Wookey - Woolos, St.

Wookey (St. Matthew)

WOOKEY (St. Matthew), a parish, in the union of Wells, hundred of Wells-Forum, E. division of Somerset, 1¾ mile (W.) from Wells; containing, with the tything of Yarley, and part of Wookey-Hole, 1187 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the Subdean of Wells, valued in the king's books at £12. 15. 10.: the great tithes have been commuted for £212, and the vicarial for £299. 5.; the glebe comprises 5 acres. At Henton is a second church, dedicated to Christ. In the side of the Mendip hills, about a mile and a half from the village, is the curious cavern termed Wookey-Hole, the approach to which is surrounded by scenery extremely picturesque. The entrance is very narrow, but within are several spacious apartments, one of them resembling the interior of a church, the roof and sides of which are encrusted with concretions of most fantastic form, while on the floor are other large petrifactions, formed by the water dropping from above. Beyond is a smaller cavity, and this leads to a third, the diameter of which is about 120 feet, its roof cylindrical, and its bottom composed of a fine sand. On one side of the last cave runs a very cold and pure stream of water, the primary source of the river Axe.

Wookey-Hole

WOOKEY-HOLE, a tything, partly in the parish of Wookey, and partly in the parish of St. Cuthbert, without the limits of the city of Wells, union of Wells, hundred of Wells-Forum, E. division of Somerset; containing 132 inhabitants.

Wool (Holy Rood)

WOOL (Holy Rood), a parish, in the union of Wareham and Purbeck, liberty of Bindon, Wareham division of Dorset, 6 miles (W. by S.) from Wareham; containing 505 inhabitants. It comprises about 2100 acres, of which 1700 are arable, meadow, and pasture, and 400 heath; the soil of the cultivated land is fertile. From a copious spring at the head of the parish, issues a stream that flows through the village into the river Frome. A fair for cattle and general traffic is held on the 14th of May. The living was until recently annexed to the vicarage of Coombe-Keynes; it is now a distinct perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Bishop of Salisbury, with a net income of £80. The church is an ancient structure, partly Norman, and partly in the early English style, with a massive tower; the pulpit hangings, though much decayed, are embellished with representations of the Twelve Apostles, worked in embroidery with gold and silver thread enriched with beads. Nearly half a mile to the south, are the remains of Bindon Abbey, founded in 1172, by Robert de Newburgh and Matilda his wife, in honour of the Virgin Mary, for monks of the Cistercian order, whose revenue at the Dissolution was £229. 2. 1. Of part of the ruins, a building of corresponding character has been erected on the spot, by the proprietor, Joseph Weld, Esq., of Lulworth Castle. The site is beautifully laid out, and is much frequented by parties of pleasure.

Woolard

WOOLARD, a hamlet, partly in the parish of Compton-Dando, but chiefly in that of Publow, union of Clutton, hundred of Keynsham, E. division of Somerset; containing 191 inhabitants.

Woolascott

WOOLASCOTT, a township, in the parish of St. Mary, Shrewsbury, hundred of Pimhill, Northern division of Salop; containing 23 inhabitants.

Woolavington (St. Mary)

WOOLAVINGTON (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Bridgwater, hundred of Whitley, W. division of Somerset, 4 miles (N. E.) from Bridgwater; containing 448 inhabitants, and comprising by measurement 1735 acres. Stone of good quality is quarried for building, and for the roads; the best is a blue lias, which is much esteemed. A cattle-fair is held on the 18th of October. The living is a vicarage, endowed with a portion of the rectorial tithes, with the living of Puriton annexed, and valued in the king's books at £11. 7. 11.; net income, £352; patrons, the Dean and Canons of Windsor, who are appropriators of the remainder of the rectorial tithes. The glebe comprises 36 acres, and there is a good house, built by the present incumbent. The church has a small sepulchral chapel attached. Here are places of worship for Wesleyans; and a national school.

Woolbeding

WOOLBEDING, a parish, in the union and borough of Midhurst, hundred of Easebourne, rape of Chichester, W. division of Sussex, 1½ mile (N. W.) from Midhurst; containing 311 inhabitants. The parish is intersected by the river Rother, and comprises about 2300 acres, of which 767 are arable, 250 meadow and pasture, 517 woodland, and the remainder waste; the surface is undulated, and the scenery pleasingly varied. Near the conservatory of Woolbeding House is a bronze fountain, removed from the quadrangle at Cowdray; also a remarkable tulip-tree, the trunk of which is eight feet in girth, at a height of three feet from the ground. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £7. 0. 10., and in the patronage of the Hon. Mrs. George Ponsonby: the tithes have been commuted for £280, and the glebe comprises 27 acres. The church is in a very sequestered spot; in the chancel window is some ancient stained glass, from the priory of Mottesfont, in Hampshire.

Woolborough (St. James)

WOOLBOROUGH (St. James), a parish, in the union of Newton-Abbott, hundred of Haytor, Teignbridge and S. divisions of Devon, 5 miles (W. S. W.) from Teignmouth; containing, with the town of Newton-Abbott, 2609 inhabitants. The parish lies on the road from London to Plymouth, about half a mile south of the river Teign, and comprises by computation 1600 acres. Limestone is extensively quarried for building, and burning into lime. The living is a donative; net income, £235; patron and impropriator, the Earl of Devon. The church, situated about a mile from Newton-Abbott, has an inscription on the outside of the south aisle bearing date 1516; the other portions of the structure are considered to be much more ancient. There is some fine screen-work across the nave and aisles, and the building contains a monument to the memory of Sir Richard and Lady Lucy Reynell; the chancel underwent great improvement a few years since, and a handsome altar-piece of stone has been erected.—See Newton-Abbott.

Woolcombe

WOOLCOMBE, a tything, in the parish of Portbury, union of Bedminster, hundred of Portbury, E. division of Somerset 3 containing 15 inhabitants.

Wooldale

WOOLDALE, a township, in the parish of KirkBurton, union of Huddersfield, Upper division of the wapentake of Agbrigg, W. riding of York, 6¼ miles (S.) from Huddersfield; containing 4806 inhabitants. It was anciently called Wolves-dale, from its abounding with wolves. The manufacture of woollencloth is carried on extensively. There are places of worship for the Society of Friends, and Unitarians.

Wooler (St. Mary)

WOOLER (St. Mary), a market-town and parish, in the union, and E. division of the ward, of Glendale, N. division of Northumberland, 16½ miles (S.) from Berwick-upon-Tweed, 18 (N. W.) from Alnwick, 45 (N. N. W.) from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 318 (N. N. W.) from London; containing, with the township of Fenton, 1874 inhabitants. This place occupies the eastern declivity of the Cheviot hills; and near it is the village of Humbleton, celebrated for the victory gained by Percy, Earl of Northumberland, in the reign of Henry IV., over a Scottish army of 10,000 men, under the command of Earl Douglas: the engagement occurred on a plain within a mile north-west of the town, where a stone pillar has been erected, commemorative of the event. A great part of the town was destroyed by fire in 1722, since which period it has not made any considerable advances towards improvement. It consists of several streets diverging from a market-place in the centre, is indifferently paved, and supplied with water from a fountain erected at the public expense; a good troutstream flows through the lower part of it, and falls into the river Till. The houses are mostly old, and the general appearance of the place is unfavourable; but the situation, though mountainous, is extremely salubrious, and the town was formerly much resorted to by invalids, for whose use many goats were kept. Here is a branch of the North of England bank; a public subscription library is supported, and a mechanics' institute was established in 1827. The market is on Thursday. Fairs are held on May 4th and October 17th, for horses, cattle, and sheep; and on the third Tuesday in May a general fair takes place on Weetwood Bank, a mile and a half distant from the town. The powers of the county debt-court of Wooler, established in 1847, extend over the registration-district of Glendale. The lord of the manor holds a court leet and baron within three weeks after Easter.

The living is a vicarage, endowed with a portion of the rectorial tithes, valued in the king's books at £5. 8. 1½., and in the patronage of the Bishop of Durham; impropriator of the remainder of the rectorial tithes, the Earl of Tankerville. The vicarial tithes have been commuted for £404. 16., and the impropriate for £54; there are 56 acres of glebe. The church, built in 1765, on the site of an ancient structure destroyed by fire, is a neat edifice, occupying an eminence commanding an extensive and richly-varied prospect. There are places of worship for Burghers and Presbyterians; also a Scottish Relief church, and a Roman Catholic chapel. The Glendale union, of which Wooler is the head, comprises 45 parishes and places, and contains a population of 14,000 persons. On a circular mount near the town are the remains of a tower, apparently of Norman origin. There are also many intrenchments in the vicinity, of which the most remarkable is Humbleton Hugh, circular in form, with a large cairn on the summit; the sides of the hill are formed into terraces, about twenty feet broad, in three successive tiers, which, when they were filled with soldiers, presented a formidable resistance to any assailing force.

Woolfardisworthy

WOOLFARDISWORTHY, a parish, in the union of Bideford, hundred of Hartland, Great Torrington and N. divisions of Devon, 9½ miles (S. W. by W.) from Bideford; containing 988 inhabitants. This parish, which reaches to the sea-coast, comprises about 6000 acres. Stone of good quality for building is extensively quarried, and shipped from Bideford to various places. The village, which extends into the adjoining parish, is chiefly inhabited by fishermen, who are partly employed in carrying sand from the shore, for the use of farmers in dressing the lands. There is also a fishing-hamlet in the parish, situated on the same bay as Clovelly, and where a commodious quay might easily be formed. Two fairs for cattle are annually held. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £91; patron and impropriator, William Cole Loggin, Esq. The tithes have been commuted for £470, out of which £20 are payable to the incumbent, who has about half an acre of glebe and 16 acres of other land, with a glebe-house recently erected. Here are places of worship for Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists.

Woolfardisworthy (Holy Trinity)

WOOLFARDISWORTHY (Holy Trinity), a parish, in the union of Crediton, hundred of Witheridge, South Molton and N. divisions of Devon, 6 miles (N. by W.) from Crediton; containing 220 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 19. 4½.; net income, £258; patrons, the Hole family. Berry Castle, an ancient Roman encampment, is in the parish.

Woolferton

WOOLFERTON, a township, in the parish of Richard's-Castle, union of Ludlow, hundred of Munslow, S. division of Salop, 3 miles (S. E.) from Ludlow 5 containing 60 inhabitants. The Leominster canal passes through the township.

Woolhampton (St. Peter)

WOOLHAMPTON (St. Peter), a parish, in the union of Newbury, hundred of Theale, county of Berks, 7¼ miles (E.) from Newbury; containing 491 inhabitants. The parish comprises 684a. 17p., and the navigable river Kennet flows through it. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £7. 17. 6., and in the patronage of the Rev. Miles L. Halton: the tithes have been commuted for £200, and there are 32 acres of glebe. The Roman Catholics have a chapel.

Woolhope (St. George)

WOOLHOPE (St. George), a parish, in the union of Ledbury, hundred of Greytree, county of Hereford, 7¾ miles (W. by S.) from Ledbury; containing, with the townships of Buckenhill and Putley, 813 inhabitants, of whom 568 are in Woolhope township. The parish consists of 4129 acres. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £7. 12. 8½.; net income, £326, with 20 acres of glebe, and a good house; patrons and appropriators, the Dean and Chapter of Hereford. A school is endowed with £6 per annum.

Woolland

WOOLLAND, a parish, in the union of Sturminster, hundred of Whiteway, Sturminster division of Dorset, 5 miles (S.) from Sturminster-Newton; containing 124 inhabitants, and comprising about 1020 acres. The living is a donative, in the patronage of G. C. Loftus, Esq.; net income, £35. The church was rebuilt in 1745, a little westward of the ancient site. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans.

Wool-Lavington, East and West

WOOL-LAVINGTON, EAST and WEST, a parish, in the borough and union of Midhurst, hundred of Rotherbridge, rape of Arundel, W. division of Sussex, 4½ miles (S. W. by S.) from Petworth; containing 418 inhabitants. This parish is pleasantly situated at the base of the northern acclivity of the downs, and comprises 2530a. 1r. 14p., of which 957 acres are arable, 312 meadow and pasture, 380 wood, and 859 common, down, and waste. The downs are here extremely picturesque, including the hanging woods in Wool-Laviugton Park, and most extensive views over the Weald; the cultivated lands are widely detached, some portions of the parish being nine miles distant from each other. The present mansion in the park was built by the late John Sargent, Esq., the intimate friend of Hayley the poet, and himself author of several elegant poems. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £9, and in the patronage of Bishop Wilberforce: the tithes have been commuted for £210, and the glebe comprises 17 acres. The church is a neat structure in the early and later English styles.

Woolley

WOOLLEY, a tything, in the 'parish of Chaddleworth, union of Wantage, hundred of KintburyEagle, county of Berks, 6 miles (W.) from East Ilsley; containing 61 inhabitants.

Woolley (St. Mary)

WOOLLEY (St. Mary), a parish, in the hundred of Leightonstone, union and county of Huntingdon, 5 miles (N. E. by N.) from Kimbolton; containing 79 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £9. 9. 2., and in the gift of J. Cockerell, Esq.: the tithes have been commuted for £110, and the glebe contains 2 acres. The church has a western tower, crowned with a handsome cupola.

Woolley

WOOLLEY, a chapelry, in the parish of Royston, wapentake of Staincross, W. riding of York, 5¾ miles (N. by W.) from Barnsley; containing 418 inhabitants. It lies on the road from Wakefield to Barnsley, and comprises 2569a. 14p., of which 1339 acres are arable, 836 meadow and pasture, 353 woodland, and 40 road and waste. Coal is obtainable, though not wrought; and there are quarries of good building-stone, in which are curious fossils. The living is a perpetual curacy; net income, £220; patron, G. Wentworth, Esq. A rent-charge of £370 has been awarded as a commutation for the tithes, payable to the Archbishop of York. The chapel, dedicated to St. Peter, is an ancient structure with a tower; the windows are decorated with stained glass, and the building contains some monuments to the Wentworth family. Sixteen children are instructed for £16. 7. per annum, arising from land bequeathed by Nicholas Burley, and from the interest of £140, the amount of various benefactions.

Woollos, St.

WOOLLOS, ST., a parish, in the union and division of Newport, hundred of Wentlloog, county of Monmouth; containing, with the town of Newport, 13,766 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, with the perpetual curacy of Bettws annexed, valued in the king's books at £7. 3. 11½., and in the gift of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol: the great tithes have been commuted for £281, and the vicarial for £200.—See Newport.