62 RIVERS. 



hall strangely conveyed." He saw at Bolton " a very fair clock 

 cum motu solis et luna, and other conclusions." 



Wensley. This beautiful village is, like Aysgarth, a large 

 parish, including the whole of the northern side of the dale from 

 Bolton to Leyburn. It may be regarded as a place of importance 

 in early times, since it gives its name to the dale. 



Leyburn, situated on an elevated plateau of limestone, com- 

 mands very fine prospects of Wensleydale and Coverdale. Pen- 

 hill is a conspicuous feature to the S.W., and Great and Little 

 Whernside appear high on the south. The walk on Leyburn 

 * Shawl ' is much admired. 



Middleham Castle, one of the strongholds of the ' King- 

 maker/ the place where he failed to secure Edward IV., is now 

 a huge mass of mostly ruinous walls, in which little of architec- 

 tural beauty remains, but not unsuited to artistic effect. Mid- 

 dleham, the middle dwelling between Masham and Aysgarth? 

 may be regarded as of Saxon origin. A little below Middleham 

 the Ure receives a tributary from the south, called the Cover, on 

 whose banks are some remains of Coverham Abbey, or rather 

 Priory, a house of White Canons, or Prsemonstratenses. The 

 dale is called Coverdale the birth-place of the learned Bishop 

 Miles Coverdale, to whom we owe a translation of the Bible. 



The road up Coverdale is of no great interest till we reach the 

 narrow summit of limestone under Great Whernside, from which 

 the descent to Kettlewell begins. The view of Wharfedale from 

 this road is admirable. 



Passing East Witton, with its modern church (the whole 

 village was reconstructed by the Marquis of Aylesbury), we reach 

 the site of Jervaux Abbey, a Cistercian foundation (1156), still 

 beautiful though greatly ruined, and beautifully situated by the 

 Ure (hence its name, Ger-, Jer-, Yor-, or Ur-vaulx). 



Here Wensleydale ends ; the hills subside into easy slopes ; 

 the valley opens into a wider area, and on one side loses itself in 

 the Vale of York. Much of the beauty of Wensleydale is con- 

 tinued along the river and its banks to Masham and Swinton. 



