WARWICKSHIRE. 



full quota to the parliamentary forces. During thefe 

 fcenes of violence, fome religious ftrudtures, and numerous 

 manfions of the gentry, fufFcred much dilapidation. After 

 that complete deilruftion of the hopes of the Royahfts, 

 which foUowed the battle of Nafeby, Warwickdiire, among 

 other midland counties, remained under the quiet controul 

 of the parliament, until the entire reftoration of national 

 good order. 



General AfpeS, Soil, Produce. — Warwickfhire is defcribed 

 by early writers as naturally divided into two parts, the 

 Feldon (or Champaign) and the Woodland. The river 

 Avon formed the line that feparated thefe trafts ; and the 

 fylvan diltrift was emphatically denominated Arden, which 

 term is well known to have been common among the Celtx 

 in general for a foreft however fituatcd. The Arden of 

 this county is afferted to have been the largeft of the Britifh 

 forefts, as it extended from the banks of the Avon to the 

 Trent on the north, and to the Severn on the weft ; on the 

 eaft the traft was bounded by an imaginary line drawn from 

 High Crofs to Burton. When England was divided into 

 ftiires, the counties of Worcefter and Stafford took their re- 

 fpeftive portions of this wild, and bcftowed on the forefts fo 

 claimed the names by which they are ftill diftinguiftied ; the 

 part remaining within Warwickfhire alone retained the title by 

 which the whole was originally defignated. But this large 

 divifion has been long cleared of thofe thick-matted woods 

 which formerly encumbered, rather than ornamented its foil. 

 A colouring, however, of its priftine charaftcr remains ; and 

 an occafional air of wildnefs is found to denote the com- 

 plexion of the country when occupied by the Ceangi or the 

 Cornavii, and their numerous herds. In general afpeft 

 Warwickftiire prefents a face of country agreeably diver- 

 fified by fuch an alternation of hill and valley as is equally 

 gratifying to the eye of the piftorial traveller, and beneficial 

 to the more important views of the agriculturift. The in- 

 fulated fituation of the county, and its freedom from any 

 great inequalities of furface, render the climate mild, and 

 vegetation early. The moft general winds are from the 

 fouth-weft, and ufnally accompanied with rain. Warwick- 

 fhire, upon the whole, however, is not to be confidered as 

 fubjeft to any particular excefs of damp or froft. The 

 foil, as is ufual in the midland diftrift, poflVftes great variety. 

 Nearly every fpecies is to be feen, except tliat incorporated 

 with chalk and flint ; and often many of thefe varieties occur 

 within one field or inclofure. The greater part of the foil 

 is, however, of a defcription highly favourable to the pur- 

 pofes of agriculture ; and it may fafely be aft'erted that few 

 counties poiTels lefs bad or ileril land, in proportion to tliat 

 which correfponds readily and abundantly willi the h\i(band- 

 man's toil. The crops ufually cultivated are wheat, barley, 

 oats, peas, beans, vetches, and turnips. The crops partially 

 raifed, but which are not admitted into the ordinary rotation 

 of farms, are rye, potatoes, and flax. The live ftock reared 

 by the grazing farmers is of various defcriptions ; but the 

 long-horned cow is the fort chiefly bred in the county. 

 The Warwickfhire fhecp of the large polled kind have been 

 judicioufly crofted with the Leiccfter ; and a very fervice- 

 able breed has refulted. The farms of Warwickftiire arc in 

 general far from large ; but the fyftem of confolidation ap- 

 pears to be rapidly growing into favour with the great 

 landholders. At prefent about 150 acres are the average 

 fize of farms throughout the county. Few leafes arc 

 granted ; but the rent of land, with the exception of fucli 

 diftrifts as border on great commercial towns, is very mode- 

 rate. The principal woodlands of this county arc ftill to 

 be found in the neighbourhood of its former great foreft, in 

 the middle, weftern, and northern diftrids; but nearly every 



Vol. XXXVII. 



divifion is interfperfed with v.nluable and ornamental timber. 

 Oak, matured and grand, conveying the ftory of former 

 ages, yet hkely to flourifh in the days of fucceeding genera- 

 tions, is attached to almoft every refidence of hereditary con- 

 fequence. Elm, in the moft flouriftiing condition, is alfo 

 abundant. Nor does the county entirely depend for its 

 wealth in woodland reccffes on the liberal providence of paft 

 ages ; the recent plantations are numerous and carefully 

 attended. There are alfo many coppices, confifting of oak, 

 afh, hazel, alder, birch, and beech. Concerning the manage- 

 ment of thefe nothing pecuhar occurs. They are cut in 

 regular allotments, fo as to admit of a fall in every year. 

 As coals abound in this county, the wood is fcldom con- 

 fumed as fuel, but is ufed chiefly for hurdles, hoops, 

 rails, &c. 



Rivers, Springs, Canals. — Warwickftiire is watered by 

 numerous ftreams, which impart richnefs to large trafts of 

 pafture, and add much to the piftorial charms of the county, 

 though (with the exception of the Avon) they are of a 

 charafter too trivial to beftow important facilities on com- 

 mercial interchange. The principal are, the Avon, the 

 Tame, the Learn, the Rea, the Stour, the Alne, the Arrow, 

 the Anker, the Blythe, the Swift, the Cole, and the Dove. 

 The Avon, ( termed the Upper, or Warwickftiire Avon, ) the 

 only one which claims particular notice, derives its fource 

 from a fpring in the village of Nafeby, Northamptonftiire, 

 and enters the county of Warwick at Bensford bridge ; 

 whence proceeding in a fouth-weft direftion, but with 

 devious windings, it reaches the town of Warwick, through 

 valleys which confpicuoufly incrcafe in beauty. Pafling 

 clofe to Warwick caftle, whofe lofty towers fo finely deco- 

 rate its courfe, it expands in fome places to the breadth of 

 two hundred feet, as it purfues its track through the 

 grounds attached to this princely rcfidcncc. It now draws 

 near to the neighbourhood which imparts claftic immortality 

 to its name. It paffes Fulbroke, and taking a large fweep 

 towards the north, wafhes the border of the celebrated town 

 of Stratford. Hence it proceeds, with no deviation of in- 

 tereft, to Bidford, fuppofed to have been Shakfpeare's retreat 

 for convivial relaxation. At the diftance of a mile from 

 Bidford, near the village of Clevc, the river, though broad, 

 is only four feet in depth. It ftiortly after leaves the county, 

 having, in its progrels through it, received the aid of feveral 

 minor ftreams. The Avon was made navigable for veftels 

 of forty tons burthen, from Stratford to its conflux with 

 the Severn at Tewkefbury, in the year 1 637 ; but the 

 numerous canals which have lince been formed have much 

 diminifhed its traffic. The chief medicinal fprings are thofe 

 of Leamington and Newnham-Regis. The former are 

 found fo efficacious in many chronic diforders, in difeafes of 

 the fltin, and vifceral obftruflions, tliat the village in which 

 they rife is rapidly augmenting in buildings of a coftly and 

 ornamental charafter. The latter is a weak chalybeate, and 

 a bath formed from its waters was once in great repute for 

 the cure of fcorbutic complaints ; but it is now retorted to 

 only by a few. The canals of tlie county are the grc.it 

 objedts of confideralion while treating of artifici.il water. 

 Warwickftiire is c(nifpicuous for commercial enteri)rife, and 

 for the fpirit with which manufaftures are cultivated. It 

 will naturally be fuppofed that a people fo induftrioiis and 

 intelligent have been aftive in profiting by the great medium 

 of canal conveyance. No county, indeed, can boall of more 

 numerous facilities of this defcription ; and fome diverfions 

 from original channels are yet projeded, which a more pro- 

 pitious era may bring to perfeAion. The canals in this 

 county are, the Birmingham Old Canal, the Birmingh.im 

 and Fazely, the Warwick and Birmingham, the Worccf- 



4y ter 



