I turned out of the road to the west, through some inclosures, to see Cester-over, induced by the name. I found a house in a little square deeply intrenched upon the side of a hill, but the earth rather thrown outward than inward as a _vallum_, and the level within much lower than the field around it. I perceived it was a religious house; some part of the building left; and without the ditch a fine chapel, built of brick with good stone coins and mullioned windows, converted into a barn: and a-cross a valley hard by I saw dams, or stanks, for fish-ponds. The people within could give me no manner of intelligence, having but lately come thither. I fancied it to have been a nunnery, and that it was called _Sister-over_, to distinguish it from other neighbouring towns; as _Church-over_, _Browns-over_, _&c._ but afterwards I learnt from other hands that there is a close called Old-town, where they dig up foundations, being very rich land (said to have been a city) lord Brook possessor. [Sidenote: +Tripontium.+] [Sidenote: TAB. XCIV.] Thence passing a rivulet, from Bensford bridge[101] I came to _Tripontium_, placed in a sweet little valley, but the sides pretty steep: the road on the opposite hill looks perfectly like a perspective scene at the play-house. This is the next Roman station, which is rightly placed at Dovebridge upon the Avon, running by Rugby to Warwick. The stream here divides into two, with a bridge over each: upon one a stone inscription, very laconic, showing the three counties that repair it. The first syllable of _Tripontium_ has relation to the old British word _tre_, a town or fortification: the remainder is generally thought to signify a bridge; but it is not to be imagined the Romans would make a bridge over this rill, or one so eminently large as to denominate the town: indubitably it comes from the British word _pant_, a little valley as this is, and remarkably so; which the Britons pronouncing broad, created the Latin _Tripontium_. Here are no manner of remains of antiquity, but the distances on each hand ascertain this the place: hard by antiquities have been found both at Cathorp and Lilburn, one on the north, the other on the south of the river; so that the Roman city stood on both sides. Castle hills, a place at Lilburn, where are some old walls: Camden speaks of it. Mr. Morton has treated largely on this station, to whom I refer the reader. The neighbouring Newton probably succeeded it, and then Rugby. Yet rolling Avon still maintains its stream, Swell’d with the glories of the Roman name. Strange power of fate, unshaken moles must waste, While things that ever move for ever last! With this reflection of the poet leave we the name of _Tripontium_, made immortal in the imperial Itinerary. [Illustration: 94 Johi Bridges Ar. _Romanæ Stationis in Comitatu Suo. delineationem d.d. W.ˢ Stukeley._ _Dowbridg_ TRIPONTIUM 9 Sep. 1722] [Sidenote: +Burrow hill.+ Ro. _camp_.]