England Described, Treatise · County 37 – County 38
Warwickſhire.
IT is bounded on the Eaſt-ſide with Sanders, Glover and manyother Martyrs ſuffered in Warwickshire.Northamptonſhire, Leiceſterſhire, and the Watlingstreet way: on the South with Oxfordſhire and Gloceſterſhire; on the Weſt for the greateſt part with Worceſtorſhire; and on the North-ſide with Staffordſhire.
It is divided into a plain champion, and a woody Countrey: which parts the River Avon, running crookedly from North-Eaſt to South-Weſt, doth after a ſort ſever one from the other.
Edge-hill.
There is the Vale of the Red-horſe, ſo termed from a ſhape of a Horſe cut out in a red Hill by the Countrey people hard by.
Eſsenhull. It takes its name from the ſituation, ſtanding Eaſtward from Monkſ-Kirby, and upon a riſing ground.
Pillerton.
Shipston a Mercat of Sheep in times paſt.
Kinton a Mercat of Kine.
Compton in the Hole, becauſe it lieth hidden under the Hils, thence a noble Family hath taken the name.
Shugbury, ſtones reſembling little ſtars are there found, which the Lords of the place ſurnamed thereupon, have long ſhewed in their Coat-armour.
Southam a Mercate Town well known.
Leamington a Mercat Town, ſo caled of Leame a ſmall Brook that wandereth through this part of the Shire.
Chesterton the Habitation of that ancient Family of the Peitoes.
Rugby a Mercat chiefly for Butchers.
Newenham Regis, Kings Newenham, to diſtinguiſh it from Newenham Paddox, the King was anciently poſſeſt of it. There are wholſome Wells.
Upton, ſo called, becauſe it ſtands upon an aſcent.
Bagginton, which belonged ſometime to the Bagots.
Stoneley a ſtony place.
Warwick is the principal Town of the whole Shire. It ſtandeth over the River Avon upon a ſteep and high Rock, and all the Paſſages into it are wrought out of the very ſtone.
It ſtands in a dry and fertile ſoil, having the benefit of rich and pleaſant Medows on the South part, with the lofty Groves and ſpacious thickets of the woodland on the North.
It hath a very ſtrong Caſtle, the ſeat in times paſt of the Earls of Warwick, The Town it ſelf is adorned with fair houſes.
A place of ſtrength and health in the ſame Fort
You would conceive a Castle and a Court,
The Orchards, Gardens, Rivers, and the Air
May with the Trenches, Rampires, Walls compare.
It ſeems no art, no force can intercept it,
As if a Lover built, a Souldier kept it.
D. Corbets Iter Boreale.
Blacklow-Hill, here Piers de Gaveston was by the Nobles of the Kingdom beheaded.
Charl-Cot the habitation of the renowned ancient Family of the Lucies Knights, which place long ago deſcended hereditarily to them from the Charlcots.
Stratford upon Avon a little Mercate Town; there is a ſtone Bridge ſupported with fourteen Arches.
Bitford a Mercat Town.
Studly-Caſtle.
Coughton the principal manſion houſe of the Throckmortons.
Beauchamps-Court, ſo named of Baron Beauchamp of Powick.
Henley a pretty Mercat Town.
Aulcester a ſmall Mercat of Wares and trade, but much frequented for the Corn-Fair there holden.
Wroxhall, there is a little Priory.
Killingworth, there is a moſt ample, beautifull and ſtrong Caſtle, encompaſſed all about with Parks.
Bremicham or Bremingham full of Inhabitants, and reſounding with Hammers and Anvils, for the moſt of them are Smiths. The lower part thereof ſtandeth very wateriſh, the upper riſeth with fair buildings.
Sutton-Coldfield. It ſtandeth in a It ſtands South of Lichfield.wooddy, and on a churliſh hard ſoil, but in an excellent air, and full of all manner of pleaſures. There is a Grammar-School.
Coleſhull, ſo called from the River Cole.
Maxstock-Caſtle is neer to it.
Meriden. This place ſituated upon London-road, hath from ſome Innes and Ale-houſes built for the receipt of Paſſengers, grown of late times to the credit of a Village.
Coventry. It is a City very commodiouſly Coventria quaſi Coventus trium, a Covent of three ſorts of Monks.ſeated, large, ſweet and neat, fortified with a ſtrong Wall, and ſet out with right goodly houſes: among which there riſe up on high two Churches of rare workmanſhip, ſtanding one hard by the other, and matched (as it were) as concurrents, the one conſecrated to the Holy Trinity, the other to Saint Michael. One and the ſelf ſame Biſhop carried the name both of Coventry and Lichfield.
Leofrick the firſt Lord of this City being much offended and angry with the Citizens, oppreſſed them with moſt heavy Tributes, which he would remit upon no other condition, at the earneſt ſuit of his Wife Godina, unleſſe ſhe would her ſelf ride on horſe-back naked through the greateſt and moſt inhabited ſtreet of the City: which ſhe did indeed, and was ſo covered with her fair long Hair, that (if we may believe the common ſort) ſhe was ſeen of no body, and thus ſhe did ſet free her Citizens of Coventry from many paiments for ever.
At Gosford-Gate there hangeth to be ſeen a mighty great Shield-bone of a Or rather of an Elephant, being not ſo little as a yard in length. Speed.wild Bore, which Guy of Warwick ſlew in hunting, when he had turned up with his ſnout a great pit or pond, which is now called Swanſewell, but Swineſwell in times paſt.
Auſley-Caſtle.
Brand.
Caledon.
Whitmore-Park. Though it be for the moſt part woody, yet is in ſome places ſo mooriſh, as that the ground beareth nothing but moſſe; which being in one place white, gave occaſion (doubtleſſe) for its name.
Dugd. Antiq. of Warwickſhire.
Willowby, becauſe of the Willows.
Ceſter-over, neer unto which the High port-way Watlingstreet.
Nun-Eaton, or Eaton.
Manceſter a very ſmall Village.
Atherſtone a Mercat Town of good reſort.
Merival.
Polleſworth. Sir Francis Netherſole a Kentiſh Gentleman of an ancient houſe, ſometimes Oratour to the Univerſity of Cambridge, Secretary to the Queen of Bohemia hath erected a See Mr Dugdales Antiq. of Warwickshire illuſtrated.School-houſe there.
In this County there are an hundred and fifty eight Pariſh Churches.
VVeſtmerland.
IT is ſo called, becauſe it lieth all of Weſtmaria, Weſtmorlandia.it among Moors and high Hils, and was for the moſt part unmanured. Such barren places the Northern Engliſhmen call Moors: and Weſt-moreland is a Weſtern-mooriſh Countrey.
It is bounded on the Weſt and North-ſide with Cumberland; on the Eaſt with Yorkſhire, and the Biſhoprick of Durrham.
The Barony of Kendale and Candale of the River Can, which running thorow upon ſtones, cutteth thorow it.
Kendale-Kirke by Kendale, a Town of very great Trade and reſort, with two broad and long ſtreets croſſing the one over the other, and a place for excellent cloathing, and for induſtry ſo ſurpaſſing, that in regard thereof it carrieth a great name. For, the Inhabitants There were Lords alſo of Kendale.have great traffique and vent of their wollen Cloaths throughout all parts of England.
In the River Can are two water-falls, where the waters have a downfall, with a mighty noiſe.
Kirkby-Lonſdale, whither all the From the River Lone.people round about repair to Church and Mercat.
Wharton-Hall, the ſeat of the Barons Wharton.
Kirkby-Stephen a Mercat Town well known.
Muſgrave, there are two little Villages of that name, which gave name unto that martial and warlick Family of the Muſgraves.
Burgh under Stanemore a ſmall poor Village fenced with a little Fortreſſe.
Apelby memorable for its antiquity Aballaba.and ſituation onelyonly. It ſtandeth in a pleaſant ſite, encompaſſed for the moſt part with the River Eden; for its antiquity it deſerves to be counted the chief Town of the Shire. The Caſtle is the The Seſſions and Aſſizes are there keptcommon-Goal for malefactours.
Whellep-Caſtle.
Brougham.
In this Shire are contained ſix and twenty Pariſhes.