Hazledine & Co., Old Wharf, Robert Fell, agent
Ryley & Sandbrook, Victoria Wharf, John Herbert, agent
Deakin Peter, Shropshire st.
Harper William (and British wine dealer), High street
Drury Thomas, Shropshire street
Hall Thomas, Shropshire st.
Taylor William, Stafford st.
Davies Richard, Almington
Harper William, High street
Hill Thomas, Cheshire street
Lewis and Graham, Little Drayton
Hayward Richard, Stafford street
Trueman Charles, Cheshire street
Beeston James, Almington
Davies Richard (and corn miller), Almington
Embrey Thomas, Stafford street
Harper William, High street
Matthews Miles, Cheshire st.
Poole Thos., Little Drayton
Clerical & Medical, William Waring Saxton, Stafford street
Crown, Charles Warren, Shropshire street
Law, Henry Grimley, Stafford street
Legal and Commercial, Joseph Edmund Wilkinson, Shropshire street
Manchester, George Rogers, High street
Market Drayton Cattle Club, Wm. D. Green, Cheshire street
Norwich Union, Joseph L. Warren, Cheshire, st.
Royal Farmers and General, Wm. D. Green, Cheshire street
Salop, Jn. Goodall, Cheshire street
Shropshire and North Wales, Joseph Firth, Stafford st.
Marked * are glass only.
* Goodall John, Cheshire st.
Oldcroft Eliza, High street
* Ridgway William (executors of), High street
Davenport James, High st.
Godwin William, Shropshire street
Harper William, High street
Massie Thomas, Cheshire street
Moore Thomas, Cheshire street
Ridgway William (executors of), High street
Rodenhurst William and John, Cheshire street
Snow Thomas, High street
Spendelow Richard William, Shropshire street
Whitfield George, High st.
Davies Thomas, Stafford street
Frith John, Shropshire street
Griffith Wm., Shropshire st.
Godwin William, Kiln bank
Haslam Joseph, Stafford st.
Sandbrook H. and W., Walk Mill
(See also Linen Drapers and Hatters.)
Craston Edward, High street
Jones John, Shropshire street
Sherwin Harry John, High street
Stevens Thomas, Shropshire street
Haywood Richard, Stafford street
Crown, Henry Boulton, Stafford street
Corbet Arms Hotel (posting house and excise office), James Foden, High street
Elephant and Castle, Sarah Dale, Shropshire street
George, Martha Barnett, Beast market
Lamb, Jas. Matthews, Stafford street
Man in the Moon, James Beeston, Almington
Old Cheshire Cheese, James Kirkham, High street
Red Lion, George Evans, Beast market
Royal Oak, Ann Hill, Cheshire street
Stag’s Head, Robert Edge, Beast market
Star, John Sayers Key, Stafford street
Unicorn, Thomas Sandalls, Stafford street
Wheat Sheaf, John Barnett, Old wharf
Brasnell John, Little Drayton
Brookshaw Benjamin, Old wharf
Brown Thomas, Cheshire street
Fletcher Elizabeth, Cheshire street
Hall Thomas, Shropshire st.
Hinton Robert, Shropshire street
Peake Thos., Little Drayton
Pegg John, Little Drayton
Preston George, Little Drayton
Roden William, Cheshire street
Stubbs Elizabeth, Bell lane
Wade Hill, Little Drayton
Woodcock Thomas, Little Drayton
Wright Nathaniel, Shropshire street
Groom Thomas, Stafford st.
Godwin William (seed), Shropshire street
Massie Thomas, Cheshire st.
Rodenhurst William and John, Cheshire street
Snow Thomas, High street
Spendelow Richard William, Shropshire street
Whitfield George, High street
Rodenhurst William & John, Cheshire street
Snow Thomas, High street
Whitfield Geo., High street
Rodenhurst William and John, Cheshire street
Adams and Powell, Shropshire street
Bradbury Walter, High street
Brayn Joseph, High street
Heatley Thomas, High street
Lloyd Edmund, Shropshire street
Salter Samuel Colley, Shropshire street
Evans George, Beast Market
Fletcher Joseph, Cheshire street
Goodall George, Cheshire st.
Hill Ann, Cheshire street
Key John Sayers, Stafford st.
Sandalls Thomas, Stafford st.
Cartwright Martha, Shropshire street
Hopkins Eliza, Beast Market
Leigh Emily and Fanny, Cheshire street
Moore Ann, High street
Roberts Jane, Shropshire st.
Virgen Betsy, Longslow lane
Wilkes Jane, Church street
Jones John, Shropshire st.
(See also Plumbers, Glaziers, and Painters.)
Cocayne Edward (coach and house), Stafford street
Fielding Henry, Cheshire st.
Fox James, Shropshire street
Hinton Robert, Shropshire street
Parsonage Frederick, Stafford street
Peake Thos., Little Drayton
Slaney Thomas, Cheshire st
Hawley William Ap Richard, Back lane
Bonell Samuel, Stafford street
Simester John, Shropshire street
Simester William, Cheshire street
Hill Henry, High street
Hill Robert, High street
Hopwood John, Stafford st.
Sillitoe Aaron, Beast market
Bate Mary, Shropshire street
Bradshaw John, Beast Market
Cutler Joseph, Little Drayton
Davies Thomas, Stafford st.
Groom Thomas, Stafford st.
Harper George, Shropshire street
Hope Thomas, Shropshire street
Hopkinson James, Cheshire street
Jones John, Shropshire st.
Lewis George, Little Drayton
Mc Manus Charles, Shropshire street
Moore John, Cheshire street
Salter Sarah, Shropshire st.
Wright Nathaniel, Shropshire street
Boughey and Woodcock, Church street
Bradbury Maria, Shropshire street
Grosvenor Mary Ann, Shropshire street
Hughes Maria, Shropshire street
Keeling Mary Ann, Little Drayton
Massey Mary Ann, Stafford st
Ryder Elizabeth, Little Drayton
Williams Sarah, Shropshire street
Haslam Joseph Nickson, Shropshire street
Hopkins John, Cheshire st.
Saxton William Waring, Stafford street
Swinnerton Samuel, Shropshire street
Marked * are Woollen Drapers and Hatters.
Allen John, Beast Market
Arkinstall William, Shropshire street
Eaton William, Shropshire street
Farnell John, Bell lane
Farnell Zachariah, Cheshire street
Grosvenor John, Shropshire street
Shaw John, Stafford street
* Sherwin Harry John, High street
* Stevens Thos., Shropshire street
Woodhouse Thomas, Little Drayton
Davenport James, High st.
Massie Thomas, Cheshire street
Hill Thomas, Cheshire street
Barratt Thomas, Stafford st.
Dymock and Co., Shropshire street, residence, Shelton
Edge Robert, Beast market
Matthews Miles, Cheshire street
Pimlett Joshua, Stafford st.
Bowker George, Cheshire st.
Grosvenor Robert, Church street
Rogers George (and silversmith and jeweller), High street
Bradbury John, Longslow lane
Wicherley Samuel, Beast market
Sandbrook William and Son, Shropshire street
Barnett Lydia, High street
Gad Thomas, Shropshire st.
Ray Uriah, Cheshire street
Crowley and Co., general carriers to all parts of England; William Tomkinson, agent, Old wharf
Grand Junction Canal Company (to London); Wm. Tomkinson, agent, Old wharf
Shropshire Union Railway and Canal Company, general carriers to all parts of England; William Tomkinson, agent, Old wharf
is a township and small rural village, in the parish of Market Drayton, two miles N.N. by E. from the parish church. The township comprises 2,185a. 0r. 27p. of land, the principal owners of which are Peter Broughton, Esq., and William Church Norcop, Esq. The other proprietors are Richard Corbet, Esq., Purney Sillitoe, Esq., and Sir John Chetwode, Bart. In 1841 there were 38 houses and 254 inhabitants within the bounds of the township. Rateable value, £2,963. 2s. The tithes have been commuted, and £223. 5s. 9d. apportioned to William Church Norcop, Esq.; £40. 7s. 6d. to Peter Broughton, Esq.; £32. 18s. 3d. to Richard Corbet, Esq.; and to the Vicar of Drayton, £5. 13s. 6d. Betton Hall, a handsome and pleasantly situated mansion on elevated ground, is the residence and property of William Church Norcop, Esq. It was considerably enlarged and beautified about forty years ago. A pillar, in the field a little south from the hall, marks the site of an ancient chapel that formerly stood here, but no remains have been seen of it within the memory of man. Tunstall Hall, a spacious and elegant mansion, situated in park-like grounds, about a mile from Market Drayton, is the seat and property of Peter Broughton, Esq. Betton Moss is a tract of unenclosed land, containing 56a. 0r. 33p. Oakley Corn Mill is situated on the banks of the river Tern, which divides this township from the county of Stafford.
Bourne John, farmer, Betton Coppice
Broughton Peter, Esq., Tunstall Hall
Crutchley John, farmer, Brownhills
Davies Richard, farmer, Brownhills
Dobson Thomas, farmer, Ridgewardine
Duckers Charles, farmer, Ridgewardine
Heath William, farmer, Betton
Johnson Robert, farmer, Betton
Norcop William Church, Esq., Betton Hall
Spragg John, farmer, Ridgewardine
a small township in the parish of Market Drayton, one mile and three quarters N.W. by N. from the church, contains 645a. 2r. 3p. of land, the whole of which is the property of the Earl of Powis. Rateable value, £1,866. 13s. Richard Corbet, Esq., is the impropriator of the large tithes, which are commuted for £81. 12s. 6d. The vicarial tithes are commuted for £21. 4s. 1d. At the census in 1841 there were 12 houses and a population of 70 souls. The principal residents are George Harris, farmer; Joseph Kemp, farmer; Joseph Sillitoe, farmer; John Thomas, farmer; and Robert Bruckshaw, blacksmith and general agricultural implement manufacturer.
a township in the parish of Drayton, pleasantly situated about a mile and a half S.E. from the church, in 1841 had 32 houses and 177 inhabitants. The township contains 1,915a. 2r. 3p. of land. Rateable value, £326. 15s. The rectoral tithes are commuted for £268. 13s. 4d., of which £60 was apportioned to John Tayleur, Esq., and £208. 13s. 4d. to Richard Corbet, Esq. The small tithes, payable to the Vicar of Drayton, are commuted for £33. 9s. 1d. Buntingsdale Hall is a brick mansion of considerable extent, the seat and property of John Tayleur, Esq., a considerable landowner. P. Sillitoe, Esq., is also a landowner. The township is watered by the river Tern, which turns several corn mills within the bounds of the township. This locality has a bold undulating surface, is well timbered, and the scenery beautifully picturesque.
The principal residents are John Tayleur, Esq., Buntingsdale Hall; John Adams, corn miller, Tern Hill; Samuel Blenford, blacksmith; James Foden, farmer, Holly Grove; George Harding, farmer, Cliff Gravel; George Harding, farmer, Coalhurst; William Harper, corn miller, Sutton Mill—residence, Drayton; John Harris, farmer; Samuel Shaw, corn miller, Rosehill; George Smith, farmer.
a township and village in the parish of Drayton, on the eastern verge of the county, bordering on Staffordshire, three miles south from Market Drayton, contains 1,781a. 0r. 31p. of land, and in 1841 had 55 houses and 268 inhabitants. Rateable value, £2,040. 15s. The principal landowners are John Tayleur, Esq., Walter Minor, Esq., Purney Sillitoe, Esq., Mr. Beeston, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Silvester. Richard Corbet, Esq., is the impropriator of the rectoral tithes, which are commuted for £105. 4s. 4d. The small tithes are commuted for £27. 0s. 6d. A small Episcopal Chapel has been built at Woodseaves, by Mrs. Nonely; divine service is performed every Friday evening.
Directory.—James Boughey, farmer; John Breeze, boot and shoemaker; Richard Delves, shopkeeper; Clement Dickenson, farmer, Rose Hill; Peter Duckers, farmer and butcher; Joseph Ellis, farmer; William Hendley, gentleman; John Hill, farmer, Sutton Heath; Richard Lewis, farmer; Joseph Meakin, farmer; James Poole, farmer, butcher, and victualler, Fox Inn; George Pye, blacksmith; Mary Steel and Sons, shoemakers; Richard Steel, farmer and beerhouse-keeper; William Sutton, farmer; Thomas Thomas, farmer; Charles Townsend, farmer.
a parish and village, pleasantly situated seven miles S.W. from Market Drayton, and seven miles N.W. from Newport. The parish comprises 3,585a. 0r. 8p. of land, and in 1801 here were 466 inhabitants; 1831, 416; and in 1841, 82 houses and 471 inhabitants. The soil is chiefly a light fertile loam. Richard Corbet, Esq., is owner of the whole parish, except about fifty acres, which are the property of the Duke of Sutherland. The tithes are commuted for £730.
The Church, an ancient structure, dedicated to St. Michael, exhibits various styles of architecture, and no doubt has been erected at different periods. It consists of nave, chancel, south aisle, and a tower at the west end. Four pointed arches divide the nave from the side aisle, at the east end of which there is an ancient piscina. A neat marble tablet remembers the Cooke family. There are also two small brass memorials. The living is a perpetual curacy, returned at £72, in the patronage of Richard Corbet, Esq. The Rev. Bertie Entwisle Johnson is the incumbent, and also rector of Hinstock. The Parsonage is a handsome brick residence, a little north-west from the church; it was built by the present incumbent in the year 1846; in consideration of which the Governors of Queen Ann’s Bounty made a grant of £200 towards the augmentation of the living of Ercall. There is a National School in the village, situated near the west end of the church-yard; sixty-two boys and forty-two girls attend. Dodecote Grange is a pleasantly situated house, and extensive farm comprising upwards of 500 acres, in the occupancy of Mr. Richard Heatley. There is a considerable tract of land covered with thriving plantations in the parish.
a township in the parish of Childs Ercall, one mile north from the church, and about five miles and a half south from Market Drayton, has a scattered population, the returns of which were included in Ercall at the census of 1841. On the north verge of the township there is a plantation of thriving timber covering upwards of thirty acres, which joins the estate and plantations of Henry Justice, Esq., in Hinstock parish. The acres and tithes are included in the returns of Ercall.
Those marked * are in Hungary Hatton, and the rest reside in Ercall Childs.
Aston William, farmer
* Atkin William, farmer and maltster
Benbow Mary, farmer
Bourne Edward, farmer, Old Hall
* Boughey George, farmer
Bourne Thomas, brickmaker
* Bruckshaw Benjamin, farmer
* Bruckshaw Thomas, blacksmith
Carnall John, farmer
* Cheshire John, blacksmith
Dawes Thomas, farmer
* Downes William, shoemaker
Edwards Joseph, farmer, Caynton Wood
Evason Francis, farmer
Evanson George, tailor
* Freeman John, farmer
Green Thomas, shoemaker
Harper Charles, wheelwright
Heatley Richard, farmer, Dodecote Grange
Hewitt George, schoolmaster & parish clerk
Heycock William, blacksmith
Johnson Rev. Bertie Entwisle, M.A., Parsonage
* Morgan George, farmer
* Morgan John, farmer
Morgan John H., carpenter
Palmer William, farmer, Nagington
* Rister Philip, wheelwright
Thacker James, victualler, Elephant
Woodhouse George, maltster
is a considerable parish and village, pleasantly situated on the turnpike road from Newport to Market Drayton, six miles N.N.W. from the former, and five miles S. from the latter. The population of this parish is widely scattered, and there are a great number of small detached cottages. The parish contains 3,036a. 1r. 16p. of land, the soil of which is various; in some parts a strong loam, and in other parts a light sandy soil prevails. The land has a bold undulating surface, and on the western verge of the parish are some thriving plantations. In 1801 the parish contained a population of 536 souls; 1831, 805; and in 1841 there were 173 houses and 897 inhabitants. There are 14a. 1r. 37p. of glebe land. The tithes have been commuted for £530. Rateable value of the parish, £4.722. 19s. 1d. Henry Justice, Esq., is a considerable landowner. The other principal landowners are Robert Masefield, Esq., Richard Corbet Esq., Mr. William Griffiths, Mr. Henry Meakin, Rev. Matthew Davies, the Trustees of Drayton Poor, Mr. John Griffiths, William Howard, Esq., Mr. Walter Meakin, Mrs. Masefield, Mr. Thomas Poole, Mr. Rowley, Mr. John Adams, Mr. Thomas Beeston, the Executors of the late Colonel Dawes, and the Devisees of the Mr. Thomas James; besides whom there are upwards of seventy small freeholders, who, in most instances, own the cottages in which they live, and a small plot or a few acres of land contiguous thereto.
The Church is a small venerable fabric, dedicated to St. Oswald, and is situated on an elevated plot of land, nearly in the centre of the village. The structure consists of nave, chancel, and a small south aisle, with a square tower at the west end. A small gallery was erected in 1831, with funds raised by subscriptions. The font is very ancient, and is of a circular shape with an octagonal base. A neat marble tablet has been erected in memory of Hannah Davies, who died in 1828, wife of the Rev. Matthew Davies, formerly curate of Hinstock. There is also a tablet in memory of the Vaughans, with the date of 1714/5. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £5. 16s., now returned at £556., and enjoyed by the Rev. Bertie E. Johnson, M.A. There is a small Methodist Chapel in the village. The National School, a neat brick structure, was erected in 1839; seventy-five children attend. The Rectory is an ancient residence on the north side of the church-yard. Hinstock Hall, a handsome mansion of freestone, delightfully situated on elevated ground, about a mile north-west from the church, is the seat and property of Henry Justice, Esq. It is a modern structure, built about sixteen years ago, beautified with pleasure grounds and shrubberies, and sheltered with rising plantations. The situation commands extensive views over the fertile plains of Shropshire and the adjoining county of Stafford. Pixley are two good farm houses, situated near a mile west from the church. The land is partly in this parish and partly in that of Chetwynd; 89a. 1r. 32p. are in the latter parish.
Post Office.—At Mr. Samuel Cooper’s Falcon Inn.
Justice Henry, Esq., Hinstock Hall
Abbotts Ann, schoolmistress
Adams John, farmer
Ash Charles, land surveyor
Blagg John, farmer
Bowring Robert, shopkeeper
Cappur Thomas, farmer, Gill of Stafford
Challenor John, shopkeeper
Churm John, farmer, Mount Pleasant
Churton Rev. Charles, M.A., curate
Cooper Samuel, victualler, Falcon Inn
Crump John, shopkeeper
Davies William, farmer
Eccleston James, farmer
Freeman John, farmer, Pixley
Glover Thomas, beerhouse
Goodwin George, wheelwright
Griffiths William, farmer
Hamlet William, shopkeeper
Hardy Sarah, farmer
Hardy William, farmer
Harvey James, maltster
Jackson George, shoemaker
Jackson John, farmer
Jackson Thomas, blacksmith
Jackson William, farmer
Lockley John, wheelwright
Lockley Thomas, farmer
Machin Jn., farmer & maltstr
Machin Mary, vict., Cock Inn
Maltby John, Esq., Hinstock Villa
Matthews John, horse dealer
Meakin Henry, farmer, Longpools
Meakin Walter, farmer
Morgan William, bricklayer
Nagington William, farmer, corn miller, and maltster, Shakeford
Pearse William, farmer and shoemaker, Lockley
Phillips John, farmer
Pitt George, shopkeeper
Podmore William, tailor
Poole Thomas, farmer
Pooler Benjamin, blacksmith
Reeves John, shoemaker
Reeves Mary, schoolmistress
Robinson Richard, farmer, Pixley
Sambrook Job, bricklayer
Sambrook John, bricklayer
Sambrook William, bricklayer
Sutton Mary & Ann, farmers
Talbot William, tailor
Titley Wm., farmer & butcher
Ward John, schoolmaster
Watts Andrew, farmer
Weat Wm., farmer & butcher
Woodcock William, farmer
Worrall Mary, farmer
Williams William, beerhouse
Wynn William, clock maker
is a pleasantly situated and considerable village on the turnpike road from Shrewsbury to Market Drayton, thirteen miles N.N. by E. from the former, and six miles S.S. by W. from the latter. At the Domesday survey Earl Roger held Odenet, which gave name to the hundred, which has since undergone the denomination of Bradford North. In the 20th of Edward I., a quo warranto was brought against William de Hodenet, to show what right he claimed to hold a market, take assize of bread and beer, and have free warren in the manor of Hodnet; for plea he produced the charter of King Henry, father of the then king, which proved his right, and so was dismissed with honour. The jury at the same assizes found that the serjeantry of William de Hodenet was to be steward of the castle of Montgomery, and to defend the outworks of the castle with his family and servants, and that this serjeantry had been given to his ancestors by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Salop. The market at Hodnet has long been obsolete, but fairs are held on the Monday before the second Wednesday in March, May 4th, and the Monday before October 24th. These fairs are usually well attended by the farmers residing in the surrounding district. The parish of Hodnet contains the townships of Hodnet, Bolas Parva, Hawkstone, Hopton and Espley, Kenstone, Losford, Marchamley, Peplow, Woollerton and Weston under Red Castle. There are 11,596a. 1r. 6p. of land, the rateable value of which is £13,396. 6s. Population in 1801, 1386; 1831, 2097, and in 1841 there were 408 houses and 2185 inhabitants. The township of Hodnet at the census of 1841 contained 120 houses and 596 inhabitants, Odo Hodenet came into England with William the Conqueror, and fixed his seat here; from this family the estates passed by a female heiress to the Vernons, and Elisabeth Vernon carried the estates by marriage into the Heber family, from which family it again passed in like manner by an heiress to the present proprietor, Algernon Charles Heber Percy, Esq., who resides at Hodnet Hall, a plain stuccoed mansion, in a low situation, a little south from the church; it was formerly of considerable extent, and composed of timber and plaster, and the cloisters were adorned with ancient armorial bearings, but only a part of the original house is now standing, and that has been greatly modernized. Near the hall is a large mound called Castle Hill, supposed to have been the ancient residence of the Hodenets. The mound is planted with trees, and was probably the keep of the castle, but not a vestige of the stone work remains; the whole was surrounded by a moat, which may still be traced. The high grounds above the hall, which are studded with thriving plantations, were in former tithes a densely wooded park of considerable extent, and well stocked with deer. No deer have been kept there since the death of Sir Richard Vernon, who caused most of the timber to be cut down. Viscount Hill is also a considerable land owner. A. C. H. Percy is lord of the manor and patron of the living.
The Church is a spacious and elegant structure, consisting of nave and south aisle, equal in size to the nave, and an octagonal Norman tower at the west end, in which are six bells. The side aisle is divided from the nave by seven pointed arches, rising from octagonal and circular pillars alternately, and the roof is of timber stained in imitation of oak. The structure has recently undergone a complete reparation, the entire cost of which, with various embellishments, was £3,200, of which the munificent sum of £1,000 was given by Thomas Cholmondely, Esq., late of Hodnet Hall; Charles Cholmondely, Esq., gave £500; Lord Hill, £100; the parishioners raised by voluntary subscriptions £170; and the rest, £1,430, was given by the present rector. The organ cost £150, and was the gift of Richard Cholmondely, Esq.; the communion plate cost £100. The interior has a very chaste and imposing appearance, and at the east end of the chancel there is a beautiful stained glass window, commemorative of Mary Heber, who died in 1846, sister to the late Bishop Heber. At the east end of the aisle are twelve stalls, six on each side, which are for the use of the rector and the lord of the manor. The organ stands at the west end of the nave in a beautiful recessed arch. At the east end of the south aisle is a stained glass window, with representations of the four evangelists, beautifully executed by Evans, of Shrewsbury. The font is very ancient, and of an octagonal shape rudely carved. Several handsome monuments ornament the church, particularly one of fine statuary marble, exquisitely executed by Chantrey, in memory of Bishop Heber, formerly rector of this parish. Opposite it are two beautifully executed monuments of Grinshill free stone, near to which is another in the same gothic style to the memory of Charles Cooper Cholmondely, formerly rector of Hodnet, who died in 1831. Near the west end of the nave, a handsome marble tablet remembers Lord Hill and his Lady, the former died in 1814 and the latter in 1842; not far from which Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., is remembered on an elegant tablet; he died in 1783, and was buried in this church. On the same side is an elaborately ornamented tablet to the Vernon family. A lofty slate coloured marble tablet commemorates the death of several members of the Hill family; there is also an antique tablet near the pulpit to the memory of Hugh Pigot, who died in 1697, besides which there are various other monuments which our limits will not allow us to notice. The living is a rectory valued in the king’s book at £26 0s. 10d., now returned at £2,336. The Rev. Samuel H. Macauley, B.D., is the incumbent, and resides at the rectory, an elegant mansion of free stone, built by the late Bishop Heber, in 1812; the house stands on an eminence a little S.W. from the church, and commands most delightful views of the surrounding country. The old rectory stood on the grounds adjoining the hall, a little south from the church; not far from the rectory stood the tithe barn of capacious dimensions, which, with the old parsonage, was taken down soon after the erection of the present rectory. The tithes of this parish have been commuted for £1,735. There is a national school where fifty girls and sixty boys are educated. Hodnet Common, situated on the south and south-east side of the township, contains 375 acres, the whole of which is the property of A. C. H. Percy, Esq., except about thirty acres. A considerable tract of the common was enclosed in 1850. There is a small lock-up with two cells situated on the Shrewsbury road.
The late Reginald Heber, the eminent Bishop of Calcutta, was rector of Hodnet when he was raised to the episcopal dignity of Bishop of Calcutta. He was born April 21st, 1783, at the Higher Rectory, in Malpas, of which place his father was rector. He received his education, principally under a private tutor, Mr. Bristow, at Neasdon, and in 1800 he removed to Oxford, where he was a commoner at Brazennose College, and afterwards a Fellow of All Souls. It was at Oxford that he laid the foundation of his high fame. Besides being known for his general acquisitions in scholarship, he gained every distinction which the university then had to bestow, the regular under graduates and bachelors’ prizes. He was also the successful competitor for an extraordinary prize that had been offered for an English poem on the subject of Palestine. This poem is now of standard reputation; and certainly, for splendour of imagery and for poetical diction, it has deservedly placed its author—scarce twenty years old when it was written—in an elevated rank amid our English poets. After taking his degree, Heber left the university to engage in active life. The living at Hodnet was at his option, and this circumstance, coupled with his strong religious bias, determined him to devote himself to the church as his profession. But as he was still young for holy orders, he wished to employ two or three years in foreign travel; and the customary route upon the continent then being shut up by war, he bent his steps towards Russia and the east of Europe. At length the time arrived when Heber was to devote himself seriously to the duties of his sacred profession, in the humble office of a village pastor. There is on his monument in Hodnet church, a delightful testimony how for fifteen years he performed his pastoral duties “cheerfully and diligently, with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength.” And in this calm retreat, which the subsequent changes in his fortune seemed only the more to endear him to, he would cheerfully have closed his days. But his reputation would not allow him to be buried in retirement. In 1823 he was elected preacher at Lincoln’s Inn. This was an appointment peculiarly suited to him. With what credit he acquitted himself is well known, and it was generally believed that the highest honours awaited him at home, when he was called to another sphere of action, by his acceptance of the proffered bishopric of Calcutta. Never, it is believed, did any man accept an office from a higher sense of duty; once he declined the proposal; but his exalted piety considered it as a call from heaven, from which he might not shrink; and he resolutely determined to obey the summons. His career in India was short, but brilliant. It is not easy to conceive a situation of greater difficulty than awaited him there. He had to preside over a diocese much larger in extent than the whole of Europe, with his clergy scattered about at stations thousands of miles apart, and over a body of Christians living in the midst of a multitude of misbelievers; and those Christians, if such more than in mere name, accustomed to be a law to themselves in religious matters; yet to all these difficulties Bishop Heber resolutely addressed himself. He went forth strong and invincible; first, in his trust in God, and next in that kindliness of disposition, which almost disarmed opposition. His memorable exploit was his extra-ordinary visitation of his diocese. Starting from Calcutta, he pursued the course of the Ganges almost to its source; visited Himalaya mountains; crossed the northern provinces of India; and, after visiting Bombay and the island of Ceylon, returned again to Calcutta. We may easily imagine what must have been the delight, to a mind ardent and poetical like Heber’s, to have had the opportunity of visiting scenes so interesting and so novel; and we have the advantage of knowing the impression they made on his mind, by the posthumous publication of his interesting journal. It was not long after the bishop’s return from the visitation of which we have been speaking, that he undertook another episcopal visitation, when the hand of death arrested him in his career of usefulness. On the 3rd of April, 1826, at Tritchinopoli, he was found drowned in a bath, owing, it was supposed, to the sudden transition of cold water, after great exertion in confirming some native Christians. A deep and painful sensation was produced by his unexpected decease, both in India and at home; and in him the Christian civilization in the east seemed to have lost its most zealous, most active, and most enlightened friend.
Charities.—There was an old school in the church yard at Hodnet, which was pulled down in 1814, and a new school and schoolhouse were built in the following year, in a more convenient situation, chiefly at the expense of Richard Heber, Esq., and with a sum of £25 given by Sir Andrew Corbet to the poor, as hereafter mentioned. The master of the school receives £8, as the interest of £200 left by Mrs. Sarah Price, for the endowment of a free school, and he occupies the school house, paying the church-wardens £1. 1s. annually, as interest of the £25 derived from Sir A. Corbet’s benefaction. In consideration of the above the master teaches seven scholars free. The site of the school and schoolhouse, and the garden and play ground, including altogether about a quarter of an acre, was given by Mr. Heber.—Stephen Denstone, of Ashley, left the poor of the township of Hodnet £100, the interest to be distributed on Stephen’s day yearly.—John Stirrop, in 1646, left £20 to the use of the poor. This gift is stated in the parliamentary report to be lost.—Abraham Deshin, in 1707, bequeathed £5, the interest to be given in bread on Christmas-day.—Mary Mollineux left £10, the interest to be distributed by the ministers and churchwardens.—Thomas Burrowes left £100, and directed the interest to be given away on the 2nd of December yearly.—William Burrowes bequeathed £100 to the poor of Hodnet, the interest to be given to the poor on the 23rd of September, yearly, by the minister and churchwardens.—Samuel Dickin left £20, the yearly proceeds thereof to be distributed by his heirs for ever.—Rowland Hill bequeathed £50 to the use of the poor.—Thomas Hill, Esq., son of the said Rowland Hill, left £350 for the benefit of the poor.—Mrs. Ann Catchpool left £50 to the use of the said poor.—John Hill, Esq., left £100, the interest to be expended in bread and given to the poor every Sunday.—The Right Hon. Richard Hill, in 1726, left £100 for the benefit of such poor as the minister and churchwardens should think fit.—Richard Clay, in 1750, left £100 to the poor.—Mrs. Brooke, in 1756, left £100, the interest to be given at the discretion of Sir Rowland Hill and his heirs.—Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., by a codicil to his will, 1779, left £100 to the poor of this parish, to be distributed at the discretion of his executor.—Mrs. Jane Hill left £100.—Sir Richard Hill, by his will, dated January 1st, 1808, left to his brother, John Hill, £300, on trust, to pay the interest of £100 thereof, at the rate of five per cent., among the poor of the parish of Hodnet, one half to be reserved for the poor of the chapelry of Weston.—Mr. Grocott left £5 to be given in bread yearly.—Stephen Stubbs, in 1815, left £10, the interest to be distributed yearly on St. Stephen’s day. A legacy of £50 was left by Sir Rowland Hill for the schooling of poor children. Some lands called Steel Lands were sold by the parish about the year 1750 for £92. The gifts amount in the whole to £1355, of which sum £150 were laid out in the purchase of a messuage and lands at Hodnet in 1701; £56 in the purchase of two cottages at Hodnet in 1728; £175 were paid into the hands of Sir John Hill; £431 in the purchase of an estate at Wem: £450 were held by Sir Rowland Hill, derived from the charities of Sir Rowland Hill, and other members of that family, and a further sum of £138 from other sources. The property at Hodnet consists of certain lands and a cottage and poor house with a garden and croft adjoining, and a cottage and croft on Hodnet Heath, with a right of common thereon, the whole of which produces a yearly income of £35. 12s., which is distributed with other charities hereafter mentioned. The property at Wem consists of five closes of land, lying in two detached parcels near the town, containing altogether about twelve acres and a half, let at a yearly rent of £40. The sum of £160 placed in the hands of Sir Richard Hill was subsequently laid out in the buildings at Hodnet. The rents derived from the estates above mentioned, and the interest of the sum of £77, with the produce of Price’s and Sir A. Corbet’s charities hereafter mentioned, amounted at the time the charity commissioners published their report to £93. 1s. 6d. The rent of the Wem estate is received by the churchwardens of Marchamley division, and the remainder of the rents is received by the churchwardens appointed for the division of Hodnet. Four shillings worth of bread is placed in the church every Sunday, and given to 32 poor persons, and bread to the amount of 15s. is also given on St. Stephen’s-day, and 5s. on Christmas-day. Each of the churchwardens pays equally towards the weekly distribution of bread, and each of them gives 30s. away on St. Stephen’s day, as the interest of Denstone’s legacy. The churchwardens of Marchamley also pay about 30s. annually towards schooling poor children at Marchamley. The remainder of the money is distributed by the churchwardens among the poor of their respective districts, in sums varying from 3s. to 8s. Of the money in the hands of Sir Rowland Hill, exclusive of the sum of £200 mentioned in the school account, and £77 for which a promissory note was given in 1818, the charity commissioners conceived that it could not be less than £558 when they published their report, for which the sum of £21 is paid as interest, and distributed by the rector of Hodnet, and a further sum of £4. 8s. is received by the curate of Weston chapelry, which is distributed in small sums among the poor.—The Rev. Richard Price, in 1730, devised certain premises to the poor of Drayton and Hodnet, and directed that £5 per annum should be distributed in bread every Lord’s day, and the residue employed for the schooling of poor children in each place. The property now held by the churchwardens of Hodnet in trust for this charity consists of three pieces of land in Drayton, containing between three and four acres, which produces a yearly rental of £12. 11s. 6d. The rents are carried to one account with the other charity money, from which a very small portion only is disposed of in schooling. It seems advisable that the rents should be employed according to the particular directions of the donor.—Sir Andrew Corbet, in 1815, gave £25 to the use of the poor of Hodnet. This donation was laid out in the building of a new school, and the yearly sum of £1. 1s. is paid in respect thereof by the master of the school to the churchwardens, by whom it is distributed with the other charities.
Post Office.—At Mr. Edward Jones’, schoolmaster. Letters arrive at 8 A.M. from Market Drayton, and are despatched at 6 P.M.
Acton Rev. William, B.A., curate
Ashley Ann, schoolmistress
Ashley George, wheelwright
Baker Mr. John
Bellis Elizabeth, shopkeeper and baker
Baydon James, registrar of births & deaths
Cartwright George, vict., Unicorn
Cartwright Samuel, boot and shoemaker
Cartwright William, tailor
Churton Thomas, boot and shoemaker
Donkin Thomas, painter and glazier
Downes Thomas, parish clerk
Eason William, veterinary surgeon
Edge William, wheelwright
Ellerthorpe Mrs. Helen
Foster Alfred, tailor
Jackson Edward, butcher
Jones Edward, schoolmaster
Laytham Henry, wheelwright
Lees Barnard, surgeon
Lester John, farmer and vict., Lion Inn
Macauley Rev. Samuel Herrick, B.D., Rectory
Morris Samuel, saddler and harness maker
Pace Piercy, grocer, draper, and ironmonger
Percy Algernon Charles Heber, Esq., Hodnet Hall
Powell John, farmer
Powell Mrs. Sarah
Pratchett Miss Jane, Ash court
Pritchard & Co., chemist, druggist, draper, and silk mercer
Ridway William, boot and shoemaker
Robinson John, boot and shoemaker
Taylor George, tailor and woollen draper
Titley Charles, butcher
Trevor James, wheelwright and beerhouse
Walmsley John Allen, surgeon and coroner for North Bradford Hundred
Wardley Mary, farmer, Horn Farm
Watson Alexander, farm steward to A. E. H. Percy, Esq.
Wild George, maltster and vict., Bear Inn, and posting house
Wild Thomas, grocer and ironmonger
Worral Henry, blacksmith
A coach from Shrewsbury to the Whitmore station passes through Hodnet at 9 A.M. and returns to Shrewsbury at 4 P.M.
a small township consisting of only two farms, is pleasantly situated five miles south from Hodnet; at the census of 1841 there were nine houses and 44 inhabitants. The township comprises 594a. 1r. 15p. of land, which is vested in the devisees of the late Mr. Hatherall. The tithes have been commuted for £112. 1s. 1d. William Jennings is the only resident farmer in the township; Thomas Jones holds the other farm, but resides in the adjoining township.
is a township, in the parish of Hodnet, six miles S.W. from Market Drayton, eight miles and a half S. from Whitchurch, and thirteen miles N.N. by W. from Shrewsbury. At the census in 1841 here were six houses and 60 inhabitants. The township contains 693a. 2r. 32p. of land, the tithes of which have been commuted for £115. Hawkstone Park, the magnificent seat of Viscount Hill, is delightfully situated in a park of great extent and picturesque beauty, not far from the turnpike road leading from Shrewsbury to Whitchurch, and has long been an alluring object to the admirers of nature, as well as to persons of taste and curiosity. The mansion is of brick, with stone finishings, and occupies three sides of a quadrangle, but it does not appear by whom it was originally built. The principal front is approached by a flight of steps, leading through a noble portico (supported by four elegant pillars of the composite order), considered an admirable piece of architecture. Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., added the wings, and made other considerable additions to the hall, which was the family mansion of the Hills in the time of Edward VI., in which reign we find, A.D. 1549, Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., was Lord Mayor of London. The Entrance Hall is adorned with ancient and modern armour, much of it collected at Waterloo, by the late General Lord Hill. The Saloon is a lofty and spacious apartment, fitted up in a costly manner, and adorned with some fine paintings; among which is the Siege of Namur, the five principal characters of which were taken from life. They are William III., the Elector of Bavaria, the Duke of Marlborough, Count Cohorn, and the Right Hon. Richard Hill, who was at that time Paymaster of the Army, Member of the Privy Council, and Envoy at the Court of Turin. The Drawing Room is a noble apartment, exquisitely furnished, and containing several fine paintings, executed by some of the most celebrated masters. The ceiling and walls are richly ornamented and gilt, and the furniture is of the same gorgeous description. The Library contains an extensive and valuable collection of books, chiefly modern works; several fine paintings; and in a glass case are the sword and orders of the late General Lord Hill. The Billiard Room contains several valuable pillars brought from Egypt by General Lord Hill. The Chapel forms the south-west wing of the hall, and is now undergoing a complete reparation. A marble pulpit and stained glass windows (the latter illustrative of scripture history) have been added, which give the interior a solemn and imposing appearance. The Museum contains many interesting objects of curiosity, and an extensive and valuable collection of British birds. Adjoining the library is the Sculpture Gallery. There are also various other apartments, adorned in the most tasteful and costly style, which our limits will not allow us to notice. The Gardens are laid out with taste, and contain a number of small ponds for aquatic birds. Near the hall on a gentle eminence is the Summer House, a handsome octagonal building of Grinshill freestone; the interior of which is painted in fresco, and represents the four seasons. From the window there is a pleasing prospect of a fine sheet of water; and in the distance appear the Broxton hills and Delamere forest, in Cheshire. A pleasant walk leads from the summer house to the Gulph, which separates the grotto rock from the opposite heights. On emerging from the beautiful lawn, the most romantic scenery suddenly presents itself to the eye of the spectator; and proceeding along a rising walk on the side of the rock, the traveller is conducted to the entrance of The Grotto, a cleft in the rock, which had lain for ages undiscovered, till Sir Richard Hill caused all the earth to be dug away, when it was found that the two sides of the rock so nearly corresponded with each other that they were doubtless once united, and separated either by an earthquake or some other violent convulsion of the earth. After proceeding about a hundred yards, you arrive at the grotto, which is a vast subterraneous cave, supported by rude pillars hewn out of the solid rock; in the midst of which is a spacious recess, ingeniously inlaid with shells, fossils, and curious petrefactions. Through a colonnade of rude pillars this labyrinth is quitted by a door on the west, which opens on an awful precipice of huge rocks and pending crags, hoary with age, forming a striking contrast with the verdant lawn and fertile plain in the distance. Proceeding under the grotto hill, by a road cut out of the shelving rock, and looking upwards, you behold enormous crags hanging over you, as if on the very point of falling. This hill stretches to the south-west to a considerable distance; and the gigantic rocks heaped one upon another look more like ruined castles than the turrets of nature. On leaving the grotto hill, you proceed by the side of stately oaks and rugged cliffs till you arrive at a natural cave called The Retreat, the top of which is tinged with variegated copper. In this cave, with its straw-matted seat and stone table, is a beautiful stanza, penned by the late Sir Richard Hill. After quitting the retreat, you pass by The Canopy and The Indian Rock, surrounded by scenery of the most romantic character, and mount up a curiously hewn pathway along the rock till you reach a little cottage, in which is the figure of a hermit, in a sitting posture, with a table before him, on which is a skull, an hour glass, a book, and a pair of spectacles. The next attraction is St. Francis’s Cave, the entrance to which is under a curiously twisted root of a venerable yew tree. After groping for some yards in total darkness, you suddenly emerge into cheering light, and which ever way you turn the most enchanting prospects are stretched out before you. A detached piece of rock of a pyramidical form is called The Fox’s Knob, from the circumstance of a fox, some years ago, leaping from the top to the valley beneath; and being followed by some of the dogs, the pursuers and the pursued perished together. Turning to the left, a verdant walk leads to the summit of The Terrace. This delightful walk is embosomed in the varied foliage of forest trees, which reach down to the ground, with openings here and there through which distant prospects are viewed. Passing beyond the limits of these Alpine heights, you arrive at Reynard’s Banqueting House, a natural cavern, in which were found the remains of hares, rabbits, and all sorts of poultry, which the foxes had carried there to feast upon.
On the highest point of the terrace is erected a noble Obelisk, built of white freestone, and about one hundred and twelve feet high. From the top of this column a most unbounded prospect presents itself to view, and England and Wales vie with each other in the loftiness of their mountains and the richness of their plains. The gallery of the obelisk forms an observatory for the astronomer. The inscription on the base transmits to posterity the piety and noble acts of a venerable ancestor, a statue of whom in his lord mayor’s gown, copied from an ancient monument which stood in the church of St. Stephen’s, Walbrook, before the fire of London, is placed on the top, holding the Magna Charta in his hand. The following is the inscription at the base:—
“The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.”—Psalm, cvi. 6.
The first stone of this pillar was laid by Sir Richard Hill, Bart. (member in several parliaments for this county), on the 1st day of October, in the year 1795; who caused it to be erected, not only for the various uses of an observatory and to feast the eye by presenting it at one view with a most luxuriant and extensive prospect, which takes in not less than twelve (or, as some assert, fifteen) counties, but from motives of justice, respect, and gratitude, to the memory of a truly great and good man, viz., Sir Rowland Hill, Knight, who was born at the family mansion, Hawkstone, in the reign of King Henry VII., and being bred to trade and free of the city of London, became one of the most considerable and opulent merchants of his time, and was lord mayor of the same in the second and third years of the reign of Edward VI., anno 1549 and 1550, and was the first Protestant that filled that high office. Having embraced the principles of the Reformation, he zealously exerted himself in behalf of the Protestant cause, and having been diligent in the use of all religious exercises, “prayerful, conscientious, and watchful” (as a writer of his character expresses it), yet trusting only in the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he exchanged this life for a better, a short while after the death of that pious young monarch, being aged nearly seventy-eight years.
For a considerable time previous to his decease he gave up his mercantile occupations that he might with more devotedness of heart attend to the great concerns of another world. His lands, possessions, and church patronage were immense, particularly in the counties of Salop and Chester, the number of his tenants (none of whom he ever raised or fined) amounting to 1,181, as appears from his own hand writing. His private virtues, good deeds and munificent spirit, were quite unlimited and extended—like the prospect before us, east, west, north, and south, far surpassing all bounds. “Being sensible,” saith Fuller, speaking of him in his “Worthies of England,” “that his great estate was given him of God,” it was his desire to devote it to His glory. He built a spacious church in his own parish Hodnet, and likewise the neighbouring church at Stoke at his own expense. He built Tern and Atcham bridges in this county, both of hewn stone, and containing several arches each. He also built other large bridges of timber. He built and endowed several large schools, particularly that of Drayton. He made and paved divers highways for the public utility. He founded exhibitions and educated many students at both universities, and supported at the inns and courts others who were brought up to the law. He was the unwearied friend of the widow and fatherless. He clothed annually three hundred poor people in his neighbourhood, both with shirts and coats; and in the city of London he gave £500 (an immense sum in those days) to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, besides (saith Fuller) £600 to Christ’s Hospital. He also gave most liberally to all other hospitals, and at his death bequeathed £150 to the poor of all the wards in London. He had no children, but his relations and kinsfolk were numerous, who all partook largely of his bounty, both in his lifetime and at his death. He constantly kept up a great family household, where he maintained good hospitality. Many resorted to him for his wise and salutary advice, and none who came to him were sent empty or dissatisfied away. Go thou and do likewise, as far as thy ability will permit, without injury to thy own relations. It is worthy of remark that as Sir Rowland Hill was the first protestant lord mayor, anno 1549, so his father, Thomas Hill, Esq., of Hawkstone, was the last lord mayor of the Roman Catholic persuasion.
A walk from the terrace leads to the White Tower, a Gothic structure, situated on a bold projection on the south-west side of the terrace, which is a conspicuous object for several miles round. In the glen not far from the White Tower is a cave in the rock, made accessible by means of some steps through a narrow romantic walk, and which is remarkable for having been the hiding place of an ancestor of the Hill family, who met with great hardships from the parliamentary forces during the commonwealth. In memory of this gentleman the late Sir Richard Hill caused a handsome urn to be placed near the cave above mentioned, with the following inscription on the base of it:—
Anno 1784.
This urn
was placed here by Sir Richard Hill, Bart.,
(eldest son of Sir Rowland Hill, Bart.)
one of the Knights of this Shire,
as a token of affection to the memory of his much respected ancestor,
Rowland Hill, of Hawkstone, Esquire;
a gentleman remarkable for his great wisdom, piety, and charity, who, being
a zealous royalist, hid himself in this glen, in the civil wars in the
time of King Charles the First.But being discovered, was imprisoned in the adjacent castle, commonly called Red Castle, whilst his house was pillaged and ransacked by the rebels. The castle itself was soon after demolished.
His son, Rowland Hill, Esq., coming to his assistance, also suffered much in the same loyal cause.
The Vineyard is a sequestered glen, embosomed in foliage and screened by the rocks behind and on each side, and open only to the south sun, and apparently peculiarly adapted to the growth and culture of the vine; but although every effort was tried, the attempt did not succeed. It was laid out in the manner of a fortification, with turrets, walls, and bastions, at very great expense, by the late Sir Richard Hill. From the tower may be seen the town of Shrewsbury, many of the Cambrian hills, the magnificent Wrekin, and the towering heights of the Briedden hills, on the latter of which is the pillar erected in honour of Lord Rodney. About a mile from the tower is the Burgh Walls, or Bury Walls, the remains of a grand Roman camp, allowed by antiquarians to be the most perfect in the kingdom. It encompasses about twenty acres of ground, and is screened on all sides but one by a chain of inaccessible rocks. The side on which there is no natural defence is strongly guarded by a triple entrenchment, which must have been a work of immense labour. Here Roman coins have frequently been found, and in the year 1821 a spur, pronounced by competent judges to be of Roman workmanship, was found in the garden of the Bury farm, about a quarter of a mile from Bury Walls. The Elysian Hill is another object of attraction; and here you find various rude and whimsical seats to rest upon, by the side of the mossy bank or rocky cavern, as you ascend the steep acclivity. An enchanting valley divides this hill from the Red Castle Hill, so called from the colour of the rock, and of the stone with which the castle is built. Having ascended the romantic heights, you enter the castle through a strong door or gateway. This fortress, long the seat of warriors, and remarkable for its strength and the prodigious thickness of its walls, is now a heap of ruins, and inhabited only by birds of prey, whilst its martial sons are buried in oblivion, and nothing left to perpetuate their deeds of prowess but these fragments of desolation. Dugdale informs us that this castle was erected in the reign of Henry III.; but an ancient manuscript in the Audley family proves it to have had a much earlier existence. It is there said that “Maud, or Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, gave to John de Audley and to his heirs, the lands about Red Castle, in the county of Salop, for certain services done by him to the state.” The castle and surrounding domain were purchased by Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., about the middle of the eighteenth century. On the castle hill there is a deep well, commonly called the Giant’s Well, the depth of which, from the top of the tower, is two hundred and six feet; it is ten feet in diameter at the entrance, and hewn out of the solid rock. The tower is also hewn out of the solid rock to the height of about forty feet. Near to the well a coffin was found, many years ago, which, on being exposed to the air, crumbled into dust; in it were discovered several human bones, and the iron beard of an arrow. The southern entrance to the glen, which divides the castle into two nearly equal parts, is flanked on each side by a rock, on which formerly stood watch towers; and where the fosse, which intersected the glen, required additional defence or altitude, masonry was employed. A wall of great strength has crossed the glen at each end, passing up the slopes of the hill, connecting the rocks which overlook the entrances, and enclosing an area of an oblong form. The approach to the highest division of the castle is by steps cut out of the solid rock, and continued through a low tortuous passage, the entrance to which has been guarded by a door. A wall of about three hundred feet in circumference has been carried round the summit of the rock, the sides of which are for the most part perpendicular. The park is richly adorned with timber, and the scenery is pleasingly diversified and enchanting—the awfulness of its shades, the horrors of its precipices, the verdure of its hollows, and the loftiness of its rocks, all combine to give an additional charm to the fairy scene. A fine sheet of water, in some parts nearly one hundred yards in breadth, stretches for upwards of two miles in length, and forms the boundary to the north and west sides of the park. The park is stocked with herds of Scotch bullocks, and upwards of six hundred head of deer.