Stockport is built on a hill of rock. The church is spacious. A place called the Castle-yard, walled in. The Tame, Mersey, and other rivers, meet here, falling from the Derbyshire hills: united they pass swiftly through a rocky channel under a bridge of a single arch, large and well turned: they cut themselves houses in the rock here, as at Nottingham. Sometimes the floods reach the top of the bridge. MANCVNIVM. The Roman _castrum_ was on the west side of the Roman road going from Chester, by Stretford, and on the northern bank of the river Medloc. It is a small piece of level ground, somewhat higher than that around it: it does not cover the whole piece, but is a square, 500 foot one way, 400 the other: nor can it well be said to be ditched about; but the ground near it, for some distance, is manifestly removed into the castle, and spread along its verge, not as a regular _vallum_, but sloping inward: by this means the _area_ of it is higher on the sides than middle, and the external ground is lowered all around, to the foot of the castle, which is steep like the side of a _vallum_. Upon this edge there has been a wall quite round: the foundations of it are to be discerned almost every where; in some places large parcels of it left, but not above ground. Now they call it the Castle croft. The river Medloc runs near it, but is no security to it, as being not close enough: nor are its banks steep hereabouts, though its channel is rock, as is the whole country near. This is a quarter of a mile from the present town of Manchester. The Irwell river, coming through the town, runs on the west side the castle, and there the Medloc joins it. I look upon Manchester to be no ancient town; and even the hundred is denominated from Saltford, the village on the other side the bridge, therefore older: but Manchester is a much better situation, as higher; placed too between two rivers, having rocky and precipicious banks, with a good prospect: it is a very pleasant, large, populous, and thriving town; new buildings added every day: the roads are mending about it, and the river is making navigable; which will still contribute to its prosperity. The old church is very spacious and handsome, and enlarged still with numbers of large chapels and oratories; but the monuments, which were many, are destroyed and obliterated: a priest, of the name of Huntingdon, lies before the altar. It is a collegiate church, and the stalls in the choir are of very good carved work in the old manner.