EXCURSION THE EIGHTH. LYDFORD, &c. "Thy castle yet Sweet Lyd, remains, of all the dwellings fair, CARRINGTON. T about seven miles from Tavistock is the former noted township, but now the ruined village of Lydford. For uniting some of the most desolate, with some of the most romantic scenery of our district is this place famed. Its castle, bridge, and cascade, are also amongst the chief objects of attraction in the neighborhood. There are many modes of access to these varied beauties; the best route, however, is that by the Okehampton road, over Blackdown. The traveller must turn off towards Lydford by the Waterford inn, and after viewing the castle, church, bridge, and cascade, may return to Tavistock by Brentor and Heathfield. Lydford was a place of note at a very early period, although its bleak and exposed situation would give us leave to imagine few people could have made it their choice as a residence. Risdon supposes that "the giant like Albionists, who at first peopled this island, or at least some of Corrinæus' companions, who vanquished those giants, could alone have inhabited such a place, overlooked with Dartmoor hills, unto whose storms without any shelter it is subject." It is avowed, however, and there wants not proofs to maintain it, that Lydford came little short of some cities; for they can show you where the gates stood, and also the foundation of the walls that encircled it, compacted of moorstone and lime, which they lighted on as they digged their fields."* Western the antiquary, says, that "Julius Cæsar spent some time at Lydford, on his second arrival in Britain; if this can be relied on, it must have been a place of some note at that time, either for natural strength, fortifications, or as being the chief British town in these parts, conquered by the Romans. Under the Saxon heptarchy, it was a place of considerable note; yet not for the fineness of its buildings." In the time of Ethelred the Second, a mint was established at Lydford. Tin pennies, coined at Lydford, were for a long time in use. In the time of the Anglo Saxons the minting towns were Lydford, Totnes, Barnstaple, and Teignmouth. Two or three of the Lydford coins were preserved in Dr. Hunter's cabinet. It is probable that a report of the riches of this town, invited the rapacity of the Danes, for in the nineteenth year of King Ethelred (A. D. 997) they burnt the place, after having destroyed Tavistock Abbey. * I have learnt from the Rev. Richard Laurie, the clergyman of the place, that there is a road which still bears the name of South-gate street; the remains of it may be traced through a field, as far as a shallow part of the river, which was formerly the fording place; from whence, it is supposed, the town of Lydford took its name. The site of two other entrances by the East gate and South gate, could also be pointed out. "In Edward the Confessor's days, this borough was the king's demesne; and so great have been the privileges of this place, that it was not rated at any other time or other cause than London was. To judge of its large extent, it is only necessary to state that the whole forest of Dartmoor, containing about two hundred thousand acres of land, lay within this parish. Sir William Pole testifies to this effect when he says "Lidforth hath always belonged to the aerls and dukes of Cornwall, and ys the principal towne of the stannary, and there is contayned within the precincts of the parish, the whole, or most part of Dartmoor." But little is there to boast of in such a wide domain, as this vast tract even to our day is almost entirely uncultivated. A friend who has examined the subject more than any other person in the neighborhood, and who has kindly furnished me with many interesting remarks, supposes the present castle to have been erected by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to whom in 1238, the manor of Lydford, with Dartmoor chase, had been granted by Henry the Third, his brother; but I am inclined to think with others, that the present solitary square tower is only the keep of the ancient castle.* Browne Willis tells us that Lydford twice sent members to parliament during the reign of Edward the First; it then contained one hundred and forty Burgesses within the borough, * In support of this opinion I would refer my friend to an account of an ancient castle by Matthew Paris. "On the inside of this outer bayle or court was another ditch, wall, gate, and towers, inclosing the inner bayle, within which the chief town or keep was built. This was a large square fabric, having small windows in prodigious thick walls which rendered the apartments within it dark and gloomy. Under ground were dismal dark vaults, for the confinement of prisoners which made it sometimes be called "the dungeon." In this building also was the great hall, in which the owner displayed his hospitality, by entertaining his friends and followers." We could scarcely give a more accurate account of the remaining tower of Lydford Castle than this presents. and about forty without; this certainly argued its former extent. Edward the Second conferred a grant of Lydford on Piers de Gaveston in 1307. In 1338 we find Richard Abberbury mentioned as "keeper of the castle and forest; and in 1404 Henry the Fourth revoked a previous grant of them to Peter de Courtenay, because they had been reunited to the duchy." The castle was formerly used as a place of confinement for all those who were considered offenders against the stannary laws; and the charters of the tinners declare that they shall not be imprisoned anywhere, except in the duchy prison at Lydford. Tradition says, there is a passage from this dungeon to the river Lyd, but this is not certain. It is not likely that the dungeon is deeper than the road outside the castle, and the river is four hundred feet below the castle: it is most probable that there is a drain from the dungeon to the foot of the castle hill. My friend adds "that about fifty years ago the castle was repaired, and put in pretty good order ; he well remembers being there thirty eight years since ; the roof was then good, and the walls in tolerable repair ; he saw what was called the judge's chair, it was in a very large room above stairs, at that time used as a rustic ball-room, at every village feast or revel. My father remembers seats around for the members of the court, and a railing on three sides of the hall. The audit for the Prince of Wales, or Duke of Cornwall was held there, as well as the other courts for the borough and manor of Lydford. After Prince-town was begun on the moor, Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, who had much influence with George the Fourth, then Prince of Wales, succeeded in getting him to order the courts to be held at the Duchy Hotel, on Dartmoor, where they continue to be holden to this day." There is certainly sufficient excuse for neglecting so miserable a place as Lydford, whose dungeon has deser |