Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/204

 Chap- VI. OF MANCHESTER. 175 current o£ tHe Merfey to approach very near to the Caftle* and being evinced by the remaining fleepnefs in the other parts of the neighbouring banks to have actually advanced up to it, and to have actually afcended the brow in an hollow immediately beneath the eaftern. fide of Ll Such was the pofition of the two ftations on the borders of the two provinces. But the pofition of the four other Agrarian ftations is very different from thefe. One of the four was on the rigbt hand of the prefent road to Bury, immediately beyond Singleton Brook, and upon the firft field in the pariflb of Pre ft - iviclu The fite was formerly denominated Low-dafter x % and is now denominated fometimes How-caftle Field, but more po- pularly, though to the fame purport, Caftle-Hill. It is a riling hillock of &nd, having a plane o£ half an acre and a fine fpring of water under an aged oak. On the one, fide the ground falls away from.it briikly near the; road and gently at a diftance from it, and h^d probably a fraall ditch at the foot of the fall. On the iecond $de was certainly another dkdi, the remains of it ftill plainly appearing, and the hedge of the field being now pjaced along thet chatfne}, of it. The remaining: fides form a very Hill very evident below,, now^xtcudio^alditgrthe wfctcrfc ofone feveral yards along: tile other. At: the termination of this ditch wa?v the entrarc#> into the Caftram, which Atli appears afcend* lagL the bank oblii^ely,. and, dHlingwiflwd to/th^ eye by the re* maiiyng hollow^ of rifc And fobedj.ao- this) trcinntetoaty fort wn* at the diflance ntariy of a mile fixim.t)he conrie o£ the road* to Ribche^e^, it tsaid never be intended to hpve any particular relatione ifc. TShe: gaxrifon in. the; one cou!d>not p^ffihly, a* fileb, hraryy focurity to the. convoys upon tbeotWrv The fort mufr themfarerbave been,conftru&ed wk& a different' vies*. It rouft havebeca dfifigned only for die protfe«^ion of ifee 1 cattle winch p*&mxd:akmg! the. adjoining fields. 011 the. weft. And for fochaupmtoffion .theiBouaas contn&d&ty $ftabiMhfed ? a tumultuary feet ? Tfhe qne;whQleiiw^ th*
 * 1) eep flope of twepty thirty-five or forty yards, v and the. ditch is
 * f them, and lately curving round' the angle and. proceeding for