YORKJiHIRE. 



fcents of the SaXonS. Tranquillity was at laft reflored by 

 Theodofius, whofe fon of the fame name obtained the pur- 

 ple, and after a fhort reign died in 393. Diflenfion within 

 and aflault from without were now fad battening on the 

 OTerthrow of the mighty empire of Rome ; and in the 

 middle of the fifth century of our era, the Romans finally 

 relinquilhed all pofleflion, power, and authority in Britain. 

 Of their long protrafted refidence in Yorkfnire, many un- 

 queftionable evidences are found in the capital, and in other 

 parts of the county. The roads eftablilhed by that extraor- 

 dinary people may yet be traced, trarerfing the county in 

 various direftions. The whole fyftem of the Roman policy 

 and difcipline was certainly diredled to the perfection of 

 their military power. 



One great line of probably Roman road, which traverfes 

 the county of York from S. to N., is now called the Watling- 

 ftreet, (a name apparently Saxon,) which was opened from 

 the Riitupian port, in the neighbourhood of Sandwich, in 

 Kent, in various direftions, all the way to the wall of Se- 

 Terus. Entering Yorkfhire near Bawtry, it has been traced 

 by Doncalter, (Danum, or the ftation on the river Don,) 

 over Scawfby and Pigburn Leas, to Barnfdale, through 

 Pontefraft to Caftleford, fuppofed to be the pofition of the 

 ancient Legiolium, a little below the junftion of the rivers 

 Aire and Calder. From this point, the road was conducted 

 by Calcaria, now Tadcafter, to Eboracum, or York. From 

 this city it probably followed the N.E. fide of the river 

 Oufe, crofGng it near to Ifurium, now Aldborough, below 

 Boroughbridge, and thence by Leeming-lane to Catterick- 

 bridge, adjoining to which veftiges of Cataraftorium are to 

 be feen ; there turning more to the northward, it pafTed over 

 the Tees at Pierfe-bridge into the county of Durham. An- 

 othffr military road is fuppofed to have been laid out from 

 Mancunium, now Manchelter, in a N.E. direftion, by Wake- 

 field, to join the former line between Doncafter and York. 

 North-eaftwardly from York a road feems to have been 

 formed by or near Malton, terminating on the fea-coaft at 

 Dunfley bay, the Dunus bay of Ptolemy. This road is Itill 

 called Wade's caufeway, from the Saxon chief Wada, as 

 Camden thinks, who refided on the coaft in a cattle, perhaps 

 originally ereAed by the Romans. A branch of this road 

 is fuppofed to have led to Scarborough, when the (heltered 

 beach furnifhed a convenient place for Roman fhipping. 

 The ftraight courfe of an ancient road may be traced, 

 although over the high grounds of the Wolds pointing from 

 York towards Bridlington bay, correfponding probably to 

 the Sinus Gabrantovicorum of the Romans ; a branch has 

 alfo been obferved tending towards Hunmonby and Filey 

 bay. Another line may alfo be followed in a direftion to 

 Patrington (Praftorium) and the Spurn-point, which feems 

 to correfpond with the Ocellum Promontorium of Ptolemy. 

 From Lincoln (Lindum colonia) a Roman road may be 

 traced running N. to the S. bank of the Humber near Win- 

 tringham, where are ftill feen veftiges of the ftation, ad 

 Abum. On the N. bank, Brugh indicates the pofition of 

 another ancient ftation, from which a branch of road pro- 

 bably communicated with York. This, however, is not the 

 courfe indicated in the itineraries, which point out a much 

 more convenient courfe from Lincoln to York, acrofs the 

 river Trent at Littleborough, the ancient Segelocum. 



The veftiges of Roman works and occupation dittributed 

 over various parts of Yorkftiire are by far too numerous to 

 be mentioned in this place : it mutt therefore be fufficient to 

 point out two, Cataraftorium and Ifurium. About five 

 miles below Richmond in Swaledale is the prefent village of 

 Catterick, fo named from the Cataraftorium of the Romans, 

 of which the veftiges are vifible on the 5. bank of the river, 

 Vol. XXXIX. 



a little lower 3own the valley. Ifurium exhibits the moft 

 remarkable proofs of Roman habitation. Sixteen miles 

 above York, and nearly one mile below Boroughbridge, on 

 the S. bank of the river Ure, is Aldborough, fo called m allu- 

 fion to the old town, to which it has fucceeded, named by the 

 Romans Ifurium. 



Cajlles — Of thefe many ftill remain in Yorkftiire, although 

 m feveral cafes they are either nearly demolifhed, or by later 

 alterations, bear but little refemblance to their original 

 form and ftrufture : in fome, indeed, the name alone is pre- 

 ferved. Of York caftle, the keep, or Clifford's tower, is 

 almoft all that is to be feen above the furface of the ground. 

 Scarborough caftle is fituated on a projefting precipitous 

 chff^, 300 feet above the fea, and cut off' by a a^ep natural 

 hollow from the hiph ground behind it. Richmond has long 

 been diftinguiftied by its extenfive caftle, which was ereAed 

 foon after the Norman Conqueft by Alan, a kinfman of 

 William the Conqueror, on receiving the vaft pofteflions of 

 the Saxon, Edwin, earl of Chefter. Crake or Creyke caftle, 

 although belonging to the county of D urham, is fituated only 

 twelve miles N. from York, is of great antiquity ; for fo 

 early as in 685, it was beftowed on St. Cuthberi^by Egfrid, 

 king of Northumberland. Six miles W. from Doncafter, 

 are the caftle and village of Conifl>urgh, or more properly 

 Coningftjurgh. The caftle, ©ne of the moft interefting edi- 

 fices of the kind in the N. of England, a building of great 

 extent and ftrength, is commanded by the high ground on 

 which the village is placed. The area of the caftle is in 

 circuit about 700 feet, encompaffed by a very deep ditch, 

 now filled with trees. Of Knarefburgh caftle, once a 

 fortrefs of importance, but few remains are now to be feen. 

 It is believed to have been erefted by Serlo de Burgh, who 

 received the manor as a reward for his fervices at the Con- 

 queft. Pontefraft caftle, the fcene of many tranfaftions 

 of note in Englifh hiftory, in particular of the murder of 

 Richard II., is built on a lofty rock. Sheffield caftle, for- 

 merly of great ftrength from its fituation, between and at 

 the meeting of the rivers Don and Sheaf, was levelled to the 

 ground by the parHament in the civil wars. The ancient 

 cattle of Skipton, in the W. part of the county, is ftill in a 

 habitable ftate. It now belongs to the earl of Thanet ; but 

 was formerly the refidence of the powerful family of Chffbrd, 

 of which Henry, the fourteenth lord, was, in IJZJ, created 

 earl of Cumberland. Near the E. bank of the Darwent, 

 S.E. from York, are the remains of the magnificent caftle of 

 Wrefsle, fuppofed to have been erefted by Peroy, earl of 

 Worcefter, in the reign of Richard II., towards the end of 

 the 14th century. Originally the caftle formed a quadrangle, 

 having a tower at each corner, and a fifth over the entrance. 

 Wrefsle was one of the places of refidence of the great earls 

 of Northumberland, where they lived in a ftyle of fplendour 

 and magnificence, formed on the model and with the ftate 

 of the royal houfehold. Notwithftanding the zeal evinced 

 by the earl of Northumberland in the caufe of the parha- 

 ment, the caftle was, in 1650, difraantled. Three fides of 

 the quadrangle were demoliftied, and an accidental fire in 

 1796 completed its deftruAion. The fcite belongs to the 

 earl of Egremont. 



Seats To defcribe the number of admirable ftruftures of 



modern times, with which the county of York is adorned, 

 would require a volume. In this place merely to no- 

 tice fome of the moft eminent feats is all that can be at- 

 tempted. About 13 miles N.N.E- from York is fituated 

 Caftle-Howard, the princely manCon of the earl of Carhfle, 

 of the illuftrious houfe of Howard. On the fcite of the 

 ancient caftle of Hinderfkelf the prefent building was ereded, 

 abont a century ago, by fir .lohn Vanbrugh, the celebrated 

 O archited 



