M o r e s b y .
W o r k i n g t o n .
Leave Whitehaven, and return about two miles on the lame
road I came. See under the cliffs a neat little village called Parton,
and a pier, intended for flapping o f coal; a new Creation by Sir
James Lowther.
Leave Morejby on the left; a place near the fhore, mentioned
by Camden, as o f great antiquity, a fort of the Romans, and
where feveral infcriptions have been found : he alfo fpeaks o f certain
caverns, called pills holes, but the latenefs of the evening
prevented me from defcending to vifit them. Ride through the
village of Herrington, pafs over a very naked barren country, and
have from fome parts of this evening’s journey a full view of the
ifle of Man, appearing high and mountanous. Reach
W o r k in g t o n ; the place where the imprudent Mary Stuart
landed, after her flight from Dundrannan, in Galloway, creduloufly
trailing to the protection of the infidibus Elizabeth. The town,
extends from the caftle, the feat o f Mr. Curwen, to the fea: it.
confifts of two clufters, one the more antient near the caftle, the
other nearer the church and pier; and both contain about four or
five thoufand. inhabitants. They fubfift by the coal trade, which
is here confiderable. The Derwent wafhes the fkirts of the town,,
and difcharges itfelf into the fea about a mile W e ft: on each
bank near the mouth are piers where the fhips lie,, and the coals
are conveyed into them from frames oecafionally dropping into
them from the rail roads., Ninety-feven vefTels o f different burdens,
fome even of two hundred and fifty tuns,, belong to this
port.
Oblerve to the South, on an eminence near the fea, a fmall
tower, called Holme chapel y faid to have been built as a watchtower
tower to mark the motions o f the Scots in their naval inroads.
Near the town is an iron furnace and foundery; the ore is
brought from Furnefs, and the iron ftone dug near Harrington.
A fine water-wheel and its rods, extending near a mile, are very
well worth vifiting.
Keep along the fea-fhore to Mary Port, another new creation, M^ * Yp^'T
the property o f Humphry Senhoufe, Efq; and lb named by him in
honor o f his lady: the fecond houfe was built in only 1 7 5 0 .
Now there are above a hundred, peopled by thirteen hundred
fouls, all collefted together by the opening o f a coal trade on
this eftate. For the conveniency of fhipping (there being above
feventy of different fizes, from thirty to three hundred tuns burden,
belonging to the harbour) are wooden piers, with quays, on
the river Ellen, where fhips‘ lie and receive their lading, Befide
the coal trade is fome fkinning bufinefs, and a rope-yard.
At the South end o f the town is an eminence called the Mote- A n t i q u i t i e s .
hill, and on it a great artificial mount, whofe bafe is a hundred
and fixty yards round, protected by a deep ditch, almoft fur-
rounding it, ceafing only where the fteepnefs o f the hill rendered
fuch a defence unneceffary : this mount is a little hollowed on the
top, has been probed in different places to the depth o f four or
five feet, but was difcovered to confift o f no other materials than
the common foil which had been flung out o f the fofs.
On a hill at the North end o f the town are the remains o f a
large Roman ftation fquare, furrounded with double ditches, and
furnifhed with four entrances, commanding a view to Scotland,
and round the neighboring country. Antiquaries differ about the
1 3 antient