Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/217

Rh BATTISFORD. 207 BATTLEBRIDGE. c brick, and the casing of an ornamental character, j ntcd light green and relieved hy gilding. The Pim- ] ; railway bridge, which adjoins the suspension bridge, v s designed by Mr. T. Fowler, to carry the South Coast
 * al Palace railways across the Thames to tho

^ storia station. That portion of the river where the i w bridge crosses is about 900 feet in width, and the tucturo consists of four openings, each having a clear fin of 175 feet, and one side-opening at each land side ( 70 feet each. These openings are covered with seg- i ntal arches in iron, and rest on massive piers, the i (porting stones of which average a weight of 8 tons <:h. Each river pier measures 63 feet in length, by a 'dth of 19 feet. The now bridge, which is constructing i- the West London railway, to connect tho North- i and South- Western lines, is not yet sufficiently ,'vanced to enable us to give a detailed description, '.e par. of Battersea is very extensive, embracing an s.'aof 31,183 acres, consisting of some of tho richest lid in England. Tho fields in the vicinity are well i botanists as containing above one quarter of the I English plants. In July, 1862, an interna- I ual agricultural and cattle show was held in tho park. BATTISFOED, a par. in tho hund. of Bosmere and 1 lydon, in tho co. of Suffolk, 2 J milos to tho N.W. of ] edham-Markct railway station, and 3 from Stowmarket. j preceptoiy of tho Knights Templars was founded hero i the reign of Henry II., which was valued at tho Dis- 10 living is a vie. in the dioc. of Norwich, of tho val. ( 100, in the patron, of the Rev. E. Paste, vicar. The itirch, dedicated to St. Mary, is a small Gothic struc- 1 v, without a tower or bells. The register commences tin the year 1711. Kcar the village is Battisford Hall, ful residence of E. Lingwood, Esq. 8ATTLE HUNDRED, one of the 13 hunds. or sub- i 'isions of the rape of Hastings, in the co. of Sussex ; i surrounded by Nethcrfield, Staple, Baldslow, and 'nfield hunds., and contains the pars, of Battle and " hatlington. It has an area of 9,480 acres. BATTLE, a par. in tho hund. of Merthyr, in the co. < Brecknock, SouthWales, 3 miles to theW. of I'avk- i _'k. It is situated in a district of great beauty, near t 1 ) junction of tho river Yschir with tho Usk. This jtce once belonged to tho priory of Brecknock, which 1 s made a cell to Battle abbey, in Sussex. Its name i most probably explained by this circumstance. The 1 ing is a perpet. cur. in tho dioc. of St. David's, val. . J, in the patron, of Browne's Trustees. The church ledicatcd to St. Cvnog, and stands on high ground by . ; Yschir, commanding a tine view. Penoyre, a modern 'tnsion, in tho midst of beautiful grounds, overlooking !i;)iilicent scenery, is the seat of J. Watkins, Esq. BATTLE, a par. and market town, in the rape of - Jstings, in the co. of Sussex, 8 miles to the N.W. of istings, and oG miles to the S.E. of London. It is a tion on tho Tunbridge AVells and Hastings section < the South-Eastern railway, and gives name to the ) nd. in which it is situated. This place, which was ilciently called Jlpi(on t derived its present name from t : decisive battle, usually called the Battle of Hastings, iich was fought here on the 14th of October, 1066, Hween the Normans and the English, in which tho 1 ter were defeated, and Harold slain. A magnificent
 * ution at 53 10s., and was granted to Sir R. Gresham.
 * bey was erected by tho Conqueror on tho field, and

i ) high altar was raised on the spot on which Harold i 1, or on w T hich his standard was taken. It was muni- I ;ntly endowed, and possessed many great and extra- < linary privileges. In its ehurch were preserved the i urd and coronation robe of the Conqueror, and the i nous roll or list of his principal comrades, a document iich appears to have been largely altered from time to t ic by its appointed guardians, and of which there is ] >bably now no authentic copy. The house was for ) nks of tho Benedictine order, and the abbot was i ;red, and invested with the high prerogative of par- i ling a criminal on tho way to execution. The privi- 1 o of sanctuary was conferred on tho church, and tho ) isossions of the abbey included all the lands lying within one league of it, besides numerous churches and estates in other parts of tho country. The revenue of the house at the Dissolution was 987. Houses wore gradually erected near the abbey, and by the reign of Henry I. a town had grown up of sufficient importance to obtain the grant of a weekly market. Battle is situ- ated in a valley of great beauty, surrounded By gentle hills, with rich woods and fertile meadows. It has one principal street. Most of tho houses are old and poor- looking. In tho neighbourhood are extensive works for the manufacture of iino gunpowder, for which the place has been celebrated from a remote period. Hops are grown in the parish. Battle is tho seat of a Poor-law Union ; and the town contains the Union workhouse, fitted for 250 inmates, a house of correction, which will contain 12 prisoners, and a savings-bank. It is a polling- place for the eastern division of the county of Sussex ; and petty sessions are held in the town by the county magistrates. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Chi- ehestcr, of tho val. of 396, in the patron, of Sir Godfrey Webster. It also constitutes an exempt deanery, the vicar having the title of " Dean of Battle." The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is largo and handsome, chiefly in tho early English, but with some portions in the Norman style. It contains five monumental brasses, the earliest of which bears the date 1425, and several of them aro finely executed. It has also an old font, monuments of the Brownes, to whom the manor once belonged, and some interesting stained windows. There are places of worship for Baptists, Weslcyans, and Swe- denborgians. A free school for 30 children of both sexes, founded in 1791, by Elizabeth Langton, has an income from endowment of 68 per annum. There are several other charities, the produce of which, with the school, is 148 a year. The ruins of the abbey are very extensive, forming three sides of a quadrangle, and entirely con- tained within the grounds belonging to the modern mansion, the seat of Sir Godfrey Webster, who has a fine painting of tho Battle of Hastings, by Wilkins. They stand on rising ground, commanding a charming prospect down the winding valley. Tho best-preserved part of the pile is the great gateway, a square building in tho decorated stylo, surmounted with octagonal turrets. This entrance fronts the town, and was at one time occupied as a townhall. Of tho abbey church nothing is left but some fine arches, now forming part of the residence. There are remains of two large halls, probably refectories, one being 106 feet long and 35 feet wide ; beneath this hall are stone crypts, with graceful pillars and arches. The market is held on Thursday. According to the original grant, Sunday was the market day, and the change to Thursday was made by Act of Parliament about 1600. A cattle market is held on the second Tuesday in each month, and fairs on Whit- Monday and the 22nd November, for cattle, fancy goods, and pedlery. BATTLE-BARROAV, or BATTLEBURGH, a hmlt. in the par. of St. Michael's, Apploby, East ward, in tho co. of Westmoreland, separated from Apploby by the river Eden. A short distance to the E. of tho village is the Appleby station of the Eden Valley railway. This railway was opened in June, 1862, and connects the county of Durham with the Lancaster and Carlisle railway at Clifton, near Penrith. Hero stood the monastery of White Friars, founded in 1281 by Lords Clifford, Vesey and Percy. On tho site of the ancient monastery is erected a fine modern mansion, called The Friary, the residence of Robert Addison, Esq. BATTLE-BRIDGE, a hmlt. in the par. of Isling- ton and hund. of Ossulstone, in the co. of Middlesex, near the Great Northern railway terminus. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of London, val. 160, in the patron, of the incumbent of Trinity Church, Islington. Tho church is dedicated to All Saints. The Regent's canal passes near the hamlet, which now forms part of the northern suburb of London. BATTLEBRIDGE, a vil. in tho bar. of Boyle, in the co. of Roscomrnon, prov. of Connaught, Ireland, 4 miles from Eeadue.