WOKCESTEIISHIRE. 



the lands of the diffolved religious eftablifhments, to his 

 favourites and the nobles who co-operated in his fchemes. 

 In the unhappy reign and life of Charles I ., Worcefterniire 

 was often the theatre of warfare ; many ellates were dila- 

 pidated or ruined, and but few really acquired ; for the 

 prices fet on the church-lands by the parliamentary fur- 

 veyors were fo enormous, that though fold at nominally a 

 few years value, the purchafers generally loft by the acqui- 

 Gtion. In later times, the changes of property in this 

 county have been numerous and frequent ; but the caufes of 

 thofe changes depending on private motives and not on 

 public interefts, as in former days, they do not come within 

 the fcope of this article. It is, however, worthy of remark, 

 that out of the great number of families who recorded their 

 armorial bearings, on the firft vifitation of the county by 

 the Clartncieux, king at arms, in 1533, only fix or feven 

 now remain, and of thefe only two refide on the ancient family 

 sftates. Of thofe named in the laft vifitation (1683) but few 

 defcendants now exift. By thefe changes, however, it has 

 happened in Worcelterfhire, as in other diftriiSls where manu- 

 faftures and commercial enterprize prevail, that the landed 

 property is now diftributed amongft a much greater number 

 of proprietors, and that the country is incomparably better 

 peopled and cultivated than in former times. 



General AJfcS, Soil, and Climate. — When viewed from any 

 of the numerous furrounding eminences, Worcefterlhire 

 iffumes the afpeft of a plain, the gentle flopes and rifings 

 an the eaft and weft of the capital being then fcarcely 

 Hefcernible. From thofe eminences alfo the cultivation of 

 '.he plains is viewed to great advantage, as there are no trafts 

 i>f confiderable extent fo barren or fo negletted as not to 

 jjrefent an agreeable as well as profitable verdure. On a 

 learer view, from a hill in the centre of the county, to the 

 ^aftward of the capital, a moft beautiful landfcape prefents 

 itfelf ; the whole back-ground, diftant from eight to twelve 

 miles, appears to be the continuation of one range of hills, 

 ;nclofmg rich and beautiful plains, in which the flouriftiing 

 Ihop-grounds and plentiful orchards conftitute very inte- 

 '•efting and gratifying objefts. 



' The foil of the county is various ; but it chiefly confifts 

 )f rich loamy fand, mixed with a fmall proportion of gravel, 

 'n the central parts on the north of Worcefter. Towards 

 :he eaft the foil is a very light fand, containing a few fpots 

 |)f clay, and fome peat-earth ; but the eaftern diftrift of the 

 r:ounty is, in general, a ftrong clay, the wafte lands being 

 lorincipally a deep black peat-earth. Between Worcefter 

 ind the vale of Eveftiam, in the fouth-eaft part of the 

 i;ounty, the foil is partly red marie, and partly ftrong clay, 

 Vhilft the fubfoil in fome places is compofed of lime-ftone. 

 in the celebrated vale of Eveftiam, watered by the river 

 \von, the foil is particularly deep, of a darkifti earth, reft- 

 Ing on clay, and in parts on gravel. Farther fouth lime- 

 tone prevails, in the upper lands, on the ftiirts of the Cotf- 

 'vold hills, and a rich loam in the lower lands. In the 

 •buth-weft divifion of the county, between the Severn and 

 he Malvern hills, the foil is in general clay, mixed with 

 land or gravel ; but farther to the northward the gravel in- 

 preafes, until it terminates in the hght fands of the northern 

 lorder of the county. In all of thefe diftrifts, however, 

 'ome rocky and ftony foil is found ; but according to Mr. 

 I^omeroy, in his Agricultural Survey, no traces of chalk or 

 Hint any where occur ; nor have any been found, it is faid. 

 In the lime-quarries. The vale of Severn is defcnbed by 

 jVlr. Pitt, in his fubfequent furvey of the county, to contain 

 )robably ten thoufand acres of a deep rich fediment, depo- 

 Pited in the courfe of ages by the river and its tributary 

 llreams. In fonae parts, this fediment confifts of a pure 



water-clay, fit for brick-making, but generally of a rich 

 mud, fertile and favourable to vegetation. The county has 

 been lately diftributed in the following manner : 



Common fields of arable land eftimated at 

 Inclofed ditto ..... 

 Permanent grafs-land .... 

 Kitchen-gardens, &c. . - - 



Woods, waftes, rivers, roads, &c. 



Whole county about 



Acres. 



20,000 



340,000 



100,000 



5,000 



35>ooo 

 500,000 



Refpefting the corn-produce of the county, it is thus efti- 

 mated in Pitt's furvey : In 360,000 acres of arable land, 

 43,500 are fuppofed to be laid down in wheat, yielding 

 from 20 to 32 h\i(he\sper acre, or 1,200,000 buftiels on an 

 average. From this quantity deducing 108,750 buftiels, 

 at 2i per acre, the remaining neat produce is 1,091,250 

 buftiels. 



The climate of Worcefterftiire, particularly in the middle, 

 fouthern, and weftern parts, is ftated to be remarkably mild, 

 foft, and healthy. The vale of the Severn rifes but little 

 above the fea, and the valleys of the Avon and Teme are 

 nearly on the fame level ; and the adjoining uplands, feldom 

 rifing at the moft 150 feet higher, poffefs a warmth and foft- 

 nefs which ripen the grain and bring to perfeftion the 

 fruits of the earth, from a fortnight to a month earlier than 

 in more elevated counties, even enjoying a fimilar foil and 

 furface. The principal bleak and inclement parts are the 

 Bredon and Broadway hills on the fouth border of the 

 county, and the Lickey range on the north : for the Mal- 

 vern hills on the weft, although only ftieep-pafture, poftefs 

 a moft falubrious climate. 



Hills. — The higheft hills are certain points of the Lickey 

 range, which, rifing to the north-eaft of Bromfgrove, runs 

 north towards Hagley, and diverges to the eaftward. Some 

 of thofe points are eftimated to be elevated 800 or 900 feet 

 above the general level of the country. On this range is a 

 fmall fpring producing two ftreams, one of which flows 

 northward to the Rea, which falls into the Trent, and with 

 it is difcharged into the German ocean on the eaft fide of 

 the ifland ; the other, falling into the Stour, is carried by 

 the Severn into the Briftol Channel on the weft. Bredon. 

 hill, in the fouth-eaft corner of the county, is of about 

 equal elevation. The higheft point of the Malvern range 

 of hills, called the Herefordftiire beacon, rifes, according 

 to the great ordnance furvey of England, 1444 feet above 

 the level of the fea : the Worcefterftiire beacon, barometri- 

 cally meafured, rifes 1298 feet; and North-hill 121 1 feet 

 above the Severn. 



Rivers. — Thefe are, the Severn, the Avon, the Teme, 

 and the Stour ; the fmaller ftreams are, the Salwarp, Arrowe, 

 Ledden, Rea, &c. The Severn, called by the Romans 

 Sabrwa, is fuppofed to be fo named from the Britifti terms 

 fabr, fand, or fabrtn, fandy, becaufe ,it is often turbid, 

 efpecially when heavy rains fall on the Welfti mountains. See 

 Severn. 



The river Avon is faid to have been originally fo named 

 by the Britons, on account of the gentlenefs of its courfe. 

 It is commonly diitinguifhed from a number of other rivers 

 in Britain of the fame name, as the Warwickftiire-Avon, 

 and will be ever memorable while the name of Shakfpeare 

 remains. Entering Warwickftiire towards the fouth-eaft 

 corner, the Avon, by a winding courfe, waters the vale of 

 Eveftiam, pafles by Perfliore, and unites with the Severn in 

 the neighbourhood of Tewkeftjury. It is navigable for 



barges 



