Top Table of ContentsContents
LEICESTERSHIRE is an inland county, situate nearly in the centre of England; bounded on the north by the counties of Nottingham and Derby, on the west by the latter county and that of Warwick, on the south and south-east by Northamptonshire, on the east by the county of Rutland, and on the north-east by the county of Lincoln. To the north the Trent and Soar form part of its boundary; the famous Roman road, the Watling Street, and the small river Ankor (or Ankre) are its limits on the Warwickshire side; and the rivers Avon and Weyland separate it from Northamptonshire. The county is very irregular in shape, though this be not apparent from its proportionate length and breadth: from north to south it extends about thirty miles, and from east to west about thirty-five - being nearly one hundred miles in circumference; its area comprises eight hundred and four (804) square miles, or 514,560 statute acres. In size Leicester holds station as the twenty-eighth county in England and in population as the twenty-sixth.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - The SOIL of this county is various, but for the most part strong and stiff, composed of clay and marl: it affords a great extent of grazing land, and is also peculiarly applicable to the culture of beans and wheat, for which it has long been noted. The surface in most parts is diversified and uneven: towards the north-west, the Bardon Hills rise to a considerable height; and in their neighbourhood lies Charnwood or Chorley Forest, a rough and open tract. The CLIMATE is in general mild and temperate, as there are no mountains or bogs: the highest grounds in the county are some of the peaks in Charnwood Forest; these have the true mountain feature of bare and barren rocks, projecting abruptly from the surface; the elevation of these hills, however, is not more than nine hundred feet above the level of the sea, and consequently within a temperate region of the atmosphere: the air of the whole county may therefore be pronounced salubrious and agreeable. PRODUCE. - The north-east part of the county feeds vast numbers of sheep - a main source of the wealth of the inhabitants. The breed of sheep called the New Leicester has to a great extent supplanted the old species, and is dispersed through most counties in the kingdom; these sheep are of a very large size, without horns, and clothed with thick long flakes of soft wool, particularly in demand for the worsted manufacture. The east and south-east part of the county is a rich grazing tract, which rears numerous herds of cattle of large size for the London and other markets. Leicestershire, indeed, has long been famed for its large black horses and horned cattle, as well as its sheep; and its reputation has for some years back been much extended by the skill and success of several opulent and spirited persons of the county, who have bred every class of domestic quadrupeds to the utmost perfection of form and size. A considerable weight of cheese is made in the west side of the county, in the neighbourhood of Leicester Forest and some other parts; the rich kind, called Stilton, is produced from the dairies of the villages round Melton Mowbray. This part is also highly celebrated as being the residence of many noblemen and gentlemen of distinction during the hunting season. The rivers supply the towns with many sorts of fish, particularly the best kind of salmon, which comes from the Trent into the Soar.
The MINERAL productions of this county are iron-stone, lime-stone, free-stone, coal, slate and lead. Iron-stone is plentifully found upon Ashby Wolds; lime-stone is found in many parts of the county - that at Barrow-upon-Soar is particularized on account of its superior cementing properties in the construction of works under water; free-stone is likewise extensively diffused; to the north-west of Charnwood Forest are valuable coal-mines, which supply the country round to a great distance, with the works at Cole Orton, Ashby Wolds and other places; slate, of a thick heavy quality, is worked at Swithland, to the east of Charnwood Forest; and lead ore is found at Staunton Harold. The MANUFACTURES of this county, though not so varied as those of some others, are nevertheless of high importance, and commensurate with its population and extent. The manufacture of hosiery, and many other articles produced from the fleece, is very considerable, and has its principal seat in the county town, where are also made machine net and lace to some amount, and ribbons, sewing cottons, and similar light articles.
RUTLANDSHIRE is an inland county, and the smallest in England, being only about eighteen miles in length, at its greatest breadth not more than sixteen, and its circumference fifty-eight; comprising 149 square miles, or 95,360 statute acres. It is bounded on the north-west and south-west by Leicestershire, on the south and south-east by Northamptonshire, from which it is separated by the river Welland; and the county of Lincoln is the boundary on its east and north-eastern sides.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE, &c. - The SOIL of Rutlandshire in general may be considered rich, and it is highly productive in corn and pasture. In many parts a sort of ruddle, of a red colour, prevails - and from this soil, it has been said, the county takes its name; but this assertion is unsupported by discriminating etymologists. Rutland is beautifully varied in surface with gentle swells and depressions, the rising grounds running east and west, with valleys intervening; amongst these is the luxuriant one of Catmose, leading from the western side to the centre of the county, and comprehending the county town, Oakham. The south-western part formerly was entirely occupied by the Forest of Leafield, part of which still remains in its original state, and affords pasturage to some few deer. The AGRICULTURAL system pursued in this county is good, being the same as that practised in Norfolk - the turnip and sheep husbandry generally forming its basis; its flocks are healthy, and its corn, some of the finest in the kingdom, is principally sold for seed. The AIR of this shire is considered as pure as that of any other in England. Neither in MANUFACTURES, MINES or MINERALS has Rutland any claim to notice; and the only quarries are those of limestone at Ketton, which supply the adjacent country with that article. By means of the Oakham Canal, a communication has been opened with the river Trent, which has given rise to an inland trade of some consequence, particularly in the necessary article of coal.
LINCOLNSHIRE is a maritime county, bounded on the north by the river Humber, which separates it from Yorkshire, on the east by the German Ocean, on the south by the counties of Cambridge and Northampton; and on the west by those of Rutland, Leicester, Nottingham and York. Its form is an irregular oblong, with a bunch or bow jutting into the sea. In length, from north to south, it is seventy-five miles; in breadth about forty-five; and its area comprises two thousand seven hundred and forty eight (2,748) square miles, or 1,758,720 statute acres. Lincolnshire is divided into three parts, viz. 'Lindsey', 'Kesteven' and 'Holland'. In size Lincolnshire ranks as the second county in England and in population as the thirteenth.
SOIL, CLIMATE, PRODUCE, &c. - Every description of SOIL, from the sharpest sand and lightest moor to the strongest clay, in all the various mixtures and qualities, are found in this county, and combine the three natural features of the Cliffs, the Wolds and the Fens. The Cliffs slope towards the west into a range of rich meadow and pasture land, along which flows the Trent - those which decline to the east being a tract varied in its quality and character. The Wolds are a bold range of hills, extending from Barton-on-the-Humber to Spilsby, consisting principally of sandy and flint loams, and on the western side the lower stratum is a sandy rock. The Fens (a prominent tract in this county), consist of lands which at some distant period, have been recovered from the inundations of the sea by human industry. The drainage of these fens commenced as early as William I; through various subsequent reigns the drainage works were carried on with spirit, till the 13th year of Charles I, when an interruption took place, from the opposition of the Gyrvii, or 'fen-dwellers' - a rude people, enemies to the reclamation of lands; and from that period, till the middle of the last century (the eighteenth), but little was prosecuted in the way of these useful inclosures; acts of Parliament were then, however, obtained, and all the tracts of fen-land were successively drained. In the undrained state of the fens, geese were considered the fenman's treasure; and large flocks of these birds were kept, and during the time of incubation were attended with the most assiduous care: some individuals have been known to possess one thousand of these birds, which, on an average, would produce sevenfold in a season; they were frequently plucked, as the feathers and quills formed valuable articles of commerce. Decoys for taking wild-fowl were at one time very numerous in this county, and several remain, which still furnish the London and other markets with a tolerable supply of this delicacy.
The PRODUCE of Lincolnshire consists principally of sheep, neat cattle, horses and corn. The sheep are large, and clothed with long thick wool, of which great quantities are annually sent into Yorkshire and other counties, being particularly serviceable for the worsted and coarse woollen manufactures. The neat cattle are of a large breed: the dairy here is little regarded, the production of fat cattle being the principal object of attention. The horses bred in this county have long been held in high estimation, both for saddle and harness; and the southern part particularly furnishes excellent draught horses. Large quantities of flax and hemp, rape and turnip seed, are cultivated in the Isle of Axholme. Although the MANUFACTURES of Lincolnshire are of trifling importance to it in the scale of trade, yet those of canvass, sail-cloths and coarse sacking have taken root, in some towns of the county, with a considerable degree of success; hosiery, and flax spinning and linen weaving, to a limited extent, are likewise carried on in different parts. The trade in malt, for home consumption, and a considerable portion for exportation, is very general in many districts. The MINERALS that have as yet been discovered consist of some variegated spotted marble, sulphurate of iron,, and a sub-phosphate of iron. The CLIMATE has been greatly improved in salubrity by the drainage of the marshes. The ague was formerly a malady very prevalent on the margins of the Trent and Humber; but the drainage of Walling-fen, in Yorkshire, is attributed to the disappearance of this disorder. Along the whole coast the land is greatly exposed to the keen north-east winds; and in the months of March, April and the early part of May, easterly winds are severely felt in the neighbourhood of Barton. The more elevated situations throughout the county may be justly pronounced as favourable to longevity as any district of the kingdom.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE is an inland county, bounded on the north by Yorkshire, on the east by Lincolnshire, on the south by Leicestershire and on the west by Derbyshire. Its form is an oblong, approaching nearly to an oval, with a prominent apex on its north extremity, inserted between the counties of Lincoln and York: from this extreme point to its southern boundary, the length of the county is about fifty miles; its greatest breadth is twenty-five and its area comprises 837 square miles or 535,680 statute acres. In size it ranks as the twenty-seventh county in England and in population as the twenty-second.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - The SOIL of this shire is various, and it consequently assumes a great diversity of appearance. On the Derbyshire border, a stripe of land, extending as far south as opposite Nottingham, is the lime and coal district, and contains several woods - the land is mostly arable; a broader tract, reaching to the north-east extremity of the county, is composed chiefly of sand and gravel, including the whole of the ancient royal 'Forest of Sherwood', recorded as the scene of the exploits of the celebrated 'Robin Hood' and his associates: the greater part of this forest is now inclosed, and is the site of thriving towns, cheerful villages, and extensive parks, taken out under grants from the Crown. The system of agriculture pursued in Norfolk has been most successfully introduced on the forest lands, and fine crops of barley and artificial grasses are obtained, and even some hops. Clay prevails upon the north and south borders of the Trent; this district is famed both for corn and pasture, and for its hop plantations in the vicinity of Retford. The Vale of Belvoir, stretching beyond the south-east bank of the Trent to the borders of Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, is a loamy soil, rich in arable and pasture lands, and skilfully cultivated. The CLIMATE of Nottinghamshire is most genial, and by many professional persons has been pronounced the most temperate and salubrious in this island: situate, as it is, below the mountainous regions of Derbyshire on the one hand, and bounded by the level districts of Lincolnshire on the other, it is sheltered from the keen blasts of the north, and receives only the moderated breezes of the east; nor does it partake of the profuse humidity, that characterizes some of the adjacent counties; indeed it is remarkable for its dryness - but the fertility of the land evinces that it is not so excessive as to affect agricultural prosperity; and, that it is one of the most pleasant counties in England is testified by the number of elegant seats that embellish its surface.
The PRODUCTS of this county are, coal, lead, wool, cattle, fowls, fresh-water fish, grain of every description, hops and weld. The MANUFACTURES most predominant here are, hosiery in all its branches, lace, glass and earthenware; while considerable breweries, maltings, and tanneries, are established throughout the county. The trade of Nottingham town ranks high in extent and importance, whether considered with reference to the beauty of the articles produced, or to the national advantage derived from their constant export: silk cotton and woollen hosiery are here manufactured to a vast amount; and the branches equal if not superior in consequence are the making of bobbin-net of elegant texture, and various qualities of lace - some of which, for their fineness, richness, or delicacy of pattern or durability, are not surpassed by the lace tediously produced by the hand upon the 'pillow', in this country, France or Germany. The establishments in these trades, and those of silk throwing and dying, are of the first order of respectability. At Mansfield, Newark, Worksop and Nottingham a great malting business is pursued, and the ale of the latter town has long been famed for its excellence; at Mansfield are also some cotton factories.
DERBYSHIRE, an important county, is situate almost in the centre of England, at nearly an equal distance from the Irish Sea on the west and the German Ocean on the east. On the north its boundaries are Yorkshire and a limb of Cheshire, the river Etherow separating it from the latter: on the west it is divided from Cheshire and Staffordshire by the Goyt, the Dove and the Trent; on the south it is skirted by Leicestershire and Staffordshire; on the east it is bounded by Northamptonshire - its dividing limits on this and the north side are being mostly artificial. Its greatest extent, from north to south, is nearly fifty-five miles; its breadth, at the northern extremity, is about thirty-three - contracting as it advances south, and when near its junction with Leicestershire narrowing almost to an apex. Its circumference is 130 miles, containing 1,026 square miles or 656,640 statute acres. In size it ranks as the twenty-first county in England, and in population as the twentieth.
SOIL, CLIMATE, &c. - The most common soil in this county is a reddish clay or marl; the southern district is in general composed of it, having little or no stone near the surface, but interspersed with small beds of sand or gravel; and in moist situations is found land of a blackish colour and loose texture: this kind of soil is likewise seen on the north-west of the county, where extensive beds of limestone abound. The large tract on the east, extending from Stanton Dale and Morley to the borders of Yorkshire, is rich in coal, which is covered with clay of various colours, black, grey, brown, and yellow, the last mentioned prevailing; similar soil is also met with in the north extremity of the county. In the valleys, near the banks of the larger rivers, the soil is very different from that of the adjacent parts, and has evidently been varied by depositions from inundations. Peat bogs exist in the north portion of the county, even on the highest mountains - and in some of them trees have been found, nearly perfect. The southern part of Derbyshire is appropriated both to pasture and tillage, in nearly equal proportions; but as the dairy is as much an object of attention as the production of corn, the same land seldom remains long in tillage. The general appearance of this shire is exceedingly dissimilar, its south and north quarters exhibiting a striking contrast - the former not being remarkable for hills or valleys, while the latter is eminently marked by a continuous succession of both. The upper and middle parts of the county are denominated the 'High Peak', and the Wapentake or 'Low Peak'; but the south part has no particular appellation. The most considerable eminences in the tract of the High Peak are the mountains Ax Edge, and Kinder Scout: the former is situate near Buxton, and is said to be 2,100 feet higher than the town of Derby, and 1,000 feet above the valley in which Buxton Hall stands; the latter rises near the centre of the north-west angle, and overlooks all the neighbouring eminences.
The High Peak is a region of bleak barren heights; but the scenery is in many instances romantic and sublime, yet not partaking of picturesque effect, beauty being resident only in the valleys - the high grounds preserving a dreary and sterile aspect, without a tree, or verdant sward, to relieve the wearied vision of the traveller. Barren and unpleasing as these highlands are, still they are not destitute of interest to the contemplative admirer of nature - serving, by contrast, to heighten the loveliness of the dales, valleys and streams by which they are intersected. The Low Peak abounds with eminences of various altitudes and extent: Brassington Moor, Alport, near Wirksworth, and Crich Cliffe, are the most elevated, and command very extensive prospects; from Alport, in an open day, the Wrekin, in Shropshire, may be clearly distinguished. On the east side of the county there is also a high ridge, commencing to the south of Hardwick, and continuing to the extremity of the county, where it enters Yorkshire. The south division is in general agreeable and well cultivated, affording no obvious variety of scenery. The CLIMATE of Derbyshire may be considered healthful: the atmosphere is pure, and the higher situations usually free from epidemic diseases though agues and fevers sometimes prevail in the valleys. The High Peak is peculiarly subject to violent storms, in which the rain descends in torrents, so as frequently to occasion great ravages in the lands; it is likewise liable to very high winds; these causes, with the elevation of the country, render it cold, and consequently vegetation is backward and unkindly; some kinds of grain will not grow at all in the Peak, and others seldom ripen until very late in the year.
MANUFACTURES and PRODUCE, MINES and MINERALS. - The manufactures that are carried on in this county are various and extensive. With Lancashire it partakes in the manufacture of cotton; with Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, in that of stockings; with Cheshire, in the various textures of silk; with Yorkshire, in woollen cloths and iron; and to these may be added a branch in which it stands unrivalled, viz. the forming numberless beautiful ornaments of Derbyshire spar. The neighbourhood of Church Gresley has derived considerable importance from the making of stoneware and the opening of coal mines. Besides the wealth accruing from these several branches of trade, the profits arising from agricultural produce are by no means inconsiderable. Upon the banks of the Dove are rich dairy farms; many are large, and produce excellent cheese, about 2,000 tons of which are supposed to be sent annually to London. Wheat is particularly fine from many lands, but in no part more so than in the extensive fields of Chaddesden and Chelleston; and barley is much cultivated in many districts. The enclosures of Derbyshire, have been to a wonderful extent, and this laudable system is still pursued. An uncommon species of culture, as a field crop - that of camomile - is practised in this county, upwards of 200 acres being devoted to the growth of this medicinal herb.
The MINERAL sources of wealth in Derbyshire comprise mines of coal, lead, copper, iron and antimony, alabaster, millstones, limestone, and various beautiful spars peculiar to this county. The coal strata extend through a large portion of the eastern side of the county, and there are valuable veins of coal in other parts: the total extent of the coal measures in this shire has been computed at 190,000 acres. The principal tract containing lead is called Kingsfield; under this denomination the whole wapentake of Wirksworth is comprised, as well as part of the High Peak. Ironstone is found in great plenty throughout the whole district in which coal has been discovered, the Chinley hills excepted. Calamine is obtained at Castleton, Cromford, Bonsall and Wirksworth. Limestone exists in abundance and variety; the marbles formed by it are extremely variegated and beautiful - the best are at Hopton, Money Ash, Ashford, Matlock and Monsal Dale. The flour-spar, or (as it is commonly termed) 'Blue John', is obtained in a mountain to the west of Castleton; and gypsum is found at Elvaston and Chellaston.
As might be expected in a county abounding with fossils, the MEDICINAL WATERS are numerous: the most celebrated tepid springs are those at Matlock, Buxton and Bakewell; those of sulphureous property rise at Keddlestone. The chalybeate waters are numerous; those in most repute are at Quarndon, about three miles from Derby. A martial vitriolic spring, the only one that has yet been found in this county, is in the liberty of Heage, about midway between Crich and Belper.