Part 5

One of the most pleasant walks in the kingdom. It consists of a tract of meadow ground, twenty-three acres in extent. Its situation, its surroundings, its scenery are extremely beautiful, and constitute it a most attractive and delightful promenade. The bank which skirts the Severn is adorned with a graceful avenue of lime trees, extending 450 yards in length, and forming in the intertwining of their lofty branches a natural arcade. The Quarry, which should be a thing of beauty and a joy for ever to the inhabitants, is resorted to, as a rule, only by a few of the residents, most of whom, from their familiarity with it, do not appreciate its charms, but from the stranger the spectacle of so enjoyable and poetic a spot always elicits expressions of admiration. The beauty that every day lies at our own door is often no beauty at all. The Quarry derives its name from a small quarry of red sandstone, formerly worked in what is now called the Dingle. The trees in the lower walk were planted by Mr. Henry Jenks, Mayor, in 1719. The three walks, graced in a similar manner, serve as approaches from the town. In 1569 the Quarry was leased to three burgesses for ten years at a nominal rent upon their undertaking to bring the water from near Crow Meole to Shrewsbury. They fulfilled the condition by laying down leaden pipes, and the work was completed in 1574, in which year Shrewsbury was first supplied with what is now popularly known as “conduit water.” In that year the conduits at Mardol Head, Market Square, High Street, and Wyle Cop were erected and opened. The Quarry has been used for various purposes. In the reign of James I. it was used “for agisting of cattle, for musters of soldiers, and other laudable exercises and recreations.” It is easy to infer from the brutal and coarse pastimes of the period what the “laudable exercises” were, but in truth, the uncertainty of inference is removed by the positiveness of fact, for in the same reign the Quarry was used for “bull-baitings, stage-plays, &c., by consent of the bailiffs,” who, of course, found in this corrupt and debased taste a source of profit to the borough revenue. The stage plays performed here—in that portion which is in the shape of an amphitheatre and is styled the Dingle—were of the nature of those common in the early age of the English theatre. They belonged to the class of Mysteries—a class of a low, vicious, profane, and often blasphemous character. Amongst others _Julian the Apostate_ was performed here in 1565, and it is said that, notwithstanding its utter grossness, it was “listened to with admiration and devotion.” Two years later, in 1567, there was given a representation of the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ, and the actor who took the principal part was killed by being speared in the heart by mistake. An horrible barbarity was committed in the Dingle in 1647, when, on December 24th, a woman was burned to death for having poisoned her husband. Very considerable improvements have been recently made in the Quarry by the erection of a Band Stand, new Entrance Gates, and the transformation of the Dingle into a well ordered pleasure garden, with seats, grottos, ornamental water, &c., the cost of these great improvements has been mainly defrayed by the Horticultural Society whose annual _fêtes_ are looked forward to with the “sweet pleasures of anticipation” by thousands.

The fine brick building on the eminence opposite the Quarry on the other side of the Severn is the new premises for SHREWSBURY SCHOOL, fronted by a wide terrace, and commanding an extensive landscape in both front and rear. The building which cost £12,000, was commenced in 1760, and opened in 1765 for the reception of orphans from the Foundling Hospital in London. It has been appropriated for different purposes from time to time. Becoming disused by the managers of the Foundling Hospital it was for some time uninhabited. A portion of it was then taken as a woollen manufactory, and while one section was thus devoted to business, another was let out in apartments to valetudinarians who in the summer months retired from the town to seek pleasure and health in this beautiful district. It was also used as a place of confinement for Dutch prisoners captured in the American war; and then, in 1784, it was converted to something approaching its original purpose by being purchased under an Act of Parliament for incorporating the town parishes and that of Meole Brace with the object of maintaining the poor. At the rear of the buildings is

KINGSLAND,

an extensive piece of ground, the property of the Corporation. It is supposed to have originally belonged to the Crown—hence its name—and to have been granted by the Crown to the Corporation. In 1529 it was let for pasture at £3 per year—a price which must make modern tenants wish that history might repeat itself. In 1586 it was ordered to be, and was, enclosed. It is a healthy and almost arcadian spot, “beautiful for situation.” There is no locality in the town so well adapted for villa residences.

Once a year, we are reminded, there _was_ something else—SHREWSBURY SHOW, a pageant which showed the degeneracy of the past. With the exception of the Coventry festival and the Preston guild it was the only one of its kind in the kingdom. What was the Show? It was the remnant of a feast religiously observed by the Romish Church, and styled _Corpus Christi_ the feast of the body of Christ. It consisted of a solemn procession, in which the several incorporated companies of the town, preceded by the masters and wardens, attended by the bailiffs, aldermen, and commonalty, and accompanied by priests, who carried the Holy Sacrament under a gorgeous canopy, marched to old St. Chad’s Church, where mass was said amidst the richest and costliest treasures of the church. The religious part of the ceremony was abolished at the Reformation; but the members of the companies, though prohibited from attending mass, resolved to retain as much of the imposing custom as they could. They therefore continued the procession, which they determined upon having on the second Monday after Trinity Sunday. They possessed on Kingsland small parcels of land which the Corporation had allotted to and enclosed for them, and on which they had erected arbours as places of resort, of feasting, and of pastime. They therefore selected Kingsland as the destiny of the procession, and, arrived there, they entertained each other in almost princely style, and indulged in the recreations of the time. The anniversary until very recently was observed, but it was a sorry picture of the old festivities. The procession, which was made up of bands of music, flags, banners, ancient horses ridden by individuals dressed out as kings, queens, and other notabilities, followed by a number of artisans, was perhaps about the most ludicrous sight which the ingenuity of a buffoon could invent. It was a ridiculous travesty of the ancient spectacle; and its concomitants, its influence, and its results are best described in the (slightly altered) words of Hamlet:

_The people wake to-day and take their rouse_, _Keep wassail_, _and the swaggering up-spring reels_; _And_, _as they drain their draughts of Rhenish down_, _The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out_ _The triumph of their pledge_. _Is it a custom_? _Ay_, _marry_, _is’t_; _But to my mind_, _though I am native here_ _And to the manner born_, _it is a custom_ _More honour’d in the breach than the observance_. _This heavy-headed revel east and west_ _Makes us traduced and tax’d of other people_: _They clepe us drunkards_, _and with swinish phrase_ _Soil our addition_.

[Picture: Shrewsbury, from Coton Hill]

Leaving the scene of so much that is gay and festive, and that unites the present with the past, we re-cross the Severn, re-walk a portion of the Quarry, and ascend the magnificent centre avenue. The church before us is

NEW ST. CHAD’S,

built at a cost of £19,352, and consecrated on August 19th, 1792. It is considered the principal church of the town, is used on all public occasions, such as the assizes and the anniversary of the Infirmary, and is the place where the archdeacon holds his visitations, but being one of the most modern of the parish churches, it has the least historical interest. The general effect of the interior is imposing, the stained windows and monuments giving it a gorgeous appearance.

From here we take our course “right on,” turning neither to the right for the Quarry again nor to the left for St. John’s Hill, we enter upon MURIVANCE, a name denoting before or within the walls. It is supposed that when the town was first fortified Murivance was selected as the place of parade for the military defenders of the town. On the left is

ALLATT’S SCHOOL,

founded and endowed by Mr. John Allatt, gentleman. It was built in 1800, and cost £2,000. There are two houses for the master and mistress. Forty boys and forty girls are educated and clothed here, and then sent out to situations, and coats and gowns are annually distributed among a number of poor men and women.

Opposite is the NEW EYE AND EAR HOSPITAL, a most ornate structure, and the entrance of the NEW BRIDGE to Kingsland.

Still on the left, at the turning for Swan Hill—so called from the Swan public-house which was formerly at the bottom—is the INDEPENDENT CHAPEL, the oldest of the three Independent chapels in Shrewsbury. It was erected in 1766 by seceders from the High Street church, and has been re-built a few years ago. Further on, on the right is the chapel of the METHODIST NEW CONNEXION, erected in 1834, at a cost of £1,500. In close proximity to this edifice is an antique tower, the only vestige that remains of twenty which formerly fortified the town walls. It is square, three storeys high, embattled at the summit, and lighted by narrow square windows. Those walls, which we now reach, were built by Henry III. to fortify the town against the inroads of the Welsh, and the cost was defrayed partly by the burgesses, and partly from the royal exchequer. On the left is the ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL, built of freestone, in the style of the early decorated period. It consists of a nave, chancel, side aisles, chapel, &c., and is connected with the residence of the officiating priest by a cloister. At the termination of the walls begins

BEECHES LANE,

sometimes called the Back Lane. This singular appellation is a corruption of Bispetan, Bushpestanes, which may also be a corruption of Bishop’s Town, or Bishop’s Stone, Beeches Lane, having, it is conjectured, been either the residence or the property of the bishop of the diocese, who is said in Domesday book to have possessed sixteen dwelling-houses in Shrewsbury. The gradual change appears, from old deeds, to have been in this order—Bispetan, Bipstan, Biston’s Lane, Beeches Lane. On the left is

BOWDLER’S SCHOOL,

an oblong building, with a glazed cupola in the centre. It was founded in 1724, under the will of Mr. Thomas Bowdler, an alderman and draper of Shrewsbury, who left £1,000 to erect and endow the institution for the education of the poor children of the parish of St. Julian. The late Professor Lee was a schoolmaster of this foundation. Pursuing our walk in a straight route we arrive at the

ENGLISH BRIDGE,

a structure of great beauty. The first bridge which spanned the river here was probably erected by the founder of the Abbey, Roger de Montgomery. At any rate the abbots and the Corporation were continually disputing about the liability to the repairs of the bridge, and the contention was temporarily closed by the abbots consenting to repair the Abbey Foregate end, and the Corporation agreeing to repair the town end. Henry VIII. by a stroke of policy—by remitting some taxes—got the Corporation to relieve the abbots of all responsibility and to take the entire repairs into their own hands. About the middle of the last century, the bridge being considerably damaged, it was determined to take it down, and in 1765 a subscription was commenced to widen and strengthen it. In 1767, on the 9th of June, the first stone of the extension was laid by Edward Smythe, Esq., son of Sir Edward Smythe, of Acton Burnell. It was discovered, however, that beneath the causeway there was another causeway and channel, the lower part of the Wyle Cop which had been raised at some previous period. The plan of widening was therefore abandoned, and a new bridge was decided upon. In the next year, 1768, the old bridge was taken down, subscriptions flowed in abundantly, and on Thursday, 29th June, 1769, the first stone of the new bridge was laid in “a solemn manner,” amidst the presence of the munificent contributors, by Sir John Astley, Bart, who gave £1,000 towards the cost. The ceremony was supplemented by a dinner at the Raven Hotel. The total expense was nearly £16,000, the whole of which was raised, not by heavy taxation, not by burdensome rates, but by voluntary donations. Among the donors were Lord Clive, Thomas Hill, Esq., the principal gentry of the county, and numbers of public-spirited townsmen. The bridge consists of seven arches, is 410 feet in length, and 35 feet in breadth.

The Gothic edifice on the right is the ABBEY FOREGATE NEW CHURCH, belonging to the Independents, opened on the 31st of May, 1864. Adjoining it is the NATIONAL SCHOOL, for the instruction and clothing of poor children. It was commenced in 1708. Having proceeded a few yards we come to the

ABBEY CHURCH,

perhaps the most interesting ecclesiastical edifice in the county. On the site there stood in the eleventh century a timber church, built by Siward, a Saxon nobleman, and dedicated to St. Peter. In the last quarter of that century Odilirius, “a lover of justice,” who had possession of the humble structure, counselled Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, to build a monastery. The Earl consented, and in 1083 the monastery or abbey was built, and consecrated to St. Peter and St. Paul. St. Paul, however, was served rather scurvily, for the Earl gave the whole of the suburb—then denominated _Before Yette_—to “the blessed Peter.” The abbey was splendidly endowed by the Earl and by Siward, and in consideration of the endowments the monks were “to diligently pray for their souls, and for the souls of their ancestors and heirs.” These endowments were added to from time to time by several other benefactors, with the same object. Thus Warine, the sheriff of the county gave several hides of land for the salvation of his soul; and after his death, lest he should be in jeopardy, his widow gave her house for his effectual security. Warine’s brother, Reginald, gave a village; Herbert de Ferches a farm; Gerrard de Tourney a village; Randulph de Gernon, Earl of Chester, two houses; and Hugh Pantulf his mills at Sutton “for the salvation of his soul, the soul of his wife, and each of their souls.” These benefactions vastly increased the riches of the abbey, and in consequence of its revenue the abbots were mitred and elevated to the privilege of a seat in the Upper House of Parliament. The value of the monastery was, according to Dugdale, £132 4s. 10d., to Speed £615 4s. 3d. In the twenty-sixth year of Henry VII. the annual income was £572 15s. 5d., a revenue equal to about £4,750 of modern currency. At the time of the dissolution of the monasteries the abbey was suppressed, and the estates and buildings passed into lay hands. Some were sold for the value of the materials, and others were converted into dwellings. Odericus Vitalis, one of the earliest and best of English historians, was educated at this monastery, whither he was sent by his father, priest at Atcham, where he was born in 1074.

In 1728 an incident capable of a modern application occurred here. The clergyman of the parish presented a petition to the bishop praying for the removal out of the church of a picture representing the Saviour upon the cross. The petitioners presented a counter petition; but their memorial failed, and the bishop ordered the picture to be removed. This dispute between the vicar and his flock caused a great sensation, and gave occasion to a number of lampoons. The parishioners attacked the vicar in this style:

_The Parson’s the man_ _Let him say what he can_ _Will for gain leave his God in the lurch_; _Could Iscariot do more_ _Had it been in his power_ _Than to turn his Lord out of the church_.

The clerical party replied with a good argument:—

_The Lord I adore_ _Is mighty in power_, _The one only living and true_; _But that Lord of yours_ _Which was turned out of doors_, _Had just as much knowledge as you_.

_But since you bemoan_ _This God of your own_, _Cheer up my disconsolate brother_: _Though it seems very odd_, _Yet if this be your God_ _Mr. Burley _{51}_ can make you another_.

At the suppression of monasteries in the time of Henry VIII, the entire eastern portion, which constituted two-thirds of the structure, was destroyed. There are remains, however, sufficient to indicate its massiveness and majesty. The most prominent of these is the broad western tower which presents a stately, dignified appearance. There are also the nave and the side aisles; and these with the tower form the present church, which, though with evidences of mutilation, has a venerable aspect, and is characterised by “a noble simplicity combined with a massive solidity.” The three windows are all at present of the Perpendicular style; but there are prints of older date which show the two smaller to have been of a different character. The portal is a deeply recessed semicircular arch, terminating in a pointed doorway. The bellchamber has two windows on each side; between those of the western front, in a canopied niche, is the statue of an armed knight, having a conical basinet encircled by a crown. This figure is with good reason supposed to represent Edward III. in whose reign the tower was probably begun. The south doorway is plain Norman in character, resting on slender shafts, and adjoining is the ruined wall of the transept. The choir having been destroyed the eastern end now terminates in a wall run up between the remains of the two western piers, which supported the central tower. Of course, in the interior the altar stands here, above which are placed Norman windows, containing six figures in stained glass of kings and apostles. They are deep and brilliant in colour, and the drawing is good. Below is a reredos, forming a series of five Norman arches.

The interior of the Abbey is a fine specimen of solid Norman work. The whole is in the massive Norman style except what is beyond the three semicircular arches westward, where there is a very wide pier, on the eastern and western extremities of which are half columns of the arcades, and in the middle is attached a flat pilaster. From hence the nave displays the commencement of a different style, and the Norman gives place to pure Gothic of the fourteenth century. This terminates in a beautiful pointed arch, which divides the tower from the nave, and by the removal of the organ gallery and screen the whole extent of the great western window is now displayed, which certainly imparts a very striking appearance to that portion of the building. The entire window is filled with a series of armorial bearings of some of England’s ancient peerage, as well as a few very modern. It is, in fact, a perfect study of heraldry. There are several monuments of interest, but the most singular is one which stands on the north side of the altar, which at the first view presents the appearance of two tombs, but on examination proves to be only one, the double appearance being given by a centre buttress, which is not carried over the ledge, upon which rest two figures, the head of the one at the feet of the other. They are supposed to represent the “same” individual who had abandoned the military for the eremitical life, but there is not the slightest clue to his name.

The walls of the nave, with the pillars and arches, were, in 1855, cleared of their plaster covering; but such a state of dilapidation was developed as to necessitate a thorough restoration, which has been carefully and effectually carried out. It may be proper to mention that on the fall of St. Chad’s, and the demolition of St. Alkmund’s, the walls of which “were in such a sound state as to require a very great amount of labour to remove them,” several ancient monuments found a place within the walls of the Abbey.

Of the monastic remains there are only “few and far between.” On the south-west of the church is a malthouse which is supposed to have been part of the monks’ infirmary and chapel. A similar building which stood near the street, and a dormitory attached to the south-west side of the church were taken down in 1836 for the formation of a new line of road. The most striking of the remains is the elegant octagonal STONE PULPIT, in a yard on the right. It is thought to have stood within the refectory, and to have been used as the lectern by the junior monks to read from while the elder brethren were enjoying meals in the dining-room. The interior forms an oriel, the roof being vaulted on eight delicate ribs.

From hence we take the road upwards, and call to mind in our walk two notable but not pleasant incidents. The first goes as far back as 1582, in which year, on February 4th, one John Prestige “was hanged upon a gibbet, erected on the green, by the water side, near the Abbey Mill, and opposite his own house, for the murder of his wife, by throwing her over the Stone (the English) Bridge in the Severn: he hung there three days.” The second brings us down to 1774 when, on Good Friday, April 1st, a disastrous fire broke out in the Abbey Foregate by which forty-seven houses, sixteen barns, fifteen stables, four shops, and several stacks of hay were utterly destroyed. This serious conflagration led to the purchase by the Worshipful Company of Drapers of a fire engine, a quantity of buckets and fire hooks, and to the erection of fire plugs for the use of the town. These disagreeable memories are relieved by the sight of

LORD HILL’S COLUMN,

built with Grinshill stone, and said to be the largest Grecian-Doric column in the world. The first stone was laid on the 27th December, 1814, and the last on June 18th, 1816. The total height of the column is 133 feet 6 inches. The colossal statute on the summit was executed from a model by Panzetta. The inscriptions on the pedestal relate the skill and courage displayed by Lieutenant-General Rowland Lord Hill in Spain, Portugal, the South of France, and on the memorable plains of Waterloo. Admission to the Column is obtained by means of a gratuity to the keeper who resides in the adjacent pretty Doric cottage on the left, and from the top a splendid panoramic view of Shropshire rewards the ascender of the winding staircase. To the right of the Column is

ST. GILES’S CHURCH,