Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/88

NORTH ISLES. NORTHOLT. expense of 1,500. It has atower containing three tells. Grange Park, formerly the seat of the earls of Northing- ton, which title is now extinct, ia a mansion built by Inigo Jones. It is now the property of Lord Ashburton, who is the lord of the manor. NORTH ISLES, a district of the Orkney Islands, coast of Scotland, comprising the islands and pars, of Burness, Cross, Eday, Lady, North Ronaldshay, Rousay, Sanda, Shapinshay, Stronsay, and Westray. It gives name to a presbytery in the synod of Orkney. NORTH KIRK, or PIER WALL, a vil. in the par. of Lady-Kirk, Orkney Islands, coast of Scotland. It is situated on the N, side of Westray Island. NORTHKIRK, an ancient par. in the Shetland Isles, coast of Scotland, now joined to Yell. NORTHLEACH, a par., post and small market town, in the hund. of Bradley, co. Gloucester, 13 miles S.E. of Cheltenham, 10 N.E. of Cirencester, and 84 from London. It is situated in a vale near the source of the river Leach, from which it derives its name, under the Cotswold hills. It is a polling and petty sessions town, consisting principally of one long, irre- gularly-built street. The par. includes the hmlt. of Eastington, at which place is an ancient camp, with a double vallum, called Norbury, and supposed to be of Roman origin. It was given by Etheldred to Gloucester Abbey, but was resumed by Henry VIII., and given to the Daltons. About the beginning of the 16th century it did an extensive clothing trade, but owing chiefly to the deficiency of water supply, it gra- dually declined, and the trade has long been discon- tinued. It is governed by a bailiff, burgesses, &c. Petty sessions are held twice a month at the house of correction for the county, which is situated at a short distance from the town. New county courts are held at the King's Head Inn monthly. A court-leet is held yearly, at which the bailiff, two constables, two tything- men, and two cardinals are appointed. The board of guardians meet at the workhouse every Wednesday. There is an ancient market-house supported by pillars, with remains of a cross. A few of the inhabitants are engaged in frame- work knitting, but the chief business is in agricultural produce. The land is chiefly arable. The tithes were commuted for land and a money pay- ment, under an Act of Enclosure in 1782. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of Gloucester and Bristol, val. 270, in the patron, of the bishop. The church, dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, is an ancient structure, with an embattled tower containing six bells. The interior of the church contains an ancient font and numerous brasses of clothiers, bearing date from 1400. The charities produce about .746 per annum. The almshouscs are for six aged men and the same number of women. There are a free grammar and National schools. The Independents and Wesleyans have each a chapel. Here is a meet for the Cheltenham staghounds. Jevon Harper, Esq., is lord of the manor. The ancient British road, called the Lower Salt- Way, leading from Droitwich towards the E., was here crossed by the Roman Fosseway, which describes the north- western boundary of the parish. Market day is Wednes- day. Fairs are held on the Wednesday prior to the 4th of May, and on the first Wednesday in September, for cattle and sheep, and two statute fairs in October. NORTHLEW, or NORTHLEIGH, a par. in the hund. of Black-Torrington, co. Devon, 3J miles S.E. of Honiton, and 4 N.W. of Colyton. The village, which is small and straggling, is situated on a branch of the river Torridge, and ia wholly agricultural. The soil is various, with a subsoil of red marl. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of Exeter, val. .342, in the patron, of the crown. The church, dedicated to St. Giles, is a stone edifice, with a tower containing four bells. The interior of the church contains a font, also a carved screen, which has been newly erected. The parochial charities produce about 12 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes. Mrs. Proby, of Seaton, U lady of the manor. NORTHMAVINE, or NORTHMAVING, a par. in the Mainland, Shetland Islands, coast of Scotland. It comprises the northern part of Mainland, which ig indented with many voes or inlets, affording safe har- bours for the fishing-boats, and is surrounded on all sides with small islands, holms, and rocks, as Engleshay, Lainba, Dorholm, Maiden Skerry, Hamnavoe, Burravoe, &c., but only one of these Lamba is inhabited. It is a peninsula united to the parish of Belting by a narrow isthmus about 100 yards broad at high water, called Mavis-grind, but so low that at high spring-tides it is entirely surrounded by water. It extends in length about 16 miles from S. to N., with an extreme breadth of about 8 miles. The surface is of a hilly nature, the highest altitude being at Rona's Hill, which is 1,470 feet above sea level. This hill has on its summit an ancient building crowned with a pyramidal tower of small stones, which serves as an excellent landmark, being the first Scottish land sighted by ships approaching from the N.AV. The surface is chiefly rook, moss, and pas- ture, with but a small portion of land devoted to agri- cultural purposes. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the fisheries. All the fish caught in the parish are shipped for exportation at Hillswick Harbour, in St. Magnus Bay, where there is safe and excellent anchorage. At the village of Hillswick, which is the only commercial place in the parish, aro good warehouses and salt and fish cellars, also a commodious beach for drying fish. This par. is in the presb. of Olnafirth and synod of Shetland. The minister has a stipend of 158. The parish church, situated in the village of Hillswick, was erected in 1733, and restored in the years 1764 and 1825. There was formerly another church at Ottabery, on the E. side of the parish, but this has been in ruins since 1761. There are parochial and other schools. The Wesloyans have a chapel at North Rae, and the Independents one at Sulerne. Three fairs for cattle and horses are held annually. The ward-hills or watch- houses along the coast are supposed to have been origin- ally built to give notice of approaching danger, but were subsequently used to call the people together when shoals of small whales appeared, for which purpose they are still employed in the Tawe Islands. Fetheland is a small peninsula at the northernmost point of the parish, enclosed by a stone fence, off which arc the three lofty rocks called Ramna-Stacks. NORTI1MOOR, WITH MOORTON AND NEW- BRIDGE, a par. in the hund. of Chadlington, co. Ox- ford, 7 miles S.E. of Witney, its post town, and 61 S.W. of Oxford. The village, which is small, is situated on the river Isis, and is wholly agricultural. Not quite a third of the land is arable, the remainder pasture and meadow. The tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of 504. The living is a porpet. cur. in the dioc. of Oxford, val. 120, in the patron, of St. John's College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Dennis, is an ancient cruciform structure, with a square tower containing six bolls. Tho interior of the church has effigies of a crusader. The parochial charities produce about ,40 per annum. The Archbishop of York is lord of the manor. NORTHMOOR, a vil. in the par. of North Petherton, co. Somerset, 2 miles S. of Bridgwater. It is situated near the river Parrot and Taunton canal. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Bath and Wells, val. 100, in the patron, of the Vicar of North Petherton. NORTIIMUIR, a vil. in the par. of Kirriemuir, co. Forfar, Scotland, 5 miles N.W. of Forfar. NORTHOLT, or NORTHALT, a par. in the hund. of Elthorne, co. Middlesex, 4 miles from the Hanwell station, 4 E. of Uxbridge, and 2} S. by W. of Harrow, its post town. The village, which is of small extent, is situated on the Paddington canal, between the Harrow and Uxbridge roads, about equi-distant from the Bir- mingham railway at Harrow, and the Great Western railway at Southall. It is wholly agricultural, but bricks arc extensively made. It is mentioned in Domesday as Northala, and was formerly held by the Mandevilles, through whom it came to the Botelers, and so to Earl Jersey, of Osterley. The land is chiefly meadow, with a