Britannia, volume the first, or, An illustration of the Kingdom of England and dominion of Wales by a geographical and historical description of the principal roads thereof, actually admeasured and delineated in a century of whole-sheet copper-sculps : accomodated with the ichnography of the several cities and capital towns, and compleated by an accurate account of the more remarkable passages of antiquity : together with a novel discourse of the present state / by John Ogilby ...

[illustration]

The Road From OXFORD to CAMBRIDGE By IOHN OGILBY Esq^r. his Ma^ties Cosmographer Containing 80. miles ••. Furlongs (viz^t) From Oxford to Burcester 13.0. to Buckingham 11.6. to Newport Painel 13.7. to Bedford 13.3. to Gamlinghay 13.0. & to Cambridge 15.0.

The Road from Oxford to Cambridg.

• 1. THE Point of Bearing E. N. E.
• 2. The Direct Horizontal Distance 57 M.
• 3. The vulgar Computation 52 M.
• 4. The Dimensuration 80 M.

From OXFORD	Comp.	Measure.
to Burcester	10	10	13’0	13’0
Buckingham	09	19	11’6	24’6
Newport-Painel	08	27	13’7	38’5
to Bedford	07	34	13’3	52’0
Gamlinghay	09	43	13’0	65’0
Cambridg	09	52	15’0	80’0

Oxfordshire, Buckinghamsh. Northamptonsh. Bedfordsh. and Cambridgsh. * 1.1 include the whole Road; and the Charwel, Owse and Cam are the principal Rivers crost over; this is the chiefest Road between the two Universities, which in general is a very bad, deep Way, but is very much recompenc'd by the re-iterated good Towns and publick Places of Accomodation through which you pass.

Forward Turnings to be avoided.

• At 3’2. The Left to Banbury.
• At 8’2. The Left to Weston.
• At 11’2. The Right forward.
• At 12’5. The Left acute.
• At 13 M. The Right in Burcester.
• At 13’4. The Left to Banbury.
• At 24’3. The R. * 1.2 at the entring Buckingham
• At 36’6. The Right acute.
• At 41’2. The Right to Ampthil.
• At 56’2. The Left to St. Neots.
• At 60’7. The Right to Potton.
• At 64’3. The Right acute.

FROM Cairfax in OXFORD (the Account of which you have in OXFORD to BRISTOL, pag. 157.) * 1.3 you pass through the North-Gate and leave the City at 5 Furlongs; whence a straight Road leads you at 4’3. to Lowse-Hall, a Noted House on the Left, so call'd by the OXFORD-Scholars; * 1.4 and 2 Furlongs farther you pass through a scattering Village, at the End of which you cross the Char∣wel over Gosford-Bridg of Stone; proceeding on open Way, you leave Islip Church a Mile on the Right, and at 6’5. cross the great Road that leads from LONDON to WORCESTER; thence you pass between Weston Church and Park, and through Wendlebury a small Village; whence at 12’7. you enter Burcester vulgo Bisceter, * 1.5 ex∣tending 3 Furlongs on the Road, a small Town, yet enjoys an indifferent good Market on Fridays.

From Burcester, omitting the forward Way on the Left to Banbury, * 1.6 you bear to the Right, and pass by Casfield House on the Left, and at 16 Miles you pass through Stretton-Audley a small Village, * 1.7 and at the End thereof cross the Road from LON∣DON to Banbury; whence a straight Way brings you at 18’2. to the Entrance of Buckinghamshire; then between Newton-Pursel and Chickwood, and through Tingewick Woods, and by Tingewick Church on the Left, and a Pond on the Right, enter Gaynat at 22’5. a Village of 2 Furlongs Extent, and at 24’4. Buckingham, * 1.8 where over a fair Stone-Bridg you cross the Owse) a Corporation, Market and Shire-Town, the Account whereof you have in the Road from LONDON to Bucking∣ham, pag. 23. adding this, That it hath 2 Hospitals, a Free-School and 4 Incorpo∣rated Companies, viz. the Mercers, Butchers, Taylers and Tanners; and is the Ho∣norary Title of His Grace George Villers Duke of Bucks. &c. and hath one fair Church Dedicated to St. Peter.

Leaving Buckingham you have the River Owse accompanying your Road on the Right for several Miles, a straight Way conveys you by Borton a Village, and Thorn∣ton Church both on the Right, and on the other side of the Owse; and Morton, Foscot and Leckhampsted on the Left, entring Northamptonshire at 28’7. then by Beck∣hampton Church on the Right, you re-enter Buckinghamshire at 30’6. where you cross the foresaid Owse; whence by Passingham and Wulverton Churches on the Left, and Leighton on the Right; and crossing the great Road that leads from LONDON to

CHESTER and Holyhead, &c. you are convey'd at 34’6. to a Descent of 2 Fur∣longs, at the Bottom wherof over Stanton-Bridg you cross a Brook, and leave Ha∣versham vulgo Hasome Church on the Left, and after Stanton Church and Hall on the same Hand; then a small Descent by Great Linford on the Right, and Little Linford on the left, * 1.9 leads you at 38’3. to the Entrance into Newport-Painel or Paignel of 3 Furlongs Extent, and as much transverse; the Town is indifferent large, and enjoy∣eth a good Market on Saturdays; the poor People here make great store of Bone-Lace, &c.

Leaving the Town you have Moulso and Chichley Churches on the Right, Lathbury and Hardmere on the Left; * 1.10 then at 44’5. you pass through Astwood a small Village, and enter Bedfordshire at 45’3. passing through Stagsden at 47 Miles, a Village of 2 Furlongs Extent; and re-crossing the Owse at 49’1. then by Biddenham Church and Fordend House on the Right, and Brumham Church on the Left; you enter Bedford at 51’3. a Corporation, Market, and Shire-Town, [for the Illustration whereof, vid. LONDON to Oakham pag. 93.] adding this, That not far from the Bridg, on the Banks of the River Owse, formerly stood a small Chapel, wherein (as re∣ported) Offa the Mercian King was Interr'd, whose Monument remain'd a long time, till the over-flowing of the River wash'd it away: The Town hath been a great Sharer in Calamities; first, by the Danes; next, in the Civil Wars by the Barons; and lastly, by King Henry the Third, its Castle was laid level to the Ground, and in the Place thereof, is a very gallant Bowling-Green, much resorted unto by the Gentry of the Country.

Leaving Bedford, * 1.11 you pass by Cardington and Cuphul Churches on the Right, and Willington Church, Park and Hall on the Left; and at 58 Miles you pass through Morehanger a Village of 2 Furlongs Extent; * 1.12 then by Blunham on the Left, and San∣dy on the Right; and at 60’7. omitting the forward Way on the Right to Potton, you bear to the Left, and pass by Everdon Church on the same Hand; whence at 63’0. you enter Cambridgshire, at its Conjunction with Huntingdonsh. and Bedfordsh. and then pass by Woodberry House and Gamlinghay Park on the Left, and at 64’6. enter Gamlinghay, * 1.13 a Village of 2 Furlongs Extent, affording good Accomodation to Travellers; * 1.14 whence an indirect Road and something Woody, by Stow on the Right and Little Gransden on the Left, brings you at 69’4. to Stow a small Village conti∣guous on the Left.

At 70’2. you cross the great Road that leads from LONDON to YORK, Barwick, &c. and passing through some Woods, and descending 2 small Hills, leave Kingston Church on the Right, and Cawcote on the Left, at equal distance from the Road; * 1.15 thence you are convey'd, first crossing a small Brook, at 73’4. through Tofts, a Village extending 2 Furlongs on the Road; * 1.16 and 10 Furlongs farther through Com∣berton a Village of 3 Furlongs Extent and good Accomodation: Whence by Cotton on the Left, * 1.17 an indirect Road leads you at 79’6. to Cambridg, (a little beyond which you fall in with the Road from LONDON) an University, Corporation, Market and Shire-Town [the Account of which you have in LONDON to Lyn, pag. 15.]

Southward from Cambridg are Gogmagog Hills, which are of great Eminency, for∣merly a Station of the Danes, on the Top of which is to be seen a Rampeir strength∣ned with a three-fold Trench, held a Place impregnable; of which Hills the Coun∣try-people relate many fabulous Stories.

Backward Turnings to be avoided.

• 1. 3 Furl. from Cambridg the Left forward.
• 2. 2’5. Short of Comberton the Left forward
• 3. 1’6. Short of Comberton the R. to Cotton.
• 4. A M. short of Comberton the Left acute.
• 5. A Furl. beyond Stow the Left acute.
• 6. At the end of Morehanger the Left acute.
• 7. 1’4. Short of Bedford the Left acute.
• 8. A Furlong beyond Owse fluv. the Right to Wellingborough.
• 9. 2’2. Short of Newport-Painel the Left to Wooburn.
• 10. A Furlong beyond Newport-Painel the Right acute.
• 11. 1’3. Short of the Entring Northamp∣tonshire the Right acute.
• 12. At the Entring Buckingham the Right forward.
• 13. At the End of Buckingham the Left for∣ward.
• 14. A Mile beyond Buckingham the Left to Padbury.
• 15. A Furl. short of Burcester the Left acute
• 16. The Left in Burcester.
• 17. 2 Furlongs beyond Burcester the Left acute.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Counties past through. Rivers crost over. The quality of the way.
• * 1.2

  Acute Turnings to be avoided.
• * 1.3

  OXFORD, N. by E.
• * 1.4

  [8 Miles N. E.]
• * 1.5

  Wendlebury, 10’1.
• * 1.6

  Burcester, 13 Miles.
• * 1.7

  Stretton-Audley, 16. M.
• * 1.8

  Gaynat, 22’6. Buckingham, 24’6.
• * 1.9

  Newport-Painel, 38’5
• * 1.10

  Astwood, 44’5. [45’3. E. by N.] Stagsden, 47 Miles. Bedford, 52 Miles.
• * 1.11

  [56’2. E. by S.]
• * 1.12

  Morehanger, 58 M. [60’7. N. E. by E.]
• * 1.13

  Gamlinghay, 65 M.
• * 1.14

  [68 Miles E. by N.] Stow, 69’4.
• * 1.15

  Tofts, 73’4.
• * 1.16

  Comberton, 75 Miles.
• * 1.17

  Cambridg, 80 Miles.