102 



A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



houses in this street were mostly burnt down in the war between 

 the King and Parliament. 



Bridge-street, by mistake now generally called Bird-street, is at 

 present the principal thoroughfare of the city, the road from Chester 

 to London passing through it, which was formerly carried round 

 by Stow church, through what was then the principal part of the 

 town, now an obscure lane, called Frog-lane. 



Modern Lichfield is an open handsome city ; the houses in general 

 are well built, the streets regular and spacious, with an excellent 

 pavement and convenient foot-ways, and kept very clean. The 

 principal inhabitants are gentry, mostly persons of small inde- 

 pendent fortunes; the remainder consist of tradesmen and artificers. 

 The general appearance of the city affords an idea of snugness, 

 cleanliness, and elegance, and it is delightfully situated in a fertile 

 spot, abounding with the most valuable productions of the agricul- 

 turist. Some of the public buildings have already been described, 

 and others are still more worthy of attention, especially the 

 CATHEDRAL, the history of which will form a separate article. 



The principal manufacture carried on in Lichfield is sail-cloth, 

 which gives employment to a considerable number of hands. 



A society or company of saddlers and glovers was established 

 here in 1620. 



There are two weekly markets held in Lichfield ; one on Tuesday, 

 which is inconsiderable ; and another on Friday, for the sale of 

 corn, cattle, meat, poultry, butter, and every useful article from the 

 farm. At the market held on Friday, specimens of the improved 

 live stock of Several neighbouring gentlemen-farmers are occa- 

 sionally exhibited. 



The citizens are supplied with excellent water from the fountains 

 at Aldershaw, according to the grant before-mentioned. This 

 indispensable article of life is conveyed by pipes, free of ex- 

 pence, to the inhabitants, to four conduits ; namely, 1st, the 

 Crucifix ; 2d, the Market-cross; 3d, ButcherVrow ; and 4th, the 

 Stone-cross. 



The land in the vicinity of Lichfield, in a low situation on the 

 banks of the rivulet which intersects the city, is generally meadow 

 and pasture. The arable or garden-land is mostly on the sides of 

 the hills, or in a high situation, and is a light sandy soil, producing 

 plentiful crops of early pease ; besides turnips, potatoes, and other 

 roots and herbs belonging to horticulture. This soil is also pro- 

 ductive of good wheat, barley, oats, and clover. 



