Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/174

 Chap. V. O £ M ANtfiE ST £ It f+5 tSarret-Bridge immediately on the right, and have pafled along the margin of the Medlock. But the curved channel of the Hver interfering the courfe of the road, the latter muft" Hhve crofted ihe former at the Old Ford, as this paflage over the river is Rill denominated. And all this line of the road continues in fomc meafure and for part of its courfe a public way to the prefent "moment. tered the left-hand fields, have reached the harrow chanriel of the Cornebrook and the courfe of the prefent road at the bridge, and have fallen into the commencing line of Longfight. The whole range of the prefent road to Stockport From the fe- cond mile-ftone to the bank of the Merfey is popularly denomi- nated High-ftreet* and thereby fufficiently evihceis itfelf to be Roman. And the firft half-mile 6£ it, being femarkahly dire&, has obtained the particular and fignificative appellation of Long- light. Thus, pafling along the prefent highway, mult the Ro- man road have croffed the ford over the Merfey at Stockport* This from the fharp (leap, ftop, or fteep upon either fide of it received the appellation of Stopford from the Saxoqs *, and was about two hundred yards above the prefent bridge and about fixty below the conjun£tion of the Merfey and the Tame. And Jthe road muft have then mounted the brow of the Cattle-hill to the level of the market-place, afid have traveled the lite tit thfc town to Buxton. * The medicinal waters of this village muft editsinly have firft •bCfcafiohed the Romans to form a fettteirfeiit at BuXtdn ih : gene- sal. The medicinal waters of the Hill muft aS certainly havft Jfrft occafioned the Romans to fix their ftdtfonary rtefidfence fpon this pait of Buxton in particular. Thus the fpririgs that friMlei hot Jit the foot of the Downs, and trickled in fmoaky Currents along the level of the vale at Bath, attracted the Romans to thfe one, and ifettled a colony on fhe othef. And had not fuefo'k teafotk influenced the Ramans, they would neither haVe fixed * ftation upon a (loping hill afuT a fhigW (hallow hrookat frfttdij nor have planted a tolony within the mortify holtow t>f A eteft U dale
 * The Roman road muft now have deferted the lane, hat^e en-