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WILTSHIRE is an inland county, bounded on the north, and north-west by Gloucestershire, on the north-east by Berkshire, on the east by Hampshire, on the south by Dorsetshire, and on the west by Somersetshire and Gloucestershire. In length, from north to south (exclusive of a small portion almost surrounded by Gloucestershire, at its northern extremity) it is about forty-eight miles, and in breadth, from east to west, thirty-six; and its area contains 1,379 square miles, or 882,560 statute areas. In size it ranks as the fourteenth English county, and in population as the nineteenth.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - A very obvious difference exists between the face of the south and east parts of this county and the north and west portions: the former are composed of a broken mass of chalk hills, entering the county from Berkshire, Dorsetshire and Hampshire, and terminating in an irregular line of bold breaks and disjointed elevations, intersected by deep valleys, formed by rivulets and brooks rising within this district. The west and north parts consist chiefly of a rich tract of vale land, stretching north-east and south-west under the hills, but rising gradually in the north-west quarter till it joins the high land of Gloucestershire. The Wiltshire Downs have two principal sub-divisions, called 'Marlborough Downs' and 'Salisbury Plain': the former occupy a considerable tract on the north-east side, towards the Berkshire border; below the middle of the county begins that extensive tract, great part of which bears the name of SALISBURY PLAIN - the most remarkable spot of the kind in England. Over these wilds, stretching beyond the limits of the eye, wander vast flocks of sheep, attended by their solitary shepherds; and ruins of Roman, Saxon, Danish and ancient British monuments are scattered throughout this district, among which the venerable and mystical Stonehenge rises distinguished to the view.
The soil of this uncultivated waste is said to be naturally good, producing wild burnet and fine grasses, forming excellent herbage for sheep; of these (including the whole summer stock), there are said to be annually five hundred thousand. The north west district of this county is particularly famed for its cheese, - first introduced under the name of 'Gloucester' cheese, but now so generally known and esteemed as to be distinguished by its own name, and to obtain a higher price. Cattle are likewise fattened in these parts; great numbers of swine are reared, and Wiltshire has ever been celebrated for its bacon: the breed of hogs, till lately, was that of the long-eared large kind; these have, however, given way to the more profitable smaller pig, which will fatten on less meat, and make more delicate bacon and hams. The horses bred in this county are remarkably fine, but kept at a great expense; and the breed of cows is not confined to any particular species. The AGRICULTURE of Wiltshire is, generally speaking, good, and some of the Norfolk systems are gradually being adopted. At Chelmark, near Hindon, there have been stones of immense dimensions dug out of the quarries, lying in beds, sixty feet long and twelve feet thick, without a flaw. In the parish of Box, about seven miles from Chippenham, there are quarries of that beautiful stone called 'Bath stone'. CLIMATE. - The air of Wiltshire, like that of most other English counties, is various, according to the local situations of different parts of it; but, on the whole, it is salubrious and agreeable. On the Downs, and higher parts of the county, it is sharp and clear; in the valleys, mild and temperate, even in winter.
MANUFACTURES. - Wiltshire, not many years since stood conspicuous as a flourishing manufacturing county; and was celebrated for producing fabrics, from flax and the fleece, to a most important extent, and of superior qualities. A great depression has, however, for some years, been experienced by the manufacturing establishments throughout the county: different causes have been assigned for this falling off; but it is well ascertained, that, in proportion as the West of England manufactures have retrograded in prosperity, those of Yorkshire have advanced in importance. The manufactures which, at present exist, comprise thin, fine and coarse woollen cloths, serges and other woollen stuffs, coarse linens and thicksets; and Wilton is still noted for its carpets. Bradford (or Bradford-on-Avon) was, at no very distant period, the centre of the greatest fabric of superfine cloths in England: indeed, the 'West of England cloths' continue to preserve a superiority, and obtain higher prices than the manufactures of the northern towns - particularly scarlet, blue and black superfine cloths, in which Bradford, and some other western towns, stand unrivalled.
There are MINERAL SPRINGS, of different qualities, at Heywood, Holt and Middle-hill Spa, near Box; a chalybeate spring at Chippenham, and chalybeate and aperient waters at Melksham.
DORSETSHIRE is a maritime county, situated in the south-western part of England; bounded on the north by Wiltshire and Somersetshire, on the east by Hampshire, on the west by Devon and part of Somersetshire, and on the south by the British Channel. Its form is everywhere irregular: its long northern side has a considerable angular projection in the middle; the sea-shore on the south runs out into numerous points and headlands, till it stretches to the Isle of Portland. Its extent, from north to south, about thirty-five miles - its breadth, from east to west, about fifty-five; its circumference may be estimated at nearly one hundred and sixty, and its area includes 1,005 square miles, or 643,200 statute acres. In size it ranks as the twenty-third county in England, and in population as the twenty-ninth.
SOIL, PRODUCE and CLIMATE. - The general appearance of this county is uneven, and in many parts very hilly; its most striking features are the open and unenclosed parts, covered with numerous flocks of sheep, which feed on the verdant produce of the downs. The principal sheep district is round Dorchester; great numbers of sheep and oxen are fed in the vale of Blackmore, which is rich pasture; and here, are some orchards also, producing excellent cider. On the south-west side, likewise, are luxuriant vales. About Bridport, the lower lands are mostly deep rich loams; on the higher hills, throughout the western district, the soil is a sandy loam, intermixed with flint; to the north of Sherborne, which affords some of the best arable land in the county, it is a stone-brack or brash; and this is the case in Portland. The flooding of meadow land, by which an early vegetation is produced, is of such consequence to the Dorsetshire farmers and graziers, that without it their present system of managing sheep would be almost annihilated.
The chief PRODUCTS of Dorset are corn, cattle, sheep, wool, timber, flax and hemp: the sheep are highly esteemed for the fineness and close texture of their wool, which is much used in the manufacture of broad-cloth: in one particular this breed excels all others in the kingdom, which is in bringing early lambs, generally purchased by the sucklers in the neighbourhood of London, and fattened for that market. Wheat, except in some few localities, is not a heavy crop; barley affords a great produce, and a large portion of malt is made for the internal consumption of the county: the strong beer is famous; the ales are also highly celebrated, and in some respects unequalled. Neither coal nor ores of any kind are found in this county; but the whole Isle of Portland seems to be one entire mass of fine freestone, and the quarries of Purbeck are well known for this valuable produce: the qualities of whiteness, solidity, durability, and easiness to work, added to its standing the water extremely well, render it superior to most other freestones - St. Paul's church, Whitehall, Blackfriars-bridge, the piers of Westminster-bridge, and several private edifices in the metropolis, have been built of it; and it is exported in large quantities to various parts of England, Ireland and France. Dorsetshire, from the mildness of its CLIMATE and the beauty of its situation, has been termed the garden of England: the air is at once bracing, mild and salubrious; in the sheltered parts vegetation is forward, and the vine is cultivated successfully.
MANUFACTURES. - The principal manufactures are those of flax and hemp, sail-cloth and ropes, chiefly carried on in the neighbourhood of Bridport and Beaminster; at Shaftesbury, shirt-buttons and coarse woollen cloths; at Blandford, shirt-buttons; at Stalbridge and Sherborne silk is spun; and at Wimborne many women and children are employed in knitting worsted stockings. At Poole and Abbotsbury some plain and striped cottons are wove; and at the former place, sail-cloth, sacking, cables, ropes, large nets and cod-lines for the Newfoundland fishery, and mackerel-nets for home use are made. Taken altogether, this county holds not, by any means, an eminent rank as a manufacturing one; agriculture, its fisheries and stone-quarries, are the main contributors to the prosperity of Dorsetshire. Some of the port towns have, however, an export trade of partial consideration - especially Poole, which has long prospered in its commercial intercourse with Newfoundland, America, Norway, and various parts of Europe; besides enjoying a valuable coasting-trade. Near the month of Poole harbour lies a prolific oyster-bank, from which vast quantities of this generally favourite fish are taken in the season, and sent to various parts.
DEVONSHIRE is a maritime county, and as an agricultural one, perhaps the most valuable in England. It is bounded on the north-west by the Bristol Channel: on the west by the river Tamer (which separates it from Cornwall), and a small rivulet called Marsland water; on the south and south-east by the British Channel; and on the east by the counties of Dorset and Somerset - the dividing limits here being artificial. The greatest length of the county from north to south is nearly seventy-one miles, and from east to west about the same extent: its area comprising about 2,579 square miles, or, 1,650,560 statute acres. In size it ranks as the third county in England, and in population as the fourth.
SOIL, PRODUCE and CLIMATE. - The external aspect of Devonshire is extremely varied and irregular; and the heights in many parts, but particularly in Dartmoor and its vicinity, swell into mountains - the altitudes of the principal eminences being from fifteen hundred to eighteen hundred feet. On approaching this tract from the south and south-east, the eye is bewildered by an extensive vale, exhibiting gigantic 'tors' - large surfaces covered with vast masses of scattered granite and immense rocks. Dartmoor, and the waste called the forest of Dartmoor, occupy a great portion of the western district, which, extending from the vale of Exeter, nearly reaches to the banks of the Tamar, and includes between two and three hundred thousand acres of open and uncultivated lands; of these, Dartmoor alone is supposed to comprise eighty thousand. These extensive tracts, though susceptible of considerable improvement, at present scarcely afford more than a scanty pasturage to a few thousand sheep and cattle. The right of depasture belongs to different interests; the forest itself being the property of the monarch's eldest son, as parcel of the Dutchy of Cornwall. The 'Vale of Exeter' differs widely in appearance from Dartmoor: the soils in this district vary exceedingly, but the most prevalent are strong red loam, shillet or foliated clay, intersected with numerous veins of iron-stone, and a mixture of sand and gravel. Wheat, barley, beans and pease are the most general productions of the arable lands; flax is also cultivated, but in no great quantity. The pasture lands are chiefly appropriated to the supply of the dairy, but in some parts considerable attention is given to the breeding of sheep and cattle: the produce of the dairy is fine butter and the poorest skim-milk cheese. Peculiar to the dairies of Devon is that delicious and rich lacteous production, 'clotted' cream; the consistence of this article is in proportion to the richness of the farm-land - instances are not unfrequent of a pan of cream, when cold, supporting upon its surface a weight equal to an ounce, without breaking what may be called the crust; it is from this cream that the butter is made. Where the cream is produced, the price is generally regulated by that of butter - what butter is per pound, so is cream per pint; it is also sent to all parts of England, especially to London, where it obtains a very high price, although much deteriorated in quality and value by being diluted with milk. The district called the 'South Hams' is frequently and not unjustly termed the garden of Devonshire, from its fertility; its area, including the rich vale of the Dart (which extends towards Ashburton), comprises nearly two hundred and fifty square miles: the principal kind of soil is a strong red loam, with a substratum of clay; the common crops, on the arable lands, are wheat, barley, oats, turnips and potatoes - the last-named root is cultivated in many parts of the county with great success. In the South Hams cider is made in great quantities; every farm has its orchard, the general produce affords a considerable surplus for exportation, even after large deductions have been made for home consumption. The district of West Devon is beyond the Dartmoor mountains; the soil is a portion of loamy mould, mixed, in various degrees of quality, with perished slate-stone rubble, reduced by the action of the atmosphere to its original silt or mud. Nearly two-thirds of the inclosed lands of this district are employed alternately in the cultivation of grasses and raising corn; the remainder is either in tillage, or occupied by orchard grounds. North Devon, in its most extended sense, comprehends the whole district situated between Dartmoor and the British Channel; but more generally is limited to the country round Bideford, Barnstaple, South Molton and the north coast. In this tract the ground is greatly diversified, and the scenery beautiful: the land is chiefly appropriated to the growth of wheat and oats; and the soil is generally productive, except, perhaps, on the summits of the highest hills. The established breed of sheep in this county is the middled wool class, bearing a strong resemblance to the Dorsets; the native breed of horses is very small, resembling the Welch and Highland breeds; the pack-horses used in the inclosed country are of a similar nature, but larger. Among the products of Devonshire should be noticed the great variety of fish which abound in its rivers and on its beautiful coasts; so plentiful is the supply, that, in addition to the home consumption, a large quantity is furnished to the Bath and even London markets. - The CLIMATE of Devonshire is remarkably mild, particularly on the southern part of the county, where its genial influence is every where visible: vegetation suffers but little interruption here during the winter season, and the earth seems to wear a perpetual verdure; the myrtle flourishes here unsheltered. It is only on the northern coast, and north-east corner of the county, that the severity of the winter is experienced. On the higher parts of Dartmoor the air is bleak and piercing, but it is also invigorating and salubrious. Medical men have been so long and so well convinced of the advantages resulting from the mildness of the climate of South Devon, that they recommend it to their consumptive patients in preference to Lisbon or the south of France.
MANUFACTURES and MINERAL PRODUCTIONS. - The manufacture of coarse woollen goods has long been carried on to a great extent in this county: they consist chiefly of articles but little in demand in England, as druggets, duroys, long ells and serges; the markets for these are Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Portugal and France; besides these marts, the East India Company, and the private trade to India and China, take off a quantity of long ells annually. About a fourth part of these articles are shipped at Exeter, the remainder at Dartmouth and Plymouth. Several towns on the coast are materially benefited by a trade with Newfoundland, though not to the extent formerly enjoyed by them. Broad and narrow men's cloths are made in some parts; but this manufacture and the woollen trade in general, have much declined in favour of Yorkshire. Axminster stands pre-eminent in the manufacture of carpets, in imitation of those from Turkey and Persia. At Honiton the most beautiful and the broadest cushion laces in the kingdom are made; but this branch of female industry is not as prosperous as formerly. Large quantities of shoes are made in some towns for the Newfoundland market. The METALLIC SUBSTANCES of the county are the ores of tin, lead, iron and manganese; gold, silver, copper, bismuth, antimony and cobalt have also been found, but in small quantities. The tin-works were anciently numerous and valuable, but have in a great measure been abandoned, the mines of Cornwall being considerably more productive. Not many years ago some very rich lead ore was discovered, near the surface, at Coombe Martin. Iron-stone is found in various parts of the county, but not particularly rich in metal. Native silver has been found at Coombe Martin; and that there were formerly mines of gold appears from various grants made in the reigns of Edward III and Richard II. The most remarkable of the inflammable substances discovered in Devonshire is the Bovey coal, of which there are two species, the stone-coal and the wood-coal: the latter is said to make as strong a fire as oaken billets, especially if set on edge; but the heat of the former is accounted the most intense.
CORNWALL is the most westerly county in England, it is almost an island, being surrounded on all sides by the sea, except towards the east, where it is bounded by the county of Devon for the length of forty-three miles from north to south. From this boundary to its western point, the land gradually decreases in breadth, forming itself into a figure somewhat resembling a cornucopia - having the Bristol Channel on the north and the English Channel on the south, both seas meeting at the promontory called the Land's End on the west. Twenty miles may be regarded as its medium breadth, till approaching Mount's Bay, between which place and St. Ives it is not more than five and a half miles wide: its extreme length is ninety miles, and its circumference estimated at two hundred - containing 1,327 square miles, or 849,280 statute acres. It ranks as the sixteenth county in England, both in size and population. The SCILLY ISLANDS are situate, in a group or cluster, about nine leagues west of the Land's End; they have different and chiefly modern appellations, but derive their general name from the small isle of Scilly, which is now only a furlong in extent: in a clear day they may be seen from the Land's End - appearing like a cluster of cliffs, or fragments of ruined castles, round which the Atlantic rolls in a vast curve.
SOIL, CLIMATE, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE, FISHERIES, CLIMATE &c. - Cornwall, from its soil, appearance and climate, is, perhaps one of the least inviting of the English counties. A ridge of bare rugged hills, intermixed with bleak moors, runs through the midst of its entire length, and in the narrower parts extends from side to side. The low grounds between the hills and the sea are, in some parts, rendered tolerably fertile by the aid of manure, which is chiefly composed of sea sand and sea weeds that are collected on the coast; another excellent manure is formed by the mixture of bruised and damaged pilchards, and the refuse salt used in curing them, with lime and earth. The grain which succeeds best is barley, of which very large crops are produced on the banks of the Camel, and in its neighbourhood; potatoes also yield abundantly in some lands, and seem peculiarly adapted to the climate. Good cider is made on the east side of the county: the dairy is but little attended to, and milch cow are principally kept for rearing the young stock. The cattle are chiefly of the Devonshire breed, as are the sheep, with some of those Leicestershire. The woodlands are not numerous; though of late years the face of the county, has been most happily improved in this respect, many of the resident gentry have embellished their estates with plantations. Cornwall is indebted for its welfare, populousness, and relative importance, to its mineral treasures, and the shoals of fish upon its coast. Of the great variety of the finny tribe none is so considerable an object of commerce as the pilchard, which resorts hither in amazing bodies during the summer and autumn, the first swarm generally arriving at the Land's End in the middle of July: besides the great supply these fish afford to the miners and poor of Cornwall, large quantities are cured and exported, principally up the Mediterranean. - The CLIMATE of this county, though not so genial as some others in England, may be considered, upon the whole, as salubrious. The air, however, is rendered extremely moist by the seas on either side; and the high lands in the centre intercept the mists and clouds in their passage, so that rains or fogs are of frequent occurrence: at the same time, the winds are continually shifting from one point to another - which circumstance, while it increases the mutability of the atmosphere, has a favourable effect in preventing those stagnations of damp air, which are so prejudicial to health in some wet counties.
MINES, MINERALS, &c. - From early antiquity this county has been noticed for the TIN, which it produced, and which was an object of commerce to civilized nations, while Britain remained in barbarism. Tin mines are worked throughout the greater part of Cornwall; their produce exceeds that in any other district of the world, and forms an artcile of considerable consequence, both in domestic and foreign trade. Some state the number of men employed in the mines at 12,000 - others, at not above 9,000; but, including the streamers, who are a distinct body from the miners, the number of men, women and children employed in raising the ore, washing, stamping and carrying it, will probably amount to 16,000. The King's eldest son is born Duke of Cornwall, and derives a revenue, not only from the lands appertaining to the dutchy, but from the mines of tin, and copper; he has under him an officer, called lord warden of the Stannary Court whose jurisdiction extends over the mines and miners of Cornwall and Devonshire. The revenue arising to the duke from the tin mines averages about £10,000. annually; but the total revenue of the dutchy, including rents of manors, fines, &c. has in some years amounted to £22,000. The tin duty, previous to the late continental war, yielded nearly £14,000. per annum. Besides tin and copper, there are found in this county lead, lapis calaminaris, pyrites, bismuth, zinc, antimony, cobalt, arsenic, wolfram, menachenite and molybdena; there is also an abundance of iron ore in many parts of Cornwall, but the iron mines have not been worked to any great extent. Soap rock, clays of remarkable purity (excellent for potters' use), and fine rock crystals, are occasionally found here.
SOMERSETSHIRE is a maritime county, in the south-west part of England; having the Bristol Channel on the north and north-west, Gloucestershire on the north-east, Wiltshire on the east, Dorsetshire on the south-east, and Devonshire on the south and south-west. Its form is oblong, somewhat resembling the shape of a ham - the extremity of the shank being occupied by Exmoor forest, and bounded on the north by the Bristol Channel, and on the west by a part of Devon. The length of the county, from north-east to south-west, is eighty miles and upwards; in breadth, from east to west, about thirty-six; and in circumference two hundred miles: its area comprises 1,642 square miles, or 1,050,880 statute acres. In size it ranks as the seventh county in England, and in population as the eighth.
SOIL and CLIMATE, PRODUCE and MANUFACTURES. - Few counties contain a greater variety of SOIL than this. The north-east quarter is in general stony; towards its centre are fens and marshy moors of great extent; on the west side are hills, downs and open heaths; in the north-west corner lies the barren region of Exmoor; the south part, towards Dorsetshire, is high, but well cultivated; and from Bridgewater, through Taunton, to the border of Devonshire, the county is beautifully fertile. The valleys generally are very rich; and many of the hills, a few years since undisturbed by the plough, now reward the industry of the agriculturist by the produce of large crops of grain. The CLIMATE of Somersetshire is similar to its soil in variety. Near the sea-coast winter is scarcely felt; and from Minehead and Dulverton on the west, to Milborne Port and Wincanton on the east (excepting on some of the eminences), it is mild and temperate; approaching the northern district it becomes more cold and boisterous; and upon the summits of the Mendip Hills visiting tourists find themselves comparatively in the climate of Lapland: the altitude of the highest of the Mendip Hills is computed to be eleven hundred feet above the level of Taunton.
Amongst the PRODUCTS of this county may be named hemp, flax, teazles and woad, which are cultivated in considerable quantities; and the dairies supply some of the finest cheese in the kingdom. The sheep indigenous to Somersetshire are the Mendip breed, but all the improved varieties have been introduced by the modern breeders; and the teams of opulent farmers may vie with those of any other district. The principal MANUFACTURES of this county are broad and narrow fine woollen cloths, and a variety of coarse woollen goods; with coarse linens, comprising dowlases, tickings, &c. At Chard and Taunton fine and broad laces, of great excellence, are made; and the latter is town also benefited by the silk manufacture. At Yeovil gloves are made in considerable quantities; and in Coker and Chinnock, near Yeovil, sail-cloth is manufactured extensively. A considerable coasting business is carried on from some of the ports, and others have an extensive trade with Ireland. The making of brick and tiles, and the brass and iron foundries, employ numerous hands; whilst many others procure subsistence from the fisheries.
MINES and MINERALS. - The Mendip Hills, which may be called the Alps of Somersetshire, rise in the north-east quarter, and abound in lead, lapis calaminaris, copper, and various spars and crystals; the Quantack Hills, on the west side, also produce lead and copper; the Broadfield Downs, and other wilds, have their mines of calamine, and iron ore has been found in various parts of the county. The coal mines in the north part are valuable treasures to the neighbourhood, and supply a great portion of the cities of Bath and Bristol with excellent fuel. The former city is mostly constructed with the freestone of its conveniently adjacent quarries, and the blue Kinton stone is of an admirable quality for paving. The rocks on the coast contain marble, gypsum and tale, and those in the inland parts are most generally composed of limestone; while ochres, both yellow and red, are found in abundance.
The MEDICINAL SPRINGS of this county may be considered as one of its most important features, having been the means of bringing into celebrity and sustaining the splendour of BATH - the most fashionable and beautiful city, next the metropolis, in the kingdom. The water of these wonderful hot springs is only equalled in its transparency by its abundance: after the water is let off from the baths for the purpose of cleansing them, it may be seen boiling up from the earth, to the astonishment of every stranger visiting these health restoring-founts. The water is of an agreeable flavour - of a strengthening, attenuating, opening nature, and very grateful to the stomach. The pump-rooms and baths are the most elegant and convenient that can be imagined.
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