hed by the river; wave-like
sweeps of water-worn materials still higher up are no less conspicuous.
In both these are found the _Turritella terebra_, and other shells of
modern seas, identifying them with the period when a marine strait
extended the whole distance from the Dee to the Bristol Channel. The
cutting near Coalbrookdale has yielded a rich harvest of these marine
remains, sufficient satisfactorily to indicate the true position of the
beds, and to associate them with others of great interest elsewhere.
Along one of the ancient estuaries of this recent sea, now the Vale of
Shrewsbury, the Severn winds in curious curves, and almost meets in
circles, imparting a pleasing aspect to the valley. On leaving Buildwas,
Buildwas Park is passed on the left, and Leighton Hall and church are
seen on the opposite side of the river; while on the left again are
Shineton, Shinewood, and Bannister's Coppice; the latter famous as the
hiding-place of the Duke of Buckingham, when unable to cross the river
with his army at its mouth. Shakspere alludes to the event, in "King
Richard," thus:--

"The news I have to tell your majesty
Is, that by sudden flood and fall of waters,
Buckingham's army is dispersed and scatter'd,
And he himself _wandered away alone_,
_No man knows whither_."

Tradition says that the fallen nobleman was betrayed by an old servant to
whom the wood belonged, named Bannister; and an old writer thus records
the curses which he says befel the traitor: "Shortly after he had
betrayed his master, his sonne and heyre waxed mad, and dyed in a bore's
stye; his eldest daughter, of excellent beautie, was sodaynelie stryken
with a foulle leperze; his seconde sonne very mervalously deformed of his
limmes; his younger sonne in a smal puddell was strangled and drowned;
and he, being of extreme age, arraigned and found gyltie of a murther,
was only by his clergye saved; and as for his thousand pounde, Kyng
Richard gave him not one farthing, saying that he which would be untrew
to so good a master would be false to al other; howbeit some saie that he
had a smal office or a ferme to stoppe his mouthe withal."

[The Lady Oak: 36.jpg]

CRESSAGE

Is forty-three miles from Worcester, and eight and a half from
Shrewsbury. The name is an abbreviation of Christsache, _ache_ been the
old Saxon term for oak. The folk-lore of the district is, that the old
tree was one under which the early Christian missiona