Site-Search
Coming Soon
|
Site-Search |
|
Page and site |
|
Banwell in Somerset County England History and GeographyBANWELL, a parish in the hundred of WINTERSTOKE, county of SOMERSET, 5 miles (N.N.W.) from Axbridge, containing 1430 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the peculiar jurisdiction and patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Bristol, rated in the king's books at £26. 6. 0½. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a fine specimen of the later style of English architecture: among the internal decorations there are a richly carved screen and rood-loft, a finely seulptured stone pulpit, and windows of stained glass. The Wesleyan Methodists have a place of worship. A monastery was founded at Banwell, by one of the carly Saxon kings, to the abbacy of which Alfred the Great appointed Asser, his subsequent biographer: it was entirely demolished in the Danish irruptions, and although restored, never recovered its former splendour, having fallen to decay several years before the general suppression of religious houses. The manor has been in the possession of the Bishops of Bath and Wells since the time of Edward the Confessor, with the exception of the short reign of Edward VI., one of whom built an episcopal palace here, the remains of which, in the early part of the last century, were converted into a private residence, called Banwell Court, and the park has been divided into inclosures, which have been assigned on lease for lives: some of the leases have been bought up by the present bishop, who has disposed the ground in a tasteful manner, by forming plantations, with drives conducting to pleasing and richly variegated prospects. He has also, in 1827, erected a cottage ornee for his own accommodation, and that of the numerous visitors which the recent discovery of two caverns in the rock, one denominated the Bone, and the other the Stalactite cavern, has attracted hither. The former, when first observed, was filled to the depth of about 8 feet, with a confused mass of bones of animals, stones and gravel; but the rubbish has been removed, and the bones, of which there are several wagon loads, have been fancifully disposed along the sides of the cavern, about 40 feet below the body of which there is a fissure wherein the diluvia have been permitted to remain in a promiscuous state. The Stalactite cavern exhibits fine specimens of a transparent Stalactite; huge fragments of the rock lie dispersed on the floor, covered with stalagmik; in this there were found two pieces of candle, incrustated with lime, which are supposed to have been left by the miners who were last employed in working for ochre, calamine and lead-ore, minerals which, doubtless, still exist to a considerable extent, though the mines in this part of the Mendip hills have not been open of late years. A rich vein of iron-ore, with some cobalt and manganese, has been discovered, and the working of it commenced: the ore is conveyed to the southern coast of Wales, where the smelting-works are. The village is agreeably situated under the northern declivity of the Mendip range of hills; a spring, from which the place probably derives its name, and formerly noted for possessing a medicinal property, expands into a fine sheet of water, and, after turning a large paper and grist-mill, pursues a winding course through the valley, and empties itself into the channel, near the remains of the priory at Woodspring. Fairs for the sale of cattle are held on January 18th, and July 18th. An English free school was established about 1767, and a fund for its support was raised by subscription, the produce of which is £10. 10. per ann.; a school-room was built in 1824, at an expense of £400. Attached to this there is an endowment for the instruction of ten boys belonging to the established church. William Burgess, in 1676, gave a rent charge of £4 per annum, to accumulate for the apprenticing of a boy every seven years. The summit of a neighbouring eminence is crowned by a British earth-work, inclosing, within its irregular rampart, an area of about twenty acres; about a quarter of a mile from this, there is an intrenchment, nearly square, and in the centre of the area the ground is elevated in the form of a cross. From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale |
Readers of this page were also interested in: Bromyard in Hereford County England History and Geography BROMYARD, a parish in the hundred of BROXASH, county of HEREFORD, comprising the market town of Bromyard, and the townships of Linton, Norton, and Winslow, and containing 2767 inhabitants, of which number, 1227 are in the town of Bromyard, 14 miles (N.E.) from Hereford, and 126 (N.W. by W.) from London, on the road from Worcester to Hereford Cranborne in Dorset County England History and Geography CRANBORNE, a market town and parish, comprising the tythings of Alderholt, Beveridge, and Farewood, and the hamlet of Crendall, in the hundred of CRANBORNE, and the tythings of Blagdon and Monckton up Wimborne, in the hundred of MONCKTON up WIMBORNE, Shaston (East) division of the county of DORSET, 30 miles (N.E. by E.) from Dorchester, and 92 (W.S.W.) from London, containing 1823 inhabitants Huntingdonshire in Huntingdon County England History and Geography HUNTINGDONSHIRE, an inland county, bounded on the north and west by the county of Northampton, on the south-west and south by the county of Bedford, and on the east by the county of Cambridge: it extends from 52?7' to 52? 32, (N. Lat.), and from 0?2' (E. Lon.) to 0?31' (W. Lon Shadwell in Middlesex County England History and Geography SHADWELL, a parish in the Tower division of the hundred of OSSULSTONE, county of MIDDLESEX, 1½ mile (E. by S.) from London, containing 9557 inhabitants. This parish is situated on the northern bank of the river Thames, and comprises several streets, which are lighted with gas, and supplied with water from the East London water-works Sunderland in Durham County England History and Geography SUNDERLAND, a sea-port, market town, and parish, in the northern division of EASINGTON ward, county palatine of DURHAM, on the southern bank of the river Wear, 13 miles (N.E.) from Durham, and 269 (N. by W.) from London, containing, exclusively of Bishop-Wearmouth and Monk - Wearmouth, 14,725 inhabitants Tynemouth in Northumberland County England History and Geography TYNEMOUTH, a parish in the eastern division of CASTLE ward, county of NORTHUMBERLAND, comprising the chapelries of North Shields and Whitley, and the townships of Chirton, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, Murton, or Moortown, Preston, and Tynemouth, and containing 24,820 inhabitants, of which number, 9454 are in the township of Tynemouth, 8½ miles (E.N.E.) from Newcastle upon Tyne |
