Britannia: or a Geographical description of the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with the Isles and Territories thereto belonging.
Blome, Richard
1687
BARKSHIRE: Being the ATTREBATII, and part of the ancient KINGDOM of the West-Saxons.
BARKSHIRE: Being the ATTREBATII, and part of the ancient KINGDOM of the West-Saxons.
or a of a pleasant, temperate, and whol some of a fit for and yielding good encrease (especially in the ) and generally the whole both for prosit and pleasure, producing and in great plenty; being well cloathed with and watered with fresh streams, (which afford excellent and ) is inferiour (for its extent) to few in | |
It is dignified with the of an which at present, is in the person of the Right Honourable Earl of Viscount &c. | |
This hath for its Eastern bounds which of all other parts is less as being full of and For its Southern, for its Western (which taketh up the greatest breadth) and for its Northern, the which afterwards taketh the name of or the and in a winding full of reaches, severeth it from the of and | |
Its extent in length, from in the East, to in the West, is about 40 and from in the South, to in the North, about 24; and makes in circumference about 120 | |
Amongst the that water this the the and the (which afford excellent especially about ) are of the chiefest note: over which, for the conveniency of passage, are several | |
The principal that this affordeth is which in several is made in great quantities; especially at and | |
Its ancient known to were the and them of those that descended from amongst whom (conquered by the ) was had in good esteem amongst the And after the downfall of the it became part of the Kingdom of the | |
This is severed into 20 (the names of which are set down in the ) in which are numbred 140 and for the accommodation of its there are dispersed in it twelve which are as followeth. | |
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the largest in the conteining three graced with fair and large and beautified with good built It is a place well of a great resort and especially for its and here made; and its which is on is very considerable, and plentifully provided with all sorts of and other necessaries. It is a pleasantly seated near the of the and well watered with several which run through its besides the river (large and navigable for ) which falleth into the and affordeth great conveniency to its in the conveyance of their by over which said are about fourteen or fifteen amongst which that over the is the fairest. It was once beautified with a fair and rich and a strong built by King the First, wherein the of the himself and Queen (who was a professed ) together with their daughter (stiled the of ) were interred; which said was rased to the ground by the Second, for that it should not be a refuge for the followers of K. nor hath the ought to boast of save its ruines. And here the setled and fortified themselves, after their great overthrow at a small by the hands of King It is a enjoyeth several sendeth to and is governed by a twelve and as many or besides a and other | |
pleasantly scituate near the banks of the and in a healthful a fair, large, well frequented, and inhabited of great note for its famous and stately and of his which sometimes did belong to the of till the Conquerour (who so much thirsted after it) by composition obteined his desires, and made it his It hath in it a for devotion, a for learning, and an for decayed who are called the poor of It is a place of great strength, and the rather by its scituation, being seated on a great eminence, which affords so delectable a prospect round about, that our do oft make it their retiring place; and to make its delight more perfect, it hath a and near adjoyning, well stored with both for the and The present Governour of this is the illustrious Prince &c. This gave birth to several and amongst which to King the Third, who much added to its beauty, and where he held as his Prisoners, King of and King of and here lyeth inter'd (in its ) the bodies of several and persons of honour. And yet more famous is this for being the place where the Ceremony of the of the is solemnized on St. day, in great pomp and grandure, fit for so noblean said first to be instituted by King the First, at his going to against the and begirting the of certain worthy with a of which promised a future glory to the wearer: Although others will have it, that the institution was first from a that fell from the legg of the beautiful Lady Countess of as the danced before him; and thereupon that French Posie was set in a Garter, HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE: which in is, This of is a governed by a and other sendeth to and hath a on Saturdays, which is considerable for Provisions. | |
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Nigh unto is a of greater antiquity, though not of so much splendor. Likewise adjoyning to it, but on the other side of the in the County of where there is a fair that leadeth to is a fine and famous of | |
seated on the Banks of the over which it hath a a small thorow-fair full of and of entertainment, considering its largeness. Its which is kept every is well frequented, and the more for the conveniency of its in conveying of to and from and other parts. | |
a large and well frequented conteining several and graced with a fair seated in the midst thereof. A place of note for its here made. Its is on which is well provided of and other | |
Nigh unto is where, in (as 'tis reported) for the space of 15 there was a wonderful which streamed forth | |
seated very commodiously on the River and in a Plain; a large, well frequented, and inhabited and governed by a and Beautified with a spacious and with a well built This had its rise from the ruins of that ancient which now is but a small adjoyning to it, and called Its is on which is very considerable for and well served with and This is of note for its of a man of great repute in the time of the Eighth, as well for his jolly and hospitable humour, as for the great he got by the of (which this to this day is very considerable for.) But of more note for the first bloody here fought in the late distracted times, where his King the First of blessed memory, was perfectly victorious, as having the plunder of the the burials of the dispersing of the and where he stayed to establish a Garison in the of near adjacent. Which said was famous for having been the House where under an called (which was in being within this 25 years past) he penned many of his famous But this place is of greatest remark, for that signal relief it had by his said Majesty, who, with about 10000 men relieved the same, in the view of above 20000 of the which were drawn up in who observing his incomparable conduct, and personal valour in the whole design, stood as men astonished, and durst not attack him, and without one stroke struck, were enforced to their shame, to see his Majesty withdraw his and from under the Works of the said which some few dayes before he had there lodged, for the more commodious march of his small Army, not exceeding 1/3 of the and under the conduct of that noble Col. Sir the Enemies whole Army received a notable check a within half a mile of a house belonging to Sir Kt. a place noted for the commodious reception of the and in their Western Progress, in times of Peace. And in the War it had the honour and good fortune to receive his late and his now reigning; at which time it was at tacked by the greatest part of the who lost near 1000 of their upon the place, with a | |
41 | great number and in the defence thereof, the killed and wounded did not exceed 80, which was occasioned by reason of the commodiousness of the place, in sheltring them from the |
seated on the Banks of the River very low and waterish; of chief note for having the best and in all It is a small and its which is on is but indifferent. | |
pleasantly seated near the Confines of in an open sit for and A small | |
scituate betwixt two amongst fertile and excellent for the feeding of and very commodious for all sorts of Field sports. The is indifferent good, and hath a kept every during the season, chiesly for the sale of for which it is very considerable. | |
commodiously seated on the Banks of the over which it hath a fair A of great antiquity, and in times past very strong and large, being begirt with a and which took up a in circuit; and had once a strong now demolished. And contained four two of which in the late troubles were demolished. It was the chief City of the and in the time was accounted a and contained 266 or It was formerly a then in the reign of the Third, it belonged to the Earls of then to King of the and of who repaired it; and in the end it became annexed to the Duke of since which time, it hath by little and little fell to decay. Which was principally occasioned through the destruction of its in the great Sickness in and the turning of through and nevertheless, by reason of its great of and the commodiousness in transporting and other to its and are of late much increased; and its which are on and which is the chief, is very considerable for all sorts of and It is at present a enjoyeth large immunities; sendeth to and is governed by a who are of the within the said with other Here is lately erected a fair or with a in which the and keep their and for the of the said | |
the seated on the plain of a and also on the Banks of the River of over which it hath a It is a of good antiquity, and florished in times past, by reason of its rich and magnificent beautified by King after its destruction by the and is at present a and enjoying several and sendeth one to It is a place well frequented, inhabited, and traded unto, especially for its And its on and are well provided with and | |
Nigh unto this where now standeth was once a famous very delectably seated, where was the Regal seat of their Kings; but so soon as King of the had | |
42 | built the it began by little and little to lose its name, and was called as raised out of its ruins. |
seated on a branch of the River of chief note for giving birth to the famous and renowned Prince King who was a scourge to the It hath a on which affordeth the best and at the easiest price of any in the County. | |
highly seated, and not far from the a well frequented on In former time here was a Fort raised by Earl of against King who won it, and afterwards laid it level to the ground. | |
This is adorned with many fair and stately hath been strengthened with six and graced with three of his and in times past had divers and as at and | |
Footnotes: [] Dignified with the Title of an Earldom. [] Its bounds. [] Its extent. [] Its Rivers. [] Much cloth here made. [] Ancient Inhabitants. [] Its Hundreds and Towns. [] Reading. [] New Windsor. [] Windsor Castle. [] Knights of the noble Order of the Garter here enstall'd. [] Old Windsor. [] Eaton. Maidenhead. [] Ockingham. [] Finchamstead. [] Newbury. [] Hungerford. [] Langborne. [] East Ilsly. [] Wallingford. [] Abington. [] Sunningwell of old Sheovesham. [] Wantage. [] Faringdon, [] The Ornament of the County. |