Читать книгу Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle онлайн

27 страница из 79

Near the church is a field named Hall Close, where there are traces of a large residence; and here, about the year 1821, were dug up three human skeletons and an ancient dagger.

The poor of the parish have the benefit of a bequest made by Anthony Acham, for them, and for those of Goulceby; who also, in 1638, founded a school for the two parishes, with Stenigot.

We have only to add that the pilgrim to Asterby, who has an eye for rural scenery, will be gratified on his way thither by an extent of view not often to be found. He can take in, at one and the same moment, a prospect reaching almost 30 miles, including Lincoln Cathedral and miles beyond it to the north-west; and embracing Heckington and other fine church spires, with Tattershall Castle to the south-west, and extensive woods, corn fields, and meads to vary the scenes between.

ssss1

Baumber, or Bamburgh, lies on the old Roman road, from Horncastle to Lincoln, about 4 miles to the north-west from the former place, and half-a-mile from the point where another Roman road furcates northward for Caistor; it is thus somewhat interestingly connected with the three ancient Roman stations, Lindum, Banovallum, and Caistor (Castrum). Its own name, in the older form, Bam-burg doubtless means the “Burg,” or fort, on the Bain; as it stands on high ground above the valley of the Bain, and commands what would formerly be a ford of that river at Hemingby, through which there passes a branch line of road, running due east from Baumber, and stretching into the wold hills, being doubtless also a Roman structure.