BRIANSK. 



BRIDGEWATER. 



134 



fortifications include a triple line of ramparts and seven forts, built ou 

 rocky heights of different elevations above the town and the fires of 

 which cross each other. The summit of the eminence on which the 

 town stands is crowned by fort Vieux. Several redoubts and lunettes 

 command the road to Italy ; but on the opposite bank of the Clarke 

 is the most important part of the fortifications which communicate 

 with the town by a bridge of a single arch 127 feet in span and 179 

 feet above the surface of the river. A zigzag road leads from the 

 bridge to the several forts which command all the approaches to the 

 town and communicate with each other also by subterranean galleries 

 cut in the solid rock ; all the forts and defences of the town are 

 commanded by the lunette called Point-du-Jour, which occupies the 

 highest ground between the two rivers. Brian^on is the principal 

 arsenal, magazine, and dep6t for the French Alps. The erections 

 connected with the fortifications give the town a very imposing and 

 picturesque appearance from the valley of the Durance. Besides 

 these, vast barracks and a handsome church built on a terrace on the 

 outskirts of the town and surmounted by two handsome towers are 

 iruous objects. There are many pretty country houses in the 

 neighbourhood of Brianoon, one of which situated at the foot of the 

 inclined plane that leads up to the town is surrounded by finely 

 improved grounds, adorned with waterfalls and streams derived from 

 the river Cervieres which joins the Durance below Briancon. Nails, 

 scythe-, hosiery, hemp-hackles, cotton-yarn, crayons, leather, copper 

 ware, ic., are made in the town, which trades in these articles, and in 

 lead-ore, mules, sheep, turpentine, manna (gathered from the larch), 

 lavender-water, and simples collected on the Alps. 

 Brianoon oooupua the site of the ancient Brigand-urn, which was 



6 Roman miles from Alpis Cottia (Mont Gencvre), and was connected 

 by a road through Grenoble with Vienne on the Rhone, and by 

 another road through Embrun with Gap. 



(Itictionnaire de la Prance; Annuaire pour 1853; Dictionary of 

 Greet and Roman Geo<jrai>luj.) 



BRIANSK. [OREL.] 



BRIARE. [LoiRET.J 



BUIAVELL'S, ST. [GLOUCESTERSHIRE.] 



BRIDGE, Kent, a village, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in 

 irish of Bridge, hundred of Bridge and Petham, and lathe of 

 St. Augustine, is situated on the right bank of the Lesser Stour, near 

 mi ld bridgi: nvr that river, in 51" 15' N. lat., 1 7' E. long. ; 3 miles 

 S. K. from Canterbury, and 58 miles E.S.E. from London by road. 

 The- population of the parish of Bridge, including 234 persons in the 

 Bridge Union workhouse, in 1851 was 864. The living isajvicarage in 

 the archdeaconry and diocese of Canterbury. Bridge Poor-Law 

 Union contains 22 parishes and townships, with an area of 39,771 

 acres, and a population in 1851 of 11,164. This place, which is of 

 some antiquity, is termed in old deeds Brigge. Besides the parish 

 church there is a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists. There are two 

 schools in the parish. The South- Eastern railway brings this district 

 of country within easy reach of the metropolis. In the neighbourhood 

 are many gentlemen's seats. 



BRIDGEND, Glamorganshire, a market-town, and, in conjunction 

 with (Jowln-idge, the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parishes- of 

 Coyty and Newcastle and hundred of Newcastle, is situated on both 

 banks of the river Ogmore, in 51" 30' N. lat., 3 34' W. long. ; distant 



7 miles W. by X. from Cowbridge, 18 miles W. by N. from Cardiff, 

 181 mile* \V. from London by road, and 1904 miles by the Great 



m and South Wales railways. The population of the parish of 

 Coyty in 1851 was 230* ; that of the parish of Newcastle was 1536 ; 

 tlie population of the town of Bridgend is not given separately but 

 proli.ibly amounted to about 3000. The living of Coyty is a rectory, 

 Mid with the curacy of Nolton, in which the greater part of the town 



. in the archdeaconry and diocese of Llandaff. Bridgend and 

 Poor-Law Union contains 52 parishes and townships, with 

 a population in 1851 of 23,369. 



Bridgend is called in Welsh Pen-y-Bont-ar Ogwr. The town is 

 divided by the river Ogmore, or Ogwr, into two unequal parts: the 

 lesser portion, which is on the right bank, is in the parish of New- 

 castle ; the other part, on the left bank, which is called Oldcastle, 

 in in the parish of Coyty. Two bridges cross the Ogmore here, the 



modern one being that over which the turnpike-road passes. 

 Th>' parish church of Newcastle, St. Illtyd's, stands in an elevated 

 position surmounting the steep bank of the Ogmore at a height of 

 ;il.>. ut 100 feet. The church has been recently rebuilt in the gothic 

 style. There is a chapel-of- ease to Coyty parish in Bridgend, and 

 another called Nolton Chapel. Three Dissenting chapels are in the 

 town. There are a National and a Wesleyan school. 



The sanitary condition of the district is attended to by a Local 

 I ;...inl of Health. The general appearance of the town is picturesque. 

 In tin; main street are several new buildings and handsome shops. 



.arket-place, built by the Earl of Dunraven, is well planned and 

 executed neatly paved, and kept in excellent order. Behind the 

 market are well-built public slaughter-houses. A county hall has 

 been recently built. The town is lighted with gas. Bridgend possesses 

 a mechanics institute and a savings bank. A county court is held in 



vn. The chief support of Bridgend arises from its position as a 

 market-town, placed between a mineral and an agricultural population. 

 The market day is Saturday. A fair is held on Holy Thursday for 



cattle, sheep, and hogs, and another on November 17th. The South 

 Wales railway now open to Swansea passes near Bridgeud. A railway 

 for coals, 4J miles in length, connects Bridgend with the Llynir Valley 

 mineral line. About three miles from the town is a quarry of mountain 

 limestone. The river Ogmore is much resorted to for salmon fishing; 

 also for the Sewin trout and the gwyniad, a fish which abounds in 

 this river. About two miles from Bridgeud stands Coyty Castle, an 

 extensive ruin. 



BRIDGENORTH, Shropshire, a municipal and parliamentary 

 borough and market-town, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, is 

 situated on the river Severn, in 52 33' N. lat., 2 26' W. long., 20 

 miles S.E. by E. from Shrewsbury, and 138 milea N.W. by W. from 

 London. The town lies on both sides of the Severn, which are con- 

 nected by a bridge of six arches. The larger portion of the town is 

 on the right bank, built on a red-aandstone rock, which rises 60 feet 

 from the bed of the river. The borough is governed by 4 aldermen 

 and 12 councillors, one of whom is mayor; and returns two members 

 to the Imperial Parliament. The population of the municipal borough 

 in 1851 was 6172; that of the parliamentary borough was 7610. 

 The livings of St. Mary and St. Leonard are perpetual curacies in 

 the archdeaconry of Salop and diocese of Hereford. Bridgenorth 

 Poor-Law Union contains 29 parishes and townships, with an area of 

 67,882 acres, and a population in 1851 of 15,608. 



Bridgeuorth, anciently Bruges or Brug, is stated to be of Saxon 

 origin. The first known charter is one of the 16th year of King John. 

 The borough has sent members to Parliament since the 23rd year of 

 Edward I. Bridgenorth Castle is historically interesting. When or 

 by whom it was built is uncertain ; but in 1102 Robert de Belesme, earl 

 of Shrewsbury, rebuilt the castle and strengthened the town, and 

 defended it unsuccessfully against Henry I. on behalf of his elder 

 brother Robert, duke of Normandy. In 1156-7 Henry II. besieged 

 Bridgenorth, when, it is said, his life was saved by a knight who 

 stepped forward and received in his own person an arrow aimed at 

 the king. In the civil wars the inhabitants espoused the Royalist 

 cause, and held out for three weeks against the Parliamentary forces ; 

 a large part of the town, including the church of St. Leonard, was on 

 that occasion burned to the ground. 



Besides the parish churches, the National school in the lower town 

 is licensed for divine service. There are also places of worship for 

 Baptists, Independents, and Irvingites. Bridgenorth has a Free 

 Grammar school founded in 1503. It has an income from endow- 

 ment of about 501. a year, and had 36 scholars in 1852. Connected 

 with the school are three exhibitions to Christ's College, Oxford. The 

 school is free to sons of resident burgesses. There are also a Blue-Coat 

 school for educating, clothing, and apprenticing 30 boys ; a National 

 and an Infant school, common to both parishes ; and a National 

 school in the lower town, erected hi 1847. A society for the diffusion 

 of religious and useful knowledge ; a mechanics institute ; a savings 

 bank ; a dispensary ; and a combined infirmary and dispensary, 

 erected in 1836, are the chief public institutions in the town. A 

 library, bequeathed for the use of the clergy in the town and 

 neighbourhood by the Rev. Hugh Stackhouse, contains many old 

 and valuable books. There is also a public subscription library. 

 Bridgenorth possesses a considerable number of charities; amongst 

 others an almshouse for 12 of the widows or unmarried daughters 

 of burgesses, and an hospital for 10 widows belonging to the upper 

 town. 



The situation of Bridgenorth renders it airy and salubrious. The 

 prospect from the top of the hill is delightful. There is a curious 

 walk made from the high part of the town to the bridge, behig hewn 

 to the depth of twenty feet through the rock ; the descent is great, 

 but it is made easy by steps and rails. A public mall on the grove 

 above the lower town forms a beautiful walk, although now little 

 frequented. The town is lighted with gas. There are three carpet 

 manufactories and two large mills for the spinning of worsted. A 

 large portion of the labouring class finds employment in the navigation 

 of the Severn, but the principal sources of profit to the inhabitants 

 are the market, held weekly on Saturday, and the retail trade with 

 the neighbourhood. There are five annual fairs on the Thursday 

 before Shrove Tuesday, May 1st, June 20th, August 2nd, and October 

 29th (the last continuing for three days), for cattle, sheep, butter, 

 cheese, bacon, &c. There is a jail at Bridgenorth, built in 1823. 

 The inhabitants to the east of Bridgenorth are less connected with 

 the town than those on the west. They are separated from it by a 

 tract of hilly but fertile country, and their chief market is Wolver- 

 hampton. 



BRIDGETOWN. [BARBADOES.] 



BRIDGEWATER, Somerset, a market-town, municipal and parlia- 

 mentary borough, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish 

 of Bridgewater and hundred of North Petherton, is situated on the 

 banks of the river Parret, in 51 7' N. lat., 3 0' W. long., 33 miles 

 S.W. by S. from Bristol, 139 miles W. by S. from London by road, 

 ar.d 151} miles by the Great Western railway. The borough is 

 governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, one of whom is mayor ; 

 and returns two members to the Imperial Parliament. The population 

 of the municipal and parliamentary boroughs, which are co-extensive, 

 was 10,317 in 1851. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry 

 of Taunton and diocese of Exeter. Bridgewater Poor-Law Union. 



