Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/170

 Chap. V. OP M AN C H E.S T E R. 141 tied through Alicana to Ifiirium. . Stealing acrofs the fields near Ilkley, it traverfes Banks's Croft, crofles the lane leading t to. ths, church .from. Bradford and. Halifax and denominated .the* Tpwn-gate,, enters the Scafe-Croft, and has been found among, the inclofures for nearly a mile, pointing evidently to the town of Aldborough 8 * TJhjis decifively is Ilkley evinced to have been a ftation of the Romany And the ftationary area may be afcertained with equal. . decifivenefs. It is pointed out by the appellation of Caftle-hill, by the nature of the fite, and by the jemains of the Roman vallum. . The fite ist admirably defended by the Wherf in front and by two brooks at the fides. The Wherf glides along the northen*. front of it, ,a. very .narrow level of boggy ground ranges betwixt the river and that, and the. .area looks down upon both from a fteep braw of twenty ^five or thirty yards in height. The weft- em. brook ha» had half its, waters diverted into another channel, > muft before .have flowed a very lively current, ,and gave addi*> tional ftrength to a brow naturally fteep and riling about twelve or fifteen, yards above -itr. Thereaftera brook is remarkably - briflc, and runs about twenty *yards« below the creft of the brow;. And both of them difcharge their, watars into the Wherf a few yards below the ftation. The whole area waa about a hundred yards, by a hundred and iixty*, the. northern, barrier (I fiippofe) ranging ' along thciins of. the: pr^fent Jane, %and parallel w r ith and about twenty yards to the north of .the Roman road froo*. Broughton to Aldbdrough; The^vhole^extent of* the area con* tained about- four, acres of' ground j, encompaffing a : building called The Caftle< and including the church audits area. . And the vallum of the, ftation prefents itfelf to the<eye at the. norths weftem angle, and is eafily difcovered under the turf along thei whole* compaft of the brows, being the- rough * fabte flag-ftones of the- country -cemented together with indifloluMe mortar. . The nature of -the ground muft originally have giveui denomi-* nation to the. fottnfL Being Seated upon the level of aa emi- nence, it naturally received the appeUation of Alicana AUi-caik^ or tfoeforwefc upon the.'heigbt V. . J • The;