Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of BritaineHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles (1 of 6): The Description of Britaine
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
From Teignemouth we came to Tor baie, wherof the west point is called
Birie, and the east Perritorie, betwéene which is little aboue foure
miles. From Tor baie also to Dartmouth is six miles, where (saith
Leland) I marked diuerse things. First of all vpon the east side of the
hauen a great hillie point called Downesend, and betwixt Downesend, and
a pointlet named Wereford is a little baie. Were it selfe, in like sort,
is not full a mile from Downesend vpward into the hauen. Kingswere towne
standeth out as another pointlet, and betwixt it & Wereford is the
second baie. Somewhat moreouer aboue Kingswere towne goeth a little
créeke vp into the land from the maine streame of the hauen called
Waterhead, and this is a verie fit place for vessels to be made in. In
like sort halfe a mile beyond this into the landward goeth another
longer créeke, and aboue that also a greater than either of these called
Gawnston, whose head is here not halfe a mile from the maine sea, by the
compassing thereof, as it runneth in Tor baie.
[Sidenote: Dart.]
The riuer of Dart or Darent (for I read Derenta muth for Dartmouth)
commeth out of Dartmore fiftéene miles aboue Totnesse, in a verie large
plot, and such another wild morish & forrestie ground as Exmore is. Of
it selfe moreouer this water is verie swift, and thorough occasion of
tin-workes whereby it passeth, it carrieth much sand to Totnesse bridge,
and so choketh the depth of the riuer downeward, that the hauen it selfe
is almost spoiled by the same. The mariners of Dartmouth accompt this to
be about a kenning from Plimmouth. The Darent therefore proceeding from
the place of his vprising, goeth on to Buckland, from whence it goeth to
[Sidenote: Ashburne.]
Buckland hole; and soone after taking in the Ashburne water on the one
[Sidenote: Buckfastlich.]
side that runneth from Saddleton rocke by north, and the Buckfastlich
that commeth from north west, it runneth to Staunton, Darington,
Hemston, and there also crossing a rill on ech side passeth foorth to
[Sidenote: Hartburne.]
Totnesse, Bowden, and aboue Gabriell Stoke, méeteth with the Hartburne
that runneth vnder Rost bridge, two miles aboue Totnes, or (as another
saith) by Ratter, Harberton, Painesford, and Asprempton into Darent,
which yon long also commeth to Corneworthie, Grenewaie, Ditsham,
Darntmouth towne (wherevnto king Iohn gaue sometimes a maior, as he did
vnto Totnesse) from thence betwéene the castelles, and finallie into sea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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