other at the foot of a precipice of rock, up which a road has been cut into steps, which is pleasingly shaded by overhanging foliage. Along the river from this point, by the Halves Farm, Grimbald Bridge, the lime-kilns, Grimbald Crag, and Birkham Wood, is a choice resort for the botanist, from the many rare and curious plants here found. The turnpike road from Knaresborough to Wetherby passes through this township. Grimbald Bridge, the point at which it enters, is a substantial fabric of two arches; in Leland's time (about 1536) it was only of one, and he calls it "one very greate bridge for one bowe." It was on this ground, in 1405, that the men of Yorkshire, under Sir Thomas Rokeby, their sheriff, took position against the forces of the Earl of Northumberland, as old Hollingshead relates-"Sir Rafe Rokesby, Sheriff of Yorkshire, assembled the forces of the county to resist the earl and his power, comming to Grimbathbrigs, besides Knaresborough, to stop the passage; but they retourning aside, got to Wetherbie, and so to Tadcaster, and finally came forward to Bramham Moor." The earl shewed prudence in turning aside, for to attempt the passage of the river here, when strongly guarded, would have been akin to madness, and ended in sure destruction. A short distance above the bridge rises the mass of magnesian limestone rock, called Grimbald Crag; the north and west sides present bold precipices towards the river, which bends round its foot, in a channel of gritstone; the other sides are of easy slope, and covered with grass. From the top a fine view of the valley and windings of the river is obtained, while, if required, it would afford a fine site for a feudal fortress; lofty, and almost impregnable—one half being protected by the river and the rock, while the other might be easily fortified. On the north side is a cavern, which appears to have been inhabited at some period; whether by a hermit of Grimbald, or forest outlaw, is not known. Birkham Wood, a steep slope, yet "clad in ancient salvage dress," occupies the river's bank for some distance above Grimbald Crag. The voice of the nightingale is said to have been frequently heard in this wood "Past the near meadows, over the hill-stream, Was it a vision or a waking dream?" Passing upward, among pictures of natural scenery of the most romantic and beautiful kind, we come to Thistle Hill, where the magnesian limestone has been extensively quarried and burnt; so much so that it is exhausted at that particular place. This is chiefly remarkable as being the spot where the skeleton was found, which led to the discovery of the murder of Daniel Clark, by Eugene Aram and others, in 1745. A person who was employed in clearing the earth from the top of the quarry, found a human skeleton, which popular rumour asserted to be that of Clark; when Richard Houseman, happening to take up one of the bones, made the assertion-"This is no more one of Dan Clark's bones than it is mine!" which created a suspicion which led to the discovery of the body in St. Robert's Cave, and the apprehension, trial, and execution of Aram, nearly fourteen years after the crime was committed. A most singular discovery was also made here in October, 1853; when some quarrymen were at work behind the Union Inn, about 27 feet below the surface of the ground, they came upon a considerable accumulation of water-worn boulders, mixed with fine clay. On removing these, they discovered the skeletons of six or seven human beings, which had been covered by the stones, and embedded in the clay. The skulls were of various sizes, and the teeth in some of them in perfect preservation. One pair of jaws were of rather a diminutive size, the teeth small, white, and regular, seeming as though they had belonged to a young adult female. The right upper jaw of one of the skulls was broken, as if by a blow. No traces of armour were found near the skeletons. Amongst the bones were found the skull of a dog, and the jawbone of an ox. An examination of the place shewed that it was a natural cavern in the limestone rock, about seven feet wide, five feet high, and of considerable length, communicating with the surface above by an irregular fissure, just wide enough to allow a full-grown man to enter. It seems quite clear that this had been the abode, or the refuge, of some family in very lawless times, when the caves and dens of the forest afforded an asylum, and that, most probably, some landslip had happened to block up the entrance, and leave the unfortunate beings within to perish. On the hill, on the right of the road leading to Plumpton toll-bar, stood the gibbet of Eugene Aram. A conspicuous. place, whence it could be seen from the castle yard and many parts of the town of Knaresborough.* The gibbet did not stand in the township of Plumpton, but either in Scriven or Harrogate. The body of Aram was the last, though not the first, that was hung in chains in Knaresborough Forest. "On Monday, March 30th, 1594, Richard Craw, aged 28, was executed at the Tyburn, without Micklegate Bar, and the next day hung in chains in Knaresborough Forest, for the wilful murder of Mr. James Giles, of Knaresborough. On Monday, July 27th, 1598, Thomas Henry de Alting, aged 45, a native of Beverley, and Robert Thomas Swedier, aged 33, a native of Sheffield, were executed at the Tyburn, without Micklegate Bar, for housebreaking, and taking twenty-four guineas from Mr. William Boucham, with intent to murder him and his wife, at Knaresborough. After the execution, their bodies were conveyed to Knaresborough Forest, and there hung in chains. On Friday, May 13th, 1668, George Habbishaw, aged 37, and Benjamin Ambrose, aged 29, were executed at the Tyburn, without Micklegate Bar, for the wilful murder of George Lumley, Esq., at Knaresborough, on the 10th day of January, 1666. The body of Habbishaw was hung in chains, early next morning, in Knaresborough Forest, and the body of Ambrose was given to the surgeons of York for dissection."-Criminal Chronology of York Castle. The charities belonging to this township consist of a rentcharge of 3s. 4d. per annum, given by Thomas Bigland, in 1658 (none received since 1768), and a proportion of bread, purchased with the interest of £20, given by Dr. Hutton and Dr. Talbot, for the poor of the parish of Spofforth. The whole township contains 2,870 acres, of nearly every variety of soil; some of which appears to be particularly well adapted for the growth of the oak and beech, while near the hall the ash attains to a large size. In 1801, the population was 191; in 1831, 221; and in 1861, 219. The annual value, as assessed to the county rate in 1849, was £2,092; in 1859, £2,385; and in 1866, £2,850. The amount assessed to property tax in 1858 was £2,617. LITTLE RIBSTON. LITTLE RIBSTON is a township in the parish of Spofforth, and is of a triangular form; the south-easterly side being bounded. by the brook Crimple; the north-easterly by the river Nidd; thus occupying the land between them to their point of junction; the township of Plumpton forms the boundary towards the west. At the time of the Domesday survey, this township formed part of the fee of William de Percy, and is thus entered Godefrid Value in "Manor. In Ripesten, Turber had one carucate of land and a half to be taxed, where there may be one plough. now has it of William; himself one plough there. King Edward's time, twenty shillings; now ten shillings."+ The Plumptons, of Plumpton, held lands in this township, of the Percy fee, as early as the year 1168; for in, or about that year, Nigel de Plumpton granted to Robert, son of Huckman, his seneschal, along with other lands in Plumpton *Written, at different times, Ripesten, Ribbestain, Ribstain, Ribstone, and Ribston. The first syllable is from Ripe, the bank of a river; stain or stone-that is the stone on the river's bank, which would be descriptive, as the magnesian limestone appears on both sides of the river Nidd at this place. Or it may, with equal probability, be derived from Ripa and ton— that is the town on the river's bank;-though we prefer the former. The epithet Little is to distinguish this village from Ribston Great, which is situate on the opposite side of the river Nidd. +"Bawdwen's Dom. Boc.," p. 105. |