Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/260

Rh POWEKSTOCK. 248 POYNTON. Glencree, with its fall, and Dargle, all headwaters of the river Brag. The road from Dublin to Rathdrum passes through the interior. The living is a rect. in the dioe. of Dublin, val. 307, in the patron, of the archbishop. The church was enlarged by the late Board of First Fruits in 1822. The Roman Catholic chapel is united to that of Delgany. Powerscourt, the seat of Viscount Powerscourt, is situated in a demesne extending over an area of 26,000 acres, with deer park and ornamental plantations. A castle formerly stood here, built by the De la Poers, and which was taken in 1535 by the O'Tooles and Byrnes. Upon its capture by the English it was granted to the Talbot family by Henry Till., and in the middle of the 16th century was retaken by the Cavanaghs. It was subsequently granted to Sir 11. Wingfield by James I. in 1609, who took his title of viscount from hence. POWEESTOCK. See POOESTOCK, co. Dorset. POWERSTOWN, a par. in the bar. of Gowran, co. Kilkenny, prov. of Leinster, Ireland, 3 miles S.E. of Gowran. Goresbridge is its post town. It is about 3 miles square, lying along the banks of the river Barrow. The road from Gowran to Graignenamanagh passes through the parish. The living is a rect. and vie. in the dioc. of Leighlin, val. 359, in the patron, of the crown and bishop alternately. The church is an old building. The Roman Catholic chapel is united to that of Ullard. There is a day school in the parish. Near the village are the ruins of two churches, and likewise of Drumroe Castle. POWFOOT, a hmlt. in the par. of Cummertrees, co. Dumfries, Scotland, i miles N.W. of Annan. It is situated at the mouth of a small stream called the Pow Water, on Solway Frith, and is much frequented in the summer for sea-bathing. POWICK, a par. in the lower div. of the hund. of Pershore, co. Worcester, 3 miles S.W. of Worcester, its post town, and 6 from Malvern. The village is situated near the confluence of the rivers Severn and Teme. At the old bridge which crosses the latter Princes Rupert and Maurice defeated the parliamentary troops under Colonel Sandes in 1642. Near the old bridge is an iron one of modern date. A portion of the land is rich meadow, especially along the banks of the Teme, the remainder being arable, with some hop-grounds and about 150 acres of woodland and common. The par. comprises the hmlts. of Cleveland and Woodsfield. At a farm in the neighbourhood are the ruins of Beau- champ's Court, formerly the seat of the Beauchamps of Powick. There are many villa residences. The impro- priation belongs to the corporation of Worcester. The living is a vie.* with the cur. of Cleveland annexed, in the dioc. of Worcester, val. .290. The church, dedi- cated to SS. Peter and Lawrence, is an ancient cruciform structure with a tower of great height. The interior of the church has undergone many improvements, and has several stained windows that in the chancel being of great antiquity. It contains an octagonal stone font, also several tablets and monuments. From the church, which is on a hill in the midst of a cluster of trees, a prospect is commanded of the surrounding country. The parochial charities produce about 51 per annum. There is a National school at Powick, and another situated at Bastenford, about 1 mile to the S.W. of the village. At Stanbrook, near the river Severn, is a nunnery which removed here from Salford, in War- wickshire. The Earl of Coventry is lord of the manor POWIS CASTLE, or CASTELL COCH, the seat of the Earl of Powis, co. Montgomery, 1 mile S. of Welsh- pool. It is situated on a red sandstone rock in the midst of a park, which is entered by a gate out of the main street of Welshpool, and is free to everybody to enter, through the generosity of the noble owner. The original fortress was commenced by Cadwgan-ap-Bleddyn, Prince of Powisland, in 1109, and was completed by subsequent princes. In 1191 it was taken by Archbishop Hubert, who strengthened the fortifications, which had been dis- mantled by Llewelyn-ap-Iorwerth in the reign of King John. The castle subsequently came, through the daughter of Owain-ap-Griffith, to Sir John Charlton, Baron of Powis, from whose family it passed into that of the Greys, who sold it to the Herberts in the reign of Elizabeth, and in whose family it has ever since re- mained. In 1644 it was taken by the parliamentary forces and suffered considerably, but was restored by Smirke, who retained several of the old towers. There is a gallery, built in the latter part of the 16th century, 117 feet long, in the cinque-cento style. It contains portraits of the Herberts, including one of Lady Maria, celebrated by Pope, also Clive, by Dance, several paint- ings by Italian masters, the Byzantine cup which once belonged to Mary of Modena, sculpture, relics, and antiques from Herculaneum, curiosities from India, and a rare library. POWMILLION, a stream of the co. of Lanark, Scotland. It joins the river Avon near Strathavon. POWNALL-FEE, a tnshp. in the par. of Wilmslow, hund. of Macclesfield, co. Chester, 3J miles S. by W. of Stockport, and 7 N.W. of Macclestield. The village, which is considerable, is situated near the Manchester railway, and on the river Bollin. POWSAIL WATER, a stream of the co. of Peebles, Scotland. It joins the Tweed at Drumelzicr, where is Merlin's Grave. POWTRAIL WATER, a feeder of the river Clyde, co. Lanark, Scotland. It rises under the Lowther hills. POXWELL, or POKESWELL, a par. in the hund. of Winfrith, co. Dorset, 6 miles S. by E. of Dorchester, its post town, and 5J N.E. of Weymouth. The parish is intersected by the road from Wareham to Weymouth. It is inconsiderable, and wholly agricultural. On a hill in the neighbourhood is a Druidical circle of fifteen stones, measuring 13 feet in diameter. Stone is quarried for building purposes. The glebe comprises about 30J acres. The living is a rect. annexed to that of Warm- will, in the dioc. of Sarum. The church is an ancient structure with the old manor house adjoining. There is a free school, which is entirely supported by J. T. Trenchard, Esq., who is lord of the manor and sole landowner. POYNINGS, a hund. in the rape of Lewes, co. Sussex, contains the pars, of Newtimber, Poynings, Pye- combe, and part of Edburton, comprising an area of 7,320 acres. POYNINGS, a par. in the above hund., rape of Lewes, co. Sussex, 3J miles S.W. of Hurstpierpoint, its post town, 6 N.W. of Brighton, and 4J from Hassocks Gate railway station. The village, which is of small extent, is situated under the northern escarpment of the South Downs, near " the Devil's Dyke," which occupies the southern extremity of the parish. This entrench- ment is of an oval form, and nearly a mile in circum- ference, being defended on one side by the dyke, a natural ravine, much strengthened by art, and on other sides fortified by a broad ditch and rampart thrown up between the hill and the main downs. The inha- bitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. Poynings constitutes a " stewardship," which is given to members of parliament who wish to resign their seat in a similar manner to the Chiltern hundreds. Nearly half the land is arable, and the remainder divided between pasture, sheepdown, and woodland. On the downs stands the Dyke House Tavern, well known to tourists throughout the kingdom. A brook, which rises at the bottom of the Dyke, supplied several fishponds, which once belonged to the Barons Poynings. The glebe consists of about 15 acres in this parish, and 70 in Pyecombe. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Chichester, val. 297. The church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is a cruciform edifice with a square tower in the centre. The register dates from 1558. The parochial charities produce about 5 per annum. There is a village school, recently erected by grants from the crown, privy council, &c. The Baptists have a place of worship. The manor belongs to the crown, also the principal portion of the land. POYNTON, or POIGNTON, a tnshp. and chplry. in the par. of Prestbury, hund. of Macclesfield, co. Chester,