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 other side the river: there are likewise the footsteps of the
fortifications round the town, thrown up with bastions in the time of
the civil wars. Under those on the south side, descending into a stone
quarry which has abundance of intricate turnings, I saw a piece of oak
wood, as big as both one’s hands, lie between the _strata_ of solid
stone: though petrified, the ligneous fibres when split would burn
in a candle. I suppose it to have been lodged there in the deluge. A
little way from the town, about Sprotton, are the pits where they dig
up tobacco-pipe clay. Near Billing, about three miles from Northampton,
not far from the earl of Twomond’s seat, was lately found a mine of
copper, and coal, and marble, as they told me.
[Sidenote: TAB. XII.]
[Sidenote: +Guildsborough.+ Roman _Camp_.]
From Northampton, over the river, by a large stone bridge where is an
old religious house, half a mile off in the London road, is another of
queen Eleanor’s stone crosses, called Queen’s cross, with her images
and arms. It stands on a hill in the open country upon eight steps, in
form much like that of Waltham, of which I have given a print. On the
other side of the town, about three miles distance, is Holdenby house,
which lies in noble ruins: here king Charles I. was kept prisoner.
A little way off is Naseby,[33] where the bloody and fatal battle
happened between his forces and those of the parliament, upon a fine
plain where at present stands a windmill: the marks of several great
holes appear, where the slain were buried. This town, as near as may
be, is the navel of England. Near is Guildsborough, so named from a
Roman camp of a square form, and deep ditch, called the Burrows. I
was told of several more thereabouts, which I suppose those made in
the time of Ostorius about the heads of the rivers here; which all
together made a sort of fortification between the north and south parts
of the kingdom, especially between the Avon and Severn. A long barrow
at Pesford, called Longman’s hill. We saw Althorp, a curious seat of
the earl of Sunderland’s, elegantly furnished: there is a fine gallery
adorned with good pictures, and a noble library.
[Sidenote: +Eston.+]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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