246 KINGSBRIDGE 



the dissolving it was purchased by the father of Edward 

 Ameredith, of Pole, Esq., and sold by John Ameredith, 

 his sonne, unto S 1 ' Richard Hawkins, Kt., whoe dwelled their, 

 and hath left it unto his sonne." 



The village of Slapton, sheltered amid an amphitheatre of 

 hills, is remarkable for the equable temperature of its climate. 

 It rests on a red sandstone rock, surmounting the argilaceous 

 slate, which principally dips in a south-easterly direction. 

 These rocks, when decomposed, form some of the best land, 

 and it produces exceedingly fine orchards. 



Beyond Slapton Sands you pass Blackpool. Of this village 

 the following incident is related : — " In the reign of Henry 

 IV., the French, under the command of Monsieur de Castel, 

 landed in considerable numbers at Plymouth, plundered the 

 town, and burnt 600 houses, after which, according to Stowe, 

 they landed at Blackpool, where they were immediately 

 attacked and repulsed by the country people. On this oc- 

 casion the women united with the men in the assault, behaved 

 with great courage, and rendered important service. The 

 Commander himself of the invading forces was slain ; three 

 barons and twenty knights were taken prisoners, and con- 

 ducted to the King by the countrymen, who returned with 

 their purses rilled with gold." 



At Blackpool Sands, in March, 1869, several valuable gold 

 coins were picked up. They consist of coins of England in 

 the time of Edward III. and Henry IV., and French coins of 

 the reigns of one of the Charles's and Louis of France. 

 They are in a wonderfully good state of preservation, the 

 inscriptions being quite legible. It is supposed that these 

 coins must have formed part of a box of specie on board a 

 ship which had been wrecked there, and became deeply 

 imbedded in the sand for some hundreds of years, but owing 



