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
In Wainfleet church, the bishop of Winchester, whose name was Patten,
founder of Magdalen college, Oxford, erected a marble monument for
his father, where are his coats of arms in the windows. In the town
he built a handsome chapel of brick, and endowed it with a pretty
good revenue, to pray for his and his ancestors souls. Now it is
made a free-school house. This place still retains its ancient name;
for I am certain it is the Vainona mentioned by the famous author of
_Ravenna_, who has happily preserved so many of our old British cities.
The learned Mr. Baxter, in his Glossary of British Antiquities, with
a sagacity peculiar to himself, has corrected this from Navione. The
sea has added much ground to this place since the Roman times, and
then their city stood higher up by the churches, which is a mile off
the present town. The haven was near St. Thomas church, now called
North-holm: it is still very deep thereabouts, and appears to have been
broad, being a pretty good river, whilst the waters of the east fen
ran through it, and kept it open: it was thirty foot wide a mile above
the churches, as appears by the old cloughs there; for they had wisely
contrived by that means to keep out the salt water and heighten the
fresh, which no doubt would have preserved the haven to this day, had
they not foolishly suffered the east-fen water to be carried to Boston.
It is apparent the natural course of water here (as we before observed
of other parts of the level) is eastward: the east fen is lower than
the west fen. At Nordike bridge anciently were four arches: the edge of
the piers which cut the water was westward; which shows that the water
originally run eastward, and the whole level was drained that way,
though now most currents run to Boston. The inhabitants have a constant
tradition, that this was a great town; but when the haven was filled
up, Boston became the sea-port: likewise they say there is a road
across the east fen, called Salter’s road, which probably was the Roman
road; and there are people now alive who knew such as had remembered
it. Doubtless this was a place where the Romans made their salt of the
sea water, to supply all this province; and it is not improbable that
this road led to Banovallum, Lindum, &c. Many salt hills are visible
from Wainfleet to Friskney. The king is still lord of the soil of this
old Roman city.
[Sidenote: +Burgh+, _a_ Ro. _fort_.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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