Here is an ancient venerable mansion, where that eminent statesman, Sir Orlando Bridgeman, used to reside.  His successor having been honoured with the title of Earl of Bradford, the eldest son of the present Earl, Lord Newport, has fixed his residence here.  In the village is a neat place of worship, erected by Sir Orlando Bridgeman, who endowed it with the tythes of the parish, it being a chapel of ease to the parish of Aston.

About half a century back, when there was considerable traffic between London and Chester, the road passed through this village, and supported two respectable inns, but the mode of conveyance being changed, one of the inns is converted into a farm-house, and the other has very little custom; for the road from Birmingham to Coventry also passed through here; but it is totally deprived of that also, and is now little more than the road to Coleshill.  On the road you pass by Coleshill park, an ancient seat of Lord Digby; within which there are numerous hawthorn trees of unusual magnitude:  one of them produces five stems, each equal in size to a moderate man’s body.  Time, that devours every thing, has here made great havoc among them, and also destroyed some oaks of large dimensions.

Coleshill.

Yew trees being of slow growth, and the wood of close texture, are little subject to decay; yet there is in this church-yard, the remains of a yew tree, still alive, three parts at least of which is mouldered away, and only a small part of the trunk remains.

The architecture of the church is the decorated gothic or English style:  it is erected on a considerable eminence, from whence there is an extensive and variegated view over the adjacent country.  The interior of the church, which is dedicated to St. Peter, is spacious, and contains some monuments that are well executed; among others, there are two recumbent effigies of cross-legged knights, supposed to be of the ancient Clinton family, and those to commemorate the Digby’s are numerous.  It has a beautiful tower, from whence there arises an elegant spire, which being injured by lightning, it was of course taken down, and the present erection is not so lofty by fifteen feet as the former.

Coleshill has a weekly market on Wednesday, and five annual fairs, where there are numerous horses and cattle exposed to sale.  Before the establishment of mail coaches it was a very considerable post town, but that is not the case now, the route being changed.  The town is situated on an ascent, and in the valley flows the river Cole, from whence its name is derived.  The domestic buildings are in general of a respectable appearance, and there are some modern erections that unite ornament with spacious dimensions.

Shustock.

This village is situated three miles from Coleshill, on the road to Atherstone, and is noticed as being the birthplace of that celebrated antiquarian, Sir William Dugdale, whose father being a clergyman, he was born at the rectory house, and dying at Blythe hall, his remains, and those of his lady, were deposited in a vault on the north side of the chancel in Shustock church.