in doing for we have past over no ordinary or common beauties of nature. Nothing now remains but to make my grateful acknowledgements to such among my numerous correspondents and kind contributors who have not prevented me, as some have done, by an ill-judged modesty, from giving publicity to their names. To the REV. HUGH OWEN, M. A. F. S. A. I am particularly indebted for many valuable descriptions and remarks relative to our early ecclesiastical architecture. To ARTHUR AIKIN, Esq. for some valuable communications and corrections, relative to the mineralogy of Shropshire. To Mr. D. PARKES, of Shrewsbury, for several useful hints, and for the very liberal loan of several excellent original drawings. To J. F. M. DOVASTON, of West Felton, Esq. I would express myself in terms better able to convey my high sense of his politeness, and of the kindness and assistance rendered to my friend, during his late visit to that part of Salop, had I the same facility of communicating my thoughts with which nature has so liberally endued that ingenious and most excellent gentleman. To M. WOOD, of Marsh Hall, Esq. to JOHN HULME, M. D. of Ball Haye, Esq. to WILLIAM SNEYD, of Ashcombe House, Esq. to his lordship, the Right Rev. Dr. JOHN MILNER, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, to the venerable and Rev. JOSHUA TOULMIN, D. D. and to numerous other Gentlemen, resident in the counties herein delineated, for many valuable hints and communications, I have great pleasure in making my most sincere and grateful acknowledgements, as also to several anonymous correspondents, some of whose letters have contained information of considerable importance. London, July 5th, 1813. THE BEAUTIES OF England and Wales. SHROPSHIRE. Of the Beauties of England, perhaps no county contains a more interesting share than the one now under consideration. It possesses every variety of natural charm; the bold and lofty mountain; the woody and secluded valley; the fertile and widely-cultured plain; the majestic river, and the sequestered lake. It is no less rich in those remains of ancient times, which awaken a thousand enthusiastic reflections, by engaging us in the contemplation of the memorable events of our history. Besides these claims to the attention of the topographer and the antiquary, it has others of a nature more substantial, though less brilliant, which equally engage the notice of the statistical enquirer: The rich stores of iron, lead, coal, and stone; the increasing manufactures, and the agricultural improvements of this flourishing district, have raised it highly in the scale of national importance, while its inland navigation has rendered it an emporium of the trade between England and Wales, and a grand centre of connection to the inland counties of the kingdom. It is, therefore, a matter of surprise and regret, that so interesting a portion of British topography should never have been embodied in a regular form. The materials for the history of VOL. XIII. A this this county are yet to be redeemed from the scattered labours of many local and neglected guides; from the miscellaneous and desultory researches of the topographers of Wales, and the border counties; and from a few MS. collections, some of which have been partly exhausted by the extracts of Pennant, and other tourists; while others are considered so valuable by their possessors, that they have hitherto been totally withheld from the inquiries of the curious. The topographical, historical, and descriptive delineation of a county under these circumstances, appears at once an inviting and a discouraging task-inviting from the variety of matter with which it abounds, and discouraging from the want of an authentic county history, which might greatly facilitate our. endeavours to treat such a subject as it deserves. In entering on the performance of this task, our diffidence is not a little increased by a consideration of the limits allotted to this county in the general plan of the work; on which circumstance we would ground an apology to those persons, who, being concerned in the local interests of the county, may perhaps look for a more detailed and elaborate description than we are permitted to supply. We shall uniformly adhere to the principle laid down and acted upon by our predecessors in this undertaking, of faithfully acknowledging our authorities, and of illustrating them by such original information as we have had it in our power to procure. * At the time of the Roman invasion, the district of Britain which now constitutes this county, was inhabited by the Cornavii and the Ordovices; the territory they respectively occu pied being divided by the Severn. Of the Cornavii little at present is known; the Ordovices, a warlike and enterprising people, joined with the Silures under the renowned British king Caractacus, in defending their country against its invaders. The memory of that gallant chief is preserved by local tradition, and See Introductory Observations to Vol. IX. of the Beauties of England and Wales, p. V. and his name has been transferred to two military posts in the county, on which the remains of his encampments are still to be traced. Various conjectures have been formed respecting the scene of his last battle with Ostorious Scapula; the antiquaries of Salop and Hereford contend for the topography of the field; and, as there are no records existing to particularize and confirm the general description of Tacitus, the dispute must remain for ever undecided.* That Caractacus, for a considerable period, successfully resisted the progress of the Roman conquerors in the hilly country, now forming part of Shropshire, is manifest from the united testimony of history and tradition; and this evidence seems to justify the supposi tion, that he there terminated his military career. Gough, the learned editor of Camden, whose authority as an antiquarian is universally respected, considers the account of the Roman historian as particularly referring to a hill about two miles south of Clun, called Caer Caradoc, or the Gaer, near the junction of the rivers Clun and Temd, among several dangerous fords. On the point of this hill, which is accessible only one way, is a very large camp, defended on the north side by deep double ditches dug in the solid rock; almost impregnable on the east and south; and fortified by ramparts of stone. The description of Tacitus, observes Mr. Gough, places this camp before our eyes. "Montibus arduis, et si qua clementer accedi poterat in modum valli saxa præstruit; et præfluebat amnis vado incerto, catervæque armatorum pro munimentis constiterant." This battle, and the subsequent fate of Caractacus, are suffi ciently A 2 See Beauties of England and Wales, Vol. VI p. 401, also Vol. XI. p. 2. + Ann. XII. 33. A gentleman of Shrewsbury, who has personally inspected all the military antiquities of his native county, and of those which border upon it, is inclined to suppose, that the only place which can answer the descrip tion of Tacitus, is the Breiddenn Hill in Montgomeryshire. The vestiges of a British encampment on its summit, and the course of the river Severn near its base, are the circumstances on which he grounds his hypothesis, ciently interesting to the British reader to authorize the intro duction, in this place, of the detailed account, as given by Tacitus. "P. Ostorius, the proprætor, found things in great disorder in Britain; the enemy having overrun the lands of our allies with less restraint, as they did not suppose the new general would march against them with an army to which he was a stranger, and at the beginning of winter. But he, convinced that fear or confidence of an enemy depend on the first events, marched against them with such troops as were at hand, and cutting to pieces all who opposed him, pursued the rest, whom he had dispersed, to prevent their collecting themselves again. Unwilling to trust to a dangerous and uncertain peace, which would allow new rest to the general or the army, he prepared to disarm the nations whom there was reason to suspect, and to draw a line of camps round them, between the rivers Antona [Avon] and Severn. This step was first opposed by the Iceni, a powerful nation, unbroken by the war, having before voluntarily embraced our alliance. By their advice, the neighbouring nations appointed a place for battle, enclosed by a rude rampart of earth, with a narrow entrance, inaccessible to horsemen. These works the Roman general, though he had only the auxiliary troops of the allies, without the strength of the legions, attempted to force; and disposing his cohorts, drew up likewise some troops of horse before the rampart: upon a signal given, they broke down the work, and fell upon the enemy, entangled in their own inclosures. A consciousness of their revolt, and despair of escaping, animated them to many gallant actions. In this battle, M. Ostorius, son of the lieute nant, gained the honour of having saved the life of a citizen. "The defeat of the Iceni awed those nations who fluctuated between peace and war, and the army advanced against the Cangi, whose territories they ravaged, carrying off much booty, the enemy not daring to face them, and if they fell upon the rear by surprise, paying dear for it. The army was now got pretty near the |