Chathill
CHATHILL, a township, in the parish of Ellingham,
union of Belford, S. division of Bambrough ward, N.
division of Northumberland, 9½ miles (N. by E.) from
Alnwick; containing 18 inhabitants. It is situated a
little distance north-east from Ellingham, near the road
between Alnwick and Belford.
Chatley
CHATLEY, a hamlet, in the parish of Great
Leighs, union of Chelmsford, hundred of Witham,
N. division of Essex, 4 miles (S. by W.) from Braintree;
containing 563 inhabitants. This place extends for
some distance on each side of the road to Chelmsford.
An ancient hermitage, called St. Ann's, is now an inn.
Chatsworth
CHATSWORTH, a hamlet, in the parish of Edensor, union of Bakewell, hundred of High Peak, N.
division of the county of Derby, 3½ miles (E. N. E.) from
Bakewell, containing, with the township of Edensor, 379
inhabitants. The hamlet comprises 1105a. 1r. 21p. of
land, the property of the Duke of Devonshire; and consists almost wholly of Chatsworth Park, which extends into the hamlet of Edensor, and the townships of
Baslow and Beeley, and comprises 1200 acres of land,
whereof about 400 are wood. The park is about nine
miles in circumference, and is stocked with cattle, sheep,
and about 2000 head of brown and fallow deer; it is
diversified with rugged cliffs, pleasing undulations, verdant lawns, beautiful pleasure-grounds, and bold eminences crowned with plantations, while the Derwent
winds its serpentine course through the vale. The magnificent mansion of Chatsworth is built upon the site of
a more ancient edifice, in which Mary, Queen of Scots,
passed a considerable portion of her captivity. Sir John
Gell garrisoned the old mansion for the parliament in
1643; but he capitulated to the Earl of Newcastle, who
placed in it Col. Eyre, with a sufficient force, to hold it
for the king; and in 1645 it withstood the siege of 400
parliamentarians under Gell, who, at the expiration of
fourteen days, raised the siege, and retired to Derby.
After the battle of Blenheim, in 1704, Marshal Tallard,
the French general, having been made prisoner on that
occasion, was sent to reside at Chatsworth.
The present edifice was begun about 1687, and completed in 1706, by William Cavendish, the first duke of
Devonshire, and has been since greatly enlarged and improved. The principal or western front consists of three
divisions of equal dimensions, the central compartment,
which is projected, being distinguished by four fluted
Ionic columns that support an ornamented frieze and a
pediment, within the tympanum of which the arms of
the family are admirably sculptured in stone; the right
and left portions of the front have each four fluted Ionic
pilasters, and the whole is surmounted with open balustrades, divided into sections adorned with urns and
statues. The south front is also very imposing, and has
a double flight of steps in the centre. The taste and
magnificence of the present duke have been displayed
by the erection of the great northern wing, from the
designs of Wyatville. This splendid wing is 385 feet in
length, and forms a continuation of the east front,
making the whole line 557 feet, and presenting one of
the best specimens of masonry in the kingdom. The
exterior is classically beautiful; the northern termination being distinguished by an elegant Italian tower, in
the construction of which the Doric, the Ionic, and the
Corinthian orders have been tastefully employed.
The grand entrance to the mansion commands an extensive and varied view of scenery of uncommon beauty:
the magnificent hall is adorned with rich paintings, and
round three sides of it is a gallery defended by open
balustrades. The buildings comprise, besides numerous
suites of apartments for visiters, a large number of
state rooms, including a gorgeous banqueting-hall, great
dining-room, and drawing-room; a sculpture-gallery, in
which are the finest works of art; a gallery of paintings,
containing rare specimens of the ancient masters; a
splendid library, 90 feet in length; a music-room, billiard-room; armoury; and chapel, which is seated and
lined throughout with cedar-wood; and suites of private apartments for the duke and household. In the
gardens, lawns, and shrubberies, are fine pieces of sculpture, with water-works and fountains; the orangery is
108 feet long, and a conservatory covers about an acre
of land. Her Majesty, her royal consort, and the court,
visited the Duke of Devonshire on December 1st, 1843;
and remained at Chatsworth till the 4th.
Chatteris (St. Peter and St. Paul)
CHATTERIS (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish,
in the union and hundred of North Witchford, Isle
of Ely, county of Cambridge, 8¾ miles (E. by N.) from
Ramsey; containing 4813 inhabitants. This place, which
is situated near the river Ouse, is of great antiquity.
In 980, a Benedictine nunnery was founded here, and
endowed by Alfwen, wife of Earl Ethelstan, and sister
of Ednod, first abbot of Ramsey, who was raised to the
see of Dorchester, and was murdered by the Danes in
1016: the nunnery continued to flourish till the Dissolution, when its revenue was estimated at £112. 3. 6.
The parish comprises 13,454a. 26p., of which about
3000 acres are upland and dry, and the remainder, with
the exception of the site of the village, flat, but well
drained; the soil is gravel, alternated with sand and
clay, of which last excellent bricks are made: considerable improvement, both in the agriculture and in the
soil, has taken place since the inclosure in 1812. Chatteris is a franchise under the Bishop of Ely, who holds
a court leet for appointing officers, in a house called the
Guildhall, given to the parish, with other premises and
lands, producing together nearly £70 per annum, which
are distributed amongst infirm old men and widows.
The living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£10; net income, £1370; patron and incumbent, the
Rev. M. A. Gathercole: impropriator, Charles Cholmondeley, Esq. The tithes were commuted for land and
corn-rents, under the inclosure act. There are places of
worship for Particular Baptists and Wesleyans. At
Hunny farm are the subterraneous remains of a chapel,
supposed to have contained the bones of St. Huna. In
1757, on opening a tumulus near Somersham Ferry,
several human skeletons, some military weapons, an urn,
and a glass vase, were found.
Chatterley
CHATTERLEY, a township, in the parish of Wolstanton, union of Wolstanton and Burslem, N. division of the hundred of Pirehill and of the county of
Stafford, 2 miles (N.) from Newcastle, on the road to
Sandbach; containing 374 inhabitants. It includes the
ancient vills of Dimsdale and Bradwell, and comprises
1563 acres. The houses are scattered.
Chattisham (All Saints and St. Margaret)
CHATTISHAM (All Saints and St. Margaret),
a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Samford,
E. division of Suffolk, 5½ miles (E. by N.) from Ipswich; containing 215 inhabitants, and comprising 713a.
3r. 7p. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £4. 13. 5.; patrons and appropriators, the Provost and Fellows of Eton College. The
vicarial tithes have been commuted for £142. 10., and
the glebe comprises 21 acres, with a glebe-house. There
is a place of worship for Wesleyans.
Chatton (Holy Cross)
CHATTON (Holy Cross), a parish, in the union of
Glendale, E. division of Glendale ward, N. division
of Northumberland, 4 miles (E.) from Wooler, on
the road to Belford; containing 1725 inhabitants. This
parish, which is intersected by the river Till, comprises
by measurement 15,830 acres, whereof 7035 are arable,
8311 pasture, and 484 woodland. It abounds with limestone and coal, the working of which affords employment to a considerable number of the population; the
latter is chiefly for home consumption. Clay of good
quality is found for the making of bricks and tiles, which
is carried on to a moderate extent; and there are several
quarries of freestone of excellent quality for building.
A large fair is held at Weetwood Bank, on the third
Tuesday in May, for all kinds of stock, and also for
cloth, shoes, hardware, and various other articles. The
living is a vicarage, valued in the king's books at
£12. 16. 0½.; net income, £198; patron, the Duke of
Northumberland; impropriators, the Earl of Tankerville and others. The church was rebuilt about 1763.
A curious stone coffin was discovered in the churchyard
a few years since, while digging a grave, and has been
placed in the chancel of the church; it contained some
human bones, pieces of armour, and a coin of Robert
Bruce. There are vestiges of encampments in various
parts of the parish; and numerous fossils are found in
the limestone-quarries.
Chawley
CHAWLEY, a tything, in the parish of Cumner,
union of Abingdon, hundred of Hormer, county of
Berks, 5½ miles (N. N. W.) from Abingdon; containing
94 inhabitants.
Chawley (St. James)
CHAWLEY (St. James), a parish, in the union of
Crediton, hundred of North Tawton, South Molton
and N. divisions of Devon, 2 miles (S. E. by E.) from
Chulmleigh; containing 850 inhabitants. The parish
comprises 4350 acres, of which 540 are common or
waste. Fairs for cattle are held on May 6th and Dec.
11th. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £25. 14. 2.; net income, £455; patron, the
Hon. N. Fellowes. The church has a low steeple
covered with oak shingles, and contains some elegant
screen-work.
Chawson
CHAWSON, a hamlet, in the parish of Roxton,
hundred of Barford, union and county of Bedford;
containing 195 inhabitants.
Chawton (St. Nicholas)
CHAWTON (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union
and hundred of Alton, Alton and N. divisions of the
county of Southampton, 1¼ mile (S. S. W.) from Alton;
containing 460 inhabitants. This parish, which consists
by computation of 2600 acres, whereof several hundred
are rich woodland, and 60 common or waste, is situated
in a district abounding with picturesque scenery. It
comprises a beautiful and fertile valley, watered by
numerous springs that occasionally spread over the
adjacent lands; and within its limits is one of the
sources of the river Wey. There is a quarry of stone
for building walls and cottages. The village, through
which the high road passes, contains several handsome
houses. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £11. 5. 5., and in the gift of Edward Knight,
Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £500, and
the glebe comprises 70 acres, with a glebe-house. The
church, which was enlarged in 1839 at an expense of £900,
contains a handsome monument to Sir Richard Knight.
Cheadle (St. Mary),
CHEADLE (St. Mary), a parish, partly in the union
of Stockport, and partly in that of Altrincham,
hundred of Macclesfield, N. division of the county
of Chester, 7 miles (S.) from Manchester; containing
10,145 inhabitants, of whom 5463 are in Cheadle-Bulkeley, 2288 in Cheadle-Moseley, and 2394 in Handforth
with Bosden. The parish comprises by measurement
5469 acres, chiefly arable and pasture land; of these,
1666 acres are in Cheadle-Bulkeley, and 2745 in Cheadle-Moseley. The village, situated near the Mersey, is
remarkable for the beauty and salubrity of its situation,
and its neat appearance. The chief employment of the
inhabitants of the parish is the spinning, bleaching, and
printing of cotton. The Manchester and Birmingham
railway passes through Cheadle-Bulkeley, and the Macclesfield branch diverges from it there; another railway,
from Birkenhead, joining the Manchester and Birmingham railway at Stockport, also passes through a part of
the parish. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's
books at £13. 0. 7½.; net income, £635; patron, the
Rev. D. Broughton: there is a good rectory-house, with
a small glebe. The church is principally in the later
English style, with aisles and a tower, and contains
some monuments of the Brereton and Bulkeley families.
Parts of the screen-work in one of the chapels, and the
roof of the chancel, are supposed to belong to a church
much older; the date of 1369 can be traced. A church
has been built at Handforth. There are places of worship for Methodists and Roman Catholics. A school at
Cheadle-Moseley, built by subscription, was endowed by
Mr. J. Robinson, in 1785, with three acres of land. A
neat Church of England school, near the church, is
supported by subscription; and opposite the chapel is a
Roman Catholic school.
Cheadle (St. Giles)
CHEADLE (St. Giles), a market-town and parish,
and the head of a union, in the S. division of the hundred of Totmonslow, N. division of the county of
Stafford, 14 miles (N. N. E.) from Stafford, and 147
miles (N. W. by N.) from London; containing 4399
inhabitants. This place is situated in a valley environed
by hills, which, though formerly barren, have been planted
with forest-trees, and have assumed the appearance of
verdure and cultivation. The town, which is intersected
by the roads from Newcastle to Ashbourn, and from
Leek to Uttoxeter, consists of one principal and four
smaller streets: the houses in the main street have, for
the most part, been either rebuilt or modernised of late
years, and appear substantial and roomy. The inhabitants are supplied with water from a rivulet, called
Cicely's Brook, and from springs and pumps. Tape,
copper, and brass works are extensively carried on in
the town and neighbourhood: copper-ore has been discovered, but not in sufficient quantity to repay the
expense of working it; and the vicinity abounds with
coal. The Caldon branch of the Trent and Mersey
canal passes within four miles of the town, by Oakamoor,
the chief seat of the copper and brass works. The
market is on Friday: a small square has been appropriated for the market-place. The fairs are on HolyThursday and Aug. 21st, for cattle. The powers of the
county debt-court of Cheadle, established in 1847,
extend over the registration-district of Cheadle, and the
parish of Croxden.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£12. 9. 2.; net income, £438; patrons, the Master and
Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge. The old church,
which was principally in the decorated English style,
with a square embattled tower crowned by pinnacles,
and, though much mutilated and disfigured by alterations, retained some features of its original character,
has been lately taken down, and a new church on a
much larger scale, containing 1480 sittings, erected by
subscription, aided by the Incorporated and Diocesan
Societies. St. Chad's chapel, a stone edifice in the early
English style, was opened for divine service in 1843, and
consecrated in 1846. A chapel has also been lately
built at Oakamoor. There are places of worship for
Independents, Wesleyans, the New Connexion of Methodists, or Kilhamites, and Roman Catholics. St. Giles's
church, for the last mentioned, was designed by Mr.
Pugin, and built at the cost of the Earl of Shrewsbury;
though not very large, it is an exceedingly costly and
highly ornamented structure in the decorated English
style, the tower and spire rising from the site 200 feet.
A school was founded in 1685, by Mr. Stubbs, who endowed it with a rent-charge of £20; and to this the
trustees of Mr. Andrew Newton added £30, the interest
of which is paid to the master. Mr. Fowler, in 1663,
gave a rent-charge of £6; Mr. Charles Beech, in 1726,
bequeathed £26 per annum; and Mrs. Frances Grosvenor, of Hale Hall, in 1727, gave a rent-charge of £10;
all for distribution among the poor. The union of
Cheadle comprises 15 places, and contains a population
of 17,859.
Cheam (St. Dunstan)
CHEAM (St. Dunstan), a parish, in the union of
Epsom, Second division of the hundred of Wallington,
E. division of Surrey, 1½ mile (N. E. by E.) from Ewell;
containing 1109 inhabitants. This parish comprises the
districts of Lower and North Cheam, the latter of which
is situated on the high road from London to Worthing.
The manor anciently belonged to the Lumley family, a
member of which sold his collection of books to James I.,
thus laying the foundation of the royal library now in
the British Museum. About half a mile to the southwest of the village was the magnificent palace of
Nonsuch, in the parish of Cuddington. The parish
comprises 1894a. 3r. 6p., of which nearly 1200 acres
are arable, 581 meadow and pasture, and 14 wood.
A vein of clay is found of excellent quality for
making casting-moulds, and for tobacco-pipes, of
which there is a manufactory; and a pottery, chiefly
for chimney and flower pots, affords employment to
several hands. The living is a rectory, valued in the
king's books at £17. 5. 5., and in the patronage of St.
John's College, Oxford: the tithes have been commuted
for £625, and the glebe comprises 26 acres, with a
glebe-house. The church, an ancient and spacious
edifice, was, with the exception of the tower, rebuilt of
brick in 1740; the chancel contains several monuments
to the Lumleys. Sir Edmund Yates, Knt., many years
one of the justices of the king's bench and common
pleas, noticed with eulogium by Junius in his letters,
resided and was interred here; Bishop Watson was also
buried in the parish, of which he had been rector. Of
six successive rectors, from 1581 to 1662, five became
bishops, viz., Watson, Andrews, Mountain, Senhouse,
and Hackett.
Cheapsides
CHEAPSIDES, an extra-parochial liberty, in the
union of Howden, wapentake of Howdenshire, E.
riding of York, 5½ miles (E.) from Howden; containing 47 inhabitants. This place, which adjoins Scalby,
comprises about 10 acres, being cottages, and plots of
land attached to them, on Walling Fen, built and inclosed
previously to the general inclosure.
Chearsley (St. Nicholas)
CHEARSLEY (St. Nicholas), a parish, in the union
of Aylesbury, hundred of Ashendon, county of Buckingham, 3½ miles (N. N. E.) from Thame; containing
308 inhabitants. The parish is supposed to have been
the scene of a battle which Cerdic and Cynric fought
with the Britons in 527, mentioned in the Saxon Chronicle as having occurred at Cerdicesleagh. It comprises
by measurement 914 acres, about two-thirds of which
are arable, and the rest pasture. The living is a perpetual
curacy, in the gift of Miss Grubbe; net income, £46.
Chebsey (All Saints)
CHEBSEY (All Saints), a parish, in the union of
Stone, S. division of the hundred of Pirehill, N.
division of the county of Stafford, 2 miles (E. by S.)
from Eccleshall; containing, with the township of ColdNorton, 442 inhabitants. The parish comprises about
4012 acres of land, whereof 2812a. 3r. 18p. are in
Chebsey township, which includes the hamlet of Shallowfield. The village, which is small and ancient, lies in
a narrow valley near the confluence of the Eccleshall
water with the river Sow. The Liverpool and Birmingham railway passes through the parish. The living is a
vicarage, valued in the king's books at £5. 7. 6.;
patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of
Lichfield: the great tithes have been commuted for
£463, and the vicarial for £70; the vicar has a glebe
of 90 acres. The church is an ancient structure, standing above the village. In the churchyard was formerly
a tall pyramidal stone, supposed to be the memorial of
a bishop slain near this place.
Checkendon (St. Peter and St. Paul)
CHECKENDON (St. Peter and St. Paul), a parish, in the union of Henley, hundred of Langtree,
county of Oxford, 7½ miles (W.) from Henley-onThames; containing 398 inhabitants. The number of
acres is 3063, of which 2158a. 3r. 39p. are titheable;
about 746 are beech-woods, and 73 common or waste.
The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£19. 9. 4½., and in the patronage of University College,
Oxford: the tithes have been commuted for £560, and
the glebe comprises 117¾ acres. The church is a highly
interesting edifice in the Norman style, with a circular
east end and a low embattled tower: there are two fine
Norman arches, with columns having highly enriched
capitals; and on the floor are two ancient brasses, dated
respectively 1404 and 1424, with engraved effigies. In
the chancel is a curious monument to the memory of
Christiana, wife of Richard Braybrook, who died in 1629;
also a monument to the memory of T. Stanyan, Esq.,
author of a History of Greece, who died in 1751.
Checkley, with Wrinehill
CHECKLEY, with Wrinehill, a township, in the
parish of Wybunbury, union and hundred of Nantwich, S. division of the county of Chester, 7 miles
(S. E. by E.) from Nantwich; containing 213 inhabitants.
It comprises 1431a. 3r. 31p. The impropriate tithes
have been commuted for £140, and the vicarial for
£23. 6.
Checkley (St. Mary and All Saints)
CHECKLEY (St. Mary and All Saints), a parish,
in the union of Cheadle, S. division of the hundred
of Totmonslow, N. division of the county of Stafford, 4 miles (S. S. E.) from Cheadle; containing, with
part of Foxt, 2322 inhabitants. It comprises by measurement 6034 acres, whereof 4700 are meadow and
pasture, about 850 arable, and 390 woodland: the soil
is of a fertile quality. The parish is in three divisions,
namely, Tean, Madeley-Holme, and Foxt; the village of
Checkley, which is seated on the north side of the river
Tean, is in the first-named division. Beamhurst, Deadman's-Green, and Fole are hamlets in the parish. The
living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at
£20. 2. 6.; net income, £576; patron and incumbent,
the Rev. William Hutchinson: there is a glebe of considerable value. The church is an ancient structure, with
a tower: the porch and an early English arch leading
to the interior are worthy of notice; there is some
painted glass, also a very handsome Saxon font, and a
marble tomb with recumbent figures to Sir Jeffrey Foljambe. In the churchyard are three crosses, or pyramidal stones, said to have been erected to the memory
of three bishops who fell in a battle between the
Saxons and Danes. At Tean is a separate incumbency. Attached to the church is a Sunday school.—See
Tean.
Chedburgh (All Saints)
CHEDBURGH (All Saints), a parish, in the union
of Thingoe, hundred of Risbridge, W. division of
Suffolk, 6½ miles (S. W.) from Bury St. Edmund's;
containing 284 inhabitants, and comprising 566a. 1r. 16p.
The living is a discharged rectory, in the gift of the
Marquess of Bristol, valued in the king's books at
£4. 2. 8½.: the tithes have been commuted for £143. 2.,
and the glebe consists of nearly 28 acres. The church
is a small structure, with an east window in the decorated style; a chancel was built by subscription in 1839,
and in 1840 a beautiful tower and spire were added by
the marquess, in the early English style. The Hon.
William Hervey, in 1812, bequeathed property for the
endowment of a school, for which a house has been built
at the expense of the Marquess of Bristol.
Chedder (St. Andrew)
CHEDDER (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union of
Axbridge, hundred of Winterstoke, E. division of
Somerset, 2½ miles (E. S. E.) from Axbridge; containing 2325 inhabitants. This place is of considerable
antiquity, having been the occasional residence of the
Saxon monarchs, and in the possession of Alfred the
Great, who bequeathed his hunting-seat at Chedder,
together with his brugge of Ax, and the wet moor, now
Nedmore, to his son. The name is generally deduced
from Ced, a brow or height, and Dwr, water; a broad,
clear, and rapid stream flows through the parish, and
turns some paper-mills. The surface comprises 6697a.
3r. 24p.; about 1140 acres are arable, 3136 meadow and
pasture, 159 woodland, and 2261 in sheep-walks. Chedder Cliff, a vast chasm more than a mile in length, and
appearing as if the mountain had been rent by an
earthquake from the summit to the base, exhibits a
combination of rocky precipices and gloomy caverns,
some of the rocks towering 800 feet above the level of
the valley. The principal cavern is about 100 feet high
at the entrance, and afterwards sinks 300 feet beneath
the rocks, branching out into several collateral apartments, and producing a perfect and pleasing echo; the
sides and roof are covered with stalactites that have
assumed a variety of fanciful forms. The village consists
of three or four irregular streets, in one of which stands
a dilapidated hexagonal market-cross: it was once a
considerable market-town, the grant having been made
to Joceline, Bishop of Wells, in the 19th of Henry III.;
but it is now principally celebrated for its excellent
cheese. Several of the inhabitants are employed in the
tanning of leather, and the knitting of worsted stockings;
and fairs for horned-cattle and sheep are held on May
4th and Oct. 29th. The living is a vicarage, valued in
the king's books at £23. 16. 8.; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of Wells: the appropriate
and the vicarial tithes have been commuted for £400
each, and the glebe consists of 41 acres, with a glebehouse. The church is a large and handsome structure,
with a tower 100 feet high, surmounted by pinnacles.
There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. In 1751,
Sarah Comer bequeathed £6052 three per cents., producing a dividend of £181. 11., which is applied to the
instruction and the relief of the poor. A Sunday school
was supported for 40 years, by the celebrated Hannah
More.
Cheddington (St. Giles)
CHEDDINGTON (St. Giles), a parish, in the union
of Leighton-Buzzard, hundred of Cottesloe, county
of Buckingham, 4½ miles (N. W.) from Tring; containing, with part of Seabrook hamlet, 439 inhabitants.
It comprises by computation 1389 acres, of which 1023
are arable, 215 meadow and pasture, and 140 common.
The London and Birmingham railway passes about a
mile to the east of the village, and near this place the
branch railway to Aylesbury commences. The living is a
rectory, valued in the king's books at £15. 9. 7., and in
the patronage of the Trustees of the Earl of Bridgewater: the tithes have been commuted for £300, and
the glebe contains 81 acres, with a glebe-house.
Cheddleton (St. Edward)
CHEDDLETON (St. Edward), a parish, in the
union of Cheadle, N. division of the hundred of
Totmonslow and of the county of Stafford, 3½ miles
(S. by W.) from Leek; comprising the townships of
Basford, Cheddleton, and Consall or Cunsall; and containing 1824 inhabitants, of whom 1285 are in the township of Cheddleton. The parish consists of 8850 acres,
whereof 1000, probably, are woodland, and the remainder
chiefly pasture; in some parts sand prevails, in others
clay, with peat or a dark soil on the surface, and the
scenery is very beautiful. Coal is wrought, and gritstone and burr-stone quarried; there are also a silkthrowing-mill, a paper-mill established a few years
since, a dye-house, a brewery, and some coal and lime
wharfs. The river Churnet intersects the parish; and
the Churnet Valley railway, and Caldon and Uttoxeter
branches of the Trent and Mersey canal, also pass through.
Among the residences here, are, Ashcombe, the seat of
William Sneyd, Esq., a very substantial mansion in the
Grecian style; Rownall Hall, of Smith Child, Esq.;
and Basford Hall, of the Rev. John Sneyd. This last
has been rebuilt on an ancient site by the present owner,
in the Elizabethan style, and is beautifully situated on
the brow of a hill, commanding a splendid panoramic
view of the country around, including an ornamental
castle lately erected, a spacious plain, the vale of the
Churnet, and some fine woodland and mountain scenery.
Here is also a good old mansion called Mosslee, originally
the property of the Hollins family, from whom it descended by marriage to the Boothbys; it now belongs to
Mr. Sneyd of Ashcombe. The living is a perpetual
curacy; net income, £160; patron and incumbent, the
Rev. Edward Powys. The land is almost wholly tithefree. The church, situated on an eminence, is in the
pointed style, and embellished with a tower. The Wesleyans have a place of worship; and a church has been
built at Wetley Rocks, which see. In 1724, James
Whitehall bequeathed £200 for teaching children, and
£30 to build a schoolroom; John Bagnall added a rentcharge of £5. At a field near Ferny hill is the shaft of
a very ancient cross, eleven feet high, standing on three
circular stone steps.
Cheddon-Fitzpaine (St. Mary Magdalene)
CHEDDON-FITZPAINE (St. Mary Magdalene),
a parish, in the union of Taunton, hundred of Taunton and Taunton-Dean, W. division of Somerset,
3 miles (N. by E.) from Taunton; containing 357 inhabitants. The parish is situated on the river Tone, by
which it is bounded on the south; and the Taunton and
Bridgwater canal passes through: it comprises by measurement 945 acres, of which about 538 are arable,
327 meadow, and 43 orchard. The living is a rectory,
valued in the king's books at £13. 10. 10.; patron and
incumbent, the Rev. F. Warre: the tithes have been
commuted for £325, and the glebe comprises 89 acres,
with a glebe-house. A school is supported by some small
bequests.
Chedglow
CHEDGLOW, a hamlet, in the parish of Crudwell, union and hundred of Malmesbury, Malmesbury
and Ringswood, and N. divisions of Wilts; containing
55 inhabitants.