the broadest betweene Tong in the East and Oswestre West 25 making the whole circumference to containe about 134 miles The diuision of this County is shared into 15 Hundreds whose subdiuision into Parishes is 170. It is well watered with 18 Riuers which haue 13 large Bridges for passage And in this Shire are found 7 Forests and 27 Parks In 14 Market Townes haue the Inhabitants commerce and traffique wherof that of most note is the ancient Shire-Towne of Shrewsbury which is both large and wealthie containing many faire Streets adorned with beautifull buildings wherein are many rich and wealthie Inhabitants who honestly attaine thereto by their trading for the most part in Wools Cloth and Freese It is strongly walled hauing a Bulwarke descending from the Castle to the side of Seuerre on the North banke whereof is the Towne most pleasantly situate and for passage on the East and West sides are built two faire Bridges of stone and another entrance on the North ouer which stands the ruinous remainder of the old Castle The gouernment of this Towne is committed to two annually elected Bailiffes with 24 Burgesses and a Recorder The height of the Pole is here 52. 49. and the Longitude 21. 38. This County in times past hath beene much troubled with many grieuous broiles which caused the Inhabitants to fortifie themselues with diuers walled Townes and 32 strong Castles whereof now most of them are vtterly decayed but that at Ludlow was made by King Henry the Seuenth the Court of his eldest Palace for the Lord President who with diuers Counsellors a Secretary Atturney Sollicitor and foure Iustices of the Welch Counties he appointed in their Termes to plead heare and determine of causes Neere Clune Castle in this Shire is yet remaining the Fort of Caraâ—tacâ—â— a Prince of the Sâ—lures about the yeere of our Lord 53 which was won by P. Ostorius the Româ—n In which Towne of Clune amongst other memorable passages I saw a Pardon for one Iohn Clune Esquire seruant to King Henry the Eighth for reseruation of his name and bloud who accidentally slew one of the Burgesses thereof in the Church-yard which Pardon was granted and signed by Pope Iulian the second and was shewed to mee by mâ— good friend Master Edmund Clunâ— the sonne of Maurice Clunâ— of the same House and Familie â—â— eally descending The Aâ—re in this County is both healthfull and pleasant the Soâ—le rich and fertile yâ—â—lding Wheat Barly Pit-cole Iron and Woods in abundance SHROPSHIRE Hereford-shire THis County which wee call Hereford-shire was named by the Britaines Ereinuc It is bordered vpon on the North with Worcester and Shropshires on the South with Monmouth-shire on the East it is diuided from Glocester-shire by Maluerne Hills and the West is bounded by Brecknock and Radnor-shires The forme of it is circular containing in length from Maluerne Hills on the East to Michael Church West about 26 miles and in bredth from Lanruthell South to Ouer Sapie North 24 miles causing the whole circumference to amount to 102 miles or thereabouts It is diuided into 11 Hundreds and those are subdiuided into 176 Parishes It containes one Citie one Bishopricke thirteene Riuers passable by eleuen Bridges one Chase two Forests and eighteene Parks And for commerce and trade the Inhabitants haue eight Market Townes whereof the principall is the Citie of Hereford which worthy M. Camden is of opinion to haue sprung from the ruines of old Ariconium but is delectably seated amongst pleasant Medowes and plentifull Corne-fields and almost round about encircled with the Riuer of Wye and another on the North side whose name is not knowne It grew first famous for the supposed sanctitie of King Ethelbert who was there entombed after he had beene murthered by King Offaes wife when he came to wooe her daughter and in honour of him did Mildred a petty King of that County build the Cathedrall Church which afterward was consumed by fire but reedified by Bishop Reiuelin and the Towne inclosed in a wall with six Gates and fifteene Towers and is ciuilly gouerned by a Maior yeerely elected out of 13. Citizens and his Brethren whereof foure of the ancientest are Iustices of Peace and a Recorder The Latitude being there 52. 7. ½ and the Longitude 21. 50. In this Citie King Athelstane as Malmesbury reports caused the Lords of Wales to pay an annuall Tribute besides Hawkes and Hounds of twenty pounds of Gold and 300 pounds of Siluer by weight The ancient Inhabitants of this County were the Silures a fierce hardy and valiant people as appeares by their nine yeeres opposition to the Romans And afterwards the Saxons made this County a part of their Mercian Kingdome and Sutton was their Royall Court kept of their great King Offa. Before the Conquest this County was accounted vvith those of Wales against England but when it was ioyned to the English with diuers Castles was it fortified against the Welch for wee reade that in times past it hath beene strengthned with 28 strong and faire Castles most of which are now low buried in the heapes of their owne ruines Of remarkable things in this Shire the Spring called Bone Well neere Richards Castle is famous for Fish-bones and no Fish which though it be cleerely cleansed thereof will shortly after be furnished afresh with the like But the great wonder was the admirable motion of Marcley Hill containing about 26 acres within our owne memorie Anno 1571 which with a great noise remoued it selfe from its owne place and went continually for three dayes together carrying with it sheepe in their coats hedge-rowes and trees and ouerthrowing Kinnaston Chapell and diuers trees turning two high waies neere 100 yards from their vsuall Road and bearing the earth before it the space of 400 yards With very many Religious Houses hath this Shire beene adorned but in the time of King Henry the Eighth were vtterly ruinated as many others in all other Counties The Aire is here pleasent healthfull and temperate and the Soile as fertile and fruitfull as any other in England yeelding Corne Cattell Wooll Wheat and almost all other necessary commodities for the vse of the Inhabitants HEREFORD SHIRE Radnor-shire RAdnor-shire in the British Sire Maiseueth being in forme threesquare is on the South side separated from Brecknok-shire by the Riuer Wy on the North it bordereth vpon Montgomery-shire on the South-east vpon Hereford-shire The East and South parts of this Shire be farre more fruitfull than the rest It hath in it two and fiftie Parishes and three Townes of note the principall whereof is Radnor in British Maiseueth which in times past was firmely fenced with a wall but after that Owen Glendowre had burnt it it began to grow to decay It is probable that this Maiseueth or Radnor was that ancient Citie Magi which Antonine the Emperour calleth Magnos where the Gouernour of the Pacensian Regiment lay in garrison vnder the Lieu-tenant of Britaine in the reigne of Theodosius the younger for
ornament to the County The â—ire here though toward the North somewhat fresh and sharpe is very healthfull and the Soile on the South faiâ—e and â—â—uitfull but on the North more barren by â—eason of Moores and Hills there seated yet is the middle both well woodded and watered with many pleasant Riuers yeelding great plenty of Fish as well as the whole County doth of Flesh and other necessary commodities as namely of Corne Cattell Woods Pit-cole Iron and Alablaster STAFFORD SHIRE Darby-shire DArby-shire which the old Saxons called Deorbyrscire is on the East inclosed with Nottingham-shire on the South with Leicester-shire on the West with Stafford-shire and with Yorke-shire on the North the Riuer Derwent as it were diuiding it falleth into Trent which ouerthwarteth the South point of the Shire The East and South parts are very fruitfull hauing many Parkes in them but the West called the Peake which is hillie stonie and craggie is more barren yet hath it much Lead Iron and Coles and is very good for the keeping of sheepe On the West side of Derwent is seated Darby the chiefest Towne of the Shire which by the Danes was called Deoraby of the Riuer Derwent contracted from Derwentby as ancient Athelward records This Towne is of a reasonable bignesse hauing good trade and resort vnto it the Riuer hauing a beautifull stone Bridge ouer it in the North-East of the Towne whereupon was erected a faire Chapell which is now decaying besides which there are fiue Churches in the Towne the greatest whereof called All-Hallowes is famous both for the height of the Tower and the excellencie of the workmanship And close by it the Countesse of Shrewsbury hath founded an Hospitall for the maintenance of eight men and foure women This Towne is gouerned with two Bailiffes chosen out of 24 brethren and as many Burgesses and a Towne-Clarke The Eleuation of the Pole being there 55. 5. and the Longitude 23. 7. This was the Rendeuous for the Danes till Ethelfleda the Mercian Lady by surprising and slaughtering of them became Mistresse of it And in the time of King Edward the Confessor it had 143 Burgesses This Shire is in forme of a Triangle the length from North to South containing 38 miles and the bredth in the broadest part neere 29 miles the circumference being about 130 miles It is diuided into six Hundreds wherein are 106 Parish-Churches It hath commerce with eight Market Townes and hath had seuen Castles with eight foundations of Religious Houses and Monasteries It hath store of Woods Cattell and Corne with Mines of Lead Milstone Cole and Stibium At a place called Buxtons in eight yards compasse arise nine Springs eight warme and one cold neere which also is another hot Spring from a Well called S. Anne of Buxtons and close by it another cold Spring the waters of all which are reported to performe many strange Cures Not farre hence is a place called Elden Hole being of a huge widenesse very steepe and of a wonderfull depth And about seuen miles from it is an old Castle called The Castle in the Peake vnder which is a hole tearmed The Deuils Arse which in the entrance is very wide hauing many turnings and retiring roomes in it and is accounted for one of our English wonders In Peake Forest neere Buxtons is a Well which ebbeth and floweth foure times an houre DARBY SHIRE Nottingham-shire NOttingham-shire is so called from Nottingham the chiefe Towne and it is bounded on the North and North-west with the County of Yorke on the East with Lincolne-shire the South side being confined with Leicester-shire and with Darby-shire on the West It is extended from Fimingly North to Steanford in the South 38 miles and from Teuersall West to Beesthorpe East about 20 miles the whole compasse being 110 miles This Shire is diuided into two parts called by the Inhabitants The Sand and The Clay and these are subdiuided into eight Wapentacks which containe in them 168 Parish-Churches This County is traffiqued with eight Market Townes for commerce whereof the best and greatest is Nottingham which is most pleasantly situated on a high hill adorned with stately buildings and for many faire streets much excelling diuers other greater Cities The Market-place is large and faire Many Caues and Vaults are in the Towne which are hewen out of the Rocke but the most famous of them are those vnder the Castle whereof one hath the story of Christs passion engrauen on the walls by Dauid the Second King of Scots being there held prisoner and another wherein Lord Mortimer was surprised by King Edward the Third for which cause it is still called Mortimers Hole The Roomes and Staires of these are made out of the Rock the Castle it selfe being strong King Edward surnamed the Elder compassed this Towne with a Wall whereof but a little doth now remaine the rest being turned to ruines The compasse of this Towne according to M. Speed is 2120 pases And it is gouerned by a Maior two Sheriffes two Chamberlaines and six Aldermen The Pole being there eleuated 52. 58. and Longitude 23. 35. This County is pleasant and wholsome for Aire Clayie Sandie and rich for Soile very fruitfull both for Corne and Grasse being plentifully stored with Wood Water and Cole In this Shire groweth a Stone which being not so hard as Alablaster maketh a Plaster harder than Plaster of Paris wherewith they vse to floore their vpper roomes At a place neere Worksopp in this Shire is planted much and very good Liquorice And at Stoke neere Newarke was fought a great Battell by Iohn de la Poole in the reigne of King Henry the Seuenth This County hath 5 Riuers interfluent to water and fertilize it of which Trent is the greatest It hath also 17 Bridges and 18 Parkes NOTINGHAM SHIRE Yorke-shire THis is the greatest County in all this Land and by the Saxons was called Effroc-scyre and Eborascyre but now by vs Yorke-shire which is bounded on the East with the German Seas on the West with the Counties of Westmerland and Lancashire on the South with Cheshire Darby Not ingham and Lincolne shires and on the North it is parted by the Riuer Tees from the Bishopricke of Durham In length from Harthill in the South to the beginning of Tees in the North is contained about 70 miles and the bredth from Flamborough head to Horne Castle on the Riuer Lun 80 making the whole compasse much vpon 308 miles It is diuided into three parts called Ridings viz. the East West and North Ridings and they are subdiuided into Hundreds whereof the West Riding containes ten the North Riding twelue and the East Riding fiue making in all 27 Hundreds which containe in them 563 Parish-Churches besides very many Chapels of ease It is interlaced with 36 Riuers ouer which a man may passe by 62 Bridges It hath but one Citie and one Bishops Sea but is delighted with foure Chases eight Forests and 72 Parkes It hath beene fortified with fifteene strong Castles and
for traffique and commerce amongst the Inhabitants is traded with 45 Market Townes whereof the most famous is the ancient and renowmed Citie of Yorke which by Ptolemy was called Brigantium and by the Britaines Caer Effrock It is accounted the second Citie of England and for beautie of building and other ornaments it farre surpasseth all others in the County It is large faire rich and populous being made a Metropolitan Citie by Honorius where King Henry the Eiâ—hth established a Counsell consisting of a Lord President with diuers Counsellors at the Kings pleasure and a Secretary to heare and determine all causes in those Northerne parts In this Citie both liued and died the Emperour Seuerus whose ashes were afterwards carried to Rome and there shriued Here also we reade was sometime seated a Temple dedicated to the Goddesse Bellona And here died the Emperour Constantius surnamed Chlorus who in this citie kept his royall Court It was most famous also for a long time in the English Saxons time till the Danes suppressed and destroyed it yet afterwards it recouered it selfe and by the Citizens was strengthened with a Wall adorned and fortified with Towers and Bulwarkes and is now gouerned by a Lord Maior 12. Aldermen diuers Chamberlaines and a Recorder The latitude being here 54. 3. and the longitude 23. 48. Diuers other faire famous and remarkable Townes are seated in this Prouince as Richmond Hul Halifax and many others whereof I am abridged particularly to discourse by the straightnesse of my limits As also am I restrained from relating of many strange raâ—ities wherewith this County is plentifully stored as the dropping Well at Knausbrough the Giggleswicke springs Saint Wilfrids Needle Constantius his Lamp the Mountaine Coâ—les and Sea-fish stones as also those at Whitby which are formed like wreathed Serpents of all which I must referre you to our former and most famous Historiographers Mr. Camden Mr. Speed and others With very many Abbies Monasteries and Religious houses hath this Shire beene adorned which are now subuerted and vtterly decaied The Aire here though it be more sharp and frigid than in other parts of the land yet is it very healthfull and the Soile though in some places sterile and barren yet in others fat rich and fruitfull so as what is defectiue in one part is supplied by another the whole Continent feeling no want because it is generally sufficiently stored with Corne Cattell Fish Fowle and hath many mines of Copper Lead Cole Stone Allome Coperasse and other rich commodities YORKE SHIRE The Bishopricke of Durham THis Prouince which wee call The Bishopricke of Durham is confined on the East by the German Seas and on the West is parted from Cumberland Westmoreland and Stainesmore by the Riuer Tees Yorke-shire bounds it on the South and Northumberland on the North. It is shaped in the fashion of an Hoscedes Triangle hauing two sides containing much vpon thirty miles a peece and that by the Sea side but about 23 or 24 making the whole circumference to containe neere to 103 miles within which compasse are dispersed 118 Parish-Churches In this Shire are interfluent eleuen Riuers which are passable by twenty Bridges and because the quantitie of the County is but small there is in it but one Citie one Bishopricke and but six Market Townes whereof the chiefest is the ancient Citie of Durham which was called by the Saxons Dun-holm of the word Dun signifying an Hill and Holme an Iland for indeed it is almost circularly ingirt with the Riuer of Were It was at first erected as wee haue it by tradition by the Monkes of Lyndisferne who by Oracle were commanded to doe it And here did William the Conquerour vpon an high hill raise a strong and stately Castle and not only so but made it a County Palatine whereof the Bishops in times past haue had the Royalties of Princes And here was the Tombe of S. Cuthbert whereto King Egfrid Aelfrid Athelstane and others of our English Kings came in Pilgrimage and some of them bare-footed in humble deuotion and to giue great gifts and offerings to the Church in the West part whereof is still remaining the Marble monument of the Reuerend Beda that learned Monke of Wermouth And here is the Pole eleuated 54. 56. ½ and the Longitude 22. 54. The Inhabitants of this County in Ptolemies time were the Brigantes whom the Romans conquered and after that by the Saxons was this Shire made a part of the Kingdome of Northumberland which the Danes subdued and was lastly ouercome and possessed by the Normans About a mile from Darlington in this County haue I seene 3 round Ponds of water which the Countrey people call Hell-Kettles which are in forme circular the water alwayes temperately warme and as they say neuer seene to be frozen They likewise affirme them to be bottomelesse because by no meanes they could euer be sounded But of their strange beginning with other particulars of them as also of the salt stones in the Riuer Weere at Batterby considering the strictnesse of my bounds I must referre you to the learned Workes of our euer famous Antiquarie M. Camden With diuers rich Religious Houses hath this County beene beautified which are now defaced and subuerted and with seuen strong Castles was it fortified sed tempus edax rerum The Aire is here sharpe subtile and healthfull and Soile on the East side well stored with Pastures and Arable Grounds but moorish on the South and though other parts be more barren yet are they so well stored with Cole-pits that besides their owne abundant expence they vent so much to other parts as is a constant annuall and exceeding great benefit to the Inhabitants THE BISHOPRICK OF DVRHAM Northumberland THis County was called by the English Saxons North-Humberland and is bounded on the South with the Bishopricke of Dâ—rham on the North with Scotland on the West with part of Scotland and part of Câ—mberland and on the East with the German Sea It is fashioned in a triangular forme containing from the South-East to the South-west about 40 miles and from the South-west to the North point much vpon 60 miles from whence to Wâ—llinton by the Sea Coast 45 miles whereby the whole circumference amounts to the measure of 145 miles or thereabouts In which circuit are included but 46 Parish-Churches Many Riuers ouer which a man may passe by 16 Bridges It hath one Forest in it and eight Parkes And for trade and traffique amongst the Inhabitants there are dispersed in this County but fiue Market Townes whereof the principall is Nowcastle vpon Tine so called of a new Castle built there by Robert the sonne of William the Conquerour but before the Conquest it was called Monke-Chester as a strong defence for Monkes that it seemes were resident there It is now rich and famous and very populous by reason of the plentifull vent of Sea-Coles which from thence are vttered in fâ—rre more abundance thâ—n from any other part or place in