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
But to proceed with our purpose. Beneath this towne there falleth in a
water that hath one head néere about Challacombe, & another at east
Downe, whereof this descending by Stoke riuer, and the other by
Sherwell, they vnite themselues within thrée miles of Berstaple. Soone
after also it taketh in another that descendeth from Bitenden by
Ashford, and the last of all east of saint Anthonies chappell, named the
[Sidenote: Doneham.]
Doneham, bicause one head is at west Done, and the other at Ham, both of
them méeting west of Ash. And thus is Taue described, which is no great
water nor quicke streame, as may appéere in Low water marke at Berstable
and yet is it a pretie riueret. This also is worthie to be noted
thereof, that it receiueth no brooke from by west, whereof I would
somewhat maruell, if Taurige were not at hand.
Being past the Taue, Cride baie and Bugpoint aliàs Bagpoint, we go by
More baie, Morstone aliàs Mortstone, and then toward the northeast, till
we come by a créekelet to Ilfare combe, & so to Combe Marton, whereat (I
meane ech of them) are sundrie créekes of salt water, but not serued
with anie fresh that I as yet doo heare of. Marrie there is betwéene
Martinbow & Trensow, a créeke that hath a backewater, which descendeth
[Sidenote: Paradine.]
from Parracombe (so farre as I call to mind named Parradine becke) but
[Sidenote: Orus.]
the greatest of all is betweene Linton and Connisberie called Ore, which
riseth in Summersetshire in Exmore (east of Hore oke, more than a mile)
and going by Owre, falleth into the sea betwéene Linton and Conisberie,
so that the whole race thereof amounteth in and out to an eight miles,
as I haue heard reported. Thus haue I finished the discourse of the
[Sidenote: The bredth of Deuonshire & Cornewall.]
waters of Deuonshire, whose breadth in this place from hence ouerthwart
to the Checkstones in the mouth of Ex, on the south side of the Ile, is
eight and thirtie miles or vnder fortie, and so much likewise is it from
Plimmouth to Hartland point, but the broadest part there commeth to six
and thirtie miles, whereas the broadest part of Cornewall doth want two
miles of fortie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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