The history and antiquities of Scarborough and the vicinity. With views and plans / by Thomas Hinderwell.

  • Hinderwell, Thomas, 1744-1825.
Date:
1798
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history and antiquities of Scarborough and the vicinity. With views and plans / by Thomas Hinderwell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    341/408 (page 307)
    ( 3°7 ) Ebberston, Near twelve miles weft of Scarborough, is remarkable for an elegant little Manlion (in view of the York road) taken from the' plan of a Roman Villa, and eretfted for the rural retirement of one of the Hothanx family. It is quite a Villa in miniature at the foot of a pleafant eminence decorated with an amphitheatre of plantations ; and a Iheet of chryftal water rufhing down the declivity, falls in cafcades behind the houfe, and being conveyed round it by an aquedudl, the ftream again appears, flowing in a gentle current to the village. The Villa,—the Church,—the fcattered Cottages,—and the Groves, difplay in the fummer feafon, a fcene truly pidturefque and beautiful. Upon the hill, above the houfe, is a fmall Cave, in a rock, called by the country people Ilfrid's Hole f they inform the inquirer, from tra- dition of their anceftors, that a Saxon King of that name, being wound- ed in battle, fled from his purfuers, and took fhelter in this cave, where he remained one night, and was next day conveyed to Driffield.. The following infcription, which was upon a ftone over the Cave, and afterwards painted upon wood when the ftone decayed, is remem- bered by fome of the ancient inhabitants. “ Alfrid, King of Northumberland, was wounded’in a bloody battle near this place, and was removed to Little Driffield, where he lies buried:f hard by, his entrenchments may be feenK An inclofure at the weft end of Ebberfton, adjoining the Pickering road, now known by the name of Bloody Clofe, ftrongly indicates that a battle has been fought there; but the tradition is, that Alfrid was wounded in a battle within the lines of Scam-ridge, (either Six Dikes, or Ofwy s Dikes) near this place. * Corrupt name for Alfrid’s Cave. This Cave is now almoit filled up by the falling in of the rock; but feveral of the old people of the village remember when it would have contained eight or ten perfons.—JElla's Croft near York, in the fame manner derived its appellation from JElla, the Saxon Prince, who was fiain there. f See the copy of the Infcription on his Monument in Little Driffield Church, page 261.