the sides and bottom of the vessel, which deliquidates on exposure to the air, and is conceived to be muriate of lime, a substance frequently found in wells contiguous to buildings.

The town being excellently supplied with water, there is little occasion to seek for springs in the neighbourhood, of which however there are several worth attention, particularly one in a field beyond Linney, called the Boiling Well, another called Sugar Well near the Paper Mills, and the far-famed well of St. Julian in Ludford.

WALKS AND RIDES.

The vicinity of Ludlow supplies numerous pleasant walks and rides in every direction, being in its immediate, as well as more distant surrounding scenery, equal, or perhaps superior to any inland town in the kingdom. Nearest the town, the gravel walks round the Castle deserve our first notice, from whence passing over the New Bridge, and ascending Whitecliff Hill we find ourselves on an elevation, which gratifies the lover of rural, woodland, and cultivated scenes, by affording a pleasing and ever varying prospect. The retired walk called Hackluyt's Close, under a row of stately elms, behind Ludford House; that on the banks of the Teme, toward the Paper Mill, and numerous others equally interesting might be enumerated. Among the rides in this vicinity, one is re

markably

markably pleasing, and has been particularly noticed by judicious travellers; it passes near Oakley Park, crossing the Teme by Downton Castle, and from thence through the extensive woods along the new road to Ludlow; the whole comprehending not much more than ten miles, yet affording such a charming variety of rich and rural beauty, as can very selscenery dom indeed be surpassed by the combined efforts of nature and art.

RIVERS.

The River Teme, after being joined by the Corve, at a short distance north of Ludlow, embraces its western and southern sides, and

"Slowly winding lingers long,

While fancy listens to the virgin's voice,

Smoothing the brow of evening with her song,

Or hears the uproar wild of Comus and his throng."

In this river are found Pike, Trout, Greyling, Perch, Eels, and various other kinds of fish; the Corve supplies Trout, Greyling, Chubb, &c.

The Corve in its course by the bottom of Corve Street and Linney, turns a wheel to grind bark, for the tanners, and puts in motion machinery for manufacturing cordage, sacking, &c. and on the Teme are also several Corn Mills, a Paper Mill, and at the foot of Ludford Bridge, a small Factory, belonging to an industrious and thriving individual, who manufactures Woollen Cloths, Flannels, Yarns, Blankets, &c.

Gentlemen's Seats,

Villages, &c.

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LUDLOW.

As a necessary appendage to this work, we will now endeavour to give some account of such places of note in this neighbourhood, as commonly excite attention, commencing with the Village of Ludford, which is immediately connected with the town.

LUDFORD HOUSE,

the old fashioned seat of the Charltons; is conspicuous, on a rising ground, above the village, and preserves an antique appearance, though considerably embellished by its present possessor, E. Lechmere Charlton, Esq. This gentleman is of the ancient family of the Lechmeres of Hanley Castle, in the county of Worcester; which family (as appears from Nash's History of that county) originally came out of the low countries, and served under William the Conqueror. Nicholas Lechmere, Knight, Baron of the Exchequer in 1701, and Nicholas Lord Lechmere, Baron of Evesham, who was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and of the privy council of George I. were of this fa

N

mily, which has besides repeatedly represented the county and city of Worcester.

Edmund Lechmere, Esq. the son of Anthony, who was the elder brother of Lord Lechmere, married Elizabeth the sister of Sir Francis Charlton, Bart. and by her had Nicholas, who on the death of his maternal uncle (Sir Francis dying without issue) came into the possession of this property, and assumed the name and arms of Charlton, which devolved on his son, the present inheritor.

This Mansion is without doubt of great antiquity, as is indicated by its approximation to the Church, its interior quadrangle, and its style of masonry; particularly the parts fronting the Leominster road, and the churchyard. Even in Sir Francis' time there were nothing but casements throughout the house, and so much did some parts of the building resemble a prison, that a Scotchman passing by, when the dairy maid was looking through the window, is reported to have exclaimed "ah ye be a bonny lassie, but I weel ken ye be there for na gude." The proprietor has in his possession, a deed in which mention is made of a house here in the remote period of the eleventh century. Of what kind, the house referred to by this deed was, does not appear, but it is conjectured to have been a religious foundation; and vestiges

of

of cells (in the recollection of old people) with certain mural decorations, warrant this supposition, and the presumption that it is even coeval with the erection of the Castle of Ludlow, and once, perhaps, partly dependant upon that ancient Baronial Palace: a religious establishment however certainly existed here, and though in no account that we have been able to meet with, can be traced any immediate connection between it and the Castle, yet in early days it was almost ever the custom to unite monastic institutions with magnificent castellated residences, as may be instanced in Priories or Abbeys adjacent to Kenilworth, Warwick, Kirklees, &c.

In the time of William the Conqueror this manor made part of the possessions of Osborn the son of Richard, Lord of Richard's Castle. It was afterwards enjoyed by the family of Jordæn, who deriving his surname from the place, was called Jordan de Ludford. This Jordan left two daughters, whereof one died unmarried, the other married Howel Vaughan, who gave or sold the manor and its appurtenances to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist, in Ludlow.

The Hospital of St. John being seized by the Commissioners at the time of the general dissolution of religious houses, in the reign of Henry VIII. this manor, as appertaining to that foundation, was also conveyed to the crown: it was afterwards