08 WEI.SII P(rOL TO CAS-VVESIRY. 



the parlfti of Ofwt'ftry, whereon one of king OfWiild's 

 armes hung, fay the neighbours by tradition*.'* 



Ofwald had been a great benefactor to various 

 monafleries, and his cliara^ter was fo much revered 

 by tli'e monks, that a, fliort time after his death he 

 was canonized ; and the field in Avhich he was Hain 

 became celebrated for the numeroas miracles that 

 were believed to Iir.ve been wrought in it. 



On the place of martyrdom, as the monks have 

 termed it, a monajier)' was founded, dedicated to 

 St. Ofwald ; but there are no evidences at prefent 

 fxtant of tbe time either of its foundation or dlffolu- 

 tion. in the reign of Henry VIIL no part of the 

 building was left, for Leland, who then vifited this 

 place, fays that the cloiller only was {landing withia 

 the memory of perfons then living f. 



This accurate writer likewife informs us, that 

 '\Kh.Q.i\ he was here, the houfes of the town were 

 principally formed of timber, and flated. — On the 

 fouth-weil fide of the church there was, he fays, a 



* Hiirkian MS3. in the Bffu'(h Mufcam, No. 1981. 



f His words are, *' The chirch was fometlme a monaftcrre 

 Galled the White Miufler. After tunitd to a parocbc ehirch, 

 and, the parfonagc impropriate to the abbey of Shifevvfbiirv, 

 The cloit\er flood ??i hounnum memor'tn ul't monmnsntn monachorum.^' 

 Itin. V. ^9.— This church had alfo the names of Blanc Minfter, 

 Candida Eccleiia^ aiwd Album Monallerium, from which circum. 

 iVince many v/rkers have luppofed H tohave been fituatcd at Whit- 

 church. Tiii.s, however, cannot have been the cafe, for LclauJ 

 made hi:^ inquiiies on the fpof, and ic fecras not many years aft-er 

 fome parts of it were flduding. 



^ :.: ... free 



