CONTENTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. Fage Divisions of the Ridings 5 Rivers, Roman Roads, ............ 5 Geology .................. Appearance of the Country, 5 Minerals, 9 Soil, 6 Manufactures, Trade, and Commerce, 9 Wolds, 6 Ecclesiastical Divisions of the County, 10 Moorlands, 6 Population--Summary of the County, Coast, 71 ....................... ......... $ THE first volume of this publication county of York, to the Tees, where it Tas confined principally to matter relating crosses into the county of Durham. to the West Riding of Yorkshire; and the Another military road, running east and present volume, which completes the Topo- west, from Manchester to York, has also been graphical History and Directory of this large described. This road, proceeding still eastdivision of the kingdom, comprehends the ward, advanced to Malton, where it was CITY AND AINSTY OF York, The East divided into two branches, the first called Riding, and THE Nobru Riding of this Wade's causeway, leading to Dunsley Bay, County. The extent and jurisdiction of the the Dunus Sinus of Ptolemy; and the Ainsty are described with precision at page other to Scarborough and Filey. Tho 135 of the present volume; it remains, there straight course of a Roman road may be fore, only to take a general view of the dis- traced over the high grounds of the Wolds, tinguishing features of the East and North from York to Bridlington Bay, the GabranRidings. tovicorum Sinus Portuosus, or Salutaris; The East Riding is divided into seven a branch of this road has also been diswapentakes, namely covered, tending towards Hunmanby. Another line may also be followed in a Howdenshire, direction to Patrington, (Practorium) and the Spurn point, which appears to be the Harthill, and the Town and Ocellum Promontorium of Ptolemy, and Holderness, County of Hull. where was once the noted seaport of RaThe North Riding is divided into twelve venspurn, now engulphed in the ocean.wapentakes, namely From Lincoln a Roman road may be traced to the south bank of the Humber, near Wintringham, where are still seen vestiges of the station ad Abum. On the north bank Gilling East, Pickering Lythe, Brough indicates the position of another anGilling West, Ryedale, and cient station, from which it is probable that a Halikeld, Whitby Strand, branch of road communicated with York. The North-Riding is bounded on the From this sketch it will appear that the milinorth by the river Tees; on the east by the tary roads of the Romans converged in every German ocean ; on the south by the Ainsty direction, froin the extremities of the proof York and the East and West-Ridings; vince of Eboracum to York, their common and on the west by the county of Westmore-centre, which, as will be seen from the subland. The boundaries of the East-Riding joined history of that ancient city, was so are, the Derwent to the north; the Ouse long the head quarters of the Roman army, to the west ; the Humber to the south; The East-Riding of Yorkshire, ak and the German ocean to the east. though it displays a great variety of aspect, In tracing the Roman roads of York- is far less conspicuously marked with the shire, the course of the great road, called bold features of nature than the other parts Watling street, running from south to north, of the county ; but if it contains no scenery has already been described, I and shown to that can be called truly romantic, some extend from Bawtry, where it enters the parts of the Riding are beautifully pic • The wapentakes of the West Riding tureeque, and afford very extensive and are enumerated at page 653, Vol. I. # At page iii, Vol. I A 3 mixed with stones; and a light loam upon a grit rock. In some instances, as in the neighbourhood of Hackness, there is on the side of the hills a stiff loam upon limestone, and a deep sandy loam upon a whinstone; and in the bottom a light loam upon gravel or freestone. The interior parts of the Eastern MOORLANDS present a bleak and dreary aspect, and little wood is to be seen, except in the dales or on the declivities of some of the more fertile of the hills. Passing into Cleveland, the country is lightly featur even magnificent prospects, especially when the sea or the Humber enters into view. From its topographical appearance, this Riding may be considered as three different districts, the Wolds forming one of them, and the other two lying, one to the east and the other to the west, of that elevated region. The wolds consist of an assemblage of chalky hills, extending from the northern to the southern extremity of the EastRiding. The soil is commonly a free and rather light loam, with a mixture of chalky gravel, in some parts very shallow; it also con-ed with hills, and the soil is generally clay; tains a deeper and more kindly loam, and a light sandy mixture. On the Wolds very extensive improvements have taken place during the last forty years, and a district, which, in the middle of the last century, was a complete waste-fit only for the production and support of rabbits, by the encouragement given to agriculture between the years 1790 and 1815, has been brought into a state of prosperous cultivation. The eastern division, above referred to, extends from Filey to Spurn Head; in some parts of this extensive tract, particularly be tween Filey and Bridlington, the face of the country is much diversified, and throughout the whole district clay and loam are the predominant soils. The improvements in agriculture have here also been very exten-clayey loam, and few parts of the country sive, and a judicious system of drainage has accomplished wonders. The third natural division of the East-Riding extends from the western foot of the Wolds to the boundaries of the North and West Ridings; this tract of land is called Levels, and, as its name imports, it is every where flat and unpicturesque, but by no means unproductive. In the North-Riding the face of the country is much more diversified. Along the coast, from Scarborough to Cleveland, it is hilly and bold, the cliff being generally from 60 to 150 feet high, and in some places, as at Stoupe Brow, seven miles from Whitby, it rises to the stupendous height of 893 feet. From the cliff the country rises in most places very rapidly, and a little further inland successive hills, rising one above another, form the elevated tract of the Eastern Moorlands. The cultivated dales situated amongst these moors are pretty extensive, some of them containing from five to ten thousand acres, and Eskdale and Bilsdale much more. The level lands at the bottom of the vallies are seldom more than two or three hundred yards in breadth, but the land is generally cultivated to a considerable distance up the sides of the hills. Most of the dales partake more or less of the following soils;-a black moor earth upon a clay; a sandy soil, in some places inter in some cases a clayey loam, and in others a fine red sandy soil. The vale of York, more in the interior, is not confined within any determinate boundaries, but is rather marked out by the face of the country.This extensive vale has, from the river Tees, a general slope, though interrupted by some irregularities of surface, and some bold swells, as far as York, where it sinks into a perfect flat. The northern part of this tract has the Eastern MOORLANDS on one side, and the Western MOORLANDS on the other. The soil in that part of the vale of York which lies within the North-Riding is described by Mr. Tuke, in his survey, to be of different degrees of fertility, and to be very differently composed; generally it is a can excel this celebrated vale in fertility.The Western MOORLANDS differ greatly from those in the castern part of the Riding. They are generally calcareous, and although their altitude is considerably higher, they are much more fertile than the eastern MOORLANDS, which consist mainly of grit. stone and free-stone rock. Many of the dales which'intersect the western MOORLANDS are extremely fertile; of these, Wensleydale may be ranked as the first, both in extent and fertility. On the south several small dales open into the dale of Wensley. The soil of this master dale, on the banks of the river, is generally a rich loamy gravel, and on the sides of the hills a clayey loam upon a substratum of limestone. Swaledale is little inferior to Wensley in extent, though it falls far short of it in beauty, but by some it is esteemed more romantic, and by all it must be admired. In fertility it is pretty much upon a par with its neighbour. The smaller dales, which are very numerous, are in general similar to these in appearance and production. Even the mountains here, some of which are of considerable altitude, as will be seen from the Map of the East and North Ridings, seldom exhibit marks of unconquerable sterility, but are many of them covered to their summits with fine sweet grass, bent, or rushes.‡ Tuke's Agricultural Survey. The east MOORLANDS of the North-form the secure harbour of Kingston, which, Riding form a peculiar feature in the coun- from this river, is generally called Hull. The sea coast of the North and East try, being wholly detached from the mountains in the west. Some points of the east Ridings of Yorkshire is very extensive, and MOORLANDS rise nearly 900 feet above the affords several secure harbours:-The harlevel of the sea; but the most remarkable bours of Hull, Scarborough, Whitby, and summit of the whole is Roseberry Topping, Bridlington, are described under their apdescribed at page 522 of this volume.propriate heads in this volume, to which By its detached position and superior eleva- may be added the Bay of Filey and Robin tion, it commands in all directions a prospect Hood's Bay. at once extensive and interesting. The hill rests on a basis of alum rock, interspersed with iron-stone, and its pinnacled summit indicates to the surrounding country the approaching change in the weather, as expressed in the following metrical proverb "When Roseberry Topping wears a cap, Along the whole length of the North- The Minerals of the North-Riding consist chiefly of the alum mines, on the coast of Whitby, as mentioned at pages 416 and 574 of this volume, and the lead mines in Swaledale, and the neighbouring vallies, as described at page 555. About the middle of the last century copper of good quality was produced near Middleton Tyas, but the works have been for some years disCopper was also discovered, continued. about five and twenty years ago, at Richmond, but it does not appear that the discovery has ever yet tended to any profitable result. The same observation applies to the iron-stone, which may be found in the east MOORLAND; though it should seem, from ancient records, that as early as the 13th century, iron was wrought and forged in Rosedale; Ayton is the only place in the North-Riding where forges have been es tablished in modern times, and even these have now totally disappeared, from the difficulty of procuring fuel. Various parts of this Riding produce coal, particu larly the plain between Easingwold and Thirsk, and the west MOORLANDS; but the latter is of an inferior quality, and fit only for the burning of lime. Good free-stone for building, appears in many parts of the Riding; and stone-quarries are worked both in the neighbourhood of Scarborough and Whitby, from whence are drawn the massive blocks used in the construction of the piers at these ports. Lime-stone, and a species of marble, not inferior to that of Derbyshire, are found in the vale of the Greta, near Rokeby, and large blocks of red granite are seen on the surface in certain parts of the West MOORLANDS. In the East-Riding chalk is the principal mineral substance.-Near the coast it extends from Hessle, on the banks of the Humber, its southern extremity, to ReighIn the east Moon-ton, 10 miles south of Scarborough, its The chalk rocks northern boundary. always contain large quantities of water, which may be had by boring or sinking, even at a considerable distance from the hills. Many large springs break out along the eastern edge of the chalk, generally in the gravel which covers it. The river Hull is formed by the united waters of a number of LANDS of the North-Riding rises the Eske, which, after watering the dale to which it gives name, forms the inner harbour of Whitby, and is there lost in the German ocean. The small river Hull traverses the East-Riding from north to south, visiting Driffield and Beverley in its course, and at its influx into the Humber contributes to these springs; and at Spring Head, from at Hull is forty-eight feet; beneath it is a which the town of Hull is supplied with bed of moor land, consisting principally of water, 240,000 gallons are raised daily; peat earth, two feet in thickness. The warp this water contains a small portion of carbo- land extends beyond Driffieid, but it is there nate of lime and iron, which are separated much shallower than at Hull, and its width by exposure to the atmosphere in a course does not exceed four miles. That this moor, of three miles. The intermitting spring now covered with warp, was formerly upon at Kelilgate, near Cottingham, described the surface, is shown by the nature of its comat page 189 of this volume, rises upon the position, being evidently peat, which could gravel, but it is not far distant from the not be formed in any other situation; and chalk. In the grarel beds on the chalk that it is extended across the Humber into are found the remains of large animals, Lincolnshire is proved by pieces of wood, exsome of them in a state of great perfection; actly the same as those found in the moor, vertebrer, eighteen feet in length, and from having been washed up at Hessle after a 8 to 10 inches in diameter, have been dug high wind. up in these beds, and teeth, measuring 8 The Wolds consist of one extensive mass or 10 inches in circumference, are frequently of indurated chalk, the surface of which is discovered here. At Hull the gravel depo- very curiously broken by a vast number of sitory of the animal remains is about ninety deep dales and sudden depressions, most of feet from the surface, and the workmen them, if not all, taking a direction towards employed in boring for water near the north some general outlet to the east or the south. bridge described their tools to have smelt as east of Yorkshire. It may be observed, if they had been cutting fish, so that it is however, as a peculiarity, that the whole of probable not only the bones but also the the extreme edge or margin of the Wolds, fleshy part of the animal remains. The to the north and to the west, with one excoast, from Spurn to Bridlington, forms a ception, continues in a regular and entire section of all the beds above the chalk, and as state along the surface, without any of those it is not in the line of dip, two beds are ge- depressions which take place at a very little nerally seen at the same time. A bed of dark distance within. The depression that breaks red clay commences at Kilnsea, containing through the margin is at Market Weighton, rounded boulders*, mixed with pebbles, both and a small canal, upon Foulton's plan, might, of which are composed of Granite, Gneiss, at an easy expense, be directed from hence to Mica slate, Porphyry, Grauwacke, Quartz, the navigable river Hull, near Beverley, with Mountain Limestone containing organic re- great public advantage to this part of the mains, all the sand stones and coal-shales, country. In France and in America canals of coal, fuller's-earth, chalk, and flint. In this this description are becoming very general, bed the chalk pebbles are in the greatest and prove highly advantageous. It is very quantity. On the western side of Holderness, probable that the Wolds have been the last along the edge of the chalk hills, a very ex- deposit of all the great masses of simple and tensive tract of rich land has been formed, in homogeneous matter in this part of the the course of ages, called Warp Land, which world. There are scattered all over this consists of the clay and sand deposits of elevated tract nodules of pyrites, of a round the Humber. The greatest breadth of this form, composed of iron and sulphur, which tract is from Hull to Hedon, a distance the country people call bullets ; there are of nine miles, and its length, from Hull to also great quantities of loose fragments of Lowthorp, a distance of twenty miles. A sand-stones, which are perfectly foreign to narrow piece of newly formed warp ex- the calcareous matter of which the Wolds are tends from Hedon to Spurn, including Sunk rormed, and they have, doubtless, been Island, and is called the Marshes. How brought here by the action of the sea, after long this operation of land making has the chalky stratum had been deposited and been proceeding in this quarter, human pe- hardened, or they would have sunk into netration and local records are alike inca- the pulp. pable of determining, but that its date is All along the eastern side of the Wolds of many centuries is obvious, as Drypool, from Bridlington to Beverley, and from which stands upon the present bank of the thence to Hessle, by the Humber side, the Humber, is mentioned in the Domesday sand-stone, and the chalk which rests upon survey, and a causeway, extending from it, dip and vanish under an extensive bed of Beverley to the pewly built town of Huh, alluvial soil, which forms the whole of Holat nearly its present level, existed in the derness. On the porth and west the Wolds time of Edward I. The depth of the warp exhibit a bold and striking front, resembling a marine cliff, which is entirely surrounded * Fragments of rock. by an extensive plain of alluvial deposits spreading to the north, the west, and the Ecclesiastical affairs of this County are under WEST Ridino. Craven, rial deposit towards the Wolds. This lime Doncaster, stone covers in an unconformable manner the Pontefract. Dickering, Harthill and Hull, Holderness. Cleveland, Ryedale, ample supply of coal, and the ready demand Ripon, for the alum when manufactured. At a lit Ripon-cum-Masham, a pecuthe distance from Knaresbro', near the river liar jurisdiction. Catterick, Richmond. The Manufactures of the North and This archdeaconry extends into Lancashire, East Ridings are upon a very circumscribed Cumberland, and Westmoreland. sale. The commerce of these divisions of The parishes of Yorkshire amount to 563, the county is principally confined to the and the Townships and Chapelries, exclusive ports of Hull, Whitby, and Scarborough, of the parishes, to no fewer than 1310. and its nature and extent will be appreciated At the period of the publication of the by a reference to the history of each of those first volume of this work, the population replaces contained in this volume. turns of the whole county, up to the 28th of Yorkshire is rich in Antiquities; every May, 1821, were not fully completed, but division in the following pages will be found they are now printed, and in our possession. to abound with them, but they are too nu- In the first volume were given the returns merous to be recapitulated, except in the of all the places in the West Riding under general indexes to these volumes, from which the head of an “INDEX Or Places," and their description in the work may be referred the returns for the Ainsty, the East Riding, to. The city of York in particular is a mass and the North Riding are given with the same of antiquity, and the brief but comprehen- particularity in this volume, thereby comsive history of that venerable city, with its pleting the population retums of the whole cathedral and other public buildings and in-county, distinguishing the parishes and the stitutions, will be read with a lively interest, townships within each; and to render this and may be implicitly relied upon, being return still more full and comprehensive, a drawn from the best authorities. summary of the population in all the wapenIt has already been observed that the takes, liberties, and separate jurisdictions of • See Volume I. Page xii. Yorkshire, is here subjoined : THE WEST RIDING CHARITABLR SOCIETY is a benevolent Institution of great utility, and has for its ohject the relief of the Widows, Orphans and distressed Faini. lies of the Clergy, within the Archdeaconry of York. For some time this Institution did not receive that support to which, by its merits, it is entitled, but latterly, froin the zeal of its officers, public beneficenco has flowed more freely into this channel, and dur; ing the last year the sum of £725 was distributed among 37 different families, of which sain £610 was appropriated to the Widows and Daughters of Clergymen. The Treamurer and Secretary for the City and Ainsty of York, and for the Deanery of Craven, is the Rev. Joseph Swaine, of Beeston, near Leeds; and for the Deaneries of Doncaster and Pontefract, the Rev. Samuel Sharp, of Wakefield. |