of the river, and the most interesting points laid open by judicious thinnings in the woods. Here a tributary stream rushes from a waterfall, and bursts through a woody glen to mingle its waters with the Wharf: there the Wharf itself is nearly lost in a deep cleft in the rock, and next becomes a horned flood, enclosing a woody island-sometimes it reposes for a moment, and then resumes its native character, lively, regular, and impetuous. "The cleft mentioned above is the tremendous STRID. This chasm, being incapable of receiving the winter floods, has formed, on either side, a broad strand of naked grit-stone full of rock-basons, or 'pots of the Linn,' which bear witness to the restless impetuosity of so many northern torrents. But, if here the Wharf is lost to the eye, it amply repays another sense by its deep and solemn roar, like the voice of the angry spirit of the waters,' heard far above and beneath, amidst the silence of the surrounding woods. "The terminating object of the landscape is the remains of Barden Tower, interesting from their form and situation, and still more so from the recollections which they excite. 1 "On the whole, this is one of the few and privileged spots, where, within the compass of a walk, and almost of a single glance, the admiring visitant may exclaim, with a true painter and poet : Some Lancastrian baron bold, To awe his vassals, or to stem his foes, MASON. "Of Bolton Priory, the whole cloister quadrangle has been destroyed. In the centre of it is remembered the stump of a vast yew-tree, such as were usually planted in that situation; not merely for shade and ornament, but probably with a religious allusion. "The shell of the church is nearly entire. The nave, having been reserved at the dissolution for the use of the Saxon cure *, is still a parochial chapel +. * Embsay Kirk, where the priory itself was originally planted. "Here are a silver chalice and cover, which appear to have been given by the first grantee immediately after the priory fell into his hands, as the former has, beneath an earl's coronet, the arms and quarterings of the family down only to his mother, a St. John." VOL. II. G "The cemetery at Bolton is on the north side of the church; and, as it has one tomb at least prior to the dissolution, I am confirmed in my opinion, that, during the existence of the priory, the parishioners of the Saxon cure had the right of burial at the Priory Church, as they certainly made their oblations at the altar. The "The architecture of the church is of two distinct styles. The translation took place in 1154, and, from many decisive marks in the stone-work, as well as the necessity of the case, the canons must have begun with the choir, which they finished at one effort, and, most probably, before their removal from Embsay. This is proved by the Saxon capitals, which extend westward to the transept. fine ramified east window, and the spacious apertures on the north and south sides of the choir, afford no objection to this statement; as the first has evidently been inserted in the place of the three round-headed lights which must originally have occupied the east end, while the latter are enlargements of single lights of the same shape. Marks of insertion are evident in the masonry as well as the buttresses, which last have been plainly added to the perpendicular Norman projections in the original wall. "The nave exactly resembles the Priory Church of Lanercost in Cumberland, belonging to the same order*, which was finished and consecrated A. D. 1165. In both a south aile is wanting: the columns of each are alternately cylindrical and angular, and the hatched ornament of the capitals and windows is common to both.-What antiquary, and what man of taste, can forbear to regret that the tombs of the Cliffords do not yet remain at Bolton, like those of the Dacres at Lanercost, which are scattered in the most beautiful disorder about the ruined choir, while elder, and other funereal plants, spire up among coronets and garters +? * St. Augustine. "At the east end of the north aile of Bolton Priory Church," relates Whitaker, "is a chantry belonging to Bethmesly Hall, in the parish of Skipton, and a vault, where, according to tradition, the Claphams were interred upright.” -They inherited the hall by the female line from the ancient family of the Mauliverers. Thomasine, coheiress of sir Peter Manliverer, temp. Ed. III. married William de la Moore of Otterburne, and Elizabeth, the only daughter and heiress of this match, marrying Thomas Clapham, brought the manor of Bethmesly into that family. "" was "The oldest son of this match,” resumes Whitaker, John Clapham, a famous esquire' in the wars between the "The original west front of Bolton, though unhappily darkened, is extremely rich. It is broken into a great variety of surfaces, by small pointed arches, with single shaft columns, and originally gave light to the west end of the church by three tall and graceful lancet windows. “Over the transept was a tower.—The want of this feature at present is the only defect of Bolton as an object. But instead of this appears a very houses of York and Lancaster, who is said to have beheaded, with his own hands, the earl of Pembroke, in the church porch of Banbury." Craven, pp. 365, 366. To this instance of savage ferocity, and to the singular mode of interment of the Clapham family, Wordsworth thus refers in his beautiful poem of the White Doe of Rylstone: Pass, pass who will, yon chantry door, And, through the chink in the fractured floor A vault where the bodies are buried upright! In the ruthless wars of the white and red, Who dragged earl Pembroke from Banbury church, WORKS, Vol. iii. p. 20. |