AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. 117 



plans for the present bridge were prepared by Mr. W. 

 Symons, who was also the contractor for its erection. There 

 are a few unimportant alterations of detail in construction, 

 but the principle is the same, and I believe the cannon balls 

 remain where the good Joseph Hingston was pleased to 

 see them." 



From the Bowcombe quarry, on the Charleton side of 

 the inlet, is drawn a large quantity of good building stone. 

 Descending a little further, you get a pretty near view of 

 Charleton church (St. Mary), which is an ancient structure, 

 but it was thoroughly renovated in 1849-50, when the 

 nave and aisles were mostly re-built, and new windows 

 were inserted, with mullions of Caen stone. "The lordship of 

 Charleton was, amongst other lands, granted by Henry VIII., 

 in the thirty-fifth year of his reign, to Catherine, Queen ,/F2rv£ 

 of England, for her dower. On the death of Catherine, 

 in the second year of the reign of Edward VI., it reverted 

 to that king, on whose death it descended to, and became 

 the property of, his sister Queen Mary, who by letters 

 patent of the 22nd of June, in the first year of her reign, 

 granted the same unto Francis, then Earl of Huntingdon." 

 It was afterwards held by Lord Borringdon; and is now 

 the property of Lady Ashburton. As lately as the year 

 1753 the Hundred Court was regularly held, presentments 

 were made, and the different parishes in the Hundred paid 

 small chief-rents to the lord of the manor. The original 

 grant conveyed most extensive privileges, but many of them 

 are no longer exercised. The rectory house, which was 

 spoken of by Polwhele as an "uncouth structure," was 

 mostly taken down by William Tickell, L.B., at that time 

 the Incumbent, and re-built; and it is now said to be one 



