Natural history -- England -- Wiltshire; Wiltshire (England) -- History
In the park at Kington St. Michael is a well called Marian’s-well,
mentioned in the same Legeir-book.
In the parish of North Wraxhall, at the upper end of ye orchard of
Duncomb-mill at ye foot of ye hill ye water petrifies in some degree;
which is the onely petrifying water that I know in this countie. [In
subsequent pages Aubrey refers to other petrifying waters near Calne,
Devizes, and elsewhere.—J. B.]
At Draycott Cerne (the seate of my ever honoured friend Sir James Long,
Baronet, whom I name for honour’s sake) the waters of the wells are
vitriolate, and with powder of galles doe turne of a purple colour.-[I
have a delicate, cleare, and plentifull spring at Upper Deptford, never
dry, and very neer the river Ravens-born; the water famous for ye eyes,
and many other medicinal purposes. Sr Rich. Browne, my father-in-lawe,
immur’d it, wth a chaine and iron dish for travellers to drink, and has
sett up an inscription in white marble.—JOHN EVELYN.]
Stock-well, at Rowd, is in the highway, which is between two gravelly
cliffs, which in warm weather are candied. It changed not colour with
powder of galles; perhaps it may have the effect of Epsham water. The
sediment by precipitation is a perfect white flower, Mice nitre. The
inhabitants told me that it is good for the eies, and that it washes
very well. It is used for the making of medicines.
At Polshutt rises a spring in a ditch neer Sommerham-bridge, at Seenes
townes-end, in a ground of Sir Walter Long, Baronet, which with galles
does presently become a deepe claret colour.
At Polshutt are brackish wells; but especiall that of Rich. Bolwell,
two quarts whereof did yield by evaporation two good spoonfulls heapt
of a very tart salt. Dr. Meret believes it to be vitriolish.
Neer to which is Send (vulgo Seene), a very well built village on a
sandy hill, from whence it has its name; sand being in the old English
called send (for so I find writ in the records of the Tower); as also
Send, in Surrey, is called for the same reason. Underneath this sand
(not very deep), in some place of the highway not above a yard or yard
and a half, I discovered the richest iron oare that ever I sawe or
heard of. Come there on a certain occasion,* it rained at twelve or one
of the clock very impetuously, so that it had washed away the sand from
the oare; and walking out to see the country, about 3 p.m., the sun
shining bright reflected itself from the oare to my eies. Being
surprised at so many spangles, I took up the stones with a great deale
of admiration. I went to the smyth, Geo. Newton, an ingeniose man, who
from a blacksmith turned clock maker and fiddle maker, and he assured
me that he has melted of this oare in his forge, which the oare of the
forest of Deane, &c. will not doe.
* At the Revell there, An°. D. 1666.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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