|
|
|
|
|
|
|
title page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
previous page
next page |
|
|
|
Page 107:-
|
earthworks
roman forts
|
|
Mr West, in his guide to the Lakes, says, that there has
been a Roman station here. That they might have one near
this Druidical temple I will not deny, but that they ever
had one upon Castrigg, is, I think, very improbable.
This idea has taken its rise from the name, which Mr West
supposes to be a corruption of Castle-Rigg: on the
contrary, I take Castrigg to be the original and
proper name; it is so spelled in the manor-books, and seems,
like many other names in this country, to be a compound of
various languages, viz. Latin and English. It seems not
improbable that this hill was, for a long time after the
Romans left Britain, called simply Castra, or the
camp, and that the addition of Rigg, which signifies
a ridge or hill, was added to it at a very late period. That
any encampment which was here was Roman, is pretty evident:
The Romans, out of hatred to the persons and religious
tenets of the Druids, always built their forts near some of
their places of resort: They thus prevented the Britons from
their usual visits to these fanes, and the Druids from
encouraging their countrymen by their divination.
Mr West's conjecture, (see B.iii. p.144.) is ingenious
enough: I cannot, however, trace the Roman road, in the
manner he mentions, from Whitbarrow. Whilst I was collecting
materials for this work, I examined this causeway in the
most attentive manner; but the road, instead of going
through Keswick, leads past a place near
Shoulthwaite, called Buck Castle; it then
disappears, but may again be perceived at Wythburn; if we
then examine the direction of this road, we shall find it
could not by any means touch at Keswick.
Close to this road is a place called Adam's Cross,
(see plate IX.;) it consists of a mound of earth, with a
large stone upon it, but what relation this has to the road
itself I cannot determine.
|
archery butts
|
|
Vestiges of camps are so very common in Cumberland that they
have been very little attended to; on this account tradition
is almost entirely silent concerning them. So frequent,
indeed, are these remains, that almost every artificial hill
of earth, or heap of stones, is called a camp: very often
these mounts appear, upon examination, to be no more than
the butts of those archers, whom this country produced in
such prodigious numbers, and of such amazing dexterity. Our
old ballads are full of the praises of these archers: some
of them are totally impossible, and others seem at first
sight improbable: but if we consider that the bow, (as I
know from experience) is nearly equal in certainty to a
rifle-gun, our wonder and incredulity will cease.
|
ballad
archery
Adam Bell
Clym of the Clough
Wyllyam of Cloudesly
|
|
The following old Ballad hath been printed in Dr PERCY'S
Poems, addressed to the COUNTESS of NORTHUMBERLAND, in 1775,
MERY yt was yn grene forets, among the leaves grene,
Whereas men hunt east and west, wyth bowes and arrowes
kene.
To ryse the dere out of theyr denne suche syghts hath oft
bene sene,
As by thre yemen of the north countrey, by them yt ys I
meane.
The one of them hyght Adam Bell, the other Clym of the
Clough;
The thyrd was Wyllyam of Cloudesle, an archer good
ynough;
They were outlaw'd for venyson, these yemen every chone;
They swore them brethren on a day to Englyshe wood for to
gone.
Now lyth and lysten gentlymen, that of myrth loveth to
here,
Two of them were syngle men, the thyrd had a wedded fere.
Wyllyam was the wedded man, muche more than was hys care;
He sayde to hys brethren upon a day. To Carleyl he wold
fare.
|
|
For
|
|
|
|
gazetteer links
|
|
|
-- "Adam's Cross" -- Adam's Cross
|
|
|
-- "Castrigg" -- Castlerigg
|
|
|
-- "Englyshe Wood" -- (Inglewood Forest
(CL13inc)2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
next page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
