaid the gifts of royalty, and the numerous bequests of the pious. The poor of Leicester and its vicinity subsisted on its alms ; and in cases of emergency, the abbey coffers supplied an effective subsidy to the government. Kings and princes were wont to make it their temporary abode ; amongst other royal sojourners, mention is made of Richard the Second and his queen, who, with their nobles and a numerous retinue, were sumptuously entertained and lodged at this house. The circumstance, however, which confers most celebrity on the abbey is the death of Cardinal Wolsey, which took place within its sanctuary on the twenty- ninth of November, 1530. " At last, with easy roads, he came to Leicester, Lodg'd in the abbey ; where the reverend abbot, With all his convent, honourably received him ; To whom he gave these words : — O, father abbot, An old man, broken with the storms of state. Is come to lay his weary bones among you ; Give him a little earth for charity ! So went to bed : where eagerly his sickness- Pursued him still ; and three nights after this, About the hour of eight, (which he himself Foretold should be his last,) full of repentance, Continual meditations, tears, and sorrows, He gave his honours to the world again, His blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace.'' Shakspeare. — Henry VIII. The town of Leicester is pleasantly seated on the banks of the river Soar, at the distance of ninety-seven miles north-north-west from London. A more detailed account of its history and topography will accompany future Illustrations. At present we can only cursorily name a striking object in our view-r-the new Gaol and House of Correction, erected at the south end of the town. 28 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, INTERIOR OF THE CHAPTER HOUSE, LINCOLN CATHEDRAL. The Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral is an elegant building situate on the eastern side of the cloisters, and appropriated to the sittings of the chapter, or eccle- siastical court, of the see. The area of this structure presents a regular figure of ten sides, the interior of which measures upwards of sixty feet in diameter. One of the sides forms the entrance ; in each of the others is a window with pointed arches, of the early, or lancet style. The groined roof is supported by a central pillar, consisting of a circular shaft surrounded by ten small fluted columns, terminating in foliated capitals. The illustrative view is taken from the entrance before named, which is of equal altitude with the building itself. In earlier times, when the ecclesiastical power bowed the highest secular authority to its will, and the restriction of knowledge to the few rendered the great mass of society powerless and submissive, the authority of a conclave deliberating and pronouncing judgment in a court connected and identified with the very seat of religion, must have been all-potent in its effects. The laity would not risk the terrible visitation of excom- munication and anathema, by resisting or disregarding decrees and ordinances promul- gated by the court of the church, and pronounced even within the walls of the temple itself. THE HIGH BRIDGE OVER THE WITHAM, LINCOLN. The High Bridge at Lincoln is an ancient structure, supposed to carry back its origin a distance of time not less than five hundred years. It crosses the main stream of the river Witham with a single arch of about twenty-two feet in width, by eleven feet in height. On the eastern side of the bridge is a massive and ornamental obelisk, erected in 1763; an adjoining conduit supplies the city with water from the same spring as that of St. Mary and the Grey Friars. In 1815 the structure was widened, and other improvements carried into eflfect. © LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 29 WILLERSLEY CASTLE,— DERBYSHIRE. Willersley Castle, the beautiful mansion of Richard Arkwright, esq., stands on the south side of a commanding eminence, which runs from east to west, and terminates the extensive range of rock that forms the eastern boundary of the Derwent, in its course through Matlock Dale. At the foot of the hill, the river flows in a grand sweep towards the east ; but afterwards resumes its way to the south, and traverses a more open country. Immediately in front of the castle rises a lofty perpendicular rock, forming the western extremity of the dale, and through which a passage has been blasted, to admit an entrance of the road from the south. Hence the building is seen to very great advantage ; its castellated appearance, judicious proportions, exact symmetry, and beautiful surrounding scenery, forming a coup d'oeil rarely witnessed. The castle consists of an oblong square, with a low circular tower rising from the centre of the roof, and a semicircular turret projecting from the front on each side of the entrance ; and two wings, having a round tower at each angle. A singular circumstance, connected with its erection, and one highly characteristic of the gifted individual by whom' it was raised, is— that the spot, on which it stands, was originally occupied by a vast rock, that required great efibrt in its removal, which was effected at an expense of no less than three thousand pounds. The architect was Mr. W. Thomas, of London ; but there is reason to believe that his portion of the design was confined to technicalities only, and that Sir Richard Arkwright himself had arranged the whole economy of the building in his mind. An accident occurred to the edifice while the interior was finishing, in consequence of a stove being overheated, and all that was combustible was destroyed. This, however, only retarded its completion. Whilst the exterior of the structure presents an elegant, and indeed splendid, aspect, the interior is characterized by a simplicity which, though in the highest degree pleasing, is rather directed to usefulness than mere ornamental display. The structure through- out may be taken as an index of the founder's mind. The choice of the site, and. the difficulties to be overcome before that site could be rendered available, faintly shadow out the mental powers and exertion of the man who had toiled in lone obscurity, and under circumstances the most discouraging, to perfect those mechanical powers which, in a few years after their completion, created a new era in commerce, and communicated the results of British enterprise and ingenuity to the remotest corners of the world. The design of the structure is admirable for its order and beauty ; and the interior economy evidences that the mind which planned it was too comprehensive and judicious to sacrifice the useful to the ornamental. The apartments contain some excellent family portraits, by Wright of Derby, and, amongst other pieces by the same artist, is the justly celebrated view of Lake Ullswater, for which Sir Richard Arkwright gave the painter three hundred guineas. This pleasing 30 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, instance of munificence shows that Sir Richard could appreciate the beauties of art in other departments than the one peculiarly his own, and that grudging avarice, which too frequently sullies the fame of persevering industry, was to him a vice unknown. The grounds of Willersley Castle possess great variety and beauty, and overlook all the rich scenery of Matlock Dale. We cannot conclude this brief notice of the illustration under review, vdthout referring to the character and works of him whose name will ever be associated with the structure. Sir Richard Arkwright was originally an inhabitant of Preston, in Lancashire, following the humble occupation of a barber. In this neighbourhood a considerable manufacture of linen and cotton goods was in constant progress ; but the mode of spinning, probably the same that had existed for ages, appeared to him rude and unsatisfactory. He projected a machine for spinning the thread ; but his own means prevented him from reducing his theory to practice, and those who possessed capital were too apprehensive of failure, to lend the necessary assistance. Still he persevered ; and ultimately attracted the attention of individuals possessing sufficient discernment to deem his machinery worth the cost of a triaL The goal then, indeed, appeared in sight, but it was not won : the new machinery, as might be expected, did not anticipate every contingency : failure to a certain extent attended the first essays ; and the projector, whilst intensely occupied in remedying deficiencies, had to endure the taunts of minds less comprehensive, and consequently less sanguine, than his own. But the goal was won : a series of machinerj^, so admirable in its movements, and to the unpractised eye so complicated in its details, was at length perfected ; and that department of British manufactures which had till then excited no very considerable notice, began to be viewed by the judicious and discerning as a source of illimitable wealth to the nation. Sir Richard lived to see the full completion of his hopes : he acquired wealth and fame ; and beheld the object of his solicitude advancing in popularity and usefulness. Many great improvements have been effected in the Cotton Machinery since the death of Sir Richard Arkwright; but it must not be overlooked that it is comparatively nothing to suggest from time to time a slight improvement or extension of his plan. With him originated the great design; and to him this country is indebted for opening a treasure-house of wealth, which can never be exhausted so long as it retains the talisman of industry. A SCENE AT MATLOCK,— DERBYSHIRE. The present illustration includes that reach of the Derwent river immediately below Matlock Bath, with the wood-covered heights of Abraham. The site of the view is a favourite resort of visitors. The river below this place runs over a rocky bed, and is too shallow for the use of boats. \;!r n iL iL E m, s il ,ie r c a § t l js , p e Wi m ii s j!i! e i SCISMIP; .A\T MATE^OCIS. ITOE laBT S ffiT It RIE. Ir'lSliC.R sot * C! ^OauOIJ it I'AmS,193? LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 31 NOTTINGHAM CASTLE. Nottingham Castle was built in the year 1068, by William de Peverel, natural son of William the Conqueror, and probably occupies the site of a fortress in which the Danes established themselves during the Saxon heptarchy. The history of this structure is identified with many remarkable incidents in the national history. Richard the Third here held his court, and mustered his forces preparatory to the battle of Bosworth Field. In the civil war between Charles and the Parliament, the Castle was regarded as an object of great importance, and its possession stoutly contested by the opposing parties. During the protectorate, the building was destroyed by order of Cromwell, after it had stood the assaults of time and the shock of war for nearly six hundred years. At the restoration, the site was claimed by the heirs of the Duke of Buckingham, to whom it had been granted by James I.; and by them it was sold to William Cavendish, Marquis, and afterwards Duke of Newcastle, who, in 1674, com- menced the building of a new edifice. The structure was completed in 1683 ; and an equestrian statue of the founder, sculptured by Wilson from a single block of stone, was placed in a central niche of the east front. The illustration before us, refers to an event which must ever remain a subject of the deepest regret During the popular excitement that prevailed in consequence of the opposition offered by the Lords to the passing of the Reform Bill, various excesses were committed in the town of Nottingham and its environs, by a misjudging and infuriated populace; and, to crown the work of spoliation and destruction, the ' Castle, which had so long been the pride and ornament of the town, was destroyed by fire.* This illegal act, as well as others alluded to, there is every reason to believe, was perpetrated by a multitude of mischievous, disorderly youths, rioting they scarcely knew why or wherefore, and acting under the advice of some few adults of worthless character, who eagerly seized the moment of excitement to further their purposes, and to whom Reform was nothing more than a pretext for outrage and destruction. Of this we are convinced, that none feel more regret than the inhabitants of Nottingham themselves, for the ill-judged and unlawful proceeding that blots the history of their locality. We copy the particulars of the conflagration from an account furnished by a spectator. " The main body of the rioters proceeded by different routes to the Castle lodge, where they arrived soon after seven o'clock in the evening, and commenced a battering attack upon the lodge gates, whilst others scaled the walls of the Castle yard, opposite to the flight of steps leading to Standard-hill, where a breach was soon made, so that ■" Monday, Oct. 10th, 1831. 32 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, by the stones pulled down into the road, entrance into the yard was easily effected. The assailants then rushed up to the Castle, mounted the great flight of stairs, broke in the windows, and, collecting the materials best suited for burning, they piled them in different heaps and set fire to them ; so that in a short time this proud ornament of the town was on fire in so many parts, that all hope of extinction was vain: the great height and distance to which the water would have to be carried, aided by the dryness of the timber, would have made it impossible for the whole population of Nottingham to have subdued the conflagration, which by half-past nine had reached its height. At this time, the atmosphere was filled with a lurid glare, volumes of flame issued from every window, and rolled forth masses of smoke, which gradually spread and mounted aloft, till it formed a gigantic bulk, to which even the stupendous building, and the great rock on which it stands, were diminutive. A man with a large crow-bar com- Inenced the destruction of the beautiful equestrian statue, placed in a niche in the centre of the east front, and very speedily left the horse and the rider headless and limbless trunks ; the parts broken ofi^ were carried away as trophies. The circumstance of the Castle being without the limits of the town magistracy, and the disturbances in the populous parts of the town keeping the few military busily engaged, gave the assailants of the Castle almost unbounded license ; and as the flames burst forth in each new directiouj they were hailed with loud and exulting shouts. At the commencement, many persons were seen carrying fire from room to room, and stripping the antique and beautiful tapestry from the walls. About eleven o'clock, the conflagration began to subside, and heavy showers of rain acted as a check in preventing further outrage, by causing great part of the mob to retire to their respective homes. But on the following morning, the rioters again assembled at an early hour, about the Castle yard, and soon made their entrance into it. For some time they wandered amongst the still burning ruins, in search of rehcs. Five boys were crushed and scorched to death, in their attempt to secure some of the large masses of lead, glass, and calcined stone and marble. Three men, who ventured upon the stone steps of the geometrical staircase at the north end, were precipitated a depth of seven or eight feet amongst the smokin"- ruins, and with great difficulty extricated themselves." The Castle, though now a mere roofless shell, presents the same appearance to the distant observer that it formerly did; the exterior walls being all left standing. It rests on a rusticated basement, and its principal front is highly ornamented in the Corinthian style of architecture ; a double flight of steps leads to the entrance, over which is the mutilated equestrian statue of the founder. :4 fflOIRTEMEia'S eOILE, HOT THHSrlHI AM CASTLE. FISHEH, SON ^ C9 LOKDON & .PARIS. 1837 . ^ LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 33 MORTIMER'S HOLE,— NOTTINGHAM CASTLE. Mortimer's Hole is a singular subterranean passage, of considerable length and capacity, extending from the court of the old Castle to the brewhouse-yard at the foot of the rock, and was formerly defended, by six gates. Through the whole of this passage, to within fifteen ya,rds of the bottom, openings are excavated in the rock, partly to give light, but principally designed in olden time, as convenient stations whence the soldiers could send forth arrows and other missiles against an enemy; cannon were planted in this pass, during the civil war, to command the road from Trent bridge. " This wonderful passage was cut during the Danish invasion, by some of the Saxon kings, for the better security in case of siege." About seventeen yards above the lower entrance, which is ascended by nearly worn-out steps of living rock, is a dark and narrow passage, branching off to the right, and communicating with the keep of the old Castle, in which were the state apartments. This passage obtains its name from the following historical incident. In 1330, the young King Edward having held a parliament here, was conducted during the night, by Sir William Elaiid, governor of the Castle, through a secret passage to the apartment of his queen-mother, where he apprehended, and brought by force from her presence, Mortimer Earl of March, a nobleman on whom the queen had placed her affections. Despite her tears and entreaties, the soldiers led him forth through the same passage, (thenceforward called Mortimer's Hole,) whence they sent him direct to London, where he was shortly after executed at Tyburn as a traitor. All the entrances to this passage are now walled up, to prevent wanton aggression on the Castle gardens. EATON HALL,— CHESHIRE. TWO VIEWS. Eaton Hall, the truly magnificent residence of the Marquis of Westminster, is situated on the edge of an extensive and well-wooded park, at the distance of about three miles south from Chester. The family of Grosvenor is of a very remote descent. Gilbert le Grosvenor, nephew of William the Conqueror, accompanied his uncle in the expedition against England, and on the latter obtaining the throne of this kingdom, Gilbert had assigned to him the extensive and rich demesnes now graced by the noble structure under review. I 34 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, The present edifice occupies the site of an old brick mansion, erected in the reign of William III. by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, the then representative of the family. The basement story of the original building was preserved, but the entire superstructure was altered, and the whole erection enlarged to twice its former dimensions. The style of architecture is that which prevailed in the time of Edward III., and exhibits all that beauty of design and richness of detail, so, universally admired in York cathedral. The object of the architect was to adapt the highly decorative style of our old ecclesiastical structures, to the purposes of domestic convenience ; — an object which has been fully attained: for the internal economy of the building is not less admirable, than the exterior is grand and imposing. The mansion is constructed of a light-coloured stone, which causes it to stand out in beautiful relief from the dark foliage of the woods. It presents two fronts, each consisting of a spacious centre of three stories, terminating in octagonal turrets, and connected with wings of corre- sponding architecture. The west front is entered beneath a lofty vaulted portico, sufficiently spacious to admit a carriage; and on the eastern side, a magnificent flight of steps leads up to three arches that form the centre of a vaulted cloister, extending along the front of the building, and connecting the two wings. Through these arches the visiter enters the grand saloon, a noble apartment, whence is seen one of the most picturesque landscapes of the river Dee. On the turrets and parapets of the building are shields charged in relief with the armorial bearings of the Grosvenor family. The Hall is a spacious and lofty apartment, terminating in a groined ceiling, decorated with armorial devices. The tesselae of the pavement is of variegated marbles, and divided into compartments. From the Hall, entrance-arches lead, on the right and left, to the grand staircase, which is ornamented with niches and canopies, and lighted by a double skylight of variously-coloured glass. The entrance to the saloon is opposite to the three arches that lead into the Hall. Immediately on entering this room, the spectator looks with admiration on three lofty windows, divided into com- partments, and exhibiting portraits of distinguished personages connected with the early history of this house. The dining-room is situated at the northern extremity of the east front, and the windows contain portraits of Hugh Lupus, and of six earls of Chester. The drawing-room is at the southern end, and is likewise adorned with windows exhibiting heads and figures of the ancestral proprietors of Eaton. The library is richly stored with ancient and valuable manuscripts, together with a choice selection of books ancient and modern. The admiration with which the tourists regards this magnificent pile of buildings is heightened by the consideration, that its erection gave employment and support to a vast number of poor persons at Chester and in the neighbourhood, during one of the most calamitous periods of the continental war, when the scarcity, and consequent high price of provisions, appeared to threaten the lower classes with all the miseries of starvation. W3EST irmosT KAST lEATOW MAK.!!!., CMIBSMKIEK. TOirRK. SOB. t c- LonnoB fc mi'E. W' LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 35 CASTLE OF ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH,— LEICESTERSHIRE. The town of Ashby de la Zouch is pleasantly situated in a fertile vale, near the north-western extremity of the county. The original name of this place was Ashby; but the addition of de la Zouch was added, to distinguish it from other Ashbys, and at the same time to identify it as the manorial property of the family of Zouch. In the reign of Edward IV. Sir William Hastings obtained a grant of the manor,' with permission to erect fortified " houses of lime and stone," at this and other places. The building at Ashby was of great extent, strength, and importance ; and continued to be the principal residence of the Hastings for nearly two hundred years. It was raised on the south side of the town on an elevated ground, and was dignified with two lofty towers. The remains of this castellated building which now exist, are parts of the hall, chapel, and kitchen, and these sufficiently attest the great extent and magnificence of the structure at the period when it was entire. The dilapidated walls exhibit door-ways, chimney-pieces, and windows, together with armorial bearings and devices, all inwrought in a rich and highly decorative style. The Castle of Ashby de la Zouch derives some interest from its connexion with the history of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, " who has given celebrity to so many castles and old mansions, by her melancholy imprisonment beneath their lofty turrets." She was for some time confined at Ashby, while " committed to the custody and safe-keeping of the Earl of Huntingdon." In Nichols' History of Leicestershire, some letters are preserved, written to the Earl by Elizabeth herself, on the subject of Mary's imprisonment. Entertainment was given at this Castle, in 1603, to Anne, queen-consort of James I., and the Prince Henry; afterwards, that monarch himself paid a visit of state, and was daily attended during dinner by thirty knights. The garrison having taken an active part in favour of Charles I. against the forces of the Parliament, the latter compelled them to evacuate it; when the fortress was dis- mantled, and thenceforward consigned to the slow decay of time. The wand of the northern magician has cast a spell of deep and thrilling interest over the history of Ashby de la Zouch ; and though it might prove fruitless to inquire after the actual site of the glorious " Passage of Arms," so vividly imagined and described by the author of " Ivanhoe," still none can visit the neighbourhood, or peruse its chronicles, and not feel that a master spirit has hallowed the locality, by making the far-forgotten incidents of human time, no less present to his mind than the occurrences of yesterday. 36 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, DONNINGTON HALL,— LEICESTERSHIRE, Donnington Hall, the seat of Earl Moira, is situated about a mile south-west of the village of Castle Donnington, formerly a market-town, but now an extensive village, in which are still existing fragments of an ancient castle and vallum. From the period of the Conquest, this manor was held by the Barons of Haulton, till 1310, when it passed by marriage to Thomas Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster, Leicester, and Derby. In 1594, the family of Hastings obtained it by purchase; and the possession of the Hall and demesne has descended to the successive heirs of that house, to the present day. The present Hall was erected by order of the Earl of Moira, after designs by. Mr. William Wilkins, of Cambridge, and occupies a delightful situation on a plain formed by the union of three vallies. The site of the edifice, though beneath the neighbouring elevations, is considerably higher than the general level of the country. The style of the front and entrance hall is gothic, in conformity with a suggestion of the noble proprietor, who deemed that mode of architecture most suitable to the scenery of the neighbourhood. The principal rooms are, the hall just mentioned, the dining-room, the ante-chamber and drawing-room, the library, and the breakfast-parlour. The whole of these are exceedingly spacious, and richly furnished. A choice collection of paintings is preserved here, embracing portraits, landscapes, and historical compo- sitions ; they decorate the various apartments, and possess much interest both as works of art and reminiscences of the national history. Some curious specimens of painted glass have also been introduced into this mansion, brought from the old chapel -of Stoke Pogeis, in Buckinghamshire. The park, wherein the Hall stands, is celebrated for its majestic oaks and other forest trees; and for the bold swells and sweeping valleys that diversify its surface. From many stations, scenes are discovered of great picturesque beauty and interest. At the northern extremity of the grounds, rises a romantic precipice named Donnington Cliff, which, in conjunction with the woods in the vicinage, and the pellucid waters of the Trent, forms a landscape worthy of Claude Lorraine. This scene has been repre- sented in two large prints by Vivares, after paintings by T. Smith. Our illustration will shew that the park is not wanting in the prime and chief adornment— a numerous herd of deer. And the artist, who never omits an accidental allusion that may convey information to the uninitiated,, has here instructed us in the method of buck-shooting. These tenants of the forest are naturally so timorous, and watchful of danger, that much finesse is necessary to approach within gunshot of them ; and, not unfrequently, the sportsman must lie extended on the ground, waiting till a favourable opportunity presents, when, without rising from his recumbent position, he takes concealed and secure aim at his victim. Should he, by any mischance, fail in his shot, there is little hope to obtain a second trial on the same day. ». . . , A. .V J. tt-" n-' CASTILE ©IF IB(D)SfJS?3IH(BT®Br IIXAU., ILJEKCJESTIEKSmiffilE. rrSHKR.SON, * C9 LOMHOn. != PAltlS, 1837. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLLSTRATED. 37 RUTLAND CAVERN, NEAR MATLOCK— DERBYSHIRE. Geologists, in describing the strata of Derbyshire, a county so particularly attractive fo the students of that important science, make, mention of a vast rent or disruption, which extends across the mineral districts, and opens the subterranean geography of the neighbourhood to the research of the philosopher. In one of the strata thus partially disclosed, and which is scientifically known by the term of the fourth limestone, shririk- ings have taken place in the lighter and more earthy parts, by which large cavernous chambers have been made; and through the walls and roofs of these, water, impregnated with minute particles of crystal, mineral ores, and fluor, continually exude, forminpf curious coloured stalactites, either in a pendent state, or on the ground ; where, by the incrustation of their ceaseless droppings, they assume figures of great magnitude, and of shapes to which fancy alone can assign a name. These caverns are supposed by the miners to abound beneath the surface of the high grounds as far as Castleton ; but those that have been opened and explored are principally the Rutland, Cumberland, Devon- shire, and Fluor caverns at Matlock, and the truly beautiful crystallized cavern at Bradwell. In the last mentioned there is a natural hall, of gothic form, twelve feet in height, and twenty in length, which supports the incumbent rock, upon pointed arches, studded with innumerable stalactites, that sparkle when a torch is introduced among them, with the most fairy-like and dazzling scintillations. The Rutland cavern is on that elevated position called the Heights of Abraham., which rises on the banks of the Derwent, opposite to Mount Masson, at Matlock baths. The access to it is facilitated by a path cut by the miners through the solid limestone, and the visitors are conducted to the vast cavities of the interior by vaulted passages, amidst craggy rocks of various romantic forms. The chambers to which admission is thus obtained, are admirable for the multitude of their brilliant crystallizations, and for the glistening of numerous metallic ores, particularly particles of copper and lead, intermingled with minute traces of other metals, which gleam forth when torches, or other artificial hghts, are suspended among them.. The other caverns possess similar features : the vaulted chambers, the crystals, the stalactites of various shapes, colours, and positions, and the richness of metallic ores, are common to them all, though they differ from one another in capacity and extent ; so that the following lines apply to them generally ; they were written by a bard, who often wandered " Amid Deorabia's mountain cells, Where the bright crystals — subterranean stars — Translucent shine, — and many a spirit dwells 'Midst grots of fossil shells. And purple-poiuied spars ; Who coronet their brows with gems, and bind The wavy fludr round their tophal cars." K 38 THE COUKTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, CASTLE OF THE PEVERILS, IN THE PEAK— DERBYSHIRE. The Castle of the Peak is associated, in the recollections of most imaginative readers, with the records of history, with the pages of the mighty master of romance, and with the wonders of natural philosophy. It is now a ruin in solitary dignity, frowning on a stupendous rock of limestone, which abrupt and perpendicular chasms isolate from the neighbouring territory. Whether it existed when the Norman Conqueror bestowed the manorial honour of this and thirteen other lordships in Derbyshire on his natural son, William Peveril, is uncertain; but the writer of an article in the Archseologia endeavours to discover in its remains vestiges of Saxon origin, although tradition, and the name of " the Peverils' Place in the Peak," are generally considered as pointing out its founder, and the impressive terror which its erection spread around it. William de Peveril exercised his feudal rights with rigour, and established a local jurisdiction, of which some usages are retained by the manorial courts in Derbyshire, with something like regal authority : but the dominion of the Peverils in the Peak was not of long duration ; in the early part of the reign of Henry II. a descendant of William de Peveril having been guilty of poisoning Ranulph, Earl of Chester, fled the kingdom, and the Castle of the Peak became subsequently part of the possessions of the Duchy of Lancaster. The district around Castleton is more interesting for the wonders of nature which it contains, than any territory of the same extent throughout the kingdom. Immediately beneath the lofty cliff of limestone on which the ruins of the Castle stand, is the cele- brated Peak Cavern, of awful and terrific dimensions, extending from its wide and gloomy entrance, under a dark archway of depressed gothic form, above two thousand three hundred feet into the interior of the stupendous rock, from the summit of which the depth is calculated to be not less than six hundred and fifty feet. It consists of a succession of cavernous chambers, lofty and of magnificent size, and through one of the first flows a wide stream of water, across which the curious and enterprising visitors are ferried. The classical reader experiences, on this occasion, thoughts and sensations that recall to his memory passages from the sixth book of the ^neid of Virgil, and he seems, like the Trojan hero, to be leaving the living world, and descending to meet the dead amidst the black and noxious gulfs of Erebus, " To mid-day sun unknown, or midnight stars !" Not far from the Peak Cavern is the Mam-Tor, or Shivering Mountain, down the lofty side of which continually fall fragments of shale and gritstone ; and in the same neighbourhood are the Winnets, or the" Gates of the Wind, which is a narrow defile through which gusts of wind continually prevail; and here is likewise the mine producing that peculiar and beautiful kind of spar denominated " Blue John." «5 5=i & 93 LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RLTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 39 WORKSOP MANOR— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, THE SEAT OF THE DUKE OF NORFOLK. The magnificent simplicity of the design upon which the seat of his Grace of Norfolk was intended to be rebuilt, after the destruction of the former mansion by fire in the year 1761, may be conceived from a view of that portion of the whole which has been completed, and which so unites a pleasing and chaste dignity with vastness of extent, that the eye of taste is satisfied with the contemplation, and seems to dread an addition as it would an intrusion. What we now behold is, however, only one side of a quadrangle, which was to have contained two interior courts, in the same style of unostentatious and complacent grandeur. The fronl^ in length three hundred and eighteen feet, is elegant in the purity of its proportions ; and we may justly say with Mr. Young, in his Agricultural Tour, " that in this front there is a noble simpHcity which must please every eye, without raising any idea of the want of ornament." The antique structure, burnt down, as we have already stated, had been erected by an Earl of Shrewsbury in the fifteenth century ; and while the unhappy Queen of Scots was an imprisoned guest, under the care of a subsequent earl of the same family, she was here occasionally a resident. It was at Worksop Manor that James I. rested on his journey from Scotland to London, when, on the death of Elizabeth, he ascended the British throne. This manor had passed, by marriage-dower, to several illustrious families, famous in our chivalric and historical narratives. Thomas de Fur- nival, Lord of Worksop, is mentioned in the " Siege of Caerlaverock," an old poem written in Norman French, about the year 1300. He attended Edward I. in the Scottish expedition of that warhke sovereign ; and we give the following extract as a curious specimen of the language and manner of those times. Avec eus fa achimenez Ci beau Thomas de Pournival, Ki kant sur le cheval Ne sembloit home ke sommeille. Six Merles e bende vermeille Portoit en la baniere blanche. Of these lines the following is a free translation : — With them marched along that way, Thomas de Purnival, bold and gay : Who, when upon his steed he leapt, Did not resemble a man who slept. Six martlets, with crimson bend between, Were on his silvery banner seen. 40 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, From the Furnivals, the manor passed to the Nevills, and thence to the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, whose heiress espoused a Howard, Earl of Arundel, an ancestor ot the Dukes of Norfolk. In the conflagration of this venerable fabric, which had remained the pride of the neighbourhood for not less than three hundred and fifty years, there were consumed furniture and paintings, together with antique statues and marbles, some of which were a portion of the famous Arundelian collection, besides old manuscripts and books, in the accumulation of which, the noble family had been at a cost of little less than a hundred thousand pounds. The manor-house of Worksop stands in an extensive park, which anciently consti- tuted one of the sylvan dom.ains near the skirts of the forest of Sherwood. It is mentioned by Evelyn in the seventeenth century, as remarkable for some of the most majestic forest trees in the kingdom, and several of these are green and vigorous even at the present period. NOTTINGHAM MARKET-PLACE. Much interest always attaches itself to the market-place of a large, populous, and active town ; and there are few scenes more animating to the spectator who takes a pleasure in the busy pursuits of human life, than a market-day at Nottingham. The area of the market-place is between five and six acres in extent, and its conveniences are so well regulated, that the bustle of thousands is carried on with eagerness, and yet without confusion. The market days are Wednesday and Saturday in each week, but the Saturday is the principal, on which, not only is there an abundant supply of every kind of provisions, but large quantities of corn are brought into the town from this and the neighbouring, counties, so as to render Nottingham the most considerable corn-mart in the midland district: cattle, sheep, and swine form also an important portion of the supply of the town on the same day, but of late years the sale of such animals has been judiciously removed to another spot. The market-place is surrounded by lofty, well-built houses, which, on the north and south sides, have their upper stories so projecting over the pavement, as to form a handsome and commodious piazza, sheltering from the inclemency of the weather numerous passengers, to whom the elegant shops below present, in every variety of taste and fabric, the choicest specimens of highly finished wares, mostly the produce of the neighbouring manufacturers. Even in times of comparative antiquity, the market- place of Nottingham was in great estimation; and Leland, speaking of it about the middle of the sixteenth century, remarks, that « the market-place and streate, both for the buildings on the side of it, for the very great wideness of this streate, and the cleane paving of it, is the most fairest without exception of all England." Since that period, WOiaiE.S®F MAKOIS., HOTnrUSr©HAMI§IHIEffi.E. MAiaKIST FIT. ACE, M®^¥EMGIHI ASSI„ L-ISriKP., SON" :V C° T,OWD0N ^ l'ATUP,1837 LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 41 the active traffic and accommodations of Nottingham market-place have undoubtedly increased with the increasing population of the town and its suburbs. At the higher or east end stands the Exchange, or, as it is still called, the New Exchange, which was erected, at the expense of the corporation, about the period of the accession of the Brunswick family. It is a handsome edifice, four stories in height ; the front is one hundred and twenty-three feet in width, supported by stone pillars, beneath and behind which extend the shambles. On the pediment over the market- place is a well-carved figure of Justice ; and the apartments within, spacious and plain, are well adapted to the public intercourse requisite in the concerns of a great manu- facturing and trading town. A news'-room, established by subscription, is open in one of these rooms, denominated the Exchange Hall ; and public meetings, on political and other occasions, are held in these capacious premises, which are well suited for such a purpose. DOVEDALE— DERBYSHIRE. The river Dove may be classed among the most beautiful of the romantic streams of this country, but with distinctions that separate it from all its sisterhood. Its channel is a fissure amidst fragments of granite and limestone, which, having been displaced, by some great convulsion of nature, from their original localities in the structure of the earth, appear in the north of Derbyshire to have sunk promiscuously together. Amid such imbedded rocks, blended with gritstone, and sparingly covered with blooming heath, by the side of the great Ax-edge hills, bubbles upwards the source of this beautiful river ; and its birth is thus commemorated by John Edwards, of Derby, the friend of Southey and Montgomery, in his exquisite poem called the Tour of the Dove : — " At length 'tis gained, the heathy cloud-capt mountain ! Not at the hamlet of Dove-head I rest, But higher up, heside a bubbling fountain, That makes within a little well its nest. Here springs the Dovb ! and with a grateful zest I drink the waters, that first serve the poor. Oh, when shall they repose on ocean's breast ? How long must their rough pilgrimage endure ? They ask not — but commence their wild romantic tour." On the banks appear massive pieces of grey limestone, of rude and grotesque forms, or seemino' the gigantic labours of elaborate art. Not distant from Ashburne, L 42 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHABI, beneath the mountain called Thorp Cloud, the winding glen opens, and forms the valley particularly known by the appellation of Dovedale, displaying an assemblage of rock scenery, with thick woods that cover the hills in the back ground ; while advancing a mile up the river, the channel of the stream is again compressed by the abrupt and cliff-like elevation of its limestone barriers ; which, coated with moss and lichen of various hues, exhibit, from their craggy projections and cavernous fissures, the dwarf but silvery beech, the waving ashlin, the slender hazel, and the graceful birch. Amid these natural beauties we cannot but notice the numerous waterfalls that in various directions, aslant or straight across the stream, continually diversify the current with their lucid rills dashing against the obstructing masses of stone, or leaping over them, while the pure white foam, formed below, dances as its accumulated bubbles glisten along. In concluding, we transcribe from Cotton's curious poem on the "Wonders of the Peak," the ensuing passage, which seems to have imbibed a poetic spirit from the love- liness of the object celebrated, not general in that old and quaint production : — " Thy murmurs, Dove, Pleasing to lovers, — or men fall'n in love With thy bright beauties, as thy fair blue eyes Wound like a Parthian, while the shooter flies. Of all fair Thetis' daughters, none so bright ; So pleasant to the lip — none to the sight ; — None yield the gentle angler such delight. To which, the bounty of her stream is such. As only with a swift and transient touch, T'enrich her barren borders as she glides, Forcing sweet flowers from their barren sides." CHATSWORTH— DERBYSHIRE. The magnificent seat of the Duke of Devonshire has been termed « a miracle of art amidst the wonders of nature," with which this district of the kingdom abounds. The view before us displays only a part of the northern wing, very recently added by the noble Duke to the elegant mansion of his ancestors; and contains a splendid ban- quetmg-room, a conservatory of the choicest plants, a saloon enriched with statuary by the most emment artists, and a museum which has been scientifically selected and arranged. Adjoining, and on the same scale of highly finished splendour and con- vemence, are accommodations for lodging several hundred guests, with their retinues of servants; the whole forming a vast palace of hospitaUty, impressed with more than prmcely dignity. lu' \\i> ■» ■ IK iw jc jL I'fe B jw ie; & IB ir .i jjii i[ 111 ly . (SE(ATSWffi)STI3t, IBKl&JBTSMEmiE. LTSIU'IK, SOW, Se.'C° I.OMDOH. & PJUUS. 1837 LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 43 Of Chatsworth House itself, it is sufficient at present to say, that it was reared by the first Dulie of Devonshire about the close of the seventeenth century. In the front flows the Derwent, and behind it rises a lofty hill covered with wood. The style of architecture is the Ionic, and the interior is characterised by splendour and magni- ficence. As the view exhibits no more than the additional wing, we shall defer any further remarks, and merely mention the Water-works, which were regarded by visitors in the last century as interesting curiosities, and have been lately repaired. These consist chiefly of the great cascade, and several fountains, among which one of a curious design is seen amid the trees in the present representation. VIEW FROM THE WALLS OF CHESTER. We opened our present volume with some notice of the walls of the ancient city of Chester, and with a view of the Phoenix Tower, the only relique of the mode adopted by the Romans for the defence of their most important and exposed stations. During the dominion of that people in Britain, this place was termed Caer-leon, or the camp of the legion, being the head-quarters of the twentieth legion, which was honoured with the epithets of Valeria and Victrix. Colonized by the conquerors, and made the residence of so distinguished a portion of their forces, the Roman customs, municipal as well as military, pervaded the structure of the edifices and the fortifications. The four principal streets, from the gates that stand at the cardinal points of' the town, are strictly conformable to the plan continually followed by that warlike people in their encampments. The" Rows also, or Galleries, which are so remarkable in the most ancient streets, for the peculiarity of their construction, are regarded by antiquaries as bear- ing indubitable proofs of their Roman origin : Pennant, in particular, declares that the Rows appear to him to be the same as the ancient vestibules, and a form of build- ing preserved from the time that the city was possessed by the Romans. Other testimonies of the Roman garrison having ifepressed their national character upon a place which was for three centuries their residence, are found in the numerous remains of altars, statues, and tessellated pavements that have been discovered by excavations made in the town and neighbourhood; among these, an altar, in 1821, was dug up at the adjoining suburb of Great Broughton, and has been reared in a temple built by the Marquess of Westminster to receive it in the gardens of Eaton Hall. The views from the walls, particularly those that present themselves in a southerly direction, are extensive and delightful. That selected by the artist for our immediate notice abounds in the peculiar features of the locality, which are strikingly interesting. In the distance rise the mountains of North Wales, which elevate their bold projections from the lovely Vale of Clwydd, and are sufficiently near to display the 44 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, diversified aspect which, according to the direction of the sun, they assume through the day, or when the atmosphere charged with clouds darkens around them, and the lightning appears to descend in long flashes from their summits. Beneath the walls, and extended far into the mid-distance of the view, where the coast of Fhutshire is seen embanking the Dee, appears the channel cut through the White Sands by the Company incorporated by act of parliament, about the middle of the last century, for the purposes of " recovering and preserving the navigation of this fine river," which in ancient times had been the most frequented haven of any on the north-west coast of South Britain, for the commercial and military intercourse with Ireland. The labours and expenses of the Company have been great; but although the new channel is capable of being navigated by vessels of 400 tons, the commercial receipts in return appear to be comparatively inconsiderable. WATER-GATE STREET— CHESTER. We have frequently regretted that views of streets in celebrated cities and towns are not more common, for the pencil is more instructive than the pen in such subjects. A street of an ancient city is before us, in which we are informed, that, " though con- siderable alterations have been made here within the last few years, the ancient form of the houses is preserved more generally than in any other part of the city." While Chester still retained a respectable and yet a dechning share of commercial exports and imports. Water-gate Street was the bustling thoroughfare of trade; and this is proved by the excellent vaulted cellarings extending under the rows and houses, and now made use of as bonded warehouses for wine and spirits. Many dwellings in this street, which we may very correctly conclude to have been reared upon the sites and ordinary plan of edifices, the antiquity of which was still more remote, bear amid their carved ornaments dates of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. At the top stands the Church of St. Peter, near the spot where the Cross marked the junction of the four principal avenues in the centre of the city, until the great rebellion in the time of Charles I., when it was demolished by the Puritans. Water-gate Street is narrow, and its length is not much short of a quarter of a mile. Its aspect strikes the stranger as being curiously antique : rude and ruinous indeed, but compensating for the ravages of time by the old-fashioned devices with which the fronts of several houses are adorned. On the south side, an old dwelling bears the date of 1539; and another retains this motto, "God's providence is mine inheritance:" a grateful memorial, says tradition, that the inhabitants were unaffected by the plague, when it was prevalent in the neighbourhood. At a short distance below is the supposed residence of Dr. George Lloyd, bishop of Chester, who died in 1615. The TEEW IFIE®ffl TnaE VAILILS ®1F GffllESTEM - ]L®®I£I[i?f© HMT© WAEJES. WAT EJ^- ©ATE STIFiEET. dHESTKIS. , LEICESTER, LTXCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED, 45 lower part consists of elaborate but rude figures carved on sunken panels, and repre- senting scriptural incidents, while all the wood work in front of the mansion is laboriously ornamented. On the other side of the street stands Trinity Church, the fine spire of which was taken down in 1811, on account of its dangerous condition. Near to it is the Custom House, which, though a mean and inconvenient edifice, is nevertheless sufficient for the decayed trade of the port. Not far below is the ruin of a venerable mansion, now let out in separate tenements, but which was, in former times, the city residence of the Earl of Derby, who had the custody of the Water-gate, to which it is contiguous. The elegant modern mansion of H, Pitts, Esq. was reared a few years back on the site of an old-fashioned building which had been occupied by Dr. Carrie, The view from this edifice across the Roodeye, with the intervening inequahties of FUntshire and the Welsh hills towering in the horizon, is rich in the diversity of the objects presented to the eye of the spectator. BELVOIR CASTLE,— LEICESTERSHIRE. We have abeady had occasion to mention this magnificent residence of the noble family of Rutland, which in a poetical piece, written towards the close of the seventeenth century, is styled, " Belvoir, art's master-piece and nature's pride !" At present it will be sufficient to name the lordly owners who, since the era of the Conquest, have held this with numerous other manors in Leicestershire and the adjoin- ing counties of Lincoln and Northampton, Robert de Todenci, the standard-bearer of the Norman sovereign, enjoyed, by the favour of his leader, an extensive domain, comprising not fewer than forty lordships, many of which, by uninterrupted succession, continue to be the property of his heirs. He built the castle, which, with a sense of the natural beauties surrounding it, not frequent at that period, he denominated, " De Belvedeir," At the foot of the eminence on which it was founded, stood a priory, and he was buried there in 1088, His immediate descendants took the name of Albini, and the last of that eminent line was among the barons who enforced the signature of Magna Charta by King John. By the marriage of the heiress, these extensive estates passed to the family of De Ros of Hamlake, from whom, at the close of the fifteenth century, they became, by the espousal of Eleanor, the surviving sister of Edmund Lord de Ros, the domains of Robert de Manners, of Ethdale, in Northumberland. By Henry VIII, Thomas de Manners was created Earl of Rutland, a title never before enjoyed by any but persons of the royal family; and his services were still further rewarded with several monastic manors, at the time of the Reformation. About the beginning of the last century, John, the sixth earl, was made Marquess of Granby and Duke of Rutland, and the present noble duke is the fifth possessor of that title. M 46 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, INTERIOR OF BOTTESFORD CHURCH,— LEICESTERSHIRE. The church of this township, which stands about three miles north sof Belvoir, has been, since the dissolution of monasteries, the burial-place of the illustrious house of Rutland. It is a large and handsome structure with a spacious chancel. As neither the Dukes of Rutland, nor the celebrated Marquess of Granby, though interred here, have any monuments, these memorials are confined to the earls of the house of Manners; many of which are not only curious, but possess much of the dignified grandeur peculiar to the monumental sculpture of the sixteenth and seventeenth cen- turies. There are also tombs and effigies of very high antiquity, that were removed to Bottesford from the Priory Chapel at Belvoir, at the time of its foundation : these were reared to the distinguished lines of Albini and De Ros, but are so much mutilated, as to be now doubtfully assigned to the individuals to whose memory they were erected. " Vainly confided to sepulchral stone, But to the page of history ever known." The following passage from a poem entitled " A Walk in Leicestershire," will not be inappropriate in this place. Lo, Bottesford, far more renowned Than all those rural fanes around, Por here, arch, pillar, urn, and bust Mark where decays ennobled dust — Rich with D'Albini's ancient fame, Stamp'd with De Ros and Manners' name, Yet mouldering in the like decay As their poor peasants' neighbouring clay. A strange tale of witchcraft, which, from the rank of the victims, retained its credit among the inhabitants of Bottesford till the present century, must not be silently passed over. In the reign of James I. when faith in sorcery was not rejected either on the bench or at court, two sons of Francis, Earl of Rutland, were reported to have met with their deaths by supernatural means. The suspected agents, on this occasion, were an old woman named Joan Flower, and her daughters Margaret and PhilUs, and these persons proved themselves to be strongly convinced of the efficacy of their own charms and incantations. The old woman expired, probably with terror, in the prosecution of her malignant purposes : the daughters, after strict examination in the presence of the rector of Bottesford, and several members of the Rutland family, were committed to Lincoln gaol, and there tried and executed on the 11th of March, 1618. JTTEStf'ffllBID) CHIURCIHI. Ll£ BC EST E IRS H 1 K E . LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 47 SOUTH-EAST VIEW OF LINCOLN, FROM THE RIVER WITHAM. We have already had occasion to notice the city of Lincoln with its magnificent cathedral, and it is here shewn proudly seated on its elevation above the banks and the meadows of the Witham, with a prospect extending far across that prostrate and unaspiring territory. The flatness of the land throughout this rich and verdant county, is the characteristic that particularly strikes the traveller, and bestows upon the streams tliat flow towards its eastern coast a sluggish appearance. The waters creep along to their estuaries with languor, and form extensive fens and marshes, which formerly occupied more than a third part of the eastward and southern districts. The Romans, at an early period, endeavoured by labour and skill to remedy this impediment to the productive powers of the soil, and to that people is attributed the construction of the immense drain called the Car-dyke, which draws oflF the stagnant waters from the extensive plains between the Witham and the Welland. The great trench, denominated the Foss-Dyke, seven miles in length from the great marsh near Lincoln to the Trent, was made or enlarged in the reign of Henry I., and so extensively has the drainage of the county been carried on at different periods, that more than two hundred thousand acres are estimated to have been brought into cultivation. Along the course of the Witham, a fine navigable canal was commenced in 1788, and completed in twelve months, which being connected with the Foss-dyke, is highly advantageous to the trade with the inland manufacturing towns, and with the port of Boston : another canal communication was made between the Witham and the Trent in 1796; and by similar means the intercourse of these rivers is maintained with the sea at Leith. GRIMSTHORPE CASTLE,— LINCOLNSHIRE. This building was anciently a rude and irregular structure, supposed to have been erected in the thirteenth century, and Leland describes it as fair and strong, with the walls embattled and surrounded with a moat. At the period of Henry VIIL, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, having espoused that monarch's sister, the beautiful widow of the aged king of France, embellished and partly rebuilt this mansion, in which he formed a handsome and capacious hall, adapted for the reception of a suit of Gobelin tapestry which had been fabricated under the direction of his lady's deceased husband. Early in the last century, the north front, with lofty wings and enriched pinnacles, was reared after the designs of Sir John Vanburgh ; and at the same time the three other fronts were adorned with embattled turrets, while the principal chambers were elegantly constructed, and ornamented with Corinthian pilasters. The chimney-piece in the dining-room, of Sienna marble, supported by fluted pillars of the Ionic order, is regarded as the most elega,nt specimen of this species of sculpture in England; in the centre of it, in basso relievo, is the figure of Androcles extracting the thorn from the lion's foot This castle is now the seat of Lord Gwydir. 48 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, NEWARK CHURCH,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Few parochial edifices in the kingdom have greater claims upon the notice of the tourist than the Church of Newark, which presents a venerable and majestic aspect, and merits particularly the attention of the antiquary, on account of the various styles of Gothic architecture practised at different periods in England, and displayed in the construction or repairs of this building. Testimonies that the Romans held, on this bank of the Trent, an extensive military station, abound in the coins, arms, and fragments of Roman works, frequently discovered in this neighbourhood; but when Britain was deserted by its conquerors and protectors, this interior district became fearfully exposed to the depredations of the Picts and Scots, as well as to the conflicts of the Saxons with the Britons and with each other; hence, on Egbert's obtaining the sole sovereignty of the island, vast tracts of territory were lying waste and depopulated. Amid the surrounding ruins he reared a castle, which he denominated the New-wark, and regarded as the key of his dominions north of the Trent. In the autumn of 1216, king John retreating hastily before the baronial forces, lost a large portion of his army and baggage in the Washes of Lincolnshire, and was happy to meet with temporary shelter and refreshment among the Cistercian monks of the Abbey at Swineshead ; but there, according to the dramatic authority of Shakspeare, being poisoned by a monk — " a received villain, whose bowels suddenly burst out" — he died in a fit of delirium. " Poison'd— ill fare; dead— forsook— cast off? And none of you ■will bid the winter come, And thrust his icy fingers in my maw ; Nor let my kingdom's rivers take their course Through my burn'd bosom ; nor entreat the north To make his bleak winds kiss my parched lips, And comfort me with cold." King John, Act V. Scene 7. The wretched monarch, however, we find, upon historical evidence, quitted the abbey on horseback, but, suffering under a severe attack of dysentery, was obliged to be conveyed in a litter, first to Sleaford, and next day to his castle at Newark, where he died in much mental and bodily agony. Charles the First, during the civil war, established his government and coined money at Newark, holding great part of the counties of Nottingham and Lincoln in subjection to his troops. At that period the town withstood three sieges, in the last of which it suffered the severest extremities, not only through the calamities of war, but by the still more lamentable miEeries and devastations of the plague. ^H^CCOILK', iFIfi©M TZ.E IMVEB. WETIKI&M. ffiRHMSTHOK.]?E CASTILE, ILIFCOILMSiHIERE. rraaER. SON * C? LOBDON jbEAKIS, 1837 1* LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 49 The church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, emulates the air of a cathedral. It has its nave, transepts, choir, and subterranean chapels ; while its tower, the base of which is Norman, as well as the piers in the nave, is of light and elegant architecture supporting a lofty majestic spire very elaborately ornamented with pointed gothic tracery and statues. The large eastern window over the communion table, is in the most enriched style of English gothic, and in the windows are preserved the remains of fine antique samples of stained glass. The altar-piece is by the celebrated painter Hilton, who presented it to the town, of which his father was a native : it represents " the Resurrection of Lazarus," and is admirably executed. INTERIOR OF SOUTHWELL MINSTER, OR COLLEGIATE CHURCH, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. The Minster or Collegiate Church at Southwell is an ecclesiastical establishment, contemporary with the introduction of Christianity among the Saxons under the direction of the papacy, in the seventh century. It was then founded by Paulinus, the first archbishop of York; and a succession of prelates, enjoying the continued patronage of popes and monarchs, bestowed upon it distinction and opulence. As a minor and more indulgent benefice, dependent upon York, it united relaxation with dignity ; and a handsome edifice stood on the south side of the Minster yard, denominated the Archiepiscopal Palace, in which several eminent possessors of the see were occasionally resident. This was either repaired or rebuilt by Cardinal Wolsey, when, being disgraced at court, he retired to the discharge of his episcopal duties in the summer that preceded his death at Leicester. On the suppression of the monasteries, Southwell was, for a short period, elevated to- the dignity of a Protestant bishopric, but this was set aside by Queen Mary, and the prebendal estates subsequently reverted to the crown. Charles the First, while his head-quarters were at Newark, resided sometimes at this palace of Southwell, but more frequently remainecl in privacy at an inn adjoining the church-yard, still known as the Saracen's Head, but then called the King's Arms. There he secretly surrendered himself to the Scottish commissioners ; and, shortly after- wards, Cromwell, on his march to the north, occupied the apartment in which the unfor- tunate sovereign was accustomed to be an inmate. Here, as in inns, an equal weloome flows, Where Cliarles and Cromwell found a like repose ; Drained the same goblet — eat from the same plate — Nor fear«d a flavour of each other's fate. Written on a window at Southwell. 50 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM. The exterior of the Chapter House at Southwell displays a fine specimen of the true Saxon architecture, venerable for the plain and solid grandeur which it has retained during more than a thousand years; but, on entering the great western door, the visitor is startled at the elaborate elegance of the enriched gothic of the "middle ages" with which he is surrounded. The skill and taste by which the monastic architects of the early part of the fourteenth century manifested their astonishing talents, are seen on every side. The inner arch of entrance surpasses, perhaps, all works of a similar nature in the kingdom, while the ornamental portions throughout the building, although abundant and sometimes curiously intricate, are light and beautiful. Description would, however, weary rather than satisfy the reader; and the columns, arches, galleries, windows, groins, and mouldings, must be seen and studied, if the exquisite truth and delicacy which characterise these labours of what are frequently termed « the dark ages," and of which the interior of Southwell Minster is one of the finest samples extant, are to be comprehended and justly admired. THE BRIDGES, CASTLE, PRISON, ETC.— CHESTER. The city of Chester abounds, as our delineations and descriptions have shewn, in streets and buildings bearing the ancient features of several eras from the time when the Roman legion established here their head-quarters. Until within a few years past, the ruins of some bold arches, manifestly constructed by those military conquerors, stood near the Eastgate, and not only the walls, but the existing portion of the Castle, bears evidence of Roman labour, while the site on which -stands the old church of St. Peter,, itself a venerable edifice, is recognized as that of the Prsetorium where the laws were administered. But the view before us retaining some of the most striking vestiges of antiquity, claims the admiration of the spectator for the tasteful and elaborate erections of modern architecture. On the northern bank of the Dee, upon a command- ing elevation, between the Old and the New Bridge, and occupying the area adjoining the remains of the Castle, appears a body of magnificent buildings, reared for the purpose of provincial judicature, and denominated the County Courts. These are entitled to be ranked among the most elegant as well as the most classical of the architectural designs with which science and taste have, in these days of wealth, power, and intellect, adorned this country. The grand entrance to this magnificent suite of buildings is in that style of Doric architecture pecuUarly denominated Grecian, and is of one hundred and three feet in '^ tA n 1=1 © ^ LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLLSTRATED. 51 extent It is formed by the combination of three open temples with porticos, columns, and pediments ; manifesting, with an astonishing congeniality of powers, the dignified yet simple elegance imbibed by studying the architectural remains at Athens. Opposite to the entrance are the grand halls of justice ; and, on the western side of the esplanade, extends the armoury, capable of containing 30,000 stand of arms, with warlike stores and military accoutrements of every description : on the east, appear the barracks, fronted, like the opposite wing, with freestone, and ornamented with Ionic pillars, while the remaining ground, which is necessarily built on two levels, is occupied by the criminals' and debtors' prisons, and other offices subservient to the purposes of justice. In speaking generally of these buildings, we may correctly use the words of that eminent philosopher, M. Dupin, who, in his Tour through England, observes, " the Sessions-house and panoptic prison of Chester are united in the same building, which, most assuredly, is the handsomest of this kind that is to be seen in Europe. The interior arrangements are well contrived, and bespeak much regard for humanity ; the architecture is equally simple and majestfc." The old Castle, of which the square tower, retaining the name of Julius Agricola, rises behind these elegant modern edifices, is of very remote antiquity, and identified with several historical personages and events. Hugh Lupus, nephew of the Conqueror, and the second Earl of Chester, resided here, but for many years, until the erection of the new County Hall, this fortress was used as a prison. Latterlj', having been repaired and new fronted, it contrasts in venerable severity with the classical edifices below it. Across the river, to the eastward, below the elevated site of these buildings, extends the Old Bridge, which, being mentioned in ancient chronicles as having been finished in the reign of Edward the Elder, is classed among the oldest bridges in the kingdom. It is, however, doubtful if there was a bridge of stone over the Dee previous to the close of the thirteenth century; and on the south side of this antique fabric there exist legible characters, stating that it was rebuilt in the year 1550. It consists of seven irregular arches, and about ten years ago it was much widened and improved. Near the arch on the side of the city are mills said to have been erected by the Earl Hugh Lupus, and now the property of E. O. Wrench, esq. The New Bridge, which falls within the scope of our artist's drawing, has already been the subject of a plate, with some illustrative observations ; and we have only to add, that the unparalleled width of the span of the arch at first delayed the work. « The execution of the project," says Mr. Hemingway, in his History of Chester, « required a daring genius, equal to the boldness of the conception; and a competent undertaker* was found in the person of Mr. Trubshaw, a gentleman of Staffordshire, who had been extensively concerned in the building of bridges and other public edifices." The first stone was laid on the 1st of October, 1827, by the right hon. the Earl Grosvenor, now Marquess of Westminster, and it was constructed of the fine material obtained from the Peckforton quarry, with quoins of granite, at the expense of £40,000. 52 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, NEW COUNTY HALL,— CHESTER. The capacious and beautiful chamber of judicature displayed by the interior of the County Hall at Chester corresponds with the exterior of the magnificent suite of buildings already described. Its aspect is impressive and majestic ; but, in the simple and serene character of its architecture there is not to be found that dark and severe dignity which has frequently been extolled in the old feudal courts of justice, " but rather," says an amiable female tourist, " there reigns in its air an elegant suavity, which, it is reasonable to imagine, must mitigate the austerity of the learned bench." In form, this Hall is semicircular, with an altitude of four and forty feet. The diameter, with an extent of eighty feet, contains a central recess fifty feet wide, where the judges take their seats on each side the lord chief justice, whose bench and canopy are seen in the middle. On the right and the left are" the grand and petty juries, while the gentlemen of the bar have their station a little lower, in such a situation that both they and the jurymen are in full possession of the attention of the prisoner. The ceiling and the whole roof are of a fine-grained freestone from the Manley quarries, no timber being used throughout the building; and around the circumference of the Hall rise twelve Ionic columns of similar stone, supporting a semi-dome, which is enriched with the Rose of Lancaster carved in panels. The area contained between the surrounding colonnade and the part where the business of the court is transacted, is capable of accommodating a thousand spectators, who find ample room on the circular seats, which embrace the whole expanse in the manner of an amphitheatre. " The lofty chamter of the laws admits Th' attentive multitude, who, silent, learn Their claims, and rights, and duties, social bonds, The strength of states !— Or, shuddering, hear The culprit's doom, and scarce repress their tears ; For guilty man demands the tears of man, E'en for that guilt !" Hammokd. 'JDBi It; lu'iijji!) iKJK.ii. iui((j;.js,.jKM,irj, .r.niijt siiO'Ki',. ,!',.:j-. !i'ig(ii'*,;v,"r.ii'',xi 'irmX MKW C^lffSTT ffliUtJr., OetffilSTJBi)! Kl:iHKR, 30. J. 3c a MHIHIN. -^ V\i.\:: m37. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 63 FRONT VIEW OF CHATSWORTH HOUSE, DERBYSHIRE. Chatsworth,' the magnificent seat of the noble family of Cavendish, appears to have been, in the middle of the sixteenth century, part of the possessions of EUzabeth, co-heiress of John Hardwick, of Hardwick. This eminent lady became the wife of Sir William Cavendish, but subsequently espoused the Earl of Shrewsbury ; and to her prudence and commanding abilities have been jiistly attributed the wealth and elevated rank which the illustrious descendants of her offspring by her first husband have conti- nued to enjoy in their several branches. Her personal talents and exertions were of the highest class : after rebuilding Hardwick, she reared at Chatsworth an elegant mansion, which, until the commencement of the last century, was the principal dwelling of the Cavendishes, and is celebrated in the Latin poem, " De Mirabilibtis Pecci" of the philo- sopher Hobbes, who passed the greater part of his life there, under the patronage of the third Earl of Devonshire ; and from this we venture to translate the following encomium on its foundress : — ■ A pile, worthy great Caesar, Yet, in the race of Cavendish, light toil, A woman's work — part of Eliza's praise, Shrewsbury's Countess, who erected mansions, Many and mighty, and acquired vast wealth, With fame,' great and yet good ; and powerful friends, And humble ones enriched by her, who left A progeny illustrious, that the realm Continue still to bless." But splendid and replete with historical recollections as was this noble building of the Countess, it gave place, towards the close of the seventeenth century, to the more extensive and more classical mansion which still occupies nearly the same site, and was completed by the first duke of Devonshire about the year 1708. This edifice occupies the lower declivity of a lofty hiU, covered with wood, and forming a bold and picturesque side of the valley of the Derwent, while, on the opposite bank extend elevated tracts of bleak waste and forest land, opening up to the wUds of the High Peak. This house has been justly regarded as a fine specimen of Ionic architecture, of which it constitutes throughout a complete and enriched model; it was therefore with great judgment that the present illustrious duke, when he required more room for the numerous guests of distinguished rank, with whom he peoples, every year, his princely domains, determined 54 THE COUNTIES OF CHESTER, DERBY, NOTTINGHAM, to rear, under the direction of that able architect, Sir Jeffry Wyatville, a separate edifice in a different style, rather than disturb the majestic unity of the original design. This mansion constitutes a square, each side of which has an extent of about an hundred and ninety feet, with the principal front towards the west, expanding itself with a dignified aspect along a terrace upon the bank of the Derwent, which, though here not many miles from its source, is of considerable widthj and gives testimony to its mountain- ous source by its rapidity. " There winds the Wye its wildly wandering stream, And Derwentj with his min'ral cradled wares, The feet of Chatsworth laves j And then, as dath heseem One honour'd in his youth, doth, proudliei pour His ampler waterSj listening to the theme Of Cavendish's praise on either shore." Across the river is a stone bridge, with stataary by the father of Gibber; and some fine pieces of sculpture adorn also the whole of the quadrangular court, while vairious parts of the interior of the mansion are enriched with exquisitely carved ornaments by the celebrated Gibbons, who " To his carv'd oak the pensile motion gave Of plumes or flow'rs, when tremulous they wave." or, as Walpole, with equal poetry, has observed,, " who gave to wood the loose and airy lightness of flowers, and chained together the various productions of the elements with a free disorder natural to each species." In various apartments are fine paintings, among which the ceilings and walls, decorated by Verrio and Laguerre, with representa- tions from mythology and the Roman history, are held in high estimation, particularly a scene of the assassination of Julius Csesar at the foot of Pompey's statue. There are also some invaluable drawings in chalk by Holbein, and a fine painting by Titian of our Saviour and Mary Magdalen in the garden. Among the portraits is a whole-length of the first duke of Devonshire, by Sir Godfrey Kneller. This illustrious and patriotic nobleman was one of the most enflrgetie supporters of the great pacific revolution of 1688; and, after having been "distinguished during his life, as a wit, a scholar, a soldier, and a gentleman," his political memory has been fixed in lines composed for his monu- mental inscription : — " Bonorum Principum subditus fidelis, Inimicus et invisus Tyrannis." which may be thus translated— " Faithful to princes', good and great, < But hating tyrants,— and their hate." CMATSWOK.TH, ©3Effi.IBTSHI]RE . m®©TBm €>m ,IR00-T©IR KCSCKS, ©ElRBTSieilimiE. FISKEB.. SOM- A- C° LOWDOir & PABIS, aa37. || LEICESTER,. LINCOLN, ANO RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 55 The unhappy Mairy, Queen of Scots, whose long captivity under the personal and the political jealousy ol Queen Elizabeth, has left some lamentable records in several noble mansions of the kingdom, resided many yems, at Chatsworth and at Hardwick, imder the care of the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury; and a suite of apartments in the present mansion, still retaining her name, are said to coincide in site with those which she inhabited : a melancholy procrf of the impression which she made on all who became acquainted with her. " Where'er sle passed on earth, there still appears Trace of her name, her beauty, and her tears." ROOTER, OR ROO-TOR ROCKS, DERBYSHIRE. The small agrieailtural ehapelry or hamlet of Bkchovery in, the rude, and romantic F^Bsn of the High. Peaik,, extends from the northern extremity of Stanton Moor, and is remarkable &r vestiges of superstitions, in which Nature seems to have aided the Dimids to inculcate awe for her peculiarities, and deviations, more correctly reserved iir cultivated minds for the striking general unity of her works,. This moor is a desert tract of abouit three or four Hu,les square, and, has undoubtedLy,, by its wild and unusual features, invited the ancient British priests and their disciples to form here their barrows for the inhumation of the dead, and to excavate rock-basins and caverns. On this desolate waste rise several ridges of grit-stone rock, one of which reaches as far as Birchover, with an irregular height, of from forty to fifty feet, with a length of not less than between seventy and eighty yards. Appearances seem to suggest the probability of this abrupt mass of disjointed rocks having been oceasioned by the sinking of the sides and roof of a vast natural cavern, with ihe surrounding strata ; but there are> nevertheless, manifestations of design, and event of akillj in the arrange- ment and artificial shape of several of the upper stones. The; whole of this massive pile is termed the Rooter, or Roo-Tor- Rocks, evidently derived^, according to an article in the Arehseologia, Vol-. VI.yfrom the ancient British word to tod, or j-oeA,. retained in the provincial dialect of northern Derbyshire, and prdbably eoanected with the old word to rme, or lament. Many of the ineumbentr atones among; the extensive mass move or rock at the slightest motion of the wind, or pressure of. the human hand. Ons, towards the east end of the lidgej. ©f an irregular imta., and. ©f about fi,fi;y tons in weight, was formerly regardfeJ with peculiar awe,, as the seat of the chief demon of the moor. This was almost perpetually in motion ; but during the rustia frolics at 56 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, Whitsuntide, 1799, it was, by the mischievous efforts of fourteen sturdy young peasants, heaved from its equilibrium, and has since remained immoveable. This event is thuS narrated in the " Minstrel of the Peak:" — " Hob, Jack, and Bob, with many a boor Who plough'd the skirt of Stanton JMoor, Vexed at the Demon's constant rocking, Their rural sports for ever mocking, One Whitsuntide resolved their best, To put this taunting fiend at rest ; So all together set their might Against the mass where danced the sprite. The demon gave a dismal groan, And a shrill shriek, as slid the stone, Like- the nnoil'd hinge of a witch's gate, Then straight 'twas still, and fixed as fate. And the lads laugh'd ;— but a deep dull sound Still echoes from the hollow ground." The hollow sound, here alluded to, proceeds frequently from an excavation called the Echo Cavern, which seems to be in part a modern formation amid the rocks. There are numerous other suspended stones, which are more or less tremulous in various parts of the same ridge, and a large fragment of fallen rock has been rudely sculptiu^ed into the figure of an arm-chair, and is called the seat of Mr. Thomas Eyre, a gentleman for- merly in possession of the ancient neighbouring manor-house, denominated Rooter HalL RADFORD FOLLY, NEAR NOTTINGHAM. In a large manufacturing town, where the middle class of inhabitants are as remark- able for their gaiety as their industry, a spot appropriated to recreations becomes indis- pensable ; and accordingly, at the distance of little more than a mile from Nottingham, in the village of Radford, we find Radford Folly, consisting of a handsome building, with walks and tea-gardens, laid out with considerable taste, and even elegance. This is a place of great resort during the summer season ; and here are occasionally exhibited illuminations, fire-works, rope-dancing, and concerts, as at Vauxhall, and now at White Conduit House, and several of the tea-gardens in the neighbourhood of •London. Within the edifice there is a very elegant ball-room, where dances are supported with spirit, at least, if not with gentility and grace ; and on the fine sunny evenings, the youths from the factories make an animated and healthful display by their boat-races on the water. ffi.ABJi'omiir) FCiDuiir. srisAm HOTTD^ssmAm. mxf?^^^. W tU^JidJUAVik vjjJiW iHi,voi,jM^..w B jixi ^w ii ii i*..<-N« - LKm]i.= FlSm^R, sow fc C? LQimOM fe EiSIS, IflBi'. LEICBSTEEj LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 57 WOLLATON HALL,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. The domestic architecture prevalent in the mansions of the nobihty in this country from the termination of the civil war between the rival roses towards the close of the fifteenth century, to that of which Charles I. became the victim, in the seventeenth, was characteristic of the manners of the period: grandeur, not altogether free from gloom, and particularly well adapted to chivalric splendour, reigned throughout. Every peer boasted of "Chivalric halls, with dame and knight, In ample rohe and cuirass bright ;" and in such edifices was seen the massy dignity of the old Gothic intermixed with columns, figures, and diversified ornaments promiscuously bosrowed from the Italian, Saracenic, and Flemish architecture. WoUaton Hall, about three miles from Nottingham, exhibits one of the most correct and elegant specimens of this mode of building at present existing. It was reared, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, by Sir Francis Willoughby, who is said by Camden to have "sunk three lordships in its erection." Sir Francis was a descendant of the family to which that intrepid mariner. Sir Hugh Willoughby, belonged, who, in 1554, was frozen to dJeathj with the rest of his crew, on the coast of Nova Zembla, in an attempt to discover a passage through the northern ocean. At the commencement of the last century, Sir Thomas Willoughby, of the same illustrious race, was raised to the peerage by Queen Anne, by the title of Barpn Middleton, from whom his present lordship is the sixth in descent. The apartments of WoUaton Hall maintain the magnificent aspect announced by the exterior of the edifice. The paintings, both ancient and modern, are numerous and well selected ; and in the grounds, which are well laid out, and ornamented with sculpture, the characteiistics of antiquity are attentively preserved. MELTON MOWBRAY CLUB-HOUSE,— LEICESTERSHIRE. The neat and compact town of Melton Mowbray is seated on the banks of the river Eye, not far from its confluence with the Scalford ; and over these streams there are three bridges. From its having been selected as the central rendezvous of the British nobility and gentry who delight in the manly and invigorating recreation of fox-hunting, it can scarcely be altogether unknown in any part of the kingdom. Its position, in the midst of a district diversified by hill and campaign country, is favourable to an unbounded indulgence of all the pleasures of the field; while in the 58 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, town, the devotees of the sylvan deities have their Club-house, where are established or modified the regulations that constitute the laws of the celebrated Melton Hunt — a code more respected than that of the huntress goddess in Arcadia : here, also, the lovers of the chase frequently celebrate their sylvan festivities. Melton is remarkable for possessing the handsomest church in the county. The tower of this sacred edifice owes much of its elegance to the classic correctness of its proportions, with which it rises two stories above the body of the building, at the centre of the aisle, the chancel, and the transepts. The manor belongs to Lord Viscount Melbourne. MARKET HARBOROUGH,— LEICESTERSHIRE. On the northern road from London, about midway between Northampton and Leicester, stands Market Harborough, a well-built town, situated on the river Welland. It is said to have been founded by an Earl of Chester as a resting place in his journeys to the metropolis, but traces of its having been a fortified abode of the Romans have at various times been discovered. In extent, Harborough occupies no land beyond that on which its buildings are erected ; for, in reality, it is nothing more than a chapelry dependent upon the adjoining parish of Bowden Magna, and hence arises the provincial proverb, " All the grass in Harbro' mead — won't a parson's gander feed." It has, nevertheless, a large and handsome church, with a gothic tower and octangular spire, of plain yet elegant structure ; the body consisting of a nave, two aisles, and a chancel. Among the historical recollections attached to this place, we find the mention of its having been the head-quarters of the royalists previous to the fatal battle fought at Naseby, in the neighbouring county of Northampton, on the 14th of June, 1645. Charles being informed that the parliamentarians were advancing in his rear, took lip his position on a hill south of Harborough, where he might have advantageously awaited the assault of the enemy ; but the impetuosity of Prince Rupert brought on the engagement prematurely, and the royal forces were totally overthrown, CHEE TOR,— DERBYSHIRE. Among the remarkable features which render the romantic county of Derby the resort of scientific inquirers, are those immense elevated projections, denominated Tors, a,nd which geol6gists describe as being formed by broken and displaced masses of the. limestone strata. One of these, well known to persons fond of investigating the manifestations of the violent changes caused by natural disruptions in the coats of the FrSHJJR, sow fc C? tOWDOH" t EiELTS, 183/ LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 59 earth, is the High Tor on the banks of the Derwent, near Matlock, which rises to the height of three hundred and fifty feet. Chee Tor, which protrudes its stupendous mass, resembling a lofty sea-cliff, above the translucent waters of the small and meandering stream of the Wye, at Wormhill, not far from Buxton, possesses a still more striking aspect. It rises from the bottom of the dale to the height of about four hundred feet. The channel of the rivulet at its base is confined by massive rocks of limestone, that appear to have been portions of the Torj and these display, in picturesque variety, groups of the mountain-ash intermixed with the hazel, and other samples of scattered vegetation, that heighten the beauty of the scene, as they, and the stream below, are contrasted with the barren outline Of the enormous rock. The stream itself, at this place, with a course nearly circular, almost surrounds the Tor and its dependent masses, and has a beautiful effect, particularly as the height of the chief projection of the cliff has in this spot an extent of little less than six hundred yards, while from a strong spring in the neighbouring village a large quantity of water flows here into the Wye with great impetuosity, and some plantations on the surrounding elevations add to the richness of this unusual prospect, relieving sensations arising from the solitariness with which this gigantic and misplaced cliff is involved. " There where the Wye, with brightly sparkling wave, Chafes 'gainst th' encumbering rocks, no sound Save when the martlet from the beetling clifF Dtters its shrill cry in its rapid flight, Breaks the wide stillness ; there the high Chee Tor Lifts up its head, in solitude, to hear His distant brother cliffs, who, as they guard The southern coast of Albion, howl aloud Responsive to the winds that, mid their rocks, Hoar as they hurl the freighted waves on high 'Gainst their white bulwark, and beneath them sinks Many a vessel with its shrieking crew." Hammond. HARDWICK HALL, DERBYSHIRE. This celelirated Hall is one of the possessions of his grace the Duke of Devonshire .; and, in the sixteenth century, it was part of the dower of EUzabeth, sister and heiress of John Hardwick, of Hardvrack, esq., on her espousals with Sir William Cavendish. That lady, as we have elsewhere observed, afterwards became Countess of Shrewsbury, and, by her extraordinary abilities, greatly enlarged and adorned the estates, and laid the foundation of much of the wealth and honours of the illustrious Cavendish family. This mansion was rebuilt under her superintendence, and has been noticed by Walpole m his "Anecdotes of Painting," as a remarkable specimen of the noble edifices of the 60 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, « Elizat^hean era," comHning the beauties aiad faults of a style, ia which magnitude was often mistaken for grandeur, -and OGstly workmanship for taste. There was also a desire in its designers for the \i%imsical and the -ekborate, which frequently displayed dtself in all intended to be ornamental; and of this we have an instance in the towers of this edifice, whidh, as their summits emerge above the wide-spreading oaks of the fine park in which the mansion stands, appear to be covered with the lightly-«hivered fragments of battlements ; but upon attentive observation, these seeming flaws are discovered to be neatly carved open-work, in which the letters E. S., under a coronet, frequently repeated, signify Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury. The building is situated on elevated ground, about eleven miles from ChesterfieU, and was reared nearly on the site of the more ancient mansion, the stone employed in its erection being suppled by the quarries of the hill on which it was founded. The prospect around is extensive and interesting; and the Hall, amid its park of the finest forest trees, rises with much dignity, with a lofty tower at each corner, and another of spacious and commanding aspect in front. At Hardwick Hall a considerable portion of the captivity of the unhappy Queen of Scots was passed ; and the apartments in which she dwelt are still deeply marked with that intense interest which her beauty, her mis- fortunes, and her death have impressed upon her memory. " Errors she had — ay, crimes — but all long since forgot : Woes have been there, and tears eiffacing every blot." Sewakd. The celebrated noveHgt, Mrs. RadcliiFe, in her " Tour to -the X.akes," in speaking of Hardwick, observes, "The second floor is that which gives its chief interest to the edifice, as nearly all the apartments were allotted to Mary (some of them for state pur- poses); and the furniture is known, by other proofs than its appearance, to remain as she left it. ... A short passage leads from the state apartment to her own chamber, a small room overlooked from the passage by a window, which enabled her attendants to know that she was contriving no means of escape through the others into the court. The bed and chairs of this room are of black velvet, embroidered by herself; the toilet, of gold tissue ; all more decayed than worn, and probably used only towards the conclusion of her imprisonment here, when she was removed from some better apartment, in which the ancient bed, now in the state-room, had been placed." These closing sentences speak more to the sensibility of the reader than to the eye, and make ns perceive the watchful- ness, the rigid jealousy, and the relentless subjection under which the princess mourned, even to the fatal "conclusion of Tier imprisonment here." The paintings at Hardwick are chiefly portraits ; and these are valuable, not so much on account of their execution, as for the historical recollections that attach to the persons they represent. Among them is a fine figure of the €ountess herself, in a close black dress, a double ruff, and a long chain of five rows of pearls, reaching below her waist, sleeves down to her wrists, turned up with small pointed white cuffs, a fan in her left liand,and brown hair. There is also another portrait, which portrays her of a more advanced age ; and in fliis, also, ^he is represented in black, witb pearls. ffitAJtillds B3E1RJBTSHJS.IE. I'.H, 30N fcCST.OmiOl^ &:PJllaS.3837 LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 61 NORMANTON PARK,— RUTLANDSHIRE. The delightful pastoral district in the small county of Rutland, on the banks of the Gwash, although it is said to have been, for many years, very much neglected for the pursuits of arable agriculture, still retains interesting features of the former favourite employments of the inhabitants ; and it is no small proof of its rural importance, that we find the village of Normanton, particularly mentioned by the poet Dyer in his " Fleece," in the midst of it — " the clover'd lawns, And sunny mounts of beauteous Normanton, Health's cheerful haunt, and the selected lyalk Of Heathcote's leisure." Normanton, with its small and retired Gothic church, half, concealed in a thick shrubbery, has been long the resort of the curious botanist, who discovers, in its neighbourhood, plants that are thought not frequently to be met with elsewhere. — At the period of the Conquest, this manor fell into possession of one of the victorious soldiers, who bestowed upon it the name of Normanville, and it has subsequently been the property of several distinguished families : at present the demesne belongs to Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bart, whose elegant residence here is a mansion of great extent and architectural beauty, situated in a park which contains about four hundred acres, and abounds in fine forest trees of every kind. The rooms in this building have been admired for the simplicity of the magnificence which reigns through them, and for the immense mirrors at the extremities, by which their extent appears astonishingly enlarged. BURLEY, OR BURLEIGH ON THE HILL,— RUTLANDSHIRE. This fine seat of the Earl of Winchilsea stands on an abrupt elevation that commands an extensive view across the Vale of Catmore, and is connected with many interesting historical recollections. At the time of Edward III. it was in the possession of the celebrated Warren De ITsle; and in the .ensuing reign, the lordship being in the hands of the warlike Henry Spenser, Bishop of Norwich, that prelate did not hesitate to place himself at the head of the rural tenantry, and defeat the insurgents that formed those bands of marauders who, under Jack Straw and Wat Tyler, devastated the provinces, and assailed the capital. In the days of James I. Burley was purchased by order of that sovereign, and presented to his favourite, Villiers, Duke of Buckingham; and here, for the amusement of the weak and voluptuous king, Ben Jonson wrote and prepared his Masque entitled « The Gipsies," which was performed by several of the nobility. Q g2 THE COUNTIES OF CHESTER, DEJIBY, NOTTINGHAM, During the civil wars, Burley House was burnt by the parliamentary troops, then in possession of it, but who were too weak to resist with success the meditated attack of the royalists. For many years afterwards it remained in a state of ruin, until, towards the latter end of the seventeenth century, it was purchased by Daniel, Earl of Nottingham, son of the famous Speaker of the House c£ Commons, who was held down forcibly in his chair, in order to give countenance to resolutions adverse to his loyalty. After this purchase, this eminent family, inheriting the more ancient title of Winchilsea, have frequently made this mansion their residence, which was reared in its present magnificent style by the noble purchaser, who enclosed the park, containing above a thousand of the finest and most valuable forest trees. The architecture is strictly Doric, in which dignity is preserved without ostentation ; and the approaches to the edifice, both from the north and the south, present a majesty of aspect that cannot be surpassed^ The rooms are superbly furnished, and are enriched with several family portraits, and some paintings by the old masters. ANCIENT CASTELLET IN DODDINGTON PARK,— CHESHIRE. Doddington Hall, the elegant seat of the family of Delves-Broughton, is situated about five miles to the south-east of Nantwich in Cheshire. The present magnificent mansion was built nearly fifty years ago, from designs by Wyatt, and stands ii? an extensive park. Not very distant from the dwelling-house is seen, mantled with ivy and surrounded with oaks of great age, a curious and romantic CasteUet, supposed to be a portion of the old fortified mansion, which in 1364 was erected on this spot by Sir John Delves, one of the four squires of Lord Audley, to whose intrepidity and prowess the victory of Poictiers is chiefly to be attributed. These brave companions in arms of his lordship were Delves, of Delves Hall in Staffordshire, Dutton, of Dutton, Foulshurst, of Crewe, and Mackworth of Mackworth near Derby. Before the battle began, say our old historians, Lord James Audley obtained permission to fulfil a chivalric vow he had made, to be first in the first conflict. " Accordingdeye," th^ add, " withe adye of his foure scuyers, he dyd marvels in armes, and foughte alway in chiefe of the batayle, y' daye he never toke prisoner, but alway foughte and wente on his enemyes." Lord James was carried from the field by his four attendants, severely wounded, and the MOEIflAMTOM FAIK.IE.0 K-UT?!. ANE'SHU KE. BUK-LET, OR KUIRILEK^IE OH THE, HELL, B-HJIfLAMJOSIHEiaj; yiSllRR, SOW* CI TiONDON APAttlS , 1S57. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 63 Black Prince rewarded his exploit by an annual grant of five hundred marks, which- the gallant nobleman immediately transferred to his four squires, to whose courage he acknowledged himself to be principally indebted for his success, but Prince Edward instantly presented him with another grant, of the same amount. " At Poictiers field, four valiant elves, JDutten and Faulshuist, Mackworth, Delves, With frequent and resistless blow, Hushed, with Lord Audley, on the foe : Their prowess strewed the sanguine plain — And yielding warriors sued in vain, All meed of ransom they disdain — ■ Even mercy's plea their Bwords disown — They war for victory alone." Wars of the Fourteenth Century. The ruin of a Castellet of very ancient date, but of a more square and massive form, is still existing at Mackworth, a few miles west of Derby; and though accounts respecting it are very unsatisfactory, tradition refers it, not without some foundation, to the exploit of the brave follower of Lord Audley at the battle of Poictiers. At the Castellet of Doddington there is a flight of exterior steps, adorned with the statues of these brave warriors ; that representing Lord Audley is said to be the work of a foreign artist nearly cotemporary vnth the occurrence, but those of the four squires are supposed to have been carved in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when a building in the style of that era was erected on the spot This mansion being fortified and garrisoned for the royalists during the civil war in the seventeenth century, was twice taken by the parliamentarian forces, and completely demolished. By the failure of the male descendants of Sir John Delves, Doddington became the property of the family of Delves-Broughton, by whom the present magnificent building was reared. The existing representative of that branch is Sir John Delves-Broughton, Bart. Of the main stem was the favourite friend and companion of Henry VI., Sir John Delves, who was slain, with his son, as they sought refuge in the abbey of Tewkesbury, after the fatal battle near that place : they were interred at Wyburnbury, not far from Doddington. 64 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, LYME HALL,— CHESHIRE. This elegant seat of the Leghs stands in an extensive park, containing more than fifteen hundred acres. Its form is quadrangular, with a rich and majestic portico in the front towards the south, supported by a colonnade, which was erected about twenty years ago, when considerable improvements were made in the whole edifice under the direction of Mr. L. Wyatt. About three miles off is the village of Poynton, while Whalley bridge over the narrow but rapid and romantic river Goyte, at four miles' distance, connects the county of Chester with the northern peak of Derbyshire. Lyme park is remarkable for containing a herd of wild cattle resembling those in Lord Tankerville's domains at Chillington. They are white with red ears, and are traditionally said to have sprung from the ancient native breed that were formerly sometimes found in the solitary districts of Vale Royal forest. These animals in summer range on the high lands of the park, but in winter they herd together in thick copses, wherever holly and other ever- green shrubs abound, on which they feed. A similar breed is said to exist, even in a domesticated state, in the forest districts. The appearance of these, now uncommon animals, in the retired and wild parts of Lyme Park, calls to the imagination an idea of those days when, on nearly the same spot, the British chieftains at once tended their herds, and combated the foe in protecting them. ■ " Girt with rude arms, tlie herdsman warrior tends His snow-white liine, where deep the vale descends, There lurk the ambushed foe, who shouting rise, While clash of spears and clamour fill the skies : — Dispersed, the cattle scour the plain below. And the brave herdsman bleeds beneath the foe." A remarkable custom prevailed until very lately at Lyme Park ; it was established by an old and much respected park-keeper, who died nearly two centuries ago, and who, when he was one hundred and two years of age, hunted down a fine buck, after a chase of above six hours. This veteran was accustomed, in the months of May and June, to ride round the park hills with a wand in his hand, and at a mound opposite the Hall, called the Deer-Clod, to urge the whole herd, by a particular exclamation, to swim across a wide piece of water. This practice is now fallen into disuse, as few keepers can acquire the absolute control over the herd which this curious old man, whose portrait is still seen over the fire-place in the great hall of the mansion, so astonishingly possessed. This manor was bestowed by Edward III. on Perkin a Leigh, the ancestor of the family of the Leighs, as a reward for his valour in recovering the English standard from the enemy at the battle of Cressy. The son of this illustrious warrior was beheaded at Chester by Henry IV., on account of his attachment to the unfortunate Richard II., to whom he adhered through all his calamities. Sir Piers Leigh a Perkin fell in the service of Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt, and in an ancient chapel adjoining the church of St. Michael at Macclesfield, there is a tablet to the memory of these and other persons of note belonging to this family. AUCIEMT CASTIELILKT KM LYME, HAILIL, CHESHIRE. FrSllWrt, SON * C? LONDON fc PAIUS, 1B37, LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 65 CHURCH AND TOWN OF LOUTH,— LINCOLNSHIRE. The town of Louth is situated about twenty-eight miles to the eastward of the city of Lincoln, upon a ridge of land which skirts the comparatively high tract of the county called the Wolds. It is supposed to have been founded by the Romans, who named it Luda, from a small stream in its vicinity known to the ancient Britons by the appella- tion of Lud; and when, subsequently, the place obtained its municipal rank, the town- arms, by a pun, in the taste of Uie age, on the Latin word ludus, represented a school with a boy undergoing the punishment of the birch. Religious establishments were numerous in this town and neighbourhood previous to the Reformation, and the inhabitants took part in the insurrection termed " the Pilgrimage of Grace," on which account the vicar with other priests were executed, on charges of treason, at Tyburn. The town is neatly built, and has a population of about 7000 ; it carries on sundry extensive manufactures of carpets, blankets, and other woollen fabrics, besides a very considerable trade in worsted and wool. An active communication is also maintained with London, Hull, and various ports on the eastern coast of the kingdom, by means of a canal, for which an act of parliament was obtained in 1781. The amusements consist of a theatre, assembly-rooms, billiard-tables, and subscription rooms for libraries and newspapers ; but that which particularly gains and merits the notice of strangers is a hermitage, in a rural and romantic style, at the vicarage. The church, which is dedicated to St. James, is incorporated with the perpetual curacy of Louth,' St. Mary, belonging to the cathedral of Lincoln, and is esteemed to be one of the finest archi- tectural structures in the county. The tower consists of three stories, and upon it are octangular embattled turrets with buttresses to the spire, the height of which to the cross surmounting it, is one hundred and forty-one feet, and the total height from the base of the tower is two hundred and eighty-eight feet. A public school, founded by Edward VI., is endowed with one hundred and sixty acres of land. INTERIOR OF STOW CHURCH,— LINCOLNSHIRE. Stow, although in extent it must be regarded as a village, ranks as a prebendary in the cathedral books of Lincoln, and bears the style and authority of an archdeaconry over the whole of the district of Lindsey, which comprises a third of the county. Antiquaries are doubtful whether this was not the site of Sidnacaster, where the old chronicles state the palace of the bishops of Lincoln to be situated, but of which the locality is now most strangely and entirely lost. The jurisdiction and ecclesiastical rank of Stow are undoubtedly evidence of its ancient importance, and the church bears testimony to its great antiquity. The ground plan of the building is in the form of a cross, and its proportions throughout seem to announce its claims to dignity. It is a large structure, having a nave, with transepts and a choir. The tower, which is R 66 THE COUNTIES OF DEEBY, CHESTER, NOTTTNGHAM, embattled, is elevated in the centre, and rests upon pointed arches, which are manifestly of a style of later date than the semicircular supports on which. the "body of the building is sustained. The western and southern entrances are Saxon, and the former is formed by three retiring columns on each side, with zigzag or chevron ornaments. The western window is large with a sharp-pointed arch, but on the western side of the north transept there is a very old Saxon arch, and round the inside of the chancel is a continued arcade, consisting of semicircular arches, which with their usual zigzag ornaments rest upon plain pillars, not more than twenty-three inches wide. The chancel appears to have been vaulted, and there are within it two stones, with characters, supposed to have been Saxon, that are how illegible. The pulpit is formed of oak very curiously carved ; and the clock, with a pendulum vibrating at peculiarly long intervals, is a piece of antique mechanism worthy attention. The font merits, notice for its being ornamented with the carved figure of a dragon, intended to represent Satan grieved at the eflBcacy of Christian baptism. Near the church is a quadrangular moat supposed to have surrounded the bishop's palace, and there are many foundations of buildings which have long since fallen into decay. Stow Park, about a mile distant to the south-west of the church, is now divided into several farms. MILLER'S DALE,— DERBYSHIRE. The valleys of a district which, like Derbyshire, abounds with hills and mountainous wilds, intersected with streams, can scarcely fail to invite, by numerous rural beauties, the regards of the landscape painter : that through which the meandering and translucent Wye shapes its course is celebrated for an Arcadian loveliness, heightened rather than disturbed by the cliff-hke Tors, and the rude precipitous masses of rock that manifest themselves at intervals along its banks. The whole vale of Wye, with diversified and romantic features, is considered to extend from Buxton to its junction with the Derwent at Great Rowsley, and in that space it flows beneath the craggy precipice known by the name of "the Lover's Leap," and the lofty Chee-Tor, akeady described; but Miller's Dale is a particularly picturesque portion of this interesting valley, occupying about a mile and a half in extent south-east of the village of WormhiU, where tracts of toadstone and tufa intersect the limestone that constitutes the geological character of the general strata: in this dale also appear the Raven-Tor, and those elevations called Priestchff and Priestlow, where crystals of clear and colourless quartz are found, called « Derbyshire diamonds." But the rural and romantic beauties of this and the adjoining valleys of Cressbrook and Monsal claim principally the attention of the artist and the poet, for here are scenes that may realize all, in fairy diversity at least, if not in classical imagery, that the Greek pastorals have impressed upon the fancy. « In Miller's Dale," says Mr. Rhodes in his Peak Scenery, "the river, which had been pent up within a narrow chasm, appears to rejoice at its release, as it quietly spreads into a more ample stream and glides leisurely away. This is a delightful dale, and it abounds with scenes. LIECESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 67 that as they are beheld sooth and tranquillize the mind. The stream is never turbulent -never still; and though in some places the huge branches of the gnarled oak, or a weather-beaten elm, shoots from a cleft or fissure in the rock above, in a manner that suggests a recollection of the pictures of Salvator, yet the light and elegant fohage with winch It is accompanied subdues every feature of wildness, and softens down the whole to beauty: the mills— the leapings that are thrown across the river— the cottages embosomed in trees or overhung with rock— every object in the dale is fraught with beauty." Even the inroads made by manufacturing enterprise in these rural valleys have, in some respects, rather enhanced than injured their poetic character: in speaking of a cotton-mill which the labours of industry have reared on one of the banks of the Wye— (and for erections of this nature, the rapid course of these mountain streams offers advantages not to be overlooked by an energetic people, and of which the representation of one, and the ruin of another, built on a less convenient site, are seen in our artist's design)— a fair tourist gives the following truly fanciful description. « When darkness pervades the Dale, and the innumerable windows are Ughted up, and not even the outline of the buildings is to be traced against the dark mountains, it might be thought to be an illuminated palace raised by the power of magic; whilst the abruptness of its appearance on the first entrance to the Dale, and the sudden glimpses caught through the openings of the hills, would lead to the expectation, that its existence was as transitory as its appearance." A similar idea seems to have inspired these verses in the fancy of a poet of the same region. " The moon is up, love, and the mill, Lit with its hundred lights, is still : One might believe, by the Wye's fair stream, Fairies had wove a magic dream, With floating threads of thought, as close The cares of day in calm repose." Minstrel of the Peak. VALE OF THE WINNETS,— DERBYSHIRE. " The Valley of the Winnets," according to Farey, in his Survey of the County of Derby, by directions from the Board of Agriculture, " is situated west of the town, and extends half a mile in the fourth limestone : it is deep and rugged : the turnpike road to Chapel-en-le-Frith goes up this steep and curious valley." A more romantic, or, in many respects, a more terrific district is scarcely to be met with throughout this extra- ordinary region, where it forms a narrow ravine amid abrupt and lofty rocks of lime- stone, projecting abruptly in different shapes, and seeming to preclude the access of man. Many of these elevations are above one thousand feet in height, and as they contract the rugged sides of the chasm, a continual stream of air rushes amid them with hollow 68 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTTINGHABI, and Gonfiised sounds, sweeping violently against the cavernous rents vnth which they are indented. From the ceaseless current of air through this rude ravine, the valley has acquired the name of the Winnets, or the Win-'yates, as the inhahitants of the Peak pronounce the word; and when tempests arise, the "voice of the winds" m the chasm becomes loud and awful, and is heard at a great distancei while the sky above is frequently blue and serene. « Gates of the Winds ! where unseen forms Herald with shouts th« advancing stormBi Which bursting past each barrier mound. Blend with the cavern's hollow sound ;, There, 'mid the vaulted chasm below, The rapid waters foaming flbw, And from their deep dark channel east Tlesponsive echoes to the blast ; — There, Castleton, sublime I'd lie Gazing upon thy azure siiy, While storms, as through thy Gates they play. Sweep clouds, like cares, from the face of day. And griefs, to earth beneath me driven, Leave not a gloom 'twixt me and heaven." Minstrel of the Peak. Amid this vale of precipitous rocks, the comparatively more verdant spot on which the village of Castleton is situated, and which is seen terminating the most fearful of the declivities of the Winnets, assumes a rural and even a pastoral character, being skirted with wandering sheep, that in a region where grass is nowhere plentiful, are sometimes found grazing on the green moss which here and there enlivens the limestone rocks among the Winnets themselves. We make no apology for extracting the following passage from a pleasing work which its amiable authoress has entitled "Vignettes of Derbyshire." " The pathway is not broader," she observes, " than will admit two carriages to pass, and is enclosed by lofty mountains, the base of each seeming to cross each other, as if to interrupt the progress, broken by the peaked rocks of silver grey which start from their sides. Thus apparently obstructed, but still advancing, we wound along, every dozen paces presenting a different appearance. No sky is seen but that directly above our heads, the zenith and boundary of our aerial view, and that was of the bluest blue. One moment there seemed to be no human beings but ourselves, the next showed us one of our own species, like the samphire-gatherer of Dover cliffs, hanging in the middle air, collecting the moss with which the upper regions of moun- tains were covered; two patient asses waiting at the base for the verdant burden." VAE.IE OF TJffilE VHHIflETS. ID) )E M BT S IE 1 1 EialO';S., SOS, & C? I,0«DON, fc EARJS, 1037. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. CROYLAND ABBEY,— LINCOLNSHIRE. This place, formerly an important market-town, and still a very respectable and populous parish, owes its celebrity to the sanctity of its Saxon inhabitants at an early part of the Heptarchy. In the reign of the Mercian sovereign Cenred, a holy man, subsequently denominated St. Guthlac, took refuge in the adjoining marshes from the persecutions of the pagans, and founded a hermitage on the spot, and there, in the year 716, Ethelbald reared a Benedictine monastery, which he dedicated to the Holy Virgin, to St. Bartholomew, and to the hermit St. Guthlac, enriching it with a con- siderable sum of money, and bestowing upon it the whole island of Croyland, formed by the four waters of Shepishen, Nene, Southea, and Asendyke, with domains on the adjoining marshes, and the fisheries on the rivers Nene and Welland. This sanctified building, which was reared with much skill upon piles, in the midst of a wide, marshy plain, without any roads to it but what were artificially constructed, was ravaged by the Danes in 870, and subsequently became the victim to an accidental fire, which is fear- fully described by its abbot, Ingulphus : it suffered a similar calamity about forty years afterwards, but its revenues and its reputation continued, nevertheless, to increase, until the suppression of monasteries at the Reformation. The ruins are particularly inte- resting to those conversant in the old Norman style of architecture, of which these remains contain some fine specimens. The north aisle of the nave has been restored, and is used as the parish church. The town consists of four principal streets, artificially raised above the marshy land, with water-courses on each side of them ; but one of the great curiosities of this town is the ancient bridge, erected in the reign of Edward II. This consists of a single princi- pal and finely-groined arch, while from it diverge three pointed arches, extending across the rivers Welland and Nene, and over the Catwater : the style is the florid Enghsh Gothic of that period, and on one side of this strange edifice is a figure of Ethelbald, in a sitting posture, holding a globe in his hand. The church, which, as we have already said, consists only of the northern aisle of the ancient abbey, is both commodious and elegant. A later style of Gothic architecture has been chiefly used in the additional portions of the repairs, and a low massive tower is thought to improve the general effect of this fine ruin. The west front is very highly enriched, being ornamented with statues, among which are those of king Ethelbald, St. Bartholomew, and St. Guthlac ; the last was found in a small stone building 'near the abbey, supposed to have been the hermitage of the holy recluse, when he lived the life of an anchorite; and hence this small building has obtained the appellation of the anchorage house. An ancient font stands within the church, displaying some well-executed screen work, in stone. The roof is elegantly groined, and the windows, which are large, are elaborately decorated with tracery. 70 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTTINGHAM, SCRIVELSBY HALL,— LINCOLNSHIRE. This ancient manorial residence stands about two miles from Horncastle: it is a plain building, of an antique aspect, and the manor is the hereditary domain of the Dymock family, who hold it by a baronial tenure, which entitles the possessor to the honour of performing the high office of champion of England, on the coronation of the sovereign ; in which station the present representative of the Dymocks appeared at the coronation of George IV. in 1821. This manor was, at the time of the Conqueror, bestowed upon Marmion, lord of Fontenay in Normandy, from which distinguished family Sir Walter Scott selected the fictitious hero of his romantic and interesting poem, and of whose lineage the poet gives the following details : " Robert de Marmion, Lord of Fontenay, a distinguished follower of the Conqueror, obtained a grant of the castle and town of Tamworth, and also of the manor of Scrivelsby in Lincolnshire. One, or both, of these noble possessions was held by the honourable service of being the royal champion, as the ancestors of Marmion had formerly been to the dukes of Normandy. But after the castle and demesne of Tamworth had passed through four successive barons from Robert, the family became extinct in the person of Philip de Marmion, who died in the 20th Edward I., without issue male. He was succeeded in his castle of Tamworth by Alexander de Treville, who married Mazera, his grand-daughter. Baldwin de Treville, Alexander's descendant, in the reign of Richard I., by the supposed tenure of his castle of Tamworth, claimed the office of royal champion, and to do the service appertaining ; namely, on the day of coronation, to ride completely armed, upon a barbed horse, into Westminster Hall, and there to challenge the combat against any who would gainsay the king's title. But this office was adjudged to Sir John Dymoke, to whom the manor of Scrivelsby has descended by another of the co-heiresses of Robert de Marmion ; and it remains in that family, whose representative is hereditary champion of England at the present day." In the mansion-hall of Scrivelsby were formerly portraits of all the champions of England, and the kings in whose reigns they performed their honourable service ; and there were also three suits of ancient armour, but this part of the building was consumed by fire, and remained several years in a state of great dilapidation, until it fell into the hands of the present possessor, who has rebuilt it in the old style, and fitted it up with much taste and elegance. In the church there are monumental inscriptions to several members of the Dymock family, and a bust to the memory of Lewis Dymock, who was champion at the period of George I. and II., and died in 1760, at the age of ninety-one. Cm01irILi\„'iIL AJPIEJET jLK^^Ttr -nJlLl^SIlIlIEIE I ^"- 5r: ?13, ^JJ--^^ r.%1f1fX'i SCmKTEILSm^ MAJQIL, ILHHCOJLSrSHimE. Hiiir'-R sntr >. c luij-DOU a. I'ams, ifls? LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 71 SOUTHWELL,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. As we have previously had more than one opportunity of describing the ecclesiastical edifices of this celebrated collegiate town, we shall here content ourselves with noticing Its situation and general appearance. Southwell stands on the western bank of the small but rural stream called the Greet, and is fourteen miles north-east of Nottingham, and about eight miles to the west of Newark. That the town was, at the period of its ecclesiastical digtiity, much larger than it is at present, is proved by the foundations of a considerable street running in a direction to the east and west, through the imme- diate neighbourhood, where there are now no traces of inhabitants ; but still, with its adjacent hamlets of East and West Thorpe, it retains the aspect of a considerable scattered country town. Its parish is very extensive, occupying about four thousand five hundred acres of land ; and its population, which latterly appears to be increasing, amounts to about three thousand four hundred souls. The soil is rich, and about a third portion of it is arable, while the remainder is in pasture, except about two hundred acres, on which hops are very successfully cultivated. Part of the land is freehold, but the greatest portion, like most other ecclesiastical territory, is lease or copyhold, under the chapter of Southwell or the archbishop of York, who is lord of the manor. Not far from Southwell, towards the north-west, is Norwood Park, the elegant seat of Sir Richard Sutton, Bart. This place, which was granted in fee by the archbishop of York, in exchange for lands of equal value, is remarkable for circumstances under the Commonwealth. At that period, the ecclesiastical lands in the neighbourhood were sold by the Protector's government for £5000, and this park was purchased by Edward Chudd, Esq., who, as a civil magistrate, and according to the laws of the Commonwealth, regarded the marriage ceremony as a civil ordinance, which was performed in the common judicial hall ; but to satisfy some consciences, and probably his own, he fre- quently celebrated the sacred rite under the open sky — substituting for the church, " the temple not built with hands;" and a fine oak tree, to which the hymeneal couple resorted by his direction on that occasion, is still well known by the appellation of Chudd's Oak. MONUMENT TO LORD BYRON, HUCKNALL CHURCH, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. The small village of Hucknall-Torkard has become a place reverenced by the admirers of genius, throughout, not this country alone, but wherever the expression of strong and sublime sentiment is valued in every portion of the civilized world, by its walls being made the hallowed depository of the remains of George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron, the most illustrious poet of an era which has been highly distin- guished by fervour and capacity in every department of intellectual attainment. Lord 72 THE COUNTIES OF CHESTER, DERBY, NOTTINGHAM, Byron expired at Missolonghi, in Western Greece, on the 19th of April, 1824, after a short illness of ten days. It appears from Mr. Moore's account of this melancholy occurrence, in his Memoir of Lord Byron, to have been the anxious wish of the leading persons in the Greek revo- lution, that the remains of the noble bard should continue in that country, to be depo- sited at Athens, in the Temple of Theseus, and the chief, Odysseus, even despatched an express to Missolonghi, to enforce this wish; but it being at length resolved to send the body to England, it was first embarked for Zante, " under a mournful salute from the guns of the fortress." On the 29th of June, the corpse that had held this enlightened spirit arrived in the Downs ; and it being authentically intimated, that " those reverend persons who have the honours of the Abbey (Westminster) at their disposal, would not acquiesce in any application for the illustrious poet being interred under the sanctity of that ancient roof;" and it being understood that Lord Byron's dearest relative had expressed a wish to have his remains laid in the family vault at Hucknall, near New- stead; steps were taken for the fulfilment of this purpose; and on Monday, the 12th of July, the funeral procession left Westminster, attended by the carriages of his Lordship's personal friends, and those of several persons of rank. At Pancras church the proces- sion closed; and the carriages returnied, while the hearse continued its way, by slow stages, to Nottingham. " It was on Friday, the 16th of July," continues the biographer, " that, in the small village church of Hucknall, the last duties were paid to the remains of Byron, by depositing them close to his mother, in the family vault. Exactly on the same day of the same month in the preceding year, he had said, it will be recollected, despondingly, to Count Gamba, ' Where shall we be, in another year ?' The gentle- man to whom this foreboding speech was addressed paid a visit, some months after the interment, to Hucknall, and was much struck, as I have, heard, on approaching the village, by the strong likeness it seemed to him to bear to his lost friend's melancholy death-place, Missolonghi." On a tablet of white marble, in the chancel of the church of Hucknall, is the follow- ing inscription : — IN THE VAULT BENEATH, WHERE MANY OP HIS ANCESTORS AND HIS MOTHER ARE BURIED, LIE THE REMAINS OP GEORGE GORDON NOEL BYRON, Lord Byron, of Rochdale, in the county op lancaster, THE AUTHOR OP "OHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE." HE WAS BORN IN LONDON ON THE 22nd op JANUARY, 1788, HE DIED AT MISSOLONGHI, IN WESTERN GREECE, ON THE 19TH OF APRIL, 1824, ENGAGED IN THE GLORIOUS ATTEMPT TO RESTORE THAT COUNTRY TO HER ANCIENT FREEDOM AND RENOWN. HIS SISTER, THE HONOURABLE AUGUSTA MARIA LEIGH, PLACED THIS TABLET TO HIS MEMORY. S ® m'TMWlE ILK,, KrOTTK K (EM AM ,11 M I ffiW . ffiOMOTMlE^KT T© I.OKB BYffi®S', mCWCKKAJLIL cmwmtnm, K®TTIM(&MAM§lBl£ffiJE. nSBER,, SOfT, 4 C LOBrpOM, t E4EJS, 1837. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 73 CHOLMONDELEY CASTLE,— CHESHIRE. Until the commencement of the present century, the residence of Earl Cholmondeley was an ancient and venerable structure, but, being situated on a marshy spot, was neither pleasant nor healthy. It stood about four miles to the north-east of Malpas in Cheshire, and had a fine baronial aspect ; nor was it unconnected with several historical events, while, like many of the family mansions in this county, it suffered severely during the civil wars in the seventeenth century. The foundation of the present modern and magnificent Hall was laid in 1801, and the whole erection was completed in 1804. The style in which it is built is the pointed gothic, and the magnitude of its proportions bestow upon it an aspect admired for the dignified simplicity of its massive grandeur. The prospect commanded by it is highly esteemed for its rich pastoral beauty, being in every direction varied by hills and meadows abounding with streams and well-wooded forests, while the lake of Barmere adds greatly to the richness of the scene. An additional wing, in the same bold style of architecture, has been projected, from the tasteful designs of the noble proprietor, who has displayed his elegance in numerous improvements and embelUshments. The windows of the hall, the library, and the saloon, are enriched by painted glass, purchased by the noble marquis some years ago in France. Adjoining to the premises is the domestic chapel, which, according to the ecclesiastical grant, appears to have been first founded in 1285 ; but this edifice was very splendidly enriched and partly re-erected about the middle of the seventeenth century, and has more recently been fitted up for the performance of divine service. A circumstance worthy the attention of the curious attaches to this spot. In digging a peat-bog near Cholmondeley Hall, in the year 1818, a boat was discovered several feet beneath the surface of the ground, where it must have lain during many centuries. It consists of the trunk of an oak, about twelve feet in length, and is thought to have the appearance of the canoes used by the Esquimaux on the Arctic seas. WATER TOWER,— CHESTER. This remnant of antiquity has stood upon the northern bank of the Dee for more than five hundred years, but the waters of that river have long ceased to approach the foot of a fortress which was erected apparently to adorn and protect them. Old Fuller; who wrote in 1662, in closing his description of this place, which then retained, as it does still, the appellation of the " New Tower," gives utterance to this patriotic senti- ment : " And now, being to take leave of this ancient and honourable city, the worst that I wish it is, that the distance between Dee and the New Tower may be made up, all obstructions being removed which cause or occasion the same ; that the rings on the T 74 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, NOTTINGHAM, New Tower (now only for sight) may be restored to the service for which they were first intended, to fasten vessels thereunto ; that the vessels in the river (lately degenerated from ships into barks) may grow up again to their former strength and stature." In an old record of the historical events of Chester, given by Mr. Hemingway, we find the following entry. "(1322.) In this year, the New Tower (Water Tower) was built at the cost of the city, by John Helpstone, a mason, who conditioned to build the same, as appeareth by an indenture, for the sum of £100." It is round, ten yards and a half in diameter, and in height twenty-four yards, having at convenient distances loop- holes, for the discharge of missive weapons. An ancient tourist, who, somewhat more than a century ago, made a perambulation of the city, of which he has left a manuscript description, says, " In proceeding onward to the north-west angle of the city walls, we have still a prospect of great variety ; at a distance, the long ridge of Flintshire hills, and nearer Bretton and Bruershall, ( Brewer 's-hall,) and on the right hand we have the lordship of Blacon, MoUington, Crabwell, and our quondam haven, now sanded up, quite forsaken by the old channel of the river. The wrecking of the sand, the decay of the haven, and consequently the want of trade, have been old complaints, at least since Richard the Second's reign. Several have been the benefactions to this city fi:om many kings of England on these accounts ; and an act of parliament was of late years granted, to remedy these grievances ; but all has proved hitherto inefifectual, so that we may truly say, Jamque herba est ubi portus erat." Almost immediately under the walls, at this angle, and not far from the Water Tower, appears a postern, which leads to the sluice-house and to the Ellesmere Canal Wharf. There a respectable tavern has been built, and warehouses have been raised, which proves that an increasing trade is extensively carried on here with Liverppol. This probably already exceeds the traffic enjoyed by Chester in times when it was regarded as the principal port of communication with Ireland and North Wales. There is a passage under the walls in this direction, probably formed as a means of ready access to vessels when they could lie close to the Tower. From the top is obtained a fine prospect of the eastern district of Flintshire, which has not improperly been called "the garden of Wales," where the coast, richly diversified with shelving slopes and verdant knolls, projects along the sandy banks of the Dee, as it vainly endeavours to repress the encroachments of the Irish Channel. In the interval between the Water Tower and the Water Gate, on the left, stand some good modern edifices, particularly the infirmary, the city gaol, and a fine open area formed by two ranges of buildings, called Stanley-Place. ;H©ILm©M BElLEir fCitSlfJLIS, CIHUfiSElIRE. ^TAiriaiK- TCP~SrjEJ8<., jFJStejai XMit. iujjcjK, je- j s>ji, j ri I 't li" BianP.R, SON &CP J.ONDON,a!PAELta "1337. LEICESTER, LINCOLN, AND RUTLAND, ILLUSTRATED. 76 WELBECK ABBEY,— NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. This ancient mansion, one of the most sylvan domains enjoyed by the nobility of the kingdom, is situated about three miles aind a half from Worksop, on the margin of a spacious lake, surrounded by an extensive wood, containing some of the finest forest trees in the realm. The building is irregular, having been altered and enlarged at different periods, and even some of the ancient monastic walls are said to be apparent through the wainscoting, but the superb hangings and gorgeous furniture with which the interior is fitted up assi- milate very little with monastic ideas. The paintings, particularly the family portraits of different eras, by the most distinguished masters of their respective times, render this one of the most interesting mansions in Britain, for the inspection of the curious. The stables reared by the Duke of Newcastle, for the accommodation of those elegant and useful animals to which he devoted so much of his thoughts, were commenced in 1623, and have received such improvements and additions as to be considered the finest in the kingdom : they are 130 feet in length by 40 in breadth, and are elegantly built in gothic architecture. But the Park, which is eight miles in circumference, contains the chief objects of astonishment, on these interesting pr'emises. These are, oaks of extraordinary age and dimensions. The largest is the Greendale Oak, supposed to be 700 years old, and is probably, according to the opinions of several eminent men conversant in sylvan studies, some centuries older. It measures in circumference at the bottom thirty- three feet, and its branches are said to have covered a space not less than seven hundred square yards, but it has been during many years in a state of decay, retaining at present only one branch, that waves like a pendent plume over its venerable trunk, which is itself clasped and supported by iron props, and capped with lead, to preserve it from the stagnant moisture. In the year 1724, a coach-road upwards of ten feet in height, and six feet three inches in width, was cut through this aged tree. The DuMs Walk- ing-stick, another of these sylvan antiquities, is one hundred and eleven feet six inches in height, and is supposed to contain not less than 440 solid feet of timber. The Tivo Porters appear Uke mighty sylvan deities, near one of the park-entrances, and between them there was formerly a gate-way; they are each nearly one hundred feet in height, and the girth of both the one and the other is from thirty-five to thirty-eight feet. On the other side of the Park is a remarkable tree, called the Seven Sisters, from which spring seven stems, that are nearly ninety feet in height ; and in other parts of this sylvan domain there are numerous ancient trees of equal antiquity and of astonishing dimensions. The lake is a fine piece of water, of about a mile in extent, and has a beautiful aspect amidst the majestic foliage of the surrounding wood. Its banks form a bold, varied line, beneath some elevated promontories, shaded with the old majestic oaks, and with several modern plantations, opening to numerous picturesque views, par- ticularly those of the hamlets of Milnthorpe and Carburton-Forge, where the lake, taking the name of the WoUen, fiows eastward, as a river, through Clumber Park. 76 THE COUNTIES OF DERBY, CHESTER, ETC. ILLUSTRATED. NOTTINGHAM PARK. Among the traditionary and historical interest which attaches to several parts of the industrious and enterprising town of Nottingham, the visitor is particularly led to inspect the Park ; and we have already noticed the fate of Mortimer, the paramour of the queen of Edward II., to whom Gray has given the strong appellation of " she-wolf of France," in his beautiful ode entitled " The Bard." Within the same territory and its immediate neighbourhood are various excavations, to which tradition assigns a remote origin, or ascribes to events of a vague and uncertain nature. On the south-east end of the park, a range of subterraneous dwellings seem to have been very anciently excavated in the perpendicular rock above the river Leen, and of these, Stukely, without attributing their formation, as several other antiquaries are inclined to do, to the ancient Britons, appears inclined to assign their fabrication to Christians, who, like the pious proselyte Jews in Judea, worshipped in caverns constructed in the rocks at Bethlehem, and other districts of the Holy Land. In digging foundations near the market-place, many of these strange excavations were discovered, in one of which were found several wooden utensils, which instantly crumbled into dust. These places are generally called Druid caverns, or Papist holes, which last appellation is bestowed upon them on account of a common belief that they served as places of retreat for persecuted Catholics at the time of the civil war. Some of these vaulted abodes are said to have been elaborately finished •with considerable art, but no care being taken for their preservation, they are in a very ruinous condition, and are frequently the haunts of the very lowest of society. The park is nearly one hundred and thirty acres in area, and on its southern boundary flows the river Leen, while on the east rises the Castle Rock and the Standard Hill, and to the north and west, the parishes of Radford and Lenton constitute its boundaries. In the summer season it affords a pleasant and a much frequented promenade, and the drives on the roads leading through it to Wilford, Lenton, WooUaton, and other neighbouring villages, impart great vivacity to the prospect. The lower angle of this domain has been divided into garden-plots, which are cultivated by the inhabitants of the town ; and the rural picturesque acclivity of the park-hill above the river is, in the same manner, in the hands of similar occupants, who possess beautiful gardens and summer houses on this romantic spot. On the north side of the park there is the appearance of an embankment enclosing an oblong area, to which tradition has given the name of the " Queen's Garden," being, it is supposed, cultivated when the castle was the favourite residence of Queen Isabella and her lover, the Earl of March. tONDON : FISHER, SON, & CO., PRINTERS. (n)TT]cw(&mAm fajri^. nsuKR, bcw. fc c Lotrooju, » auus, ib37.