Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/306

Rh RAVEN-MEOLS. 294 RAVENSTONEDALE. RAVEN-MEOLS, a hmlt. in the chplry. of Formby, and par. of Walton-on-the-Hill, co. Lancaster, 7 miles W. of Onnskirk, and 10 N.W. of Liverpool. It is situated on the sea-coast near Formby Point, at the mouth of the river Alt. RAVEN POINT, a promontory on the coast of co. Wexford, Ireland. It forms the northern point at the entrance to Wexford haven, nearly opposite to Roslare Point. RAVEN ROCK, a peak of the Axedge hills, co. Derby, 2| miles S.W. of Buxton. From its summit is a view of Snowdon and Lincoln cathedral, and near its foot the river Dove has its source. RAVENSBTJRN, a small river of the co. of Kent, rises near Farnborough, and passes under the Green- wich railway to the Thames at Deptford Creek. RAVENSBURY CASTLE, an ancient camp on Icknield Street, co. Herts, near Hexton. It covers 16 acres, and is supposed to be of Danish origin. RAVENSCRAIG, two ancient castles of this name in Scotland, one, the seat of the St. Clairs, is in co. Fife, and now belongs to Earl Rosslyn ; the other, a seat of the Keiths, is in co. Aberdeen, near Peterhead. RAVEN'S CLIFF, a spot on the Wye, co. Hereford, near Bicknor. RAVENSCROFT, a tnshp. in the par. of Middlewich, hand, of Northwich, co. Chester, 1 mile N.W. of Mid- dlewich. It is situated on the river Dane. RAVENSDALE PARK, a hmlt. in the par. of Mug- gington, hund. of Appletree, co. Derby, 5 miles S. W. of Belper, near a branch of the river Derwent. RAVENSDALE PARK, a demesne in Ravensdale, co. Louth, Ireland, 5 miles N.E. of Dundalk. The mansion occupies a site between the Slieve Gullion and Carlingford mountains. RAVENSDEN, a par. in the hund. of Barford, eo. Bedford, 4 miles N.E. of Bedford, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. The surface is rather hilly, and the soil clayey. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1809. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of Ely, val. 100. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient structure of stone with a square embattled tower containing five bells. The parochial charities produce about 8 per annum. There is a National school adjoining the church. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. RAVENSEAT, a hmlt. in the chplry. of Muker, par. of Grinton, North Riding co. York, 4 miles N.W. of Muker. It is situated in the Moorlands near Shunner Fell. RAVENSFLAT, a hmlt. in the par. of Laughton, wap. of Corringham, parts of Lindsey, co. Lincoln, 5 miles N.E. of Gainsborough, near the river Trent. RAVENSPIJR or RAVENSER, an ancient borough in the East Riding co. York. It stood near Spurn Head, and was a place of considerable trade in the 14th century ; but was long ago overwhelmed bv the sea. RAVENSTHOKPE, a par. in the hunds". of Nobottle Grove and Guilsborough, co. Northampton, 8 miles N.W. of Northampton, its post town, and the same dis- tance N.E. of Daventry. The village, which is of con- siderable extent, is situated on a branch of the river Nen, and about 2 miles from the main road between Northampton and Dunchurch. The par. includes the hmlts. of Coton-under-Guilsborough and Teeton. The surface is undulating, and the land nearly evenly divided between arable and pasture. The tithes have been com- muted for a rent-charge of 81, and there are 96 acres of glebe. The living is a vie.* in the dice, of Peter- borough, val. 243, in the patron, of the Dean and Canons of Christ Church, Oxford. The church, dedi- cated to St. Denis, has an embattled tower containing a clock and five beDs. The parochial charities produce about 85 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes. The Baptists have a place of worship. Lord Willoughby de Brooke is lord of the manor. RAVENSTHORPE, a hmlt. in the par. of Appleby, co. Lincoln, 5 miles N.W. of Glanford-Brigg. It is situated on the line of the ancient Ermine Street, near the river Ancholme. RAVENSTONE, a par. in the hund. of Newport, co. Bucks, 5 miles N.W. of Newport Pagnel, its post town, and 3 S.W. of Olney. The village, which is of small extent, is situated near the river Ouse, which flows to the S. of the parish. In 1246 a priory of Black canons was founded here by Henry III. In the 15th year of Henry VIII. its revenues were valued at 66 13. id., and were given to Cardinal Wolsey towards the endow- ment of his intended colleges. The surface towards the northern boundary is undulating, but generally flat to- wards the Ouse. The soil is clay, alternating with gravel, upon a subsoil of limestone. The land is nearly evenly divided between arable and pasture. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Oxford, val. 104. The church, dedicated to All Saints, contains a monument to Lord Chancellor Finch, who died in 1682, and one to tho late Earl of Northampton. The parochial charities produce about 282, part of which goes to the Earl of Northamp- ton's almshouses, and 150 to Chapman's school, which is conducted on the National system. G. Finch, Esq., of Burley Hall, in Rutlandshire, is lord of the manor. The Rev. Thomas Seaton, founder of the Seatonian prize poem at Cambridge, was once vicar ; and the Rev. Thomas Scott, author of a commentary on the Bible, waa once curate. RAVENSTONE, a par. in the hunds. of West Gos- cote and Repton, cos. Leicester and Derby, 3| miles S.E. of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, its post town, and 2 S.W. of the Coalville railway station. The village, which is of small extent, is chiefly agricultural. A portion of the inhabitants are engaged in the collieries. There are also some brick-kilns. The parish is intersected by the road from Leicester to Ashby, and the railway from Swan- nington to Leicester runs about a mile distant from the village. The surface is undulating, and the soil is a rich sandy loam upon a substratum of coal. The tithes have been commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1770, and the glebe comprises 165 acres. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Lichfield, val. 300, in the patron, of the lord chancellor. The church, de- dicated to St. Michael, is an ancient structure, with a spired tower containing three bells. The whole edifice has been put in an excellent state of repair. The paro- chial charities produce about 881 per annum, chiefly the endowment of Rebecca Wilkins's almshouses, founded in 1712, for 32 single women above the age of 50 years. There is a National school for both sexes. The Wes- leyans have a place of worship. Ravenstone Hall and Ravenstone House are the principal residences. Leo- nard Fosbrooke, Esq., is lord of the manor. RAVENSTONEDALE, a par. in the E. ward, of co. Westmoreland. It is an extensive par. equalised into four quarters, called The Town, Bowderdale, Fell End, and Newbiggen angles, extending in length about 7 miles, with a breadth of about 5 miles. It is bounded by part of Yorkshire on the N., and by the tnshps. of Mallerstang, Smardale, Raisbeck, and Tebay on its other sides. The town of Ravenstonedale is about. 4| miles S.W. of Kirkby-Stephen, its post town, 13 S.E. of Appleby, and 270 N.W. of London. It is situated under Ravenstonedale Fell, near the source of the river EJen and Lune. The manor was formerly held by Walton Priory, in Yorkshire, and in common with other posses- sions of that monastery, enjoyed the privilege of sanc- tuary. After the Dissolution it came to the Whartons and Lowthers. The substratum abounds in a peculiar kind of red sandstone, which becomes very hard upon exposure to the air. A portion of the inhabitants are engaged in frame-work knitting; but the staple trade of the town is derived from agricultural produce. The district abounds with thwaites and fells, intervened by fertile valleys. The living is a perpet. cur. * in the dioc. of Carlisle, val. 110. The church, dedicated to St. Oswald, was rebuilt in 1744, near the site of a more ancient one, in which the steward and jury of the manor were wont to hold their court for the trial of felons and other offenders. The parochial charities produce about 64