The Earl of Exeter's, at Woodthorp, near Harborough. Thrapfton, 16 M from Northampton, belonging to the Earl of Peterborough.

Lord Craven's, at Winwick, 6 M. from Oundle.

Late Lord Crewe's, at Stene, 8 M. from Towcester.

: Late Lord Tadcafter's, at Great Billing, near Northamp→

ton.

Lord St. John's, at Woodford.

Milton, 2 M. from Peterborough, belonging to the Earl Fitzwilliams.

Viscount Cullen's, at Rushton, near Kettering.
Earl of Offory's, at Firming wood.

Lord Carbery's, at Laxton.

I

HUNTINGDONSHIRE

S bounded on the W. and N. by Northamptonshire; on the S. by Bedfordshire; and on the E. and N. by Cambridgeshire. It is about 25 M. in Length, 20 in Breadth, and 70 in Circumference; contains 4 Hundreds, 6 Market Towns, 79 Parishes, 279 Villages, 2 Rivers, 5 Bridges, and about 240,000 Acres. It is a great Corn Country, and though the hilly Parts do not produce fo much as the others, yet they afford fine Pasture for Sheep. The low Lands abound with Meadows and Paftures, which feed Abundance of Cattle, and in the Meers are Plenty of Fish and wild Fowl.

Huntington, 57 Miles from London, ftands on a small Hill in the great N. Road, on the N. Side of the Oufe, over which it has a Stone Bridge, and was formerly a much larger Town than at prefent. 'Tis the conftant Place for the the Affize as well as the County Gaol, and is a pretty populous trading Town, confifting chiefly of one large Street well-built, with a handfome MarketPlace, and a good Grammar School. There are not more beautiful Meadows any where, than on the Banks of the River hereabouts, which, in the Summer Season, are covered with fuch numerous Herds of Cattle, and Flocks of Sheep, as is almoft incredible. The Bridge,

or

or rather Bridges over the River, with the. Caufey, are, Ornaments, as well as Benefits to the Town.

Godmanchefter, on the other Side the Oufe, though no Market Town, is reckoned the biggeft Village in England, and fo remarkable for Husbandry, that no Town, employs fo many Ploughs; it is alfo faid no People in the Nation have fo much advanced it, When K. James, I. came through it from Scotland, the Inhabitants met him, with o new ones, drawn by as many Teams of Horfes, for they hold their Land by the Tenure and we are told that on the like Occafion there has been a Proceffion of 9 Score Ploughs. Here is a School, called the free Grammar School of Q. Elizabeth.

Near this Town, in the London Road, is a Tree, well known to Travellers, called Beggars Bufb.

St. Neots, 6 M. from Huntingdon, 52 M. from Lond. is a large well-built Town, has a handfome Church with a very fine Steeple, and a good Stone Bridge over the Oufe.

At Hailwefton, are 2 Springs, one brackish, recommended for Cutaneous Disorders; the other frefh, for Dimnefs of Sight.

St. Ives, 2 M. and a Half from Huntington, 57 from London, is a large handfome Town. It takes its Name from a Perfian Bishop, who, about Anno 600, came over to England, preached the Gospel, and died at this Place. It appears from an old Saxon Coin in the philofophical Transactions that it had formerly a Mint: It was alfo once noted for its medicinal Waters.

Ramfey, 6 Miles from Huntington, has one of the best and cheapest Markets in England for Water Fowl. Ramfey Ifle is every where encompaffed with Fens, except on the W. Side, where it is feparated from the Terra Firma, by a Caufey for 2 Miles, furrounded with Alders, Reeds, &c. that in the Spring make a beautiful Show; to which its Gardens, Corn Fields, and rich Paftures are no finall Addition. The neighbouring Meers abound with Fowl and Fish, particularly Eels and large Pikes, called Hakeds. There is a Caufey called King's Delf, raifed and paved at great Expence, which runs 10 Miles from this

Ι

Place

Place to Peterborough. Ramfey was formerly remarkable for its wealthy Abbey, founded by Ailwin Earl of the E. Angles, A. D. 969. In 1721 a great Quantity of Rman Coins were found here, fuppofed to have been hid by the Monks, on fome Incurfions of the Danes. The Town fuffered much by Fire 1731. There is little left of the Abbey, befides a Part of the old Gatehoufe, and a neglected Statue of its Founder; the Keys and ragged Staff in his Hand denote his Offices. This is reckoned a moft ancient Piece of English Sculpture.

Yaxley, 9 M. from Huntingdon, 72 from Lond. is a little Town in the Fens, lying upon Whittlesey Meer. The Houfes are tolerably well built, and the Church has a neat lofty Spire.

Wittlefey Meer, 8 M. from Huntington, in the N. Part of the Shire, is 6 M. long and 3 broad: The Wa-. ter clear, yet, like the reft, is fubject in Calms to violent Shakes of the Water. The Air about it is thick, foggy and ftinking; but its Abundance of Fish, with the Paftures and Turf in the neighbourhood, make it amends; and though the Air is fatal to Strangers, it s favourable enough to the Natives.

Kimbolton, 6 M. from Huntington, 54 from Lond. is. reckoned a great Ornament to the Weft Part of this County. The first Earl of Manchester spared no Coft to beautify it. It is now the Seat of the Duke of Manchefter.

Seats of the Nobility and Gentry.

The Earl of Sandwich's, at Hinchinbroke Priory. This ftructure was founded and endowed by William the Con

queror.

The Earl of Lincoln's, at Overton Longvile, 3 Miles from Peterborough.

The Marquis of Rockingham's, at Great Gidding 9 Miles from Huntingdon.

The Bishop of Lincoln's, at Buckden, 3 Miles from Huntington.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Ncluding the Isle of Ely, is bounded by Part of Lincolnshire and Norfolk on the N. by another Part of Norfolk, and the County of Suffolk on the E. by Effex and Hertfordshire on the S. and by Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire on the W. being 35 M. long and upward of 20 broad. The Face of the Country affords great Variety. The N. Part comprehending the Ifle of Ely, is all Meadow and Fen-Ground which feeds vaft Herds of Cattle; and the numerous Lakes, Rivers, and Canals, which divide the Fens, abound in Fish, and wild Fowl, and give the Inhabitants an easy Communication with feveral Counties, as well as with the Sea, which occafion a very brisk Trade. On the E. are thofe fine Downs, which go by the Name of Newmarket Heath, and Gogmagog Hills; and on the W. towards Royston, are Downs no less extenfive, intermixed with Corn-Fields.

The chief Rivers are, the Grant, the Oufe, and the. Nen; which run generally from W. to E. and having received feveral other leffer Streams in their Course, fall into the German Sea, near Lynn in Norfolk. The Tide. runs with that Violence up the Nen, as far as Wifbeach, about either Equinox, that it will overfet any Boat in the Way of it; and the Salt Waves dafhing against each other, in the Night-time appears like a Stream of Fire: This is generally called the Eager from the Impetuofity of its Courfe. It is divided into 17 Hundreds, and contains 8 Market Towns, 163 Parishes, about 279 Villages, and 570,000 Acres.

Cambridge, 52 Miles from London, fo called from its Situation on the Banks of the Cam, which forms several Iflands on the W. Side, and divides the Town into two Parts, which are joined by a large Stone Bridge. It is very ancient, being well known in the Time of the Romans by the Name of Camboritum. William the Conqueror built a Castle here, of which the Gatehouse is still

I 2

itanding,

ftanding, and ufed for the County Goal. The Town is divided into 10 Wards; has 14 Parish Churches; contains upwards of 1200 Houses, for the most Part, irregularly built, and about 6000 Inhabitants. Its greatest Glory is its

Univerfity, which for Antiquity, Privileges, beautiful Colleges, good Difcipline, Number of Students, plentiful Revenues, and all other Neceflaries for the Advancement of Learning may challenge Equality with any other in Europe. We fhall not pretend to determine when it was first instituted, it being fufficient to observe that it has long been a remarkable Seminary for Learning, and has a Library well adapted to the Promotion of Literature.

The public Buildings in the University, are

I. The Senate-house, which forms the N. Side of an intended Quadrangle, as the Schools and public Library do the W. Side: On the S. another Building is defigned of the like Form, directly oppofite to the Senate-house ; St. Mary's Church stands on the E. Side of the Square. The Senate-houfe is a magnificent and elegant Building the Length 101 Feet, Breadth 42 Feet, Height 32 Feet.

2. St. Peter's College, which is the most ancient, and the first we meet with in entering the Town from London.

3. Clare-Hall, a noble College finely fituated on the Eaftern Bank of the River, over which it has an elegant Stone Bridge, leading to a fine Vifta, beyond which is a beautiful Lawn. This delightful Spot is much reforted to on Summer Evenings, where, on the one Hand, there are elegant Buildings, Gardens, Groves, and the River; and, on the other, Corn-fields to a very great Extent. The Chapel of this College is now (1764) rebuilding from an elegant Plan.

4. Pembroke-Hall (or College, there being no Difference between a College and Hall at Cambridge) is fituated almoft oppofite Peter-house. The Chapel which is one of the most elegant and beft proportioned in the University, was built by Sir Christopher Wren.

I

5. Corpus