Mr. Houfinan’s Tour..Leicefterfoire....Northamptonpbire, 
Mr, Garrick, the comedian. Stafford- 
fhire is noted for its potteries of coarfe 
earthern ware; thefe, however, are ef- 
tablithed furthernorth than I have been: 
thof parts of the country which I tra- 
velled through are pleafant, the foil ge- 
nerally rather dry than otherwife, and 
the furface even; in fome parts, the prof- 
pects are all clofed up with trees and high 
hedges. Farms are {mall in general, but 
I heard of fome as high as 1000l. a year, 
and their fize is annually increafing,which 
circumftance is much complained of by 
the fall farmers. ‘The common rent is 
about tl. per acre. 
Auguift 20. I left Litchfield and went 
to Afhby-de-la-Zouch in Leicefterfhire, 
x7 miles, Soil light, and very fuitable 
for turnips, barley, &c. to the produc- 
tion of whith it is much applied: the fur~ 
face pretty level; fine hedges, and a great 
number of trees thereon, particularly 
oak and afh, and the country in general 
is very pleafant. Here I fhall juit remark 
to the north country farmer, that I do 
not remember feeing what he calls a dead 
hedge im any part of the fouth of Eng- 
land; every hedge is planted with fome- 
thing or other, which, with a very little 
repairs, is a continual good fence, a cir- 
cumftance which ought to be more at- 
tended to in the northern counties ; grow- 
ing hedges contribute much towards foft- 
ening the fharpnefs of the air. In this 
diftri€& I again have the pleafure of fte- 
ing the beautiful and profitable Leiceiter- 
fhire breed of fheep, feeding on luxuriant 
pafturage in pretty fields, a fight more 
truly pieafing, in my opinion, than all 
the fplendour the metropolis can afford. 
Afhby is a fmall market town, and 
ts inhabited by farmers, common tradef- 
men, and manufaéturers of ftockings and 
hats; the country around it is fomewhat 
uneven, rather open, much in pasture, 
and, upon the whole, very agreeable. 
Farms from 4ol. to 300l. a year, but 
moftly sol. to gol. Rent of land 11. to 
rl. ros. per acre. { 
Auguft 20. Afhby-de-la-Zouch to 
Leicefter, 17 miles. ‘The foil generally 
a ftrong clayey loam; land much in paf- 
ture, and grazed by fheep and cattle of 
the improved breeds. I croffed a long 
range of rocky hills, fome parts of which 
are rather mountainous; the rocks are 
hard, and of a blueifh caft. This fcene 
reminds me of Cumberland and Weft- 
moreland. Approaching Leiceiter on this 
road, the town appears al! at once froma 
fmall eminence, at one mile and a half 
“diftance, and has a pretty afpect. The 
1b7 
five churches, of which three have f{piresy 
are prominent features: the town has a 
modern afpeét, ftands on a fertile plainy 
is built with brick, and covered with tile, 
which tinges the whole witha red colour. 
The population of Leiceiter is about 
15,000 inhabitants; moft of the ftreets 
are narrow and dirty; but the market- 
place is remarkably iarge, and well {up- 
plied with butcher’s meat and vegetables 
of all forts; the former is the fatteft and 
beit IT ever faw, which indeed is not won- 
derful to thofe who have feen the fine 
paitures and fuperior theep and cattle of 
this country. The principal manufac- 
‘ture of this town is that of worited flock- 
ings. : 
Auguft 24. Went-from Leicefter ta 
Kibworth-Beauchamp, in Leicefterfhire, 
g miles. Roads in this, and laft day’s 
journey, neither very goed nor very bad, 
but mutt, I prefume, be rather unplea- 
fant in winter. “The foil a clay, or firong 
deep loam, and peculiarly fertile in grafs, 
to the production of which it is chiefly 
applied. ‘This country was almoft wholly 
in common fields 30 or 40 forty years 
ago, but now nearly all inclofed: it was 
then conftantly cropped with corn, as is. 
ufual in that cafe; but fince inclofing, 
the farmers have run into the contrary 
extreme, and now very little corn is 
grown. The luxuriancy of the patturage 
is beyond any thing I ever faw, and well 
ftocked with the fineft animals.. I took 
a pleafant waik to feveral viilages on dif- 
ferent fides of this place, and pafied 
through many fine grazing farms of large 
extent, fome of which are occupied by 
gentlemmen-farmers at a great diflance; 
this, as well as changing the corn for the 
grazing fy{ftem, is much complained of 
by the lower orders of people. - Kibworth- 
Beauchamp is a pretty farming village; 
the furrounding country is beautifully 
uneven, but the floping grounds have no 
rapid afcents or defcents. A few trees on 
hedges, and here and there a {mall plan- 
tation; thefe, added to the large pafture- 
fields inclining to different direétions, and 
depaftured with fheep and cattle beauti- 
fully {potted with red and white, gives 
the whole country the air of one great 
park. Size of farms, 20], to 3001. a year, 
average about tool. Rent 20 to 26s. per 
acre. About the year 1720, 3,600 acres 
_ were inelofed here, when the reétor wa 
allowed, and accepted, one {eventh part o 
the inclofure in Neu of tithes: ~ ae 
Auguft 28. Kibworth-Péeauchamp to 
Brixworth in Northamptonhhire, 17 miles. 
Thevoads pretty good, and for ro or 12 
miles 
