TIIK WHEELWRIGHTS APPIIKNTICK. 



309 



had fallm in, and ut lengtli the materials were removed 

 to huild cowliouses; but in the middle of the ruin there 

 u'lvvv up a vouni; 1 ash tree, forcing up one of the flags 

 of the cottage-floor. It looked so healthy and thriving 

 a plant, that the labourer employed to remove the stones 

 for the purpose of forming the pathway to the neigh- 

 bouring farm-house, spared the seedling, and it grew 

 ii j) into the large and flourishing tree, six feet nine 

 inches in girth, standing in the middle of the Croft, 

 and now known as " Brindley's Tree." This ash tree is 

 nature's own memorial of the birth-place of the engineer, 

 and it is the only one as yet erected to the genius of 

 Brindley. 





BRINDLEY'8 CROFT. 1 

 [By Percival Skelton, after a sketch by ilrs. Fleming ] 



Although the enclosure is called Brindley's Croft, this 

 name was only given to it of late years by its tenant, in 

 memory of the engineer who was born there. The state- 



1 The site of the Croft is very ele- 

 vated, and commands an extensive 

 view as far as Topley Pike, between 

 liakewell and liiixton, at the top of 

 what is called the Lmi'4 Hill. Tnplry 

 Pike is hehind the spectator in look- 



in i at the Croft in the above aspect. 

 The rising ground In-hind the ash 

 tree is called Wormhill Common, 

 though n<>\v rnelosed. The old road 

 I nun Iliixt4.ii to Tideswell skirts the 

 front of the risiu.u m - <>nnd. 



