attempts to bring it back, have proved fruitless. The fair, which used to continue for twelve days, is still held on St. Bartholomew's day. By the returns under the late act, it appears, the number of houses was 229, and of inhabitants, 1,245. This village is so surrounded with fens, as to be inaccessible, except from the north and east; in which directions the road is formed by artificial banks of earth. From this singular situation, it has been compared to Venice. The inhabitants are principally occupied in grazing, attending geese, or in the business of the dairy. Many derive a livelihood from the sale of fish and wild fowl; but for the privilege of catching them they pay to the crown 300l. per annum, The granting this privilege was formerly vested in the monastery.

The manor and estates belonging to the abbey, are said to have been bounded by certain stone crosses, most of which are destroyed or down. The form, inscriptions, and appropriations of which have furnished themes for several different dissertations of antiquaries. That called St. Guthlac's, is still to be seen near Brothertoft turnpike, on the road to Spalding. It is of a square pyramidical shape, tapering upward from one foot four inches, at the base; but the top of the shaft is broken off. The alternate sides are equilateral; and one of its faces bears an illegible inscription. Governor Pownal thought it referred to the names of five brethren, left in the house when refounded by Turketyl. The first words are sufficiently distinct, "Aio hane petram." And Çamden thus would read the remainder, "Guthlacus dabit sibi metam."

KESTEVEN, the third great division of the county, is bounded on the north and north-east by the river Witham, which separates it from Lindsey; on the east by the division of Holland; on the south by the river Welland; which divides it from Northamptonshire; and by parts of Nottingham, Leicester, and Rutlandshires, on the west. This district is subdivided into ten wapen

takes, and contains seven market towns, viz. BOURNE, CORBY, MARKET DEEPING, FOLKINGHAM, GRANTHAM, SLEAFORD, and STAMFORD, with 181 parishes. The features of this division are very diversified, and the soils greatly varied: the western part is fine arable, as well as grazing land, and parts of it are well wooded ; more particularly the wapentake of Beltisloe. About Sleaford is a tract of fertile pasture land, sufficiently dry for sheep; and yet calculated for fattening large cattle. The variations of soil are nearly all in a longitudinal direction from north to south. The southwestern part contains some handsome seats of the nobility and gentry, and abounds with woods, particularly about Belton, Denton, and Grimsthorpe. The eastern side of the division is low and swampy, partaking of the nature of the adjacent marsh lands in the division of Holland. The south-western part was at a former period denominated a forest, as well as fen; and formed part of the possessions of Leofric Earl of Mercia, who was Lord of Brune and the adjoining marshes. In the time of King Henry the First, it was enlarged and afforested by royal mandate. The extent, as described by Dugdale, "was from the bridge of East Deeping, now Market Deeping, to the church of Swaiston, on the one side; and from the bridge of Bicker, and Wragmere Stake, on the other side; which Metes divided the north parts, and the river of Welland the south; excepting the fen of Goggisland, in regard it was a sanctuary of holy church, as belonging to the abbey of Croyland. And being thus made forest, it continued so until King Henry the Third' time, who, in the 16th year of his reign, granted unto all the abitants within the same, that it should thenceforth be disafforested*." "The men of Kesteven gave 250 marcs to have the king's charter, for deforesting this of Kesteven according to the boundaries contained in that charter+."

1

This

* Dugdale's Imbanking and Draining, p. 194, 195. The patent was confirmed by King Edward the Third, in the twentieth year of his reign.

Mag. Rot. 14. Hen. III. Linc, m, 2, 6, as quoted in Gough's Camden.

This division having been mostly inclosed, drained, and cultivated, contains much rich and valuable land.

BOOTHBY GRAFFO Wapentake, high division, contains the parishes of Boothby, Coleby, Harmston, Navenby, Skinnard, Swinethorpe Hamlet, Welbourne, Wellingore ;-low division, Aubourn, Bassingham, Bontham, Carlton in Moorlands, Doddington, Eagle, Waddington, Hykeham North, Hykeham South, Norton Disney, Scarle North, Skellingthorpe, Stapleford, Swinderby, Thorp on the Hill, Thurlby, and Wisby.

Through this wapentake a Roman road passes from Lincoln to Brough, a village just without the bounds of the county, where Stukeley and Horsley endeavour to fix the ancient station of CROCOLANA.

At EAGLE, or EGLE, was a Commandry of knights templars, who had the manor granted them by King Stephen. It afterwards was possessed by the hospitalars; and upon their suppres-, sion, in the thirty-third year of Henry the Eighth, it was granted to Thomas Earl of Rutland, and Robert Tirwhit.

In the chancel of NORTON DISNEY church is the figure of woman, with a cross and four shields: round which is this inscription: "Ici gist Joan que fust la femme moun Gillam Disui, et file moun Sire Nicolas de Lancforte Deu eite merci de sa alme. Amen*."

"In the same church is a brass plate, put up about the middle of the reign of Elizabeth, commemorating William Disney, Esq.. Sheriff of London, 1532; and Richard Disney, Esq. his eldest

son

Gough's Sepul. Mon. Vol. I. pt. 1. Intro. cix.

son and heir, burgess for Grantham, 1554, and Sheriff of Lincolushire, 1557 and 1566; with their wives and issue. At the back is a long inscription, in the German or Low Dutch language, recording the foundation of a chantry on the Continent *.”

In the parish of BOOTHBY, or BOOTHBY GRAFFO, are the ruins of SOMERTON CASTLE, situated about eight miles south of Lincoln. The original building was erected about the year 1805, by Anthony Bec, bishop of Durham, who presented it to King Edward the First; by whom it was afterwards granted to William de Beaumont. In this castle Sir Saier de Rochford, who proved himself a valiant soldier in the French wars, undertook, in the thirty-third year of King Edward the Third, to keep safely the King of France, then a prisoner in England. For which service he was to be allowed two shillings per day †. From the present remains we are justified in supposing that the whole must have been a noble and capacious building. An outer and inner moat inclosed a rectangular area of considerable extent. The dimensions of which are about two hundred, by two hundred and fifty-one feet.

At the angles of the area are the remains of four circular towers, which appear to have been formerly connected by intermediate buildings. The south-east tower is nearly entire, and the upper part surrounded by a parapet, out of which rise three pinnacles; and in the centre an octangular spire-shaped roof. The south-west tower, in ruins, contains an octangular apartment, with eight niches; in one of which is the door way. The north-west tower is nearly in the same state, and that on the south-west exhibits a similar construetion, except, that in every niche is a pointed window. In the remains of the north-east tower is an apartinent with a curious vaulted roof, supported by an umbilical pillar, from which spring twelve arches, forming in the wall as many niches; in each of which is a pointed arched window. This interesting ruin is the property

* Gough's Sepul. Mon. Vol. I. pt. 1. Intro. cxxii.

Rymer's Fœdera, Vol. VI. p. 131.

property of Montague Cholmondley, Esq. of Easton, and is at present, with some adjoining buildings, occupied as a farm house.

LANGOE WAPENTAKE, first division, contains the parishes of Billinghoy, Dogdyke, Kirkby Green, Kyme North, Martin hamlet, Thorpe, Tinley, Timberland, Walcott hamlet. Second division; Blackney, Dunston, Heighington township, Metheringham, Nocton, Potterhanworth, Scopwick, and Washingborough.

In the parish of DUNSTON, at the distance of about five miles and a half south from Lincoln, is a lofty column, called DUNSTON PILLAR. It stands in a square area, which is planted with trees, and enclosed by a wall. It is a plain quadrangular stone shaft, of a pyramidical shape, towering to the height of ninety-two feet, with an octagonal lantern, fifteen and a half feet high, crowned with a fane at top. The lantern is surrounded by a ballustraded gallery, resting on a cornice. From the summit is an extensive prospect, including, with a great extent of the surrounding country, the cathedral and city of Lincoln. The different faces of the pillar bear cach an appropriate inscription. On the north side, To Lincoln v miles; south side, From the city cxx miles; east side, Dunston Pillar; west side, Columnam hanc utilitati publicæ, D. D. D. F. Dashwood, M.DCC. LI. The heath being then an extensive waste, and the roads intricate, it was of great utility; but since that period, the lands having been inclosed, the roads fenced, and mile stones erected, it only now remains as a monument of the benevolence and public spirit of the person who caused it to be raised.

Upon a high ridge of land, called Chiffrow, near the Roman

road,