1751. A DESCRIPTION of CLAREMONT. next morning to be his bail; after which 2 [To be concluded in our APPENDIX.] On Account of the View of CLAREMONT, which we bave bere exbibited, we shall give our Readers a brief Description of that noble Seat. CLA LAREMONT, or Clare-Mount, is fituate near Efher, on the left hand of the great road to Guilford in Surrey, and about 4 miles weft of Epfom. It was originally a small house, built under a hill covered with wood, by the late Sir John Vanbrugh, whole peculiar tafte in architecture is well known. His grace the duke of Newcastle purchased it, and at a great expence beautify'd the gardens, &c. and added to the house a large extent of buildings, in the fame ftyle with the ori ginal Aructure; among which is one very Spacious room, where his grace entertains foreign ambaffadors, and where all the fumptuous dinners, which the duke makes in the country, are ferved up. There are indeed fome circumstances which much abate the conveniences of this stately house: It stands fo near the hill, that the moisture iffuing from thence occafions it to be very damp; and the winds being reverberated back from the woods on the house, cause moft of the chimneys to smoke; all which makes it a bad habitation in winter: Bat as it is the place to which his grace usually retires from publick business, he has spared B 535 no expence to render it as agreeable as poffi- A Description of the County of DURHAM, HIS county is commonly called the TBishoprick of Durham; for it is a county palatine, fubject still in great meafure, tho' much more anciently, to the bishop, who has a temporal as well as ecclefiaftical jurifdiction. It had a parliament of its own before the time of Henry VII. who ftripped the bishop of the effential parts of his palatine, or, indeed, royal power, tho' he has ftill fome fort of civil jurifdiction ; but the county was not allowed to fend members to the parliament of England till 1675. The diocefe includes the county of Northumberland and bishoD prick of Durham, containing in all 185 parishes. This county or bishoprick is of a triangular form, being from east to west about 35 miles long, and about 30 where broadeft from north to fouth, and 107 in circumference. It is bounded on the north by the river Tine, which parts it from Northumberland; on the eaft by the North Sea, or German ocean; on the fouth by the river Tees, which feparates it from Yorkshire; and on the weft by part of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland. It contains about 610,coo acres, is divided into 4 wakes, has 15 rivers, 20 bridges, 21 parks, and 4 caftles; and in it are one city, which gives name to the county, 8 market-towns, and 80 E F parishes. It fends 4 members to parlia ment, viz. two for the county and two for the city: Thofe for the former, in the prefent parliament, are George Bowes and the Hon. Henry Vane, Efqrs, and for the latter, Henry Lambton and John Tempeft, Efqrs. The air of this county is generally good, but fharp on the hills, and colder in the weftern than eastern parts. The weft fide has iron mines, the other parts are fruitful in corn and pafturage, are well inhabited, and about Sunderland produce excellent coals. Here are alfo fome mines of lead, and quarries of marble; but their main trade is in coals. The rivers and lea plentifully fupply 536 A Defcription of the County of DURHAM. fupply the inhabitants with falmon and other fifh. South Sheals, or Shields, is noted for a trade in coals and falt. In de feribing the places of note, we shall begin with the city, viz. Durham, in a peninsula formed by the river Were, over which it has a large Dec. 3. Bernard's, or Barnard's- caftle, 14 miles W. of Darlington, a small town, with a market on Wednesdays. Its chief trade is in flockings and bridles, and it gives title of lord to the family of Vane. 4. Aukland, or Bishop's-Aukland, 12 miles N. E. of Bernard's-caftle, is well a hill, between the rivers Were and Gaunlefs. It has a good market on Thurs❤ day, and is principally noted for the bishop's stately palace, its curious chapel, and fine bridge. - 5. Hartlepoole, 22 miles E. of Bishop'sAukland, an ancient corporation, governed by a mayor, his brethren, and fubordinate officers. It is encompaffed by the fea on all fides, except on the west, and is prin cipally noted for its fafe harbour, where the Newcastle coal fleets put in when the weather is bad. Its market is on Mondays. flone bridges, co computed, and 262 A built, and pleasantly fituate on the fide of meafured miles N. by W. from London. It stands pleasantly and commodicully on a gentle afcent, is of great antiquity, neatly and compactly built, furrounded with a wall, and defended by a large and strong cafle. It is much frequented by the neigh bouring gentry because of its pleasant fituation and plenty of neceffaries. It is governed by a mayor, aldermen, &c. It is B pretty large, and has 6 churches befides the cathedral, a ftately Gothick ftru&ure, not much unlike Weftminster-Abbey, and noted for its rich ornaments, plate, &c. The fee was firft at Lindisfarn, or Holy Ifland, in Northumberland, and the first Afhops were Scots, who converted the Northumbrians, or North Saxons, about C 634. It was removed to Durham about 995, and the cathedral foon became much frequented, because of the reliques of St. Cuthbert, one of the bishops of Lindisfarn, whom these people reckoned their tutelary faint against the Scots. To him this ab bey or cathedral is dedicated, adorned with a high tower in the middle, and two fpires at the west end. In one of the chapels is the tomb of venerable Bede. The prebendaries have convenient houses in the adjoining college-yard, and the bishop has his palace in the caftle. The city has a very great market weekly on Saturday. 6. Sunderland, 12 miles N. E. of Dur ham, another borough and fea-port town, populous and well-built, has a good har bour and coal trade, and a market on Friday. It has given title of earl to the family of Spencer fince the reign of K. Charles I. and now to his grace the duke of Marlborough, fon of the laft earl by the second daughter of that victorious hero John duke of Marlborough. 7. Stanhope, 11 miles N. W. of Bishop's Aukland, a fmall town, fituate among parks, with a market on Tuesdays. It gives name and title of earl to a noble and ancient family; and it is remarkable that the Scots had well nigh furprized Edward III, in one of the parks, lord Douglas having advanced fo far into his camp, as to cut the cords of his tent. 8. Stainthorp, near the Tees, 6 miles a market on Saturday. Befides thefe, Wolfingham, Marwood, and Sedgfield, are marked in the Maps for market-towns. The other market-towns are, 1. Stockton, 18 miles S. E. from Durham, which from a poor town is of late grown very E E, of Bernard's-castle, a small town, with confiderable, and a place of great bufinefs and refort, full of well built houses, governed by a mayor, &c. having a large market on Saturdays, and driving a great trade in lead and butter, of which great quantities are fent to London, and foreign parts. The bishop of Durham is lord of the manor, and it is famous for good ale. F 2. Darlington, 12 miles S. W. of Stock. ton, is a large poft town, confifting of feveral streets, having a fpacious marketplace, and a beautiful church with a high fpire. The market is very confiderable on Mondays, and it has a good manufaЯure in linen. At Oxenhall, near this place, are three pits, called Hell Kettles, full of water: The common people tell many fa- G bulous flories concerning them, and say they are bottomlefs. The deepest of them is 15 fathom, and lying near the Tees, they are thought to have a communication. with it: Some think they were occafioned by an earthquake, At Salt-water Haugh, about a mile and 'an half from Durham, in the middle of the Were, is a falt fpring, which in fummer bubbles up 40 yards in length, and 10 in breadth; but in winter is loft among the freshes. The falteft water iffues from a rock, upon the furface of which perfect falt is often found, when the weather is hot. The water that flows from it, is as falt as brine; and tho' it bears no proportion to the fresh water, makes the ftream brackish for 100 yards below, and dyes the ftones red. This brine, when boiled, yields a great quantity of bay-falt, not fo palatable, but as good for any uses as common falt. Near this place a medicinal fpring has been difcovered, which is pretty much frequented, and reckoned good for feveral difeafes. JOUR |