Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/483

SIDMOUTH. 471 SILEBY. living is a vie. annexed to that of Echinswell, in the dioc. of Winchester. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, has a tower containing six bells. William Kings- mill, Esq., is lord of the manor. SIDMOUTH, a par., seaport, market town, and watering-place in the hund. of East Budleigh, co. Devon, H miles S.E. of Exeter, and 6 S.W. of Ottery St. Mary. The town, which is situated at the lower end of a valley, sheltered on the E. and N. by two high hills, and near the mouth of the small river Sid, which here falls into the Western Bay, was for- merly a place of more importance than at present, and in the 13th century was a borough and market town, governed by a portreeve. Its trade was then very con- siderable, particularly with France, the nearest point of which, Cape de la Hogue, near Cherbourg, is 90 miles across, but no craft, except pleasure-boats and fishing-smacks, can now approach the town, in conse- quence of the harbour being choked up with sand and pebbles. The town is irregularly built, but is neat and clean, and has recently been much improved. In 1839, an Act was obtained for building a market house, and the town contains hotels, inns, boarding-houses, commodious baths on the Esplanade, public rooms for assemblies and concerts, an institution, with a library and reading-rooms at the London Hotel, subscription reading-rooms, two circulating libraries situated in Fore-street, and a sea-wall, completed in 1838, which affords a promenade of about half a mile in length. The climate is salubrious and remarkably mild, the town having a southerly aspect, overlooking the sea. The mean annual temperature is 5r97, while the summer averages 62, and the winter only 42'44. The town is well lighted with gas, and a good supply of pure water has lately been brought from the Cot- maton springs. From the top of the Peak, or Salcombe hills, the view extends upwards of 30 miles, taking in the whole of the valley of the Sid. The soil is a rich alluvial earth. In the vicinity of the town are numerous marine villas, including Woolbrook Glen, once the residence of the late Duke and Duchess of Kent, and the Queen, then Princess Victoria. Some of the female population are employed in the manufacture of Honiton lace. This place gives the title of viscount to the Addington family. A landslip occurred here some years back, when a part of the Peak hill was carried nearly a fourth of a mile into the sea. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Exeter, val. 481. The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, has been lately restored. It contains some good specimens of coloured glass, and a handsome reredos of Caen stone and marble. A painted window is about to be presented by her Majesty in memory of her father, the late Duke of Kent, who died here. There is also a chapel-of-ease dedicated to All Saints. There are places of worship for Independents, Wesleyans, and Unitarians. There are parochial, National, and British and Foreign schools, also two Sunday-schools. Market days are Tuesday and Thursday. Fairs are held on Easter Monday, and on the third Monday in September, for the sale of cattle and horses. SIDNEY SUSSEX COLLEGE, an ext. par. place in the lib. of Cambridge University, co. Cambridge. SIEFTON, a tnshp. in the par. of Culmington, co. Salop, 6 miles N.W. of Ludlow. SIGGINSTON, a hmlt. in the par. of Llanwit Major, co. Glamorgan, 4 miles S.W. of Cowbridge. SIGGLESTHORNE, a par. and tnshp. in the N. div. of Holderness wap., East Riding co. York, 6 miles N.E. of Beverley, its post town, 13 N.E. of Hull, and 4 S.W. of Hornsea. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. The par. includes the tnshps. of Catfoss, Hatfleld, and Seaton. The soil is of a clayey and loamy nature, upon a subsoil of clay. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of York, val. 585, in the patron, of the crown. Thn church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, is an ancient structure, with a square tower containing three bells. The parochial charities consist of Con- stable's school, for the instruction of 16 poor children. The principal residence is Bigglesthorne Hall. SIGHELDEN, or SILSDEN, a tnshp. and chphy. in the par. of Kildwick, E. div. of Staincliffe wap., West Riding co. York, 6 miles S.E. of Skipton, 4 N.W. of Keighley, and within half a mile of the Silsden rail- way station. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in the manufacture of worsted and cotton goods, and in nail-making. The village is situated on the Leeds and Liverpool canal, near the river Aire. The tnshp. in- cludes the hmlts. of Sighelden Moor, Brunthwaite, and Cringle. A considerable portion of the land is moor- land, part of which has recently been brought under cultivation. Coal of inferior quality is found, and there are quarries of excellent building-stone. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Ripon, val. 121. The church is dedicated to St. James, and was origi- nally erected in 1711, but rebuilt in 1816 by the Earl of Thanet, who is lord of the manor and chief landowner. There are places of worship for Primitive Methodists and Wesleyana. The charities consist of 5 acres of land bequeathed by Thomas Townsend in 1683. SIGHILL. See SEGHILL, co. Northumberland. SIGNETT, a hmlt. in the par. of Burford, hund. of Bampton, co. Oxford, 1 mile S.W. of Burford. It is in conjunction with Upton. SIGSTON KIRBY, a par. in the wap. of Allerton- shire, North Riding co. York, 3 miRs E. of Northaller- ton, its post town. It contains the vils. of Sigston Smithy, Sowerby, and Winton. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture. There is no village. The living is a rect. in the dioc. of York. The church, dedi- cated to St. Lawrence, has a tower containing two bells. There is a free school. SIGSWORTH, a hmlt. in the tnshp. of Fountains- Earth, par. of Kirkby-Malzcard, West Riding co. York, near Pateley Bridge, and 4 miles S.W. of Ripon. It is situated near the rivers Nidd and Skell. SILBURY HILL, an artificial mound near Avebury, co. Wilts, 5 miles S.W. of Marlborough. It is the largest barrow in the British Isles, measuring 1,680 feet round at the base, and 170 feet high, and was supposed to be a monument of great antiquity ; on its being opened by the Archaeological Institute in 1849 nothing of interest was discovered. SILCHESTER, a par. in the lower half of Hold- shott hund., co. Hants, 7 miles N.W. of Basingstoke, its post town, and 2^ W. of the Mortimer station, on the Great Western railway. The village, which is of small extent, is wholly agricultural. In the vicinity are traces of the fortified camp called by the Britons Caer Segont, and by the Romans Catteva Atrebalum, or Vindonwn, having been one of the principal stations of the Romans in the S. of Britain. It was hero that the younger Constantino assumed the purple in 407. In 493 the fortifications were dismantled by Ella. The enclosed area is in the form of an irregular octagon, nearly 1 mile in circum- ference. The site is now under cultivation, nevertheless the track of the streets are still to be traced, and on the S. side the walls are from 15 to 20 feet in height. About 150 yards from the N.E. angle of the walls is an amphi- theatre on the outer side, now covered with trees ; and about a mile to the N.W. is another camp, near the hamlet of Soak. There are also traces of the Portway to Salisbury, Grimsdyke to Winchester, and of the Devil's Causeway to Staines roads; another road led past the camps and tumuli on Mortimer Heath to Speen. In 1833 were discovered the walls of the thermal, or hot-baths, and coins, inscriptions, and other relics of Roman origin have since been discovered. Silchester gives title of baron to the family of Pakenham, Earls of Longford. The living is a rect* in the dioc. of Winchester, val. 308. The church is an ancient structure dedicated to St. Mary. The parochial charities produce about 15 per annum. There is a National school, principally supported by the Duke of Wellington, who is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The Primitive Methodists have a chapel here. SILCOATES, a hmlt. in the tnshp. of Alverthorpe, West Riding co. York, 2 miles N.W. of Wakefield. SILEBY, a par. in the hund. of East Goscote, co.