Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great BritainStukeley, William
History
Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great Britain
Stukeley, William
Great Britain -- Antiquities -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
The Watling-street seems to have passed directly through the Roman
city, a little southward of St. Michael’s church and St. Mary’s chapel,
so by St. Stephen’s: nevertheless there is a road round about, without
the south side of the city-walls, for those that had no occasion to go
through the city: it goes by St. Julian’s, once an hospital; then by
Colney-street and Radway; thence almost disused, and scarce known but
from its straitness: it continues direct, but very narrow, the hedges
having incroached upon it on both sides, till we arrive at our next
station, _Suellaniacis_, upon Brockley hill, a little south of Elstre,
and near Stanmore. From this eminence, where Mr. Philpot’s summer-house
stands, is a sweet prospect across the Thames into Surrey: this is
by Kendale wood, where formerly they found an old flint wall laid in
terrace-mortar as they call it, meaning its strength, so hard that they
could not possibly dig it up with pick-axes: they found an oven in the
same place. Mr. Philpot, when digging his canal and foundations for his
buildings, which are upon the site of the old city, found many coins,
urns, and other antiquities. They have a proverb here,
_No heart can think, nor tongue can tell,
What lies between_ Brockley-hill _and_ Penny-well;
meaning the coins found thereabouts. In the wood over-against the
house, great quantity of Roman bricks, gold rings, and coins, have been
found in digging; many arched vaults of brick and flints under the
trees: the whole top of the hill is covered with foundations. Pennywell
is a parcel of closes across the valley beyond _Suellaniacis_, where
foundations are discernible: here likewise they say was a city: two or
three years ago they dug privately, in hopes of finding treasure at
this place. I am of Mr. Baxter’s opinion, that the name of this station
has some reference to the famous British king _Suellan_, or Cassibelan,
general of the Britons against Cæsar, and that his town was in this
neighbourhood; which I shall consider more particularly upon another
occasion. By the road side is a barrow lately dug away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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