Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/579

Rh LEIGH, SOUTH. 571 LEIGHTONSTONE. extent, and wholly agricultural. The living is a . annexed to the vie. of Stanton-Harcourt, in the c. of Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. James, is an ancient edifice, with a square embattled tower. utrities produce about 11 per annum. LEIGH, SOUTH, a par. in the hund. of Colyton, co. Devon, 3 miles S.W. of Colyton. It is situated near a branch of the river Axe, under Blackbury Castle, one of the most perfect Roman encampments in the county. The village, which is small, is wholly agricultural. Wis- oombc Park is the principal seat. The living is a rect. * in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 181. The church, dedicated to St. Laurence, is a small ancient structure. The charities produce about 9 per annum. There is a Sunday-school with a small endowment. At Kings- down, in this parish, are linos of ancient earthworks, and in the vicinity several barrows. LEIGUTERTON, a hmlt. in the par. of Boxwell, upper div. of the hund. of Grumbalds Ash, co. Glou- cester, l.J mile N.W. of Boxwoll, and 4i miles S.W. of Tetbury. Wootton-under-Edgo is its post town. It was formerly a distinct parish. In 1700 a large barrow, situated in this hamlet, was opened by Matthew Huntley , and was found to contain an earthen urn filled with charred human hones. The living is a rect. * annexed to Boxwell, in the dioc. of Gloucester and Bristol. There are parochial churches both at Leighterton and Boxwell ; the former, dedicated to St. Andrew, has a low square tower containing one bell. LEIGKTON, or LEIGHTON CHAPEL, a tnshp. in the par. and hund. of Nantwich, co. Chester, 2 J miles from Hiddlewich, and 5 from Nantwich. It is a small village, situated near the river Weaver and the Grand Junction canal. The old seats of the Brooke and Erdswick families are now converted into farmhouses. There is a place of worship for Primitive Methodists. LEIGHTON, a tnshp. in tho par. of Neston, higher div. of tho .hund. of Wirrall, op. Chester, 1J mile N. of Great Neston. It is a small irregularly built village, situated on tho river Dee. LEIGHTON, or LEIGHTON-BROMESWOLD, a par. in the hund. of Leightonstone, co. Huntingdon, 7 miles N. of Kimbolton, its post town, and 10 W. of Huntingdon. Tho village, which is small and irregu- larly built, is situated on a branch of the river Ouse. It is wholly agricultural. At Leighton Gorso is a meet for Earl Fitzwilliam's hounds. Tho land is nearly evenly divided between arable and pasture. There is a chalybeate spring, formerly in high repute. The living i* a vie. in the dioc. of Ely, val. 90, in the patron, of the bishop. Tho church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a neat edifice, with a tower. There is a National school. The trustees of the late John Norris, Esq., are lords of the manor. LE1GIITON, a tnshp. and chplry. in the par. of Worthin, hund. of C'awrse, co. Montgomery, 2 miles S.E. of Welshpool, its post town, and 9" from Mont- gomery. The township, which is of small extent, is situated on the E. bank of tho river Severn and near ' 'yke. The principal residence is Leighton LEIGHTON, a par. in the Wellington div. of the 1 South Bradford, co. Salop, 6 miles S.W. of ion, its post town, and 3 N. of Much Wenlock. age, which is small, is situated on the river Severn, and on the Shrewsbury and Worcester turnpike road. The Wrekin Hill, a trap rock rising to the height feet, and commanding an extensive prospect, lies on the N.E. border of tho parish. The living is a . in tho dioe. of Lichfield, val. 218. The church, I to St. Mary, is a brick structure, with a tower containing three bells. The interior of
 * ' h contains several fine tablets. Tho parochial

' produce about 12 6. per annum. Robert 1 ., is lord of tho manor. M TON-BUZZARD, a par., post, and market i!i" hund. of Manshead, co. Bedford, 18 miles id, and 41 from London. It has a station 1 /radon and North- Western railway, which here passes through a slightly carved tunnel 272 yards in length ; there is also a branch here to Dunstable. It is situated on the E. bank of the river Ouse, or Ousel, over which is a bridge leading into Buckinghamshire, and near the Grand Junction canal, which is navigable for vessels of eighty tons. Tho par., which is of large extent, contains the chplries. of Billington, Eggington, Stanbridgo, and Heath with Reach. The soil is in general fertile, but there is a considerable tract of common, now enclosed. The proper adjunct to its name is " Beau Desert," corrupted into Buzzard. It is supposed to be the Lygeanburg of the Saxon Chronicle, which Cuthwulph took from the Britons in 571. Here was formerly a Cistercian cell to Woburn Abbey, founded in the reign of Henry III., also a priory cell at Grovebury, sub- ordinate to Fontevrault Abbey in Normandy. The town of Leighton has considerably increased since the formation of the railway. It comprises one wide street branching off at the market-place to the right and left. It is paved and well lighted with gas. It contains many well-built houses and shops. There has lately been built by subscription a corn exchange with assembly rooms, &c., at a cost of 7,000. Tho market is considered the first in the county for corn, cattle, &c. Near the market-house, which was rebuilt in 1852, is an ancient stone cross of five sides, 27 feet in height, on a base of 7i feet. It is in the early English style of architecture, and is supposed to have been built in the 1 3th century. Near the summit are niched figures of a bishop, Virgin and Child, &c. In the town are two banks, a savings- bank, temperance hall, union poorhouse, &c. Tho town is under the jurisdiction of the county magistrates, and is a polling place for the county elections. Courts leet and baron are held in Whitsuii week, also on the last Thursday and Friday in October, by Colonel Hanmer, as lord of the manor. A considerable trade is carried on in timber, iron, lime, bricks, corn, &c. A portion of the female inhabitants are employed in tho manu- facture of lace and straw plait. Leightoa Poor-luw Union includes 16 parishes or townships, 10 in Bucking- hamshire, and 6 in Bedfordshire. It is also the seat of a superintendent registry, and now County Court district. In the neighbourhood is a Roman encampment. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Ely, val. 400, in the patron, of the Prebendary of Leighton-Buzzard in tho cathedral of Lincoln. Tho parish church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient cruciform structure, with a tower crowned by an octagonal spire 193 feet high. Tho interior of the church, which has been re-pewed, con- tains an old font, stalls, monuments, &c. In addition to the parish church, there are four district churches, at Stanbridgo, Billington, Eggington, and Heath with Reach, the livings of all which are perpet. curs., varying in val. from 260 to 94. A now church, designed to bo a chapel-of-ease, is now about to be built at the N. end of the town; also National schools, which arc much required. The parochial charities produce about 599 per annum, including 200, the endowment of Wilkes' almshouses, founded in 1630. There are grammar, Lan- castrian, infant, and British schools, the last founded in 1813. The Baptists, Wesleyans, PrimitiveMethodists.and Society of Friends, have each a place of worship. Colonel Hanmer, K.H., of Stockgrove, is lord of the manor. Market day is Tuesday. Extensive horse and cattle fairs are held on 5th February, second Tuesday in April, Whit-Tuesday, 26th July, 24th October, and the second Tuesday prior to Christmas Day. The wool fair, which is tho largest in the county, is held on the first Friday in July. LEIGHTONSTONE, a hund. in co. Huntingdon, contains the pars, of Alconbury with Alconbury Weston, Barham, Brampton, Brington, Buckworth, Bythorn with Brington, Great Catworth, Coppingford, Covington, Easton, Edlington, Gidding (Great, Little, and Steeple), Grafiham, Hamerton, Keyston, Kimbolton, Leighton, Molcsworth, Spaldwick, Stow, Swineshead, Upton with Copmanford, Old Wcston with Brington, Woolley, and parts of Luddington, Thurning, and Winwick, com- prising an area of 56,130 acres.