The Environs of Bath. ig-j 



held a fair at the Barton Grange, Bath, some time afterwards 

 removed it to the road near this old chapel, and held it on 

 Saint Lawrence's Day. To the left of this inn will be seen 

 the Bath race-course. Lansdown was the scene of a noted 

 sanguinary battle between the Royalist and Parliamentary 

 forces in 1643, the former under the command of Prince 

 Maurice, Lord Hopton, and Sir Beville Grenville, the latter 

 being commanded by Sir WilUam Waller.* A monumental 

 obelisk to the memory of Sir B. Grenville, was erected by 

 his grandson. Lord Lansdown, in 1720, and is a conspicuous 

 object at the extreme end of the Down. Soon after reach^ 

 ing the summit of Lansdown from Bath the visitor will 

 observe on his left a lofty erection, known as " Beckford's 

 Tower.'' It was originally built by the late Mr. Beckford, 

 of Fonthill Abbey, as a place of retirement, and as com- 

 manding a magnificent view of the surrounding country. 

 He fitted up, and most tastefully decorated, several rooms 

 in this building, besides filling them with valuable works 

 of art and articles of virtu. The Tower is 154 feet high. 

 Weston is supposed to have been the birthplace of Elphege, 

 the first Abbot of the Bath Abbey. The Church, dedi- 

 cated to All Saints, is quite modern. The tower is per- 

 pendicular and originally contained six bells, which were 

 taken down and recast by Thomas Bilbee in 1739. There is 

 an old tomb in the vault or crypt under the tower of about 

 the twelfth or thirteenth century, with an incised cross upon 

 it, and a Latin inscription. The Church contains many 

 monuments to the memory both of visitors to Bath, who were 

 buried here, and of some eminent Bathonians. 



* See p. 61. 



