'N o r t o n *
Reach Hilton caftle, feated on an eminence, and given by Hugh
Lupus to Nigellus, one o f his officers, and founded by one of the two.
Nigel held it by this honorable and Ipirited fervice, that whenever
the Earl made an expedition into Wales, the Baron of Haldon ihould
be the foremoft in entering the country, and the laft in coming out *.
It became afterwards the property o f the houfe of Lancafter, and was
. a favorite hunting feat of John of Gaunt. The caftle is a ruin, except
a part kept as a prifon. It belongs to the dutchy ofLancajler, and
has ftill a court o f record, and other privileges.
From the caftle is the moft beautiful view in Cbejhire; a rich pro-
fpedt of the meanders o f the Merfey, thro’ a fertile bottom; a
pretty wooded peninfula jutting into it oppofite to Runcorn ; the
great county of Lancajhire, filled with hedge-row trees ; and beyond
,foar the hills o f Yorkjhire and Lancajhire; and on the other fide appears
Chejhire, and the ftill loftier Cambrian mountains.; but xloiife
beneath, near the church, is ftill a more pleafing view; that o f a
row of neat alms-houfes, for the reception of the fuperannuated
fervants of the houfe o f Norton, founded by the \&tt Pufey Brook,
.Efq; my friend, and the friend o f mankind.
Defcend the hill, and pafs by Norton, a good modern houie, on the
fite of a priory o f canons regular o f St. Augujiine, founded by William,
fon o f.Nigellus, A. D. 1135, who did not live to complete his
defign ; for Eujtace.de Burgaville granted to Hugh de Catherik pafture
for a hundred lheep, in cafe he finiihed the church in all relpedts
conformable to the intent of the founder. It was granted at the
.diAblution,to Richard Brook, Efquire.
Blunt’s Antient Tenures.
Continue
Continue my way along a fiat dull country, reach the banks of
the Merjey, ride over a long caufeway, having before me a perfedk
wood o f lofty poplar, that Ipeaks the foil; and Warrington as i f in
the midft of it. Enter
L A N C A S H I R E ,
after crolfing a handfome ftone bridge''of four arches, which
leads into the town, and was built by the firft Earl of
Derby, to accommodate Henry VII, then on his road on a vifit
to his lordlhip, probably to footh the Earl after the ungrateful
execution o f his brother, Sir William Stanly. It was at firft a
toll-bridge, but his lordlhip generoutly releafed the country from
that tax, at a lofs of as many marks as was equivalent to the
portion o f one o f his daughters.
The priory of the hermit friers o f A u g u jlin efounded before
1379, flood near the bridge, but not a relique exifts. The entrance
into the town is unpromifing, the ftreets long, narrow, ill
built, and crowded with carts and paffengers; but farther on are
airy, and of a good width, but afford a linking mixture o f mean
buildings and handfome houfes, as is the cafe with moft trading
towns that experience a fudden rife; not that this place wants antiquity,
for Leland Ipeaks of its having a- better market than
Manchefier upwards o f 200 years ago. A t that time the principal
part of the town was near the church, remote from the
bridge, and was acceftible only by a ford, but the conveniency
of a fafier tranfitfoon drew the buildings to that end.
C The
W a r r i n g t o n .