178 Leland’s Journey through Wiltshire. 
marks by the yere, and kept his chefe house at Longe Ashton by 
Bristow, having great furniture of silver.! 
From Chauburn to Hungerford a 3 miles. Thens a 2 (read 4) 
miles to Ramesbiri by meetly woodded ground. 
From Ramesbyri onto Marlebyri a 8 miles (read 6) by hilly 
grounde, fruteful of corn and wood. About half a mile or I cam 
into Marlebyri, I passid ovar a broke that cam down north west 
from the hills, and so ran by south-east into the streme of Kenet 
about half a mile bynethe Marlebyri. 
The toune of Marlebyri standith in lengthe from the toppe of an 
hill flat east to a valley lyinge flat weste.? 
The chiefe paroch church of the toune standythe at the very 
weste end of it, beynge dedicate onto Seint Peter. By it there is 
a ruine of a great castelle, harde at the west end of the toun, 
whereof the doungeon towre partly (half) yet stondith. There 
lay Kynge Edward the...... at a Parliament tyme.3 There is a 
chappel of S¢. Martynet (at the entre) at the est ende of the toune. 
There is a paroche churche of our ladie (S¢. Marie’s) in the mydle 
of the toune ; (by the Market-place). The body of this churche 
is an auncient peace of worke. Sum fable (without authority) 
that S. Marie’s was a nunerye. There was a priorye of white 
chanons caullyd S. Margaret’s a little (half a quarter of a mile) 
1Sir Richard Choke, of Stanton Drew, co. Somerset, a Judge in 1474, 
(14 E. IV.) purchased Long Ashton, then called Ashton Lyons, in 1454. His 
grandson sold it in 1606. [Collins on Som. 1. 291, 454]. One of the Judge’s 
sons settled at Avington in Berkshire, not far from the neighbourhood which 
Leland is describing. At a later period (James I.) a Sir Alexander was M.P. 
for Ludgershall, and Chief Justice in Ireland. 
2 See also Itin. vr. 71. 
3 He probably alludes to King Henry III. who held here his last Parliament, 
at which was passed the code of laws called ‘‘ The Statutes of Marlborough.” 
4 North of the road leading to Mildenhall between Blow Horn Street and Cold 
Harbour. [Waylen’s Marl. p. 494.] 
5 A Sempringham Priory, as old as King John, and of royal foundation. The 
site was granted to Stringer at the dissolution: but must have soon changed 
hands, as a branch of the Daniells, of Daresbury, Cheshire, settled here in 
H. VIIl. 
