From London to Land's End: and Two Letters from the "Journey through England by a Gentleman"Defoe, Daniel
History
From London to Land's End: and Two Letters from the "Journey through England by a Gentleman"
Defoe, Daniel
England -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
The downs and plains in this part of England being so open, and the
surface so little subject to alteration, there are more remains of
antiquity to be seen upon them than in other places. For example, I
think they tell us there are three-and-fifty ancient encampments or
fortifications to be seen in this one county--some whereof are exceeding
plain to be seen; some of one form, some of another; some of one nation,
some of another--British, Danish, Saxon, Roman--as at Ebb Down, Burywood,
Oldburgh Hill, Cummerford, Roundway Down, St. Ann's Hill, Bratton Castle,
Clay Hill, Stournton Park, Whitecole Hill, Battlebury, Scrathbury,
Tanesbury, Frippsbury, Southbury Hill, Amesbury, Great Bodwin, Easterley,
Merdon, Aubery, Martenscil Hill, Barbury Castle, and many more.
Also the barrows, as we all agree to call them, are very many in number
in this county, and very obvious, having suffered very little decay.
These are large hillocks of earth cast up, as the ancients agree, by the
soldiers over the bodies of their dead comrades slain in battle; several
hundreds of these are to be seen, especially in the north part of this
county, about Marlborough and the downs, from thence to St. Ann's Hill,
and even every way the downs are full of them.
I have done with matters of antiquity for this county, unless you will
admit me to mention the famous Parliament in the reign of Henry II. held
at Clarendon, where I am now writing, and another intended to be held
there in Richard II.'s time, but prevented by the barons, being then up
in arms against the king.
Near this place, at Farlo, was the birthplace of the late Sir Stephen
Fox, and where the town, sharing in his good fortune, shows several marks
of his bounty, as particularly the building a new church from the
foundation, and getting an Act of Parliament passed for making it
parochial, it being but a chapel-of-ease before to an adjoining parish.
Also Sir Stephen built and endowed an almshouse here for six poor women,
with a master and a free school. The master is to be a clergyman, and to
officiate in the church--that is to say, is to have the living, which,
including the school, is very sufficient.
I am now to pursue my first design, and shall take the west part of
Wiltshire in my return, where are several things still to be taken notice
of, and some very well worth our stay. In the meantime I went on to
Langborough, a fine seat of my Lord Colerain, which is very well kept,
though the family, it seems, is not much in this country, having another
estate and dwelling at Tottenham High Cross, near London.
From hence in my way to the seaside I came to New Forest, of which I have
said something already with relation to the great extent of ground which
lies waste, and in which there is so great a quantity of large timber, as
I have spoken of already.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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