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WARWICK
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Warwick. Distance from London.—108 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 15s. 3d. 10s. 2d. 8s. 1-1/2d. Return 28s. 3d. 17s. 10d. 16s. 3d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Warwick Arms Hotel," "Woolpack Hotel," "Globe Hotel," etc.
A charge of one shilling is made for admission to Warwick Castle, the gardens and state apartments being shown to visitors.
Warwick is a small but historic town, charmingly situated on the River Avon, and dominated by its castle, one of the very few baronial castles still remaining entire. The town was destroyed by the Danes, but it was rebuilt by King Alfred's Ethelfleda, who also built a fortress on an artificial mound, overlooking the river. By the orders of William I. the castle was enlarged, and afterwards given by the Conqueror to Henry de Newburgh, whom he made the first Earl of Warwick of the Norman line. The castle was of such strength that when, in the reign of Henry III., it became the property of Margery, sister of Thomas de Newburgh, she was informed that she would not be allowed to marry any one in whom the king had not great confidence. The castle afterwards passed into the hands of the Beauchamps, in whose family it remained until 1445, when the heiress, Anne, married Richard Neville, the "King-maker," who took the title of Earl of Warwick. The title without the estates was given by James I. to Robert, Lord Rich. The castle was given to Sir Fulke Greville, afterwards Lord Brooke. In 1759, when Edward Rich died without issue, Francis Greville was made Earl of Warwick, with whose descendants the estates have since remained. The entrance to the castle is along a winding road cut for more than 100 yards out of the solid rock. The castle as it now stands is a splendid specimen of the fourteenth-century stronghold built in the transition period, when the mere fortress was being superseded by a building of more grace and comfort. St. Mary's Church in Warwick was rebuilt in the reign of Queen Anne, the former church, built by Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, having been destroyed by fire in 1694. Guy's Cliff, situated 1-1/4 miles from Warwick, is a most picturesque spot, and is celebrated, according to tradition, as the retreat of Guy of Warwick.
A charge of threepence each person (no fee less than sixpence) is made, for admission to St. Mary's Church.
GLOUCESTER AND ITS CATHEDRAL
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Gloucester. Distance from London.—114 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 2-3/4 to 3-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 0d. 12s. 0d. 9s. 6d. Return 33s. 3d. 21s. 0d. ...
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Bell Hotel," "New Inn Hotel," "The Wellington Hotel," and others. Alternative Route.—None.
Gloucester is one of the most thriving cities in the south of England. It has been a town of some description from quite early times, for the British had a fortress on the site which the Romans are believed to have occupied as a strong position on the road into Wales. The Danes repeatedly made incursions into this part of the country, and Gloucester suffered very much from their ravages; but probably through the fact that the kings of Mercia instituted a palace and priory there, the city seems to have had sufficient strength to recover after each disaster. Gloucester was even of sufficient importance for Edward the Confessor to have kept his courts there for a considerable time. Being in the west country, it naturally suffered severely during the parliamentary struggle, and a great portion of the city was destroyed. But although the town lost many of its old buildings at this time, it has still a good deal of antiquity to boast, and for this reason alone is attractive to the stranger. Its main streets are modelled on the Roman plan of a cross, the four arms bearing the names North, South, East and West-gate Streets.
The cathedral is not many minutes' walk from the railway station, and is remarkable for its influence upon the English architecture which succeeded it, for it directed the course of the curvilinear movement in the direction of the Perpendicular style of Gothic. After remaining uncopied for a few years, the new style spread over the length and breadth of England. The east window is remarkable as being one of the largest in the world. Portions of the cathedral may possibly date from pre-Norman days, but according to the records, the earliest date is 1088. The tower was completed in 1518, and is with the cloisters almost without equal in this country for beauty and perfection. The cathedral contains the tomb of Osric, King of Northumbria, which was recently opened and found to contain the bones within a wooden coffin.
NORFOLK BROADS
=How to get there.=—Train from Liverpool Street. Gt. Eastern Rly. =Nearest Station.=—Norwich. =Distance from London.=—114 miles. =Average Time.—Varies between 2-1/2 to 4-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 20s. 6d. ... 9s. 5-1/2d. Return 31s. 10d. ... 18s. 11d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—Norwich—"Royal Family Hotel," "Maid's Head." Yarmouth—"Royal," "Queen's," etc. Cantley—"Red House Hotel." Brundall—"Yare Hotel." Alternative Route.—To Norwich from King's Cross, Great Northern Railway. Train to Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Beccles, Cantley, Reedham, etc., from Liverpool Street, Great Eastern Railway.
The charm of the Norfolk Broads consists to a great extent in the fact that they present different scenery to almost any other county in England, although the salt marshes of Essex and Suffolk possess the family likeness obtaining throughout East Anglia. The Norfolk Broads occupy the stretch of country north of a line drawn between Norwich and Yarmouth, and both towns offer great advantages for getting into the Broad country. A "broad," it should be mentioned, is a local name for a shallow lake connected with others, and finally with the sea by such rivers as the Yare, the Bure, or Ant. These rivers and their various tributaries form excellent sailing grounds, for after tacking for some time in a rush-fringed river, one suddenly enjoys the contrast of a broad lagoon where there is plenty of space to sail more freely.
The separate characteristics of the different broads give a choice of surroundings capable of satisfying every one. Oulton Broad, for instance, is generally to be found full of smart yachts, while Heigham forms a contrast in its solemn loneliness. Wroxham Broad is always bright with white sails going to or from Surlingham, Rockland, or Salhouse Broads. The last mentioned a beautiful piece of water, the quieter portions of its surface being generally thick with yellow iris and purple loosestrife and many other species of water herb. It is shaded by trees, and makes charming pictures from many points of view. Crome, it is said, commenced a picture of this broad on the day of his death, and anticipated that it would be his best work.
Irstead is another beautiful broad surrounded by feathery reeds and thick with rushes where kingfishers and wild duck are to be found. The ruins of St. Benet's Abbey are an interesting feature along the river Bure. Within the monastic walls a windmill has been built, and this too is now an old ruin, having lost its sails many years ago.
NORWICH CATHEDRAL
How to get there.—Train from Liverpool Station via Colchester. Great Eastern Railway. Nearest Station.—Norwich. Distance from London.—114 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 2-1/2 to 4-1/4 hours. Quickest train 2 hours 32 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 20s. 6d. ... 9s. 5-1/2d. Return 31s. 10d. ... 18s. 11d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Royal Family Hotel," "Maid's Head Hotel," "Bell Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
The city of Norwich has a unique charm from its combination of the mediaeval with the modern, and "improvements" so called have not spoilt it. The chief object of interest is the cathedral, which was founded in 1094 by Bishop Herbert Losinga, who was at one time prior at Fecamp in Normandy, and chaplain to William II. It is regarded as one of the greatest existing examples of Norman work, and has the finest cloisters in England. It is 411 feet long and 191 feet broad at the transepts, and is crowned with a spire second only to that of Salisbury. Near the cathedral are a number of ancient and interesting structures more or less in ruins. Chief of these may be mentioned St. Ethelbert's and the Erpingham Gate, by the west front of the cathedral, the former in Decorated English, the latter in Late Perpendicular, and both are valuable and rich specimens of these styles. It was Sir Thomas Erpingham whom Henry V. in Shakespeare's play addresses as "Good old Knight," and it was he who gave the signal to the English at the Battle of Agincourt, saying, as he threw up his truncheon, "Now, strike!"
Norwich occupies a place in history from the time of the earlier Danish invasions. First its castle was erected as a stronghold by the East Anglican kings, and resorted to as a place of safety by the inhabitants, who gave it the name of North-wic, or northern station or town. The bishopric of the East Angles was removed hither in 1094, when the magnificent cathedral was founded. Evelyn in his Diary gives an account of a visit he paid to that famous scholar and physician, Dr. Thomas Browne, author of the Religio Medici and Vulgar Errors, then living in Norwich. It is a pleasant picture of the fine old cathedral town which he gives. After seeing all the rare curiosities in Sir Thomas Browne's house, he was shown all the remarkable places of the city, and speaks of the "venerable cathedrall, the stately churches, and the cleannesse of the streetes."
LICHFIELD
THE BIRTHPLACE OF DR. JOHNSON
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Lichfield. Distance from London.—118 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 2 to 3-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 16s. 9d. 10s. 9d. 9s. 8-1/2d. Return 33s. 6d. 21s. 5d. 19s. 5d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Swan Hotel," "George Hotel," etc.
Lichfield, though an ancient town, has now a modern appearance, but is interesting on account of its beautiful cathedral and its association with Dr. Johnson. The house where the "great lexicographer" was born is still to be seen in the market-place, very little altered from its original condition. Next to this house is the Three Crowns Inn, where Dr. Johnson and Boswell stayed when they visited Lichfield in 1776. Among the few old houses that are remaining are St. John's Hospital, rebuilt in 1495, and the Friary, part of an establishment of Grey Friars, now forming a portion of a private house.
Lichfield has been a bishop's see since Anglo-Saxon times, and among its earliest bishops was St. Chad, who advanced Christianity in England. For a short period Lichfield boasted an archbishop, during the reign of Offa, king of Mercia, who persuaded the Pope to grant his kingdom this honour. No trace of any Anglo-Saxon building is left, and of the Norman church that was next erected only the west part of the choir remains. The present cathedral, built in the Early English style of Gothic, was commenced about 1200, and was not finished until 1325, builders being employed all the time. Though numbered among the smaller cathedrals, Lichfield is very beautiful, possessing a great charm in the ruddiness of the stone used in its construction. Its most striking features are the three graceful spires, the sculptured west front, and the large Lady Chapel. Owing, unfortunately, to its being fortified, the cathedral suffered much damage when besieged by the Roundheads during the Civil War. Windows and statues were broken, brass stripped from the tombs, registers burned, but the worst calamity was the destruction of the central tower. After the Restoration the cathedral was carefully repaired, greatly due to the efforts of good Bishop Hacket, who spent his time and money upon the work. The central spire was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren.
SHERBORNE AND ITS ABBEY CHURCH
How to get there.—Train from Waterloo, via Salisbury. L. and S.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Sherborne. Distance from London.—118 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/4 to 6 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 8d. 12s. 4d. 9s. 10d. Return 34s. 6d. 21s. 6d. 19s. 8d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Digby Hotel," "Antelope," "Half Moon," etc.
Sherborne is full of archaeological interest, for besides its wonderful Abbey Church, it has the ruins of its castle on a rocky height at the east end of the town and a good number of ancient houses. The town itself is situated on the side of a hill sloping down to the Yeo, and has a clean and quaint aspect. About 705, it was chosen as the seat of a bishopric. The see was removed to Old Sarum in 1078, but the castle continued to be used as an episcopal residence until it was besieged by Stephen, when it became Crown property. The Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin is Norman in origin, but it has been so rebuilt and remodelled that it is now practically Perpendicular. The whole church, with the exception of the Lady Chapel, was very carefully restored between 1848 and 1851.
Adjoining the Abbey Church, at the west end, are the remains of the parochial church of Alhalows, a three-aisled church in Decorated or Early Perpendicular style. The monks and the parishioners had many quarrels, one resulting in a fire which destroyed much of the abbey. The Abbey Church was granted by Henry VIII. to Sir John Horsley, who sold it to the parish for L250. There being no further use for Alhalows Church, it was taken down.
The exterior of Sherborne Church has been called unpicturesque, owing to its low central tower and insignificant pinnacles. It is, however, a huge building, and its interior is so richly decorated that it more resembles a cathedral than a parish church. It possesses the finest fan-vault in existence, covered with gilded bosses and heraldic arms. Contrasting with this wonderful richness of decoration are three plain Norman arches.
The nave is divided into five bays by panelled arches, the irregular widths of which are due to the fact that the Norman arches are cased in with Perpendicular work. The south transept has a wonderful roof of black Irish oak.
NEWARK
How to get there.—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly. Nearest Station.—Newark. Distance from London.—120 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 2-1/2 to 3-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 17s. 6d. ... 10s. Return 35s. 0d. ... 20s.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"The Ram Hotel," "Clinton Arms," "Saracen's Head," "White Hart," "Swan and Salmon," etc. Alternative Routes.—Train from Euston, via Market Harboro', L. and N.W. Railway. Train from St. Pancras, Midland Rly.
Newark-upon-Trent is believed by some antiquaries to have been built in Roman times; others state its origin to have been Saxon, but the first absolutely certain record of it is in the time of Edward the Confessor. The castle, which was built in the reign of Stephen, stands on the bank of the river, and on that side is still tolerably perfect. Of the interior nothing remains except the foundations of a great hall, probably built in later times than the rest of the fortress. A flight of steps leads from the hall to the crypt beneath, which has loop-holes looking towards the river. The eastern wall has disappeared, but those remaining are fairly intact. The architecture of the castle varies, part being Norman, and other portions dating from before the Parliamentary War. The space enclosed by the castle walls is now used for a bowling-green, and also as a large cattle-market.
During King John's reign the castle was besieged by the Barons, and John, coming to relieve them, was taken ill and died there in 1216. During the reign of Henry III. the fortress, which had been taken from the See of Lincoln by Stephen, was restored, and remained ecclesiastical property until the reign of Edward VI.
In the time of Charles I. the castle sustained several sieges. It was at Newark that Charles I. was deserted by his nephews Rupert and Maurice, after his defeat at Naseby. The king withdrew to Oxford at the approach of the Scots and Parliamentary armies, and Newark was besieged by the Scots. After the king's surrender in 1646, Newark was delivered up by his orders, and the fortifications, which were 2-1/4 miles long, were destroyed by the Parliamentary troops.
Newark Parish Church is built chiefly in the Perpendicular style, but contains some traces of Norman work. In the town there are also the remains of a chapel of an ancient hospital of the Knights Templars, some walls of an Augustine priory, and a Gothic cross.
WELLS AND ITS CATHEDRAL
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Wells. Distance from London.—120-3/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-3/4 to 5-3/4 hours.
Fares.—Via Chippenham and Westbury.
1st 2nd 3rd Single 20s. 0d. 12s. 6d. 10s. 0-1/2d. Return 35s. 2d. 22s. 0d. 20s. 0d.
Via Yatton—
Single 24s. 8d. 15s. 6d. 12s. 4d. Return 41s. 0d. 27s. 0d. 24s. 8d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Swan Hotel," "Mitre Hotel," "Star Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
Wells is essentially an ecclesiastical town. It has no history of its own, no great family has ever lived there, and it has no manufactures,—it has simply grown up round the cathedral. For these reasons the quiet little Somersetshire town has preserved much of its antiquity and fascination. The presence of the natural wells, which still are to be found in the gardens of the Bishop's Palace, probably induced King Ina in 704 to found a college of secular canons. Here a monastery grew, and subsequently became a bishop's see. John de Villula transferred his seat to Bath in (circa) 1092, and in 1139 the title was altered to Bishop of Bath and Wells. Wells is one of the smallest of the English cathedrals, and is in many ways the most beautiful. The clear space in front emphasises the glorious way in which the three massive towers harmonise with the ruins of the Bishop's Palace, the remains of the Vicar's Close, and the chapter-house. The present building was commenced in 1121, but Bishop Joceline of Wells (1206-1242) rebuilt it from the middle of the choir to the west end. The Early English work shows considerable differences to that in Salisbury and Ely Cathedrals, being carried out by a local school of masons, who show considerable originality in design. The glory of Wells is centred in its west front. The deep buttresses on the towers cast shadows which only serve to show up the marvellous sculptured figures of saints and kings, which may represent a Te Deum in stone. The inside of the cathedral is remarkable for the inverted arches which were put in the chancel to support the towers. Bishop Beckington built the three arches to the close.
A charge of 6d. is made for admission to the choir of the cathedral.
STRATFORD-ON-AVON
THE BIRTHPLACE OF SHAKESPEARE
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Stratford-on-Avon. Distance from London.—121-1/2 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3 to 4-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 16s. 0d. 10s. 6d. 8s. 5d. Return 29s. 3d. 18s. 6d. 16s. 10d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Red Horse Hotel," "Shakespeare Hotel," "Golden Lion Hotel," "Red Lion," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
Stratford-on-Avon, a picturesque town situated on the river Avon, in Warwickshire, is visited yearly by thousands of people desirous of seeing the birthplace of William Shakespeare. John Shakespeare, the father of William, bought the two half-timbered houses in Henley Street, where he practised his trade of wool-stapler, and it was in one of these houses that William Shakespeare was born in 1564. These houses are now practically in their original condition, although at one time the wool-shop was turned into an inn. The desk, said to have been used by Shakespeare when at school, is to be seen in the former wool-shop, now converted into a museum. The King Edward VI. Grammar School, to which Shakespeare went, occupies the first floor of the old Guildhall, built in the thirteenth century, but much altered in the fifteenth century. It was in this Guildhall that Shakespeare saw for the first time a theatrical performance given by travelling players. Close to the Guildhall is the site of New Place, which was bought by Shakespeare. Only the foundations of this house remain, as in 1753 the owner, the Rev. Francis Gastrell, being angry at having to pay some rates, was not content with cutting down the famous mulberry tree planted by the poet, but caused the whole house to be razed and the materials sold.
The Church of Holy Trinity, most beautifully situated on the river Avon, is cruciform in plan. In the chancel is Shakespeare's grave, with the stone slab having the well-known lines:—
GOOD FREND, FOR IESVS SAKE FORBEARE, TO DIGG THE DUST ENCLOASED HEARE; BLESTE BE YE MAN YT SPARES THES STONES, AND CVRST BE HE YT MOVES MY BONES.
At Shottery, one mile from Stratford, is the half-timbered cottage where Anne Hathaway, the wife of Shakespeare, was born.
BURNHAM THORPE, NORFOLK
THE BIRTHPLACE OF NELSON
How to get there.—Train from Liverpool Street or St. Pancras. Great Eastern Railway. Nearest Station.—Burnham Market (1 mile from Burnham Thorpe). Distance from London.—122 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-3/4 and 4-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 10d. ... 10s. 3d. Return 34s. 0d. ... 20s. 4d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Hoste Arms" at Burnham Market.
Burnham Thorpe, the native village of the great Admiral Nelson, is within walking distance of either Holkham, Burnham Market, or Wells-next-the-Sea. Horatio Nelson, the fourth son of Edmund and Catherine Nelson, was born on September 29, 1758, at the Parsonage House, which has unfortunately been pulled down. There are, however, many interesting relics of Nelson in the village church, and it is interesting to see the surroundings among which Nelson's childhood was passed. In the parish register may be seen the signature of Nelson as a witness to a marriage in the year 1769, when he was eleven years old. There is a lectern constructed from the wood of the old Victory, which was presented by the Lords of the Admiralty in 1881. The old Purbeck marble font in which Horatio was baptized is still to be seen in the church. How much Nelson loved his native village can be understood from his remark as the Victory was going into action, "This is the happiest day of my life; what a happy day, too, for Burnham Thorpe, for it is the day of their fair."
Nelson's father was not by any means well off, and the question of providing for his sons was a very serious one. Horatio, however, solved the question as to his own career. At the Grammar School at Norwich, Nelson said to his brother, "Do, William, write to my father and tell him that I should like to go to sea with Uncle Maurice." Captain Maurice Suckling is said to have heard of Horatio's decision with some surprise, for he said, "What has poor Horatio done, who is so weak, that he, above all the rest, should be sent to rough it out at sea? But let him come, and the first time we go into action a cannon-ball may knock off his head and provide for him at once."
In January 1771, when at school at North Walsham, Nelson heard that he was to join the Raisonnable, of 64 guns, at Chatham. He was then only twelve years old.
LULWORTH COVE, DORSETSHIRE
How to get there.—By rail from Waterloo Station. South-Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Wool, 5 miles. (Corfe Castle, Wareham, and Swanage are very convenient, though the drive is a little longer.) Distance from London.—126 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/2 to 5-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 21s. 0d. 13s. 2d. 10s. 6d. Return 36s. 9d. 23s. 0d. 21s. 0d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Cove Hotel," West Lulworth. "Banke's Arms Hotel" at Corfe Castle. Alternative Route.—Via Bournemouth. Train direct from Waterloo. Steamers run once a week or oftener during the summer months (weather permitting) to Swanage and Lulworth Cove.
The remarkable cove at West Lulworth consists of a completely circular basin, hollowed out of the bold cliffs of the southern coast-line of Purbeck Island. It is of sufficient depth to allow small ships of from sixty to eighty tons to enter. The narrow opening to the cove is between two bluffs of Portland stone, forming a portion of what was the barrier to the sea in former times. Once, however, did the waves eat through the Portland stone in this place, it was easy work to gradually batter down and wash out, through the narrow opening, a circular bay from the soft strata of Hastings sands lying in the protection of the Portland stone. On the west side of the cove one may notice rocks with such peculiarly contorted strata as those shown in the foreground of the illustration opposite.
A most interesting and rugged portion of the coast lies to the west of Lulworth Cove. After leaving the coastguard signal station one reaches Stair Hole, a cavity walled off from the sea by Portland limestone. At high tide, however, the sea enters the chasm through a number of small apertures, and is probably carving out at this spot a circular basin after the manner of Lulworth Cove. Passing Dungy Head and Oswald or Horsewall Bay, with its towering chalk cliffs, one reaches a low promontory known as Tongue Beach. It is formed of layers of limestone tilted into curved or perpendicular positions. Crossing this promontory one enters Durdle Bay, with the Barndoor, an archway 30 feet high, in a massive cliff.
At East Lulworth, a little way inland from the cove, stands Lulworth Castle, an imposing-looking building with circular towers at each corner. It was built about three hundred years ago on the site of an earlier castle.
CORFE CASTLE
IN THE ISLE OF PURBECK, DORSETSHIRE
How to get there.—By rail from Waterloo Station. South-Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Corfe Castle—quite close to the ruins. Distance from London.—130 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 21s. 2d. 13s. 3d. 10s. 7d. Return 37s. 0d. 23s. 3d. 21s. 2d.
Accommodation Obtainable. "The Banke's Arms Hotel." Alternative Route.—Via Bournemouth and steamer to Swanage.
Corfe Castle on its great hill, with the little hamlet which goes by the same name which clusters at its foot, is one of the most spectacular of the ruined fortresses to be found in Southern England. At the periods of the year when there are no strangers in the village, the ruins and the village leave an impression on the mind which is not so palpable when there are the distractions caused by other visitors. But even then, the grand view across the wild downs forming the backbone of the island of Purbeck, over which one gazes from the shattered towers and curtain walls, is sufficiently memorable. Its position, commanding the whole Purbeck range of hills, made the spot famous in Saxon days, when it was known as Corfe Gate. Shortly after the days of Alfred the Great the hill was strongly fortified by King Edgar, who made it his residence and probably built the central keep, whose ruins still crown the summit of the hill. Edgar left the castle to his widow Elfrida, whose name has been handed down as the murderer of her stepson Edward—afterwards named Edward the Martyr. He visited Corfe Castle in order to see his brother, but while drinking a goblet of wine in the gateway between the two circular towers shown in the illustration, he was stabbed by command of Elfrida. During the civil war between Stephen and Maud, the fortress defied all attempts to take it by Stephen's adherents; and up to the struggle between Charles I. and his Parliament, when for a space of six weeks Lady Bankes held the castle with a handful of retainers, Corfe Castle has figured prominently in English history.
The village is almost entirely composed of cottages whose stone walls and thick slate roofs are beautifully mellowed by the hand of time. Nowhere does there appear anything new to jar with the silver greys and the grey greens of the old cottages, the church, and the castle ruins.
A charge of sixpence each person is made for admission to the castle.
LINCOLN AND ITS CATHEDRAL
How to get there.—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly. Nearest Station.—Lincoln. Distance from London.—130 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 2-3/4 to 3-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 18s. 10d. ... 10s. 9d. Return 37s. 8d. ... 21s. 6d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Great Northern Hotel," and others. Alternative Routes.—Train from Marylebone, Great Central Railway. Train from Liverpool Street, Great Eastern Railway. Train from St. Pancras, via Nottingham, Midland Railway.
Lincoln stands on a hill surrounded by level country. First a British settlement, it became a Roman colony. In 1074 the decree that all bishoprics should be in fortified places caused the removal of the See of Dorchester to Lincoln. Even at this time Lincoln was an important commercial town. Many parliaments have been held in its chapter-house, and Henry VII. offered his thanksgivings after Bosworth in the cathedral.
The mighty fane, with its three massive towers, rises majestically over the red roofs of the town. Its most striking feature is the great Norman screen, running up without buttresses or projections to the parapet and hiding the bases of the square, richly decorated towers of the west front. The plain centre of the screen is the work of Remigius, the first bishop. The rest of it is relieved with rich arcading of Late Norman and Early English periods. The wooden spires which crowned the towers were removed in 1807.
In 1192 Hugh of Avalon determined to rebuild the Norman building of Remigius, which an earthquake had shaken. To him we owe the choir and eastern transept. His successors completed the western transept and began the west end of the nave. So much money had to be spent in rebuilding the central tower, which fell in 1239, that the canons could not rebuild the nave entirely, but had to incorporate the Norman end by Remigius. Unfortunately the axis of the west front does not correspond to that of the nave, which is too wide for its height. The low vaulting is a serious defect in the choir built by St. Hugh, but of the superb beauty of the Angel Choir, which encloses his shrine, there can be no doubt. In its richness of sculpture it is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture in England. The interior of the cathedral is remarkable for the harmony of its style, which is Lancet-Gothic, and the dim lighting of the nave only adds to its impressiveness.
SOMERSET, THE BIRTHPLACE OF TENNYSON
How to get there.—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly. Nearest Station.—Horncastle (6 miles from Somersby). Average Time.—from 3 to 4-1/2 hours. Distance from London.—130 miles.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 18s. 4d. ... 10s. 10d. Return 36s. 8d. ... 21s. 8d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—No inn at Somersby. Paying guests accommodated at Baumber's Manor House at Somersby. Hotels at Spilsby.
On August 6, 1809, Alfred Tennyson was born at the rectory at Somersby. His grandfather, Mr. George Tennyson, M.P., resided at Bayon's Manor, where the family had for a long period been known in Lincolnshire. Alfred was the fourth of the twelve children of the Rev. George Clayton Tennyson. Although there seems little reason for not believing that the scenery which surrounded him in his youth impressed itself on his mind, yet it is now stated with authority that the localities associated with his subject poems, "which had been ingeniously identified with real brooks and granges, were wholly imaginary." Those who visit Somersby, therefore, would be wise in avoiding what is pointed out as "Tennyson's Brook," merely gaining instead a general idea of the appearance of the country which impressed itself on the poet's mind.
When he was six years old Tennyson was sent to the grammar school at Louth, a town his mother was connected with, her father having been vicar there. After five years at school at Louth, Tennyson returned to Somersby Rectory to be trained by his father. The rectory possessed a good library, and here the poet obtained his extensive knowledge of the English classics. When only twelve years old he wrote an epic of 6000 lines, and two years later a drama in blank verse. Tennyson's early knowledge of the sea was obtained at Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast, where the family spent their summer holidays. His father would not allow him to leave Somersby until he could recite from memory the whole of the odes of Horace.
In the early part of 1831 he returned to Somersby from Cambridge, and within a few days his father died. The new incumbent, however, allowed the family to continue at the rectory for some years. In 1837 they were finally obliged to leave, and for the next three years they lived at High Beach, Epping Forest.
GLASTONBURY ABBEY
How to get there.—Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Glastonbury and Street. Distance from London.—132-1/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies from 3-1/2 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 21s. 0d. ... 10s. 6d. Return 36s. 9d. ... 21s. 0d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"George Hotel," "Red Lion Hotel," "Crown Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
In the early days of Christianity in Britain this celebrated abbey, according to tradition, was established in A.D. 63. Joseph of Arimathea was supposed to be the founder, and the "miraculous thorn," which flowered on Christmas Day, was believed to be holy by the common people even up to the time of the Puritans. During the wars between Charles I. and his Parliament the thorn was destroyed, but sturdy trees grown from cuttings of the original still flourish in some of the neighbouring gardens. This thorn was believed by the people to be the staff used by Joseph in his journey to Britain from the Holy Land. At one time Glastonbury Abbey covered 60 acres, and was the lengthiest ecclesiastical building in England, but as many of the houses in Glastonbury, and also a causeway across Sedgemoor (where the unhappy Duke of Monmouth was defeated) were constructed of the materials, the ruins are of necessity much diminished. The most interesting remains are the Abbey Church, with St. Joseph's Chapel, St. Mary's Chapel, and the Abbot's Kitchen. St. Joseph's Chapel is supposed to have been erected in the time of Henry II. and Richard I. It is one of the finest specimens in existence of transitional Norman work. It is now roofless, and even the vaulting of the crypt is nearly destroyed. The windows and archways of St. Mary's Chapel are beautiful, although roofless. The Abbot's Kitchen, a square massive structure with strong buttresses, was built about 1450. The roof is of stone and is surmounted by a louvre, through which the smoke escaped during the great culinary preparations in the days of the abbey's prosperity. The gargoyles around the building, representing the heads of sheep and oxen, are suggestive of the purpose of the building. Henry VIII., who coveted the treasures of the abbey, in 1539 summoned Abbot Whiting to surrender, and on his refusal ordered him to be drawn and quartered. This was carried out on Glastonbury Tor.
WALSINGHAM, NORFOLK
THE PRIORY OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM
How to get there.—Train from Liverpool Street or St. Pancras. Great Eastern Railway. Nearest Station.—Walsingham. Distance from London.—133 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4 and 5-1/2 hours. Quickest train 3 hours 50 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 7d. ... 10s. 3d. Return 33s. 3d. ... 20s. 6d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Black Lion Hotel," "Abbeygate Temperance Hotel," etc.
The ruins of the famous priory are now included in the extensive grounds of Walsingham Abbey, the property of Mr. Henry Lee Warner. Visitors have permission to see these ruins on Wednesdays and Fridays, by application at the lodge of the abbey.
Walsingham is a pretty village 5 miles from Wells-on-Sea. It possesses a noble church in the Perpendicular style, an ancient town pump, and two wishing wells, which were formerly believed to possess miraculous powers, for the legend is that they sprang from the ground at command of the Virgin. Walsingham was an important place for many centuries, for it contained the famous shrine of the Virgin, or, as it was called, "Our Lady of Walsingham." This far-famed chapel of the Virgin was founded by Ricoldie, the mother of Geoffrey de Faverches. When Geoffrey set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he granted to God and St. Mary, and to Edwy, his clerk, the chapel which his mother Ricoldie had built at Walsingham, with other possessions, requesting him to found a priory there. It became one of the richest in the world. From the very commencement there was an unceasing flow of pilgrims from all nations to it. Several kings and queens of England, and among them Henry VIII., paid their devotions there. Erasmus, who visited the priory in 1511, derided its enormous wealth. Parts of the road leading to this priory are known to this day as the "Walsingham Way" and the "Palmer's Way." It is said more pilgrims came to Walsingham than to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury. The monks taught the people that the "Milky Way" pointed to the shrine. Hence the Norfolk people called it the "Walsingham Way." This shrine was destroyed at the dissolution of monasteries in 1539.
CHEDDAR CAVES, CHEDDAR, SOMERSET
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Cheddar. Distance from London.—134 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-1/4 to 5-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 21s. 4d. 13s. 4d. 10s. 8d. Return 37s. 4d. 23s. 4d. ...
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Cliff Hotel," etc.
The village of Cheddar, a name which reminds one of the cheese for which the district is famous, is situated under the Mendip Hills, on the Cheddar river, a tributary of the Axe. The place was once a market town of considerable note, as the fine market-cross still testifies, but is now chiefly celebrated as a starting-point for visiting the wonderful natural beauties of the neighbourhood, the tremendous gorge through the Cheddar cliffs and the stalactite caves being the most remarkable. The road from the village rises gradually, passing the masses of rock known as the "Lion," the "Castle Rock," the "Pulpit," and others, named from their wonderful resemblance to the work of human hands. The way winds between steep limestone walls and towering pinnacles, rising here and there to a height of between four and five hundred feet, and absolutely shutting one in from even the merest glimpse of the magnificent scenery in the valley below. There are paths here and there leading up to points of vantage, but the way is difficult and dangerous owing to the manner in which the passes are honeycombed with caverns and fissures.
In the midst of the gorge on the right hand of the way lie the entrances to the marvellous stalactite caves, the first of which was discovered in 1837, and the second in comparatively recent times. It is needless to say that the proprietor of each cave affirms his to be the better—as a matter of fact, both are well worth seeing. One looks with something like awe on the fantastic shapes of the stalagmites and stalactites in these huge caverns, where the moisture, percolating through the earth, has been dripping in the darkness for countless centuries, each lime-laden drop lengthening imperceptibly the stalactite overhead and the stalagmite beneath, while the consequent splashings, and, in some parts, more sluggish dripping, make hundreds of quaint and suggestive forms above and below. The caverns are well lit up to display their beauties, and the admission is 2s. for a single visitor, or 1s. each for members of a party.
NEWSTEAD ABBEY
THE BIRTHPLACE OF BYRON
How to get there.—Train from St. Pancras. Change trains at Nottingham. Midland Railway. Nearest Station.—Newstead. Distance from London.—134-1/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/4 to 4-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 17s. 6d. ... 10s. 9-1/2d. Return 35s. 0d. ... 21s. 7d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Station Hotel,"* Newstead. "Swan Hotel,"* Mansfield. "Midland," "White Hart," and "Green Dragon," and others.
Near Sherwood Forest, and not far from the town of Mansfield, is Newstead Abbey, the ancestral seat of the Byrons. Founded in 1170 by Henry II. as an expiation for the murder of Thomas a Becket, the abbey, at the dissolution of the monasteries, was given by Henry VIII. to Sir John Byron. The latter made it his home, altering it very little, but allowing the church to fall into ruins. The monks, before leaving their old home, hid the charters in the lectern, which they threw into the lake. About 100 years ago the lectern, still containing the charters, was discovered, and is now being used at Southwell. The "Wicked Lord Byron," the grand-uncle of the poet, allowed the abbey to fall into decay, and to spite his sons cut down a large number of splendid oaks. Byron succeeded to the estate when a mere boy, and loved it so much that, even when in great need of money, he refused to part with it. At last he was obliged to sell the home, which he has so vividly portrayed in verse, to his old school friend Colonel Wildman. After the loss of the abbey, Byron left England, and died six years afterwards, in 1824, at Missolonghi, fighting for the independence of the Greeks.
The Abbey Church, though in ruins, is a very good example of Early English work. The abbey itself is full of interesting and historic rooms, one being the bedroom where Charles II. slept, retaining still the state bed, whose coverlet was embroidered by Mary Queen of Scots. Edward I. is known to have stayed in the abbey, and the room which he occupied contains some splendid oak carving. Lord Byron's bedroom is just as he left it, with his college pictures on the walls and the writing-table that he used. Newstead is open to the public on Tuesday and Friday when the family are not in residence. Tickets may be obtained at the two hotels mentioned above which are marked with an asterisk.
THE WESSEX OF THOMAS HARDY'S ROMANCES
How to get there.—Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Dorchester. Distance from London.—135-1/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 22s. 8d. 14s. 2d. 11s. 4d. Return 39s. 8d. 24s. 10d. 22s. 8d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Antelope," "King's Arms," and other hotels. Alternative Route.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
The centre of the district in the south-west of England which has been labelled with its ancient Saxon name of Wessex, may be found at the old-fashioned town of Dorchester. This is the Mecca of the whole countryside so vividly portrayed in Mr. Hardy's numerous romances dealing with the rustic life of the west country. On market-days, Dorchester is crowded with carriers' vans and innumerable vehicles which have brought in the farmers and their families from remote corners of the surrounding country, and it is then that one is able to select examples of many of the characters created by the novelist. To get at these folk in their homes, one may journey in almost any direction from Dorchester. The streets of Dorchester are suggestive of Mr. Hardy's works at every turn, so much so that the wayfarer may almost feel that he is taking an expurgated part in The Mayor of Casterbridge. A large old-fashioned house near St. Peter's Church seems to correspond to Lucetta's residence—High Place Hall. Then, the comfortable bay-windows of the "King's Arms," an old hostelry belonging to coaching days, suggests recollections of Henchard, who dined there on the occasion of the memorable banquet, when he threw down the challenge so quickly taken up by Farfrae.
Going up South Street one passes on the right the Grammar School, founded in 1579 by a certain Thomas Hardy, an ancestor of all the Dorset Hardys—Nelson's friend and the Wessex novelist being the most distinguished among them. Mr. Thomas Hardy lives in a new red house known as "Max Gate," which is situated a short distance from Dorchester. Eight miles away from the town is the village of Puddletown, known as "Weatherbury" in Far from the Madding Crowd. The church Mr. Hardy describes in his novel can be seen, but Warren's malt-house was destroyed more than twenty years ago. St. Peter's Church, Dorchester, of the Perpendicular period, has a Norman porch and contains two cross-legged recumbent effigies.
TINTERN ABBEY
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Tintern. Distance from London.—145-1/2 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-3/4 to 6 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 24s. 6d. 15s. 4d. 12s. 2-1/2d. Return 42s. 9d. 26s. 10d. 24s. 5d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Beaufort Arms Hotel," "Royal George Hotel," "Rose and Crown Hotel," at Chepstow, 5-1/2 miles distant by road.
Tintern Abbey is situated in a level valley, surrounded on all sides by high green pastures and wooded hills, at the bottom of which the glorious river Wye glides in its circuitous course to the sea. The abbey is said to share with Melrose the distinction of being the most picturesque and beautiful ecclesiastical ruin in Great Britain. When the sun is setting, or better still, under the mystic light of the harvest moon, the picture formed by the roofless abbey in its perfect setting, needs a Wordsworth to do it justice.
An abbey for Cistercian monks was established on this spot in 1131 by Walter Fitz-Richard de Clare and dedicated to St. Mary. None of this building remains, as the whole edifice was rebuilt about 1260. The chief part of the ruins, now standing, is the church, though in 1847, when excavations were being carried on in an adjoining orchard, the remains of the Hospitium were discovered. This was an oblong building, supported on pillars, in which it was the custom for the monks to entertain strangers or travellers of their order. In the middle of the nave are the four arches which supported the tower, now mere skeletons, yet sufficiently preserved to show their form. The walls are nearly complete, and many of the columns still stand, as well as the bases of those whioh have fallen. All the pavement has disappeared, and the whole of the former floor is reduced to one level, now carpeted with turf.
The church is cruciform in plan and measures 228 feet from east to west. The remains of the dormitory, chapter-house, cloisters, and the refectory, which still has its lectern for the use of the reader during meals, are to be found on the north side of the church. Walking on the walls is forbidden. The vast extent of the ruins of the Hospitium recalls the fact that Tintern Abbey was for a long period distinguished for its luxurious style of living and its great hospitality.
When in the neighbourhood of Tintern one should visit Monmouth for its remarkable old bridge with its interesting gatehouse.
CHESTERFIELD, DERBYSHIRE
How to get there.—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway. Nearest Station.—Chesterfield. Distance from London.—146 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3 to 3-3/4 hrs.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 2d. ... 12s. 1d. Return 38s. 4d. ... 24s. 2d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"The Angel Hotel," "Station Hotel," "Midland Hotel," "Hotel Portland," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Marylebone. Great Central Rly.
Chesterfield, now the second largest town in its own county, was at the time of the Doomsday survey merely a bailiwick to Newbold, which at the present time has dwindled down to a small hamlet to the west of the parish. In the middle of the thirteenth century a battle was fought here between the Earl of Derby and Prince Henry, nephew of Henry III., in which the Earl was defeated and taken prisoner. It was also the scene of a fierce engagement during the civil wars of Charles I., in which the Earl of Newcastle routed the Parliamentary forces in 1643.
The great feature of interest in Chesterfield is the parish church of All Saints, with its extraordinary twisted spire 230 feet in height. This "crooked" spire, which leans over to the south-west, has been the object of much discussion amongst antiquaries, as to whether it was designed in such a fashion, or whether the present state of affairs has been brought about by a warping of the timber frame under the outside covering of lead. The latter seems the more feasible theory.
There was a church at Chesterfield in the eleventh century, but the present structure is mainly of the fourteenth century, with later additions. In the interior there are several features of interest, among them being the screen separating the transept from the chancel. This is carved with a set of mysterious figures, supposed to be emblematical of the crucifixion.
There are many extremely fine and interesting monuments in the church, especially two belonging to the Foljambe family. At the east end is a very good modern stained-glass window, erected as a memorial to a former vicar, the late Archdeacon Hill.
In the neighbourhood of Chesterfield there are a number of interesting places, notably the fine old churches at Old Brampton and Wingerworth, and a small disused chapel with a Norman doorway at Newbold.
DUKERIES
How to get there.—From King's Cross. Great Northern Railway. Nearest Station.—Worksop Station. Distance from London.—146-1/2 miles. Average Time.—3-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 20s. 1d. ... 12s. 2-1/2d. Return 40s. 2d. ... 24s. 5d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Royal Hotel," etc., at Worksop. Alternative Route.—From Marylebone or to Dukeries Junction from King's Cross.
The district known as the "Dukeries" is undoubtedly the finest portion of what remains of the famous Sherwood Forest associated with Robin Hood and his "merrie men." The name "Dukeries" arises from the fact that within the boundaries of the forest were once the homes of the Dukes of Portland, Newcastle, Norfolk, Leeds, and Kingston. The Dukes of Norfolk and Leeds no longer hold their property, and Earl Manvers, as a representative of the Kingston family, preserves at Thoresby the traditions of his race. At Welbeck the Duke of Portland, and at Clumber the Duke of Newcastle, still keep up their magnificent homes. To the latter noblemen the majority of the "Dukeries" belongs. The drive round this lovely part of the forest is nearly 30 miles, through beautiful scenery.
Worksop, with its fine old priory church, is one of the best starting-points for a tour round the Dukeries. Clumber House, the seat of the Duke of Newcastle, is 4 miles from Worksop, and orders to see the interior can be obtained from the Newcastle agent, in Park Street, by writing a day or two beforehand. The mansion, built in 1772, is very magnificent and contains some priceless pictures.
Thoresby House, the seat of Earl Manvers, is not far distant from Clumber. The present house, which was designed by Salvin in 1868, is the third home of the Manvers which has occupied this site.
Welbeck Abbey, the home of the Duke of Portland, is another of the important seats in the district, standing in the centre of one of the finest parks in the kingdom. The mansion itself is not a showplace, but when the family is not in residence various parts of it are exhibited upon payment of 1s., any weekday except Saturday. An extra shilling will enable the visitor to view the underground apartments.
The whole of the "Dukeries" district teems with interesting places, ancient and modern. From Mansfield one may visit Hardwick Hall, Bolsover Castle, and Newstead Abbey, beloved of Byron (see Index), while Belvoir Castle (see Index) and Woolaton Hall are within easy distance.
HADDON HALL, DERBYSHIRE
How to get there.—Through train from St. Pancras or change at Derby. Midland Railway. Nearest Station.—Rowsley (1-1/2 miles distant). Distance from London.—149-1/2 miles. Average Time.—4 to 4-1/3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 11d. ... 12s. 4-1/2d. Return 39s. 10d. ... 24s. 9d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—At Bakewell—"Rutland Arms Hotel," "Red Lion," "Castle," etc.
Haddon Hall, the most perfect of baronial mansions existing in England, is situated in a wonderfully picturesque position on a limestone rock overlooking the river Wye in Derbyshire. The manor was originally given by William the Conqueror to William Peveril, the famous "Peveril of the Peak" of Scott's novel. In the reign of Henry II. the lands reverted to the Crown, and the property was granted to the Avenalls, from whom it passed by marriage to the Vernons, of whom the last, Sir George, known as the "King of the Peak," died in 1567. His daughter, the celebrated Dorothy Vernon, married John Manners, son of the Earl of Rutland, and thus the property passed to the Rutland family, who are still the owners.
The mansion is approached by a small bridge crossing the river Wye, whence one enters, under a lofty archway, the first courtyard. In this beautiful quadrangle one of the most interesting features is the chapel at the south-west corner. This chapel, which is one of the oldest portions of the structure, is Norman, with some later work. Almost opposite, on the left, is the magnificent porch and bay-window leading into the great hall. It is exactly as it was in the days of the Vernons, with its dais and table at which the "lord of the feast" sat, its huge fireplace, timber roof, and minstrels' gallery. Adjoining it is the dining-room, a magnificent apartment erected by the "King of the Peak." Here there is a remarkably fine oriel window, richly ornamented with carving.
Among other interesting features in the second courtyard are the drawing-room, hung with the original arras, the long gallery, and the ancient state-room, adjoining which is the Peveril Tower, the highest point and oldest portion of the hall. The long gallery, with its stately bay-windows, looks on to the well-known terrace and the magnificent garden, made so familiar by photographs.
Haddon Hall may be seen by visitors from nine till dusk, a gratuity being generally given to the attendant.
THE ISLE OF ATHELNEY, AND SEDGEMOOR
THE SCENE OF MONMOUTH'S DEFEAT
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Athelney. Distance from London.—150-1/2 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-1/2 to 5-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 26s. 8d. 16s. 8d. 13s. 4d. Return 53s. 4d. 33s. 4d. 26s. 8d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Railway Hotel."
The Isle of Athelney, the hiding-place of Alfred the Great, at the time when the fortunes of England lay trembling in the balance, is a slightly elevated plot of land where the river Parret joins the Tone. In Alfred's days it was a small island surrounded by an impenetrable morass, and thickly grown with alders. Here tradition places the hut in which the king, deep in thought, allowed the good wife's cakes to burn. Soon a little band of faithful followers joined Alfred, and together they built a causeway over the marshes, eventually constructing a fort from which successful sallies were made against the Danes in the vicinity. The rally of the Saxons round their intrepid king resulted in the victory of Ethandune, and out of gratitude for his success, Alfred built on the island an abbey, of which a few relics, including the famous Alfred Jewel, remain to-day. A monument erected by Mr. John Slade marks the spot.
A mile to the north is Boroughbridge with its solitary hill, on which many believe that Alfred built his chief fort. The hill is now crowned by the ruins of St. Michael's Church, St. Michael being the saint whose name is associated with most of our hill-top shrines. Ling, the next village, is thought to be a corruption of Atheling.
Athelney is on the edge of the flat valley of Sedgemoor, the scene of Monmouth's defeat in 1685. The royal troops were quartered in the villages of Weston Zoyland, Middlezoy, and Chedzoy, their headquarters being Weston Zoyland, round which the battle raged most fiercely. Knowing the carelessness that prevailed in the royal camp, Monmouth attempted a night attack. On Sunday night, July 5, therefore, his troops stole out. But they were foiled and trapped by the broad ditches called "rhines," in which they lost their way in a helpless fashion, and a pistol that went off in the confusion roused the Royalists, with the result that Monmouth's followers were hopelessly routed, a thousand being slain.
RAGLAN CASTLE
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Raglan. Distance from London.—151-1/2 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 26s. 9d. 16s. 9d. 18s. 4-1/2d. Return 46s. 10d. 29s. 4d. 26s. 9d. Fares via Monmouth are slightly cheaper.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Beaufort Arms."
Raglan Castle stands on a hill near a tributary of the Usk. It is the most celebrated ruin on the borders of Wales, and is well preserved. There is a six-sided keep with walls 10 feet thick, and a gateway with two ivy-clad towers. It dates probably from Edward IV.'s reign, although some writers give an earlier time. Before its destruction by the Parliamentarians the castle was a magnificent structure. A massive gateway leads to the arched bridge over the moat by which entrance was gained to the castle. The moat, 30 feet broad, surrounded the keep. The great hall had a fine roof of Irish bog oak, and the gallery was of great length.
This fortress was garrisoned for Charles I. by the sturdy old Earl of Worcester, who was created a marquess in 1642. He collected an army of 1500 foot-soldiers and 500 horse, which was commanded by his son, the second marquess. After his defeat at Naseby, in July 1645, Charles fled to Raglan and stayed till September. Sir Thomas Fairfax besieged the castle in June 1646, and after a three months' siege the marquess honourably surrendered to the Parliamentary forces.
This was the last stronghold in the west to hold out for Charles. The walls of the keep were destroyed, and, in defiance of the terms of surrender, the aged marquess was imprisoned. He died the following year, and was buried in Windsor Castle.
The second marquess was a mechanical genius, who invented what was known as a "Water-commanding Engine." He erected an apparatus in the moat which spouted water as high as the top of the castle. This was the first practical attempt to use steam as a mechanical agent. The marquess also used his various mechanical contrivances to terrify a body of villagers who came to search the castle for arms in the cause of the Parliament. When the machines were set agoing the rustics fled, believing lions or some other forms of wild animals were after them. This marquess died in London in 1667, and was buried in Raglan Church.
DOVEDALE
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Thorpe Cloud, at the south end of Dovedale. Distance from London.—152 miles. Average Time.—About 4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 20s. 6d. ... 12s. 1-1/2d. Return 39s. 10d. ... ...
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Izaak Walton Hotel," at Ham; "The Peveril Hotel," near Thorpe; "Green Man," "White Hart," etc., at Ashbourne. Alternative Routes.—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway to Ashbourne, thence by coach; or train from King's Cross, Great Northern Railway.
Dovedale is the apt name given to the valley of the Dove, a river rising on the borders of Derby and Stafford, near Buxton and Axe Edge Hill, and, after a course of 45 miles, joining the Trent at Newton Solney. The portion of its course chiefly associated with the name begins half a mile from the village of Thorpe, which may be reached from Ashbourne, the nearest station, by coach. From Thorpe the river is approached by a stony declivity on the east of Thorpe Cloud.
The footpath is throughout on the Derbyshire side of the stream, and may be reached from the Staffordshire side either by crossing the narrow bridge or some stepping-stones at Thorpe Cloud. For some distance after entering the valley the footpath follows the margin of the river, whose banks are a mass of magnificent foliage, intermixed with a tangle of brambles, honeysuckle, and wild roses. On the Staffordshire bank, a little further up, the foliage suddenly changes to a mass of sheer cliff, changing again to a mass of rifted rocks, divided into curious turret-like terminations. This striking formation is known as Dovedale Church, and is accompanied on the Derbyshire side by a number of rocks which appear from below to terminate in sharp pinnacles, and have been named "Tissington Spires," from the village close by. About 200 yards beyond the "Church," on the Derbyshire bank, is the entrance to Reynard's Cave, a huge cavern with an entrance 40 feet high by 20 wide, from which the view over the dale is superb.
Throughout its whole length of nearly 3 miles the Dovedale scenery is the extraordinary mixture of ruggedness and soft beauty, which makes it unequalled, in its particular style, in the kingdom.
Dovedale is associated with the name of Izaak Walton and his friend Charles Cotton, the poet.
WELLINGTON AND THE WREKIN, SHROPSHIRE
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Wellington. Distance from London.—152-1/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-3/4 to 4-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 22s. 8d. 15s. 0d. 12s. 0-1/2d. Return 42s. 2d. 26s. 6d. 24s. 1d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Wrekin Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
To reach the top of the Wrekin from Wellington—a distance of 3 miles—one must follow the main road to Shrewsbury for a mile; then turning to the left, having skirted a ridge of the hills, and following a lane one reaches the foot of the ascent. The Wrekin, although it rises in such a compact and lonely fashion from the level country, is not one single height, but a range consisting of four hills. Those on the north-east are called the Ercall and Lawrence hills, while those on the west are the Wrekin and Primrose hills.
The Wrekin is composed of igneous rocks, and is one of the most remarkable examples of eruptive trap in England. Its shoulders are of silurian and carboniferous strata. The sedimentary deposits within the influence of the volcanic action have passed through considerable changes, the sandstone having become granitic quartz rock, chiefly composed of pure white quartz with particles of decomposed felspar.
Close to the valleys of Little Wenlock, to the south-east of the Wrekin, are irregularly shaped bosses of basaltic greenstone.
The folk-lore concerning the Wrekin is, of course, rich and full of detail. One legend says that two giants set to work to make themselves a citadel, and dug out the earth required for the purpose from the bed of the Severn. The top of the Wrekin is 1335 feet high, and owing to its remarkably isolated position the horizon on a clear day has a circumference of 350 miles. It is not surprising, therefore, that the hill was used as a beacon station in early days. The great sweeping prospect from the summit includes the Malvern Hills, Caradoc and the Brown Clee group, Plinlimmon, Cader Idris, the Brecknock Beacons, Arran Fowdy, and the Berwin chain of mountains, overtopped by the Snowdon range.
Wellington is chiefly modern, and its old church was rebuilt in 1789. The chief industry is nail-making.
WROXETER AND THE ROMAN CITY OF URICONIUM, SALOP
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Upton Magna via Shrewsbury (Wroxeter lies 2-1/2 miles south of Upton Magna). Distance from London.—159 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/4 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 23s. 10d. 15s. 9d. 12s. 7d. Return 44s. 0d. 27s. 6d. 25s. 2d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—At Shrewsbury, "Raven Hotel," "Lion Hotel," "George Hotel," etc.
The village of Wroxeter would not be of exceptional interest but for the proximity of the site of the Roman city of Uriconium. It is owing to this fact that the churchyard gate is composed of Roman pillars and capitals. A summer-house in an adjoining garden is also made of Roman materials, and the church contains a font in the form of an adapted Roman capital, obtained with the rest from Uriconium. The church is chiefly Norman, but probably a portion of the south wall of the chancel is Saxon.
The little village occupies the southern extremity of the Roman city whose circumference measures about 3 miles. One can trace the limits of the place by the indications of the vallum and fosse.
There is no doubt that Uriconium was the Romanised capital of the Cornavii, a British tribe, and it is equally well known that the town became the centre of a network of great roads leading in different directions. The walls enclosed an area more than twice the size of Roman London, and one may easily gauge its importance and its princely style of buildings from the traces of its forum and its amphitheatre, as well as from its wide streets.
The huge destruction brought about when the city was overwhelmed by the West Saxons left the place a mass of ruins, for there are evident signs that the place was plundered and burned. During the Middle Ages there must have been, however, more than mere rubbish heaps, and the many walls then standing were probably destroyed by monks in order to furnish cheap material for ecclesiastical buildings. There is, notwithstanding this, a great piece of wall 72 feet long by 20 feet high. The other remains consist of a blacksmith's shop and the site of a market-place. A warming apparatus under one of the floors is even more perfect than is usually discovered in Rome. The key of the enclosure containing the chief portion of the remains is obtainable at the neighbouring cottage.
BUILDWAS ABBEY, SHROPSHIRE
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Buildwas Junction (1/2 mile from Abbey). Distance from London.—160 miles. Average Time.—4-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 24s. 2d. 16s. 3d. 13s. Return 45s. 6d. 28s. 6d. 26s.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Abbey Inn."
The village of Buildwas is situated at the foot of the Wrekin, on the banks of the Severn, half a mile distant from the ruined abbey lying on the south bank of the river. It was one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries in England, and was founded by Roger de Clinton the Crusader Bishop of Chester in 1135, for monks of the Cistercian order. The building, erected on the site of a hermitage, to which an early bishop of Lincoln had retired in the time of King Offa, was destined to become one of the richest establishments in the kingdom. It was partly destroyed in 1536 and the site granted to Edward Grey, Lord Powis, who married Anne, daughter of Charles Brandon, Duke of Sussex.
But though the monastery itself was destroyed, the outer walls of the noble church remain, together with a great portion of the massive central tower, the choir chapels, and the east end, with its delicate lancet-windows. The clerestory, with its Norman windows, is also intact on both sides of the nave, and between the columns are remains of the screen which once shut off the eastern aisle. The door on the south side leading to the dormitories of the monks may still be traced.
The ruins of the chapter-house are remarkably fine, and in good preservation, with a beautiful early Gothic groined roof. Beyond the chapter-house are the refectory and kitchen, and on the side next to the river were the cloisters. In the outer court of the abbey stood the lodge, and there was formerly a fine gatehouse, which collapsed in 1828, and is now almost entirely gone.
The brook, that once flowed across the abbey court, still works the mill close by; but the fine old bridge over the Severn, built by the monks, was taken down in 1690.
A good way of seeing Buildwas is to go there from Shrewsbury by an early train, walking to Leighton and Eaton Constantine, both charming villages, and rejoining the train at Cressage for Shrewsbury. An alternative route is from Shrewsbury to Much Wenlock, where there are the ruins of a fine Abbey.
LUDLOW AND ITS CASTLE
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Ludlow. Distance from London.—162 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-1/2 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 24s. 4d. 15s. 6d. 12s. 4-1/2d. Return 43s. 4d. 27s. 2d. 24s. 9d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"The Feathers Hotel," "Angel Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
Beautifully situated in a lovely valley surrounded by wooded hills, Ludlow presents a picture of an ancient but prosperous city. The town is placed at the meeting of two small rivers, the Teme and Corve, which flow into the Severn. On the top of a hill in the western part of the town is the old castle, which was a royal residence from early times. It was built at the time of the Conquest, and was the most important of all the castles that guarded the Welsh border. The eldest son of Edward IV. lived in the castle under the guardianship of his uncle, Lord Rivers, and he was proclaimed king there when only twelve years old. Prince Arthur, the first husband of Katharine of Aragon, and the eldest son of Henry VII., was also brought up and educated in the castle. In the Civil War the Parliamentary troops partially destroyed the castle, but it was not until the reign of George I. that the buildings were unroofed for the sake of their lead.
Sir Henry Sidney, the father of the famous Sir Philip Sidney, resided at Ludlow, being President of the Council of Wales. In the Great Hall, now roofless, Milton's masque Comus was performed for the first time, and Samuel Butler is said to have written part of Hudibras in a little room over the entrance gateway.
The Parish Church, also situated at the top of the hill, is mainly a fifteenth-century building, although it contains some earlier work. The fine east window, occupying the whole breadth of the chancel, is filled with very old stained glass, depicting the life of St. Lawrence. There is a round church in the castle, said to be one of the earliest circular churches in England. The streets are full of picturesque old houses, the most celebrated being the "Feathers Inn," a beautiful Jacobean house containing a coffee-room which has a most elaborately decorated plaster ceiling and fine oak-panelled walls. The appearance of the room is exceedingly rich. The Grammar School, founded by the Guild of Palmers, claims to be the oldest in England.
SHREWSBURY
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Shrewsbury. Distance from London.—162-3/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/4 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 24s. 4d. 16s. 3d. 13s. Return 45s. 6d. 28s. 6d. 26s.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Raven Hotel," "George Inn," "Lion Inn," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
The ancient city of Shrewsbury, surrounded on three sides by the river Severn, is most beautifully situated on a lofty peninsula. It was a British stronghold before the Conquest, when it was given by William the Conqueror to Roger de Montgomery, who built the castle which stands on the narrow isthmus leading to the town. Henry IV. stayed in the castle in 1403, before the battle with Harry Hotspur, which was fought at Battlefield, about 3 miles from the town. Only the keep of the old Norman castle remains, and that is now used as a modern residence. The quaint streets of Shrewsbury not only retain their old names, such as Wyle Cop and Dogpole, but are filled with half-timbered houses of the fifteenth century.
At the old Grammar School, built in 1630, and now converted into a free library and museum, many distinguished scholars have been educated, among them Sir Philip Sidney and Judge Jeffreys. Outside this school is erected a statue to Charles Darwin, a former scholar, who was born in the old suburb of Frankwell. (For Darwin's home at Downe, see Index). The Elizabethan Market House and the Council House, which was visited by both Charles I. and James II. on different occasions, are two of the numerous fascinating old buildings to be seen in Shrewsbury.
The Church of St. Mary, founded in Saxon times, is the most important of the many churches of Salop, by which name Shrewsbury is still known. The present building contains examples of almost every period of English architecture. Dr. Burney, the father of Fanny Burney, was baptized in this church. Of Shrewsbury Abbey, which once occupied 10 acres, very little remains, with the exception of the Abbey Church, of which only the nave is left. The west end has a great tower with a beautiful Gothic window. Along the banks of the river is a public park known as the Quarry, which has a wonderful avenue of lime trees, planted in 1719 by one Wright of Bicton, who, with the help of two men, planted them all in one night.
BUXTON AND THE PEAK DISTRICT
How to get there.—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway. Nearest Station.—Buxton; then by train to Castleton, by Dore and Chinley Railway. Distance from London.—164-3/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-3/4 to 4-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 21s. 8d. ... 13s. 7d. } To Return 43s. 4d. ... 27s. 2d. } Buxton.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Empire Hotel," "Crescent Hotel," Buxton. "Castle Hotel," "Bull's Head," Castleton. Alternative Route.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
The town of Buxton, which is one of the best points from which to visit the beautiful Peak Country, ranks among the best of English inland watering-places, and is the highest town of any importance in the kingdom.
The town is divided into two portions, the higher and lower, or old and new, the latter 80 feet lower than the former, being the fashionable modern resort. Here are the celebrated baths, reputed to be a sovereign cure for all rheumatic complaints, and celebrated since the time of the Roman occupation of Britain. The spring which supplies the baths may be considered one of the wonders of the Peak district, for, by means of a cleverly-arranged pump, hot and cold water are obtained within a few inches of each other.
The neighbourhood of Buxton abounds in the most wild and romantic scenery—steep rocks, dark chasms, and wooded hills, mixed in delightful confusion. Among the favourite places of resort are Ashwood Dale, with its famous Lover's Leap rock; Shirbrook Dale, with its fissure and cascade; Diamond Hill, so called from the quartz crystals or "Buxton diamonds" found there; Chee Tor, a huge limestone rock 350 feet high, which rises sheer from the bed of the Wye, washing its base; and Axe Edge, 2-1/2 miles from Buxton, rising to a height of 1800 feet above the level of the sea. From this point, in clear weather, a marvellous view is obtained, embracing the mountains of North Wales to the westward and Lincoln Cathedral to the eastward. From the sides of this rock issue four rivers in opposite directions—the Dove and the Wye, ultimately falling into the Humber, and the Dane and the Goyle, tributaries of the Mersey. The view north from Axe Edge extends over countless heights and ridges to The Peak itself, the highest point of all.
Another famous resort on account of its remarkable view is the Cat and Fiddle Inn, on the Macclesfield Road, 5 miles from Buxton.
TEWKESBURY
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Tewkesbury. Distance from London.—171 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-1/2 to 6 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 19s. 3d. ... 9s. 6d. Return 33s. 9d. ... 19s. 0d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Swan Hotel," etc. Alternative Routes.—Train from Paddington via Gloucester, Great Western Railway. Train from St. Pancras, Midland Railway.
Tewkesbury is famous for its magnificent conventual church, for the historic battle fought close to the town, and for the ancient timbered and pargetted houses in the centre of the town and down by the riverside, which rival even Chester. The population of the town is decreasing; it is no longer famous for the mustard which made Shakespeare say, "His wit is thick as Tewkesbury mustard" (Henry IV.), but it has a considerable local trade in agricultural produce. Situated on the banks of the Avon, near its junction with the Severn, it is almost insulated by these rivers and two tributaries. The old many-arched bridge over the Avon is extremely picturesque. In a county famed for its rich monasteries, Tewkesbury was among the most important. The name is believed to come from Theoc, a Saxon missionary monk, who founded a hermitage here. The abbey was originally a dependency of Cranbourne Abbey in Dorsetshire, but being richly endowed, Tewkesbury became the leading monastic establishment. Fitz-Hamon, Earl of Gloucester, began the rebuilding of the church. The choir was reconstructed in 1350 in Gothic style, but the nave and massive central tower are Norman. The whole building is cruciform, and the choir, having an hexagonal end, is surrounded by an ambulatory and numerous beautiful chapels as in Westminster. The nave is extraordinarily long, and the height of its columns has led to a squat appearance in the triforium, but the choir has short columns and plenty of height in the triforium. The colossal arch over the perpendicular window of the west front forcibly reminds one of Peterborough. The Duke of Clarence and Isabel his duchess, the king-maker's daughter; the Duke of Somerset, executed after the battle of Tewkesbury; Abbot Alear, Becket's friend, are all buried here. There is a fine gatehouse near the west end of the church. At the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, which proved so disastrous to the Lancastrian cause, Prince Edward, Henry III.'s son, was slain while fleeing from the field.
EXETER AND ITS CATHEDRAL
How to get there.—South-Western Railway, Waterloo Station. Nearest Station.—Queen Street, Exeter. Distance from London.—171-1/2 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 28s. 6d. 18s. 0d. 14s. 3-1/2d. Return 50s. 0d. 31s. 6d. 28s. 7d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Royal Clarence Hotel," "Rougemont Hotel," "Half Moon Hotel," Pople's "New London Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Great Western Railway, from Paddington Station, London, to St. Davids, Exeter.
Exeter, the metropolis of the west, was known as a city even when the Romans came to Britain. There are no important Roman buildings left now, but coins and pottery testify to the Roman occupation. The first actual historic records date from the reign of King Alfred, whose grandson, Athelstane, made Exeter into a strong city, fortifying it with walls. Exeter made a stubborn resistance to William the Conqueror, but when besieged by him was forced to yield. The city suffered siege on two other notable occasions. In the reign of Henry VII., Perkin Warbeck, the pretender, made an attack on the castle, but was defeated. In 1646 the city was blockaded by the Parliamentary forces under Fairfax and compelled to surrender.
In the centre of the city is the cathedral, which was commenced in A.D. 1107 by Bishop Warelwast, who built the massive Norman towers. Bishop Quivil, who died in 1292, completely remodelled the cathedral, changing the somewhat heavy Norman structure into the present graceful Gothic one. The successor of Bishop Quivil carried out the plans he left behind him, and the cathedral was finished in 1350, although some minor work remained to be done. Unlike so many of the early cathedrals, Exeter has no central tower, therefore its interior is famous for having the most uninterrupted vista of any cathedral in England, having no tower-piers to hinder the view. One of the most beautiful features is the carved west front.
Standing on the highest ground in Exeter, though not now conspicuous, are the ruined walls of the Norman castle, called Rougemont (Red Mount), which obtained its name from the red clay found there. The High Street contains many old and picturesque buildings, the most important of which is the Guildhall, built in the fifteenth century, but altered during the late Renaissance period. Many of the parish churches of Exeter are worthy of note.
MARKET DRAYTON, SALOP
AND THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROBERT CLIVE
How to get there.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. Nearest Station.—Market Drayton. Distance from London.—178 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4-1/4 to 5-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 24s. 2d. 15s. 5d. 13s. 2d. Return 46s. 0d. 29s. 0d. 26s. 4d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"The Corbet Arms," etc. Alternative Route.—None.
In the parish of Moreton Say, 3 miles west of Market Drayton, is Styche Hall, the birthplace of Robert Clive. The family of Clive took their name from the little town of Clive in Cheshire, removing to Styche when the heiress of the latter place married James Clive in the reign of Henry VI. Robert Clive, the hero of Plassey, born in 1725, was educated for a few years at Market Drayton before he went to the Merchant Taylors' School. His father not being at all wealthy, Clive accepted a writership in the East India Company and went out to Madras, but soon changed his post for a commission in the army. After a brilliant career in India, which he won for the English, raising them from the position of mere traders to be the rulers of an Eastern Empire, he returned to England in 1767. Worn out by the persecutions of his enemies, he died by his own hand in 1774, when only in his forty-ninth year. "Great in council, great in war, great in his exploits, which were many, and great in his faults, which were few," Sir Charles Wilson says, "Clive will ever be remembered as the man who laid deeply the foundations of our Indian Empire, and who, in a time of national despondency, restored the tarnished honour of the British arms."
The parish church of Moreton Say contains Clive's tomb besides other old monuments dating from 1600, though the church itself is chiefly eighteenth-century work. Market Drayton, sometimes thought to be the Roman Mediolanum, still has a few timbered houses, but its church has been much restored.
Close to the town, standing on a wooded hill, is Buntingsdale, a stately red brick and stone house built in Georgian times, belonging to the Tayleurs. Situated 2-1/2 miles from Market Drayton is Audley Cross, marking the site of the battle of Blore Heath, fought between the Yorkists and Lancastrians, when many Cheshire gentlemen were slain.
CHESTER
How to get there.—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. Nearest Station.—Chester. Distance from London.—179 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 27s. 10d. 18s. 8d. 14s. 11d. Return 51s. 9d. 32s. 8d. 29s. 10d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Queen's Hotel," "Grosvenor Hotel," "Talbot Hotel," "Blossoms Hotel," etc. Alternative Route.—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
The city of Chester, one of the most picturesque in the kingdom, was known in the Roman era as the "Camp of the Great Legion," and was called by the Romans Deunana or Deva, being half surrounded by the Dee. After the Conquest, the city fell to the share of Hugh Lupus, a nephew of William the Conqueror, who was created Earl of Chester, and was the builder of the first castle. His descendants were Earls of Chester until the reign of Henry III., when the earldom was conferred upon Prince Edward, whose son, Edward of Carnarvon, was the first Prince of Wales. The title is still used by the eldest son of the sovereign.
The streets of Chester are exceedingly picturesque, Old Bridge Street and Watergate Street being perhaps two of the best examples, abounding as they do in mediaeval timber work and oak carving. But the most remarkable architectural features of the city are the "Rows," which are certainly unique in this country. These Rows, which contain the chief shops, are level with the first floors of the houses; the second floor projects over them, forming a covered way. The streets were cut into the red sandstone by the Romans to a depth of 10 feet, the Rows marking the natural level.
The old walls of the city are among the most perfect in the kingdom, and measure nearly 2 miles in circumference, with four gates, one marking each point of the compass. The east gate, showing the termination of the great Roman Watling Street, was rebuilt in 1769.
Chester Cathedral, though not of great exterior beauty, should be visited for the sake of its antiquity and its associations. It is said to have been founded by Ethelfleda, the daughter of Alfred the Great, on the site of a nunnery built in 875. The west front, with the Bishop's Palace on its left, is perhaps the best feature of the exterior; while the Bishop's Throne, in the cathedral, is a wonderfully early piece of carving, ornamented with figures of the kings of Mercia.
EXMOOR
How to get there.—Great Western Railway, Paddington Station. Nearest Stations.—Dulverton or Minehead. For both stations change at Taunton. Distance from London.—180 miles to Dulverton; 188 miles to Minehead. Average Time.—To Dulverton varies between 5 to 6-1/2 hours. To Minehead varies between 5-1/2 to 7 hours.
Fares.— Single Return 1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd Dulverton 30s. 9d. 19s. 3d. 15s. 4-1/2d. 53s. 10d. 33s. 9d. 30s. 9d. Minehead 31s. 4d. 19s. 6d. 15s. 8d. 54s. 10d. 34s. 4d. 31s. 4d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—Dulverton—"Carnarvon Arms," "Lamb," etc. Minehead—"Metropole," "Beach," "Wellington," "Plume of Feathers," etc. Porlock—"The Ship," etc. Simonsbath—"Exmoor Forest Hotel."
Exmoor, like Dartmoor, can be approached from many different places, but to reach some of the finest and most typical stretches of the moor one cannot do better than choose Dulverton or Minehead. Porlock, six or seven miles by road (there is no railway) from Minehead, is a third place admirably suited for getting on to Exmoor; it is the nearest place of any size to Dunkery Beacon, which is the highest shoulder of the moor (1707 feet). The drawing given here shows the valley of the Horner, a small stream rising on the heathery slopes of Dunkery Beacon, which appears in the distance. This valley is one of the most romantic spots on Exmoor. After a long ride or ramble on foot over the open heather, with sweeping views which include Dartmoor, South Wales, the hills around Bath, as well as Brown Willy in Cornwall, one finds the ground falling steeply, and before long one is climbing down a water-worn path among sturdy oaks. The air also becomes full of the music of the rushing Horner below. The stream is eventually discovered boiling over mossy stones in the green shade of the close-growing trees filling the deep valley. The quieter pools are frequently taken advantage of by a hard-pressed stag, for this particular piece of country is frequently hunted over by the Devon and Somerset staghounds, some of the most popular meets of the season being held at Cloutsham farm, on one of the slopes of the Horner valley. The neighbourhood of Dulverton includes some fine bits of river scenery—the Barle, the Haddeo, and the Exe meeting one another in the midst of lovely wooded hills. Many of the villages on the margin of Exmoor are exceedingly pretty. The churches, too, are generally of great interest.
KNUTSFORD
THE HOME OF MRS. GASKELL
How to get there.—Train from Euston via Crewe. L. and N.W. Rly. Nearest Station.—Knutsford. Distance from London.—180 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 4 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 24s. 6d. 16s. 6d. 14s. 3-1/2d. Return 49s. 0d. 31s. 6d. 28s. 7d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Royal George Hotel," etc.
Knutsford still retains the air of old-world quaintness which Mrs. Gaskell has made so familiar in her delightful Cranford. The whole of Knutsford breathes the fresh and bright tidiness one always involuntarily associates with such ladies as "Miss Jenkyns," and every house rejoices in a beautifully neat garden. The Royal George Hotel, in the High Street, is a perfect feast to the eye of panelled wainscotting, oak settles, and Chippendale cabinets. The richness, all over the town, of ancient carvings, staircases, and chimney-pieces, is due to the prosperity which the coach traffic between Liverpool and Manchester brought to the place for many years.
Mrs. Gaskell was born in Chelsea in 1810, but her mother dying soon after, she went to live under the care of her mother's sister, who lived at Knutsford in Cheshire. Mrs. Gaskell, as a child, was brought up in a tall red house, standing alone in the midst of peaceful fields and trees, on the Heath, with a wide view reaching to the distant hills. In a green hollow near this house there stand an old forge and mill, the former having existed for more than two hundred years. Mrs. Gaskell had a lonely childhood, occasionally relieved by a visit to her cousins at the old family house of Sandlebridge. This old house is now dismantled, but contains many interesting features. A shuffle-board, or extremely long table, with drawers and cupboards underneath, of which there now exist scarcely any specimens, a cradle of great antiquity, and the fine old wooden chimney-pieces in the front parlour, still remain.
A few places in Knutsford claim association with Cranford. One house is pointed out as being Miss Matty's tea-shop. The Knutsford ladies still gossip over toasted cheese and bezique. Mrs. Gaskell spent her married life in Manchester, where most of her books were written, but she used often to return and stay with her cousins, from whom she learnt many of the quaint stories still told in Knutsford.
TORR STEPS ON THE BARLE, SOMERSET
How to get there.—Train from Paddington Station. Great Western Railway. Nearest Station.—Dulverton. Distance from London.—180 miles to Dulverton. Average Time.—To Dulverton varies between 5 and 6-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 30s. 9d. 19s. 3d. 15s. 4-1/2d. Return 53s. 10d. 33s. 9d. 30s. 9d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—Dulverton—"Carnarvon Arms," "Lamb," etc.
One of the very earliest forms of bridge in England is to be seen on the beautiful river Barle, about 7 miles above Dulverton. Torr Steps (the name is locally pronounced Tarr) are a distinct advance upon stepping-stones, for although the entire bridge is submerged in flood-time, there are, in ordinary conditions, seventeen spans raised clear above the level of the water. The great stones which form the piers support slabs averaging from 6 to 8 feet in length. In the centre these are about 3 feet 6 inches wide, and the piers are supported by sloping stones to resist the force of the current. At the ends of the bridge the slabs are narrower, and are placed in pairs side by side, thus giving the advantage of the greatest weight where the force of the stream is most strongly felt. No traces of cement can be found among the stones, so that the structure has preserved itself purely by the weight of its individual parts.
Although it is impossible to make any definite statement as to the date of Torr Steps, it is probable that they were built by the Celtish inhabitants of this part of the west country, the bridge having been on the beaten track between one or two important centres. The size of the stones does not raise any obstacle to this theory, for though of great weight, they are not so unwieldy as the majority of those forming Stonehenge, which is generally accepted as the work of an exceedingly early race of sun-worshipping men. The name "Torr" is possibly derived from the Celtic word "Tochar," a causeway, modified to "Toher" and then to "Torr." The lanes leading from Dulverton to the village of Hawkridge, about 1-1/2 miles from the steps, are exceedingly beautiful, and the whole course of the river Barle is remarkable for the striking charm of its woodland scenery, which is frequently contrasted with the wild moorland commons on the hillsides above.
CLEEVE ABBEY, SOMERSET
How to get there.—From Paddington. Great Western Station. To Washford Station via Taunton. Nearest Station.—Washford (2 or 3 minutes' walk). Distance from London.—182-1/4 miles. Average Time.—Varies between 5-1/2 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd Fares.—Single 30s. 4d. 19s. 0d. 15s. 3d. Return 53s. 0d. 33s. 3d. 30s. 4d.
Accommodation Obtainable.—"Luttrell Arms Hotel," "Dunster," 4-1/2 miles from Washford. "Metropole," "Beach," "Plume of Feathers," etc., at Minehead, 6-1/2 miles from Washford.
At Cleeve the Cistercian abbey church has disappeared, save for the bases of the pillars in the nave, but the conventual buildings are some of the most perfect in England, those of Beaulieu in Hampshire and Fountains in Yorkshire being the only ones able to compare with them. One first passes through the magnificent old gatehouse pictured here. Inside is a large grassy space, with the mass of buildings facing one. They are arranged in a quadrangular form, enclosing a grassy cloister garth. On the south side is the refectory, a magnificent hall above some small rooms on the ground floor. It is believed to have been built by Abbot Dovell in the sixteenth century. The roof, of carved walnut, is in a perfect state of preservation. From the refectory one may pass into the Abbots' Lodge, then descending to the cloister garth again, one may penetrate all the different portions of the buildings—the day-room, where the monks did all sorts of work; the dormitory, where they slept; the chapter-house, where they conducted the business of the abbey; the sacristy, the parlour, and other smaller rooms. The buildings are so perfect that it is quite easy to obtain a comprehensive idea of the inner workings of one of these great mediaeval institutions. |
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