The other
begins at Edgbaston church, and continues till you arrive at the
toll-gate, on the Bromsgrove road; but, thanks to the trustees of
the turnpikes, the roads in every direction are now upon a par with
others, and in one respect surpass most of them throughout the
kingdom, by having on the side of every one, a foot path, for the
accommodation of pedestrians.
This town, not being restricted by any charter, strangers from
whatever quarter they may come, here find an asylum, and pursue
their avocations with as much freedom, and are no more subject to
molestation, than a native inhabitant. Trade of every kind may be
exercised here, and let a person's religious opinions be whatever they
may, he is at liberty to exercise them; there being in this town eight
places of public worship, according to the establishment, one for
the society of friends, two for protestant dissenters, three for
calvinists, two for Roman catholics, four for methodists, four for
baptists, one for Swedenburgians, one for jews, and one for the
followers of Lady Huntingdon.
The buildings in this town extend to the distance of near three miles
in every direction, reckoning from the top of Camphill, and it was
some years back, upon a certainty, the largest town in the kingdom.
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