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midland union ou natural history societies. 
knowledge, and bids fair soon to disappear. Some two miles further is 
Alveoote Priory, an interesting spot with ruined remains of a chapel 
wall in the garden, curious cellars and ancient stone dovecote. This 
was a small monastery erected in the reign of Henry 11. by a Burdett 
in expiation of the murder of his wife, and legend states that it was 
built of the stone ruins of the castle that formerly stood on Seckington 
Mount about three miles to the north of it. A stone coffin, probably 
containing the body of an abbot, was discovered opposite the Priory 
when the Coventry Canal was cut, this was reburied in the garden, 
but, unfortunately, no record kept of the exact place. Earthen pots 
containing bronze Roman coins were found here in 1763, 1840, and 
1871, 
A mile south of Alvecote, on the site of St. Edith’s Well, stood the 
hermitage with its series of fishponds, and near Polesworth, over¬ 
looking the River Anker, is an interesting old house, Elizabethan in 
structure, called Pooley Hall. 
A short distance beyond Polesworth is Merivale Abbey, founded 
during Stephen’s reign in 1148 by Robert de Ferrers for a Cistercian 
Monastery, and the charter was confirmed at Tamworth about the 
year 1154 by Henry II. in the presence of Theobald, Archbishop of 
Canterbury. 
Returning to Tamworth we find that there was a Hospital of 
Monks of the Premonstratensian order founded in 1287 by Philip 
Lord Marmyon, the remains of which (a small chapel and cloister) 
still exist on the north side of the town. 
In 1345 the town was again destroyed by fire, and the church in 
particular suffered severely, but was immediately rebuilt in all the 
splendour which characterised the work of the fourteenth century. 
About 1466, in the reign of Edward IV., an amusing incident 
occurred on an unenclosed heath between Sutton Coldfield and 
Drayton Bassett, when the King, whilst on a hunting expedition, 
encountered the “ Tanner of Tamworth,” and after some pleasant 
banter, exchanged horses with him. The celebrated ballad describing 
this is preserved amongst the Percy Reliques. 
We now reach perhaps the most important local historical event 
connected with Tamworth, i.e., the great battle which was decided at 
Bosworth Field, between Richard III. and Henry, Duke of Richmond 
(afterwards Henry YII.), on the 22nd of August, 1485. 
On the 16th, Richard, mounted on “ White Surrey,” marched with 
12,000 men from Nottingham to Leicester, and passed the night at the 
“ White Boar ” in Northgate Street. The next day he proceeded 
towards Atherstone, and took up an admirable position at Stapleton, 
placing his artillery on the heights now called Dickon’s Nook, near 
Sutton Chainel. The Duke of Norfolk stationed his forces to the 
north at the Duckery, near Market Bosworth, whilst the traitors— 
Lord Stanley and Sir William Stanley—encamped, the former south 
of Richard near Dadlington, and the latter outflanking his chief at 
Far Colon, west of the Duke of Norfolk. 
