What to See in England
by Gordon Home · English · Gutenberg #11642 · 415,464 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: What to See in England
Author: Gordon Home
Release date: March 1, 2004 [eBook #11642]
Most recently updated: October 28, 2024
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHAT TO SEE IN ENGLAND ***
WHAT TO SEE IN ENGLAND
A GUIDE TO PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST, NATURAL BEAUTY,
OR LITERARY ASSOCIATION
BY GORDON HOME
1908
[Illustration: BOOTHAM BAR, AND YORK MINSTER.]
[Illustration: SKETCH PLAN OF LONDON SHOWING RAILWAY STATIONS]
[Illustration: REFERENCE TO RAILWAY STATIONS
Broad Street
Cannon St. (South Eastern & Chatham)
Charing Cross (South Eastern & Chatham)
Euston Station (London & North Western)
Fenchurch St. (London, Tilbury, & Southend)
Great Central Station
Great Eastern (Liverpool St.)
Great Western Station
King's Cross (Great Northern)
Liverpool St. (Great Eastern)
London Bridge (South Eastern & Chatham & Brighton & South Coast)
London & North Western (Euston Station)
London & South Western (Waterloo)
London, Tilbury, & Southend (Fenchurch St.)
Marylebone Station (Great Central)
Paddington Station (Great Western)
St Pancras (Midland)
South Eastern & Chatham:
Cannon Street
Charing Cross
Holborn Viaduct
London Bridge
Ludgate Hill
Victoria
Waterloo
South Western Railway (Waterloo)
Victoria (London, Brighton, & South Coast & South Eastern & Chatham)
Waterloo (London & South Western)]
PREFACE
This book is intended to put in the smallest possible space the means by
which one may reach the chief places of interest in England and Wales.
It will possibly make many holidays, week-ends, or isolated days more
enjoyable by placing a defined objective before the rambler. Places
within an hour or two of London are in the front of the book, so that as
one turns over the pages one is taken further and further afield. The
brief summary of the interests of each place, and the many
illustrations, may help to memorise the impressions obtained.
The first edition of a book of this nature must of necessity be
incomplete, and the author is prepared to hear of long lists of places
which should have been included, and also to hear criticisms on his
choice of those appearing. It is to some extent natural that special
familiarity with certain places and certain writers or heroes of the
past may distort one's vision, and perhaps induce a choice of subjects
which may not seem so comprehensive to some individuals as to others.
Future editions will, however, give ample scope for embracing all the
good suggestions which may be made.
G.H.
HAM HOUSE AND PETERSHAM
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Richmond (1-1/4 miles from Petersham Church).
=Distance from London.=--10 miles.
=Average Time.=--1/2 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 1s. 3d. 1s. 0d. 0s. 9d.
Return 2s. 0d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Castle Hotel," "Roebuck Hotel,"
Richmond. "Dysart Arms" at Petersham.
The little church at Petersham is interesting on account of the memorial
it contains to the memory of Vancouver, the discoverer, in 1792, of the
island bearing his name, on the west coast of the North American
continent. It is said that "the unceasing exertions which Vancouver
himself made to complete the gigantic task of surveying 9000 miles of
unknown and intricate coasts--a labour chiefly performed in open
boats--made an inroad on his constitution from which he never recovered,
and, declining gradually, he died in May 1798." The church is also the
burying-place of the Duchess of Lauderdale, whose residence was Ham
House. This fine old Jacobean mansion stands at no great distance from
Petersham Church. It was built as a residence for Prince Henry, the
eldest son of James I., who, however, died early, the gossips of the
time hinting at poison. The house is still said to be haunted by the
spirit of the old Duchess of Lauderdale, who lived in the time of
Charles II.
WALTON-ON-THAMES (SCOLD'S BRIDLE)
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Walton.
=Distance from London.=--17 miles.
=Average Time.=--3/4 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 10d. 1s. 10d. 1s. 5d.
Return 4s. 0d. 3s. 0d. 2s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Ashley" at station; "Swan," on
the river; "Duke's Head," in the town, etc.
Walton-on-Thames is a little riverside town, very much surrounded by
modern villas. The church contains in a glass case in the vestry a
"scold's bridle." This rusty iron contrivance is one of the few
specimens of this mediaeval instrument of torture to be seen in this
country, and it is certainly the nearest to London.
In Elizabethan times a "scold" was looked upon in much the same light as
a witch, and this bridle was applied to those women who obtained for
themselves the undesirable reputation.
[Illustration: THE GARDEN FRONT OF HAM HOUSE.]
[Illustration: THE SCOLD'S BRIDLE IN WALTON-ON-THAMES CHURCH.
"Chester presents Walton with a bridle
To curb women's tongues when they are idle."]
HARROW
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Harrow.
=Distance from London.=--11-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--1/2 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 1s. 6d. 1s. 0d. 0s. 9d.
Return 2s. 3d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"King's Head," etc.
=Alternative Routes.=--Train from Baker Street, Metropolitan Railway.
Train from Broad Street, L. and N.W. Railway. Train from
Marylebone, Great Central Railway.
Harrow, from its high position, 200 feet above the sea, was selected by
the Romans as an important military station. By the Saxons it was called
Hereways, and was purchased in 822 by Wilfred, Archbishop of Canterbury.
The ancient manor-house, of which no traces now remain, was formerly the
residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury, and it was here that Thomas
à Becket resided during his banishment from Court. Cardinal Wolsey, who
was once Rector of Harrow, resided at Pinner, and is said to have
entertained Henry VIII. during his visit to Harrow. The manor was
exchanged by Archbishop Cranmer with the king for other lands, and was
subsequently given to Sir Edmund Dudley, afterwards Lord North.
At the bottom of the hill, and spreading rapidly in all directions, are
quantities of modern houses and villas, but the point of greatest
interest in Harrow is the celebrated school, wonderfully situated on the
very summit of the hill, with views extending over thirteen counties.
Founded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth by John Lyon, a yeoman of the
parish, the school has now grown enormously, the oldest portion being
that near the church, which was erected three years after the founder's
death. In the wainscotting of the famous schoolroom are the carvings cut
by many generations of Harrovians, among them being the names of Peel,
Byron, Sheridan, the Marquess of Hastings, Lord Normanby, and many
others.
The church stands on the extreme summit of the hill, and from the
churchyard the view is simply magnificent. In the building are some
interesting tombs and brasses, and a monument to John Lyon, the founder
of the school.
The grave shown on the opposite page is known as "Byron's tomb," on
account of his fondness for the particular spot it occupied in the
churchyard, from whence the fascinating view just mentioned can be seen,
from the shade of the trees growing on either side.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
"BYRON'S TOMB" IN HARROW CHURCHYARD.]
HOLWOOD HOUSE, KESTON
THE HOME OF WILLIAM PITT
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Hayes (2 miles from Keston village). About 3
miles from Holwood House.
=Distance from London.=--12 miles.
=Average Time.=--35 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 0d. 1s. 3d. 1s. 0-1/2d.
Return 3s. 3d. 2s. 4d. 1s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Fox Inn," "The George."
=Alternative Route.=--To Orpington Station by the South-Eastern and
Chatham Railway, about 4 miles distant.
_Visitors are able to pass through the park on a public footpath._
About 3 miles' walk from Hayes Station by a pleasant road over Hayes
Common is Holwood House, a stately, classic building, for many years the
home of William Pitt, the famous statesman and son of the Earl of
Chatham. He owned the estate between 1785 and 1802, and it was during
this period that the British camp in the park suffered so severely. The
earth-works were occupied by some early British tribe before Caesar
crossed the Channel, and the place probably owed its strength to its
well-chosen position. Pitt, however, caused these fascinating remains to
be levelled to a considerable extent, in order to carry out some of his
ideas of landscape gardening. A magnificent tree growing near the house
is known as "Pitt's Oak," from the tradition that Pitt was specially
fond of spending long periods of quiet reading beneath its overshadowing
boughs. Another tree of more interest still stands quite near the public
footpath through the park. This is known as "Wilberforce's Oak," and is
easily distinguished from the surrounding trees by the stone seat
constructed in its shade. The momentous decision which makes this tree
so interesting is given in Wilberforce's diary for the year 1788. He
writes, "At length, I well remember after a conversation with Mr. Pitt
in the open air at the root of an old tree at Holwood, just above the
steep descent into the vale of Keston, I resolved to give notice on a
fit occasion in the House of Commons of my intention to bring forward
the abolition of the slave-trade."
With the exception of Knole Park, Holwood boasts some of the finest
beeches in the country. The present house took the place of the one
occupied by Pitt in 1825; the architect was Decimus Burton.
[Illustration: WILBERFORCE'S OR "EMANCIPATION OAK" IN HOLWOOD PARK,
KESTON.]
CHIGWELL, ESSEX
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street.
Great Eastern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Chigwell.
=Distance from London.=--12-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--55 minutes. Quickest train, 31 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 1s. 10d. 1s. 4d. 0s. 11d.
Return 2s. 6d. 1s. 10d. 1s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The King's Head."
In 1844 Charles Dickens wrote to Forster: "Chigwell, my dear fellow, is
the greatest place in the world. Name your day for going. Such a
delicious old inn facing the church--such a lovely ride--such forest
scenery--such an out-of-the-way rural place--such a sexton! I say again,
Name your day." This is surely sufficient recommendation for any place;
and when one knows that the "delicious old inn" is still standing, and
that the village is as rural and as pretty as when Dickens wrote over
sixty years ago, one cannot fail to have a keen desire to see the place.
"The King's Head" illustrated here is the inn Dickens had in his mind
when describing the "Maypole" in _Barnaby Rudge_, and the whole of the
plot of that work is so wrapped up in Chigwell and its immediate
surroundings that one should not visit the village until one has read
the story. One may see the panelled "great room" upstairs where Mr.
Chester met Mr. Geoffrey Haredale. This room has a fine mantelpiece,
great carved beams, and beautiful leaded windows. On the ground floor is
the cosy bar where the village cronies gathered with Mr. Willett, and
one may also see the low room with the small-paned windows against which
John Willett flattened his nose looking out on the road on the dark
night when the story opens.
Chigwell School, built in 1629, and founded by Archbishop Harsnett,
still remains, although there have been several modern additions. Here
William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was educated. (See Index for
Jordans and Penn's Chapel at Thakeham.)
Chigwell Church, facing "The King's Head," has a dark avenue of yews
leading from the road to the porch. A brass to the memory of Archbishop
Harsnett may be seen on the floor of the chancel. The epitaph in Latin
was ordered to be so written in the will of the archbishop. Translated,
the first portion may be read: "Here lieth Samuel Harsnett, formerly
vicar of this church. First the unworthy Bishop of Chichester, then the
more unworthy Bishop of Norwich, at last the very unworthy Archbishop of
York."
[Illustration: THE KING'S HEAD INN AT CHIGWELL.
The "Maypole" of Dickens's _Barnaby Rudge_.]
WALTHAM ABBEY AND CROSS
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street. Great Eastern
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Waltham.
=Distance from London.=--12-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--40 minutes. Quickest train, 23 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 0d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 1d.
Return 3s. 3d. 2s. 6d. 1s. 7d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The New Inn," etc.
Waltham Abbey is a market town in Essex on the banks of the Lea, which
here divides into several branches which are used as motive power for
some gunpowder and flour mills. Harold II. founded the stately Abbey
Church in May 1060. William the Conqueror disputed Harold's claim to the
throne and landed in England at Pevensey in 1066. At Waltham Abbey,
troubled and anxious, Harold prayed for victory in England's name before
the fatal battle of Hastings, where he was slain. William at first
refused to give up Harold's body to his mother, Gytha, but he afterwards
allowed two monks from Waltham to search for the body of the king. They
were unable to find it amongst the nameless dead, but his favourite,
Edith the swan-necked, whose eye of affection was not to be deceived,
discovered it. His weeping mother buried the disfigured corpse probably
about 120 feet from the east end of the old church.
At Waltham is one of the many crosses erected by Edward I. in memory of
his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, wherever her body rested on its way
to Westminster from Lincoln. At Northampton is another of these famous
crosses. When the king asked the Abbot of Cluny to intercede for her
soul, he said, "We loved her tenderly in her lifetime; we do not cease
to love her in death."
A little way to the left of Waltham Cross, now a gateway to the park of
Theobalds, stands Temple Bar, stone for stone intact as it was in the
days when traitors' heads were raised above it in Fleet Street, although
the original wooden gates have gone. A portion of the richly-carved top
of the gate is still in existence in London. Waltham Abbey is probably
close to that part of the river Lea where King Alfred defeated the
Danes. They had penetrated far up the river when King Alfred diverted
the waters of the river from underneath their black vessels and left
them high and dry in a wilderness of marsh and forest. The gentle
Charles Lamb was very fond of the country all round Waltham Abbey,
especially Broxbourne and Amwell.
[Illustration: THE ABBEY GATE AT WALTHAM.
Waltham Abbey was founded in 1060 by Harold II.]
DOWNE
THE HOME OF DARWIN
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Orpington (3-1/2 to 4 miles from Downe).
=Distance from London.=--13-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--35 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 4d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 2-1/2d.
Return 4s. 0d. 3s. 0d. ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Queen's Head," at Downe, facing the
church. Hotels at Farnborough--"White Lion," "George and
Dragon."
The home of the great scientist is still standing in the little village
of Downe in Kent. The road to the hamlet is through Farnborough, and the
walk takes an hour. Downe is a pleasant place, possessing a large
village pond and a small church with a shingled spire. Darwin's home,
known as Downe House, was built in the eighteenth century. Its front is
of white stucco, relieved by ivy and other creepers. The wing on the
west side of the house was added by Darwin shortly after he came to live
there. This new portion of the house was used partly to accommodate his
library. On the north side is the room used by Darwin as a study, in
which he wrote some of his most important works. The garden of the house
is sheltered and reposeful, and from the old wall-garden to the south
there is a beautiful view over the delightful stretch of country in the
direction of Westerham.
The life led by Darwin when at Downe was exceedingly quiet and regular,
for he always went to bed at an early hour, and rising at six was
enabled to get in a walk and breakfast before commencing work at eight
o'clock. At some other time of the day he would manage to get an
opportunity for another walk, and part of the evening would be given up
to his family and friends who were privileged to enjoy conversation with
the great author of _The Origin of Species_. Professor Haeckel,
describing a visit to Darwin's home, says, "There stepped out to meet me
from the shady porch ... the great naturalist himself, a tall and
venerable figure, with the broad shoulders of an Atlas supporting a
world of thought, his Jupiter-like forehead, highly and broadly arched
... and deeply furrowed with the plough of mental labour; his kindly,
mild eyes looking forth under the shadow of prominent brows."
[Illustration: DOWNE HOUSE AT DOWNE, KENT.
The Home of Charles Darwin.]
EPSOM: ITS RACES AND ITS SALTS
=How to get there.=--From Waterloo, South-Western Railway. From
London Bridge or Victoria, London, Brighton, and South Coast Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Epsom.
=Distance from London.=--14 miles.
=Average Time.=--3/4 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 3d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 2d.
Return 3s. 0d. 2s. 6d. 2s. 2d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"King's Head," "Spread Eagle," etc.
One must choose any other than a race-day if one wishes to see the
charming old town of Epsom at its best. But if, on the other hand, one
wishes, to see something of the scene on the race-course depicted in Mr.
Frith's famous picture, one gets no suggestion of the great spectacle
except on race-days. On these occasions, at the Spring meeting and
during Derby week, one has merely to follow the great streams of
humanity which converge on the downs from the roads from London and from
the railway stations. On ordinary days the wide rolling downs are
generally left alone to the health-giving breezes which blow over them.
In the town itself there is much to be seen of the seventeenth-century
architecture associated with the days of Epsom's fame as a
watering-place. The wide portion of the High Street at once attracts
one's notice, for with one or two exceptions its whole length is full of
the quaintest of buildings with cream walls and mossy tiled roofs. The
clock-tower was built in 1848, when it replaced a very simple old
watch-house with a curious little tower rising from it. The "Spread
Eagle" is one of the oldest of the Epsom inns; its irregular front and
its position looking up the High Street make it more conspicuous than
the "King's Head," an equally old and very interesting hostelry facing
the clock-tower. Pepys stayed there in 1667, for in his diary of July 14
of that year he writes, "To Epsom, by eight o'clock, to the well; where
much company. And to the towne to the King's Head; and hear that my Lord
Buckhurst and Nelly (Gwynne) are lodged at the next house, and Sir
Charles Sedley with them: and keep a merry house." This house, next to
the "King's Head," is still standing. A little further along the street
is the large red-brick building known to-day as Waterloo House. It was
built about the year 1680, and was then known as the New Inn. The old
banqueting-hall it contains is divided up now, for the building is
converted into shops.
Durdans, the residence of Lord Rosebery, is about ten minutes' walk from
the High Street. One can see the house and grounds from the narrow lane
leading to the downs.
[Illustration: HIGH STREET, EPSOM.
Showing one of the famous inns which flourished in the seventeenth
century.]
EPPING FOREST
=How to get there.=--From Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street.
Great Eastern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Theydon Bois. Other stations near the forest
are Chingford, Loughton, and Epping.
=Distance from London.=--15 miles.
=Average Time.=--1 hour. Quickest train, 38 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 8d. 1s. 11d. 1s. 3-1/2d.
Return 3s. 9d. 2s. 11d. 1s. 11d.
Those who wish to ramble through Epping Forest off the beaten paths
should carry a compass and a map, so that they do not merely keep in one
section of the forest, and thus miss some of the tracts which are quite
distinct in character to others. The best days during the summer for
having the glades to one's self are Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, but
during the winter the whole place is left to the keepers and the
feathered inhabitants of the forest. During spring and autumn one also
finds that the grassy walks are left almost entirely alone, and at these
periods the forest is at its very best. Those who have only visited it
in the height of summer, when the foliage is perhaps drooping a little,
when the birds are not singing, and when there are traces of more than
one picnic party, have no idea of the true beauty of the forest. A herd
of deer are allowed to breed in the wilder and less frequented portions
if the forest, and these add much to the charm of some of the umbrageous
by-paths when one suddenly disturbs a quietly grazing group. Queen
Elizabeth's hunting lodge, which adjoins the Forest Hotel at Chingford,
is a restored three-storied and much gabled building, constructed of
plastered brickwork and framed with oak. It seems that the building
originally had no roof, but merely an open platform, from which one
could obtain a good comprehensive view of any sport going on in the
vicinity. The lodge has now been made the home of a museum of objects of
antiquity discovered in the forest. The special points of Epping Forest
which should be included in a long day's ramble are Connaught Water, a
lake near Chingford; High Beach, an elevated portion of the forest
possessing some splendid beeches; the earthwork known as Loughton Camp,
which probably belongs to pre-Roman times, and Ambresbury Banks, towards
Epping. This camp is said to have been the last fortress of the Britons
under Boadicea. From here they are believed to have marched against the
Romans to receive the crushing defeat inflicted upon them.
[Illustration: A GLADE AMONG THE BEECHES IN EPPING FOREST.]
HAMPTON COURT
=How to get there.=--South-Western Railway. Waterloo Station.
=Nearest Station.=--Hampton Court.
=Distance from London.=--15 miles.
=Average Time.=--3/4 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 0d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 2-1/2d.
Return 2s. 9d. 2s. 0d. 1s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Castle Hotel," "Mitre Hotel," "The
King's Arms Hotel," "Greyhound Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--By steamboats from London Bridge, etc., during
the summer months.
Within a few hundred yards of the Hampton Court station on the London
and South-Western Railway stands the magnificent palace of Hampton
Court, originally erected by Cardinal Wolsey for his own residence, and
after his sudden downfall appropriated by his ungrateful master Henry
VIII. for his private use and property.
The approach from the station lies through a pair of finely designed
wrought-iron gates to the north frontage of the palace, erected by
Wolsey himself. This front is all in the fine red-brick architecture of
the period, with quaint gables, small mullioned windows, and a
collection of moulded and twisted red-brick chimneys of wonderfully
varied designs. The entrance through the gatehouse, flanked by two
towers, is under a massive Tudor gateway, and leads into an inner
quadrangle and thence into a second court, both of the same picturesque
character. In these inner courts are the suites of rooms given as
residences by royal favour, and on the left-hand side is Wolsey's great
banqueting-hall, with a magnificent open timber roof.
The southern and eastern portions, with the Fountain Court and the
splendid frontage to the gardens, were designed by Sir Christopher Wren,
and form one of the best examples of his work. In this part of the
building are the picture galleries, containing a priceless collection of
works, comprising Sir Peter Lely's Beauties of King Charles II.'s time,
valuable specimens of Holbein, Kneller, West, Jansen, Vandyck, Reynolds,
and other masters, and seven wonderful cartoons by Raphael.
The splendidly kept gardens, about 44 acres in extent, are still very
much as they were in the time of William III. Hampton Court "Maze" is
one of the most intricate in the country.
The palace, grounds, and picture galleries are open to the public daily,
free, except on Fridays; summer, 10 to 6; winter, 10 to 4. Sundays,
summer, 2 to 6; winter, 2 to 4.
[Illustration: THE EAST SIDE OF THE CLOCK TOWER, HAMPTON COURT.]
RYE HOUSE, BROXBOURNE
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street. Great Eastern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Broxbourne (quite close to Rye House).
=Distance from London.=--17 miles.
=Average Time.=--50 minutes. Quickest train, 39 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 3d. 2s. 3d. 1s. 6d. } reduced during
Return 4s. 9d. 3s. 6d. 2s. 6d. } summer months.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Rye House has been converted into
an hotel.
Rye House stands close to the banks of the river Lea, and is now perhaps
more of a resort than some would wish it to be, for it has been altered
from a manor-house into an hotel. It has not, however, quite lost its
picturesqueness, as one will see from the illustration given here, and
within one may see the fine old dining-hall and the famous "Great bed of
Ware," large enough, it is said, to contain twelve people! The
historical interest which attaches itself to Rye House, though well
known, may be briefly given here. It was in 1683 the scene of a plot, in
Charles II.'s reign, to assassinate the king and his brother the Duke of
York, afterwards James II., on their way to London from Newmarket.
Charles, though restored to the throne, was giving great dissatisfaction
to many in the country. Though professedly a Protestant, it was well
known that his leanings were towards Roman Catholicism, and his brother
the Duke of York was an avowed Catholic. Then it was discovered that
Charles had been receiving a pension from Louis XIV. of France, on
condition that this country did not go to war with the French, an
arrangement which was most humiliating to the English people. The nation
was thoroughly alarmed, and at the next meeting of Parliament the
Commons brought in a bill to exclude the Duke of York from ever coming
to the throne. Many of the leading Whigs, including Lord William
Russell, Algernon Sidney, and the Earl of Essex, formed a confederacy.
It has never been proved that they ever meant the country to rise
against the king, but unfortunately, just at the same time, some bolder
and fiercer spirits of the Whig party determined to kill both Charles
and James at the lonely Rye House belonging to Rumbolt. The plot failed
from the fact that the house which the king occupied at Newmarket
accidentally caught fire, and Charles was obliged to leave Newmarket a
week sooner than was expected. This conspiracy as well as the meetings
of the Whig party were betrayed to the king's ministers. Russell was
beheaded in 1683, and Sidney shared the same fate.
[Illustration: RYE HOUSE.
The scene of the famous Rye House Plot in 1683.]
HATFIELD HOUSE, HERTS
=How to get there.=--From King's Cross. Great Northern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Hatfield.
=Distance from London.=--17-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--35 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 6d. ... 1s. 5-1/2d.
Return 5s. 0d. ... 2s. 11d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Red Lion Hotel," etc.
Permission to see the interior of Hatfield House can be obtained when
the Marquess of Salisbury is not in residence.
After the Norman Conquest Hatfield, the _Haethfield_ of the Saxons,
became the property of the bishops of Ely, and was known as Bishops
Hatfield, as indeed it is marked on many maps. There was here a
magnificent palace, which at the Reformation became the property of
Henry VIII., and was afterwards given to the Cecils by James I., who
received Theobalds in exchange.
The town of Hatfield is a quaint, straggling place, with narrow streets
and many antique houses. A steep declivity leads up to the old church,
dedicated to St. Etheldreda, just outside one of the entrances to the
grounds of Hatfield House. The church contains a monument to Sir Robert
Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury, also tombs of the Botelers, Brockets,
and Reads of Brocket Hall.
The entrance gateway, close to the churchyard, leads to what are now the
stables of Hatfield House, a fine red-brick structure, once the
banqueting-hall of the Bishop's Palace. This building, with its fine
open timber roof, is perhaps the only example of its kind in England
used as a stable.
Hatfield House is one of the most perfect and magnificent of Elizabethan
mansions in the kingdom. It was built by the first Earl of Salisbury in
1611, and is practically unaltered. The fine oak panelling and carving,
the plaster ceilings, and much of the furniture, all remain as they were
in the days of the great Lord Burleigh. The great hall, with its
splendid timber roof, and the gallery, with a fine collection of
pictures and curios, are two striking features. The staircase is
magnificent in design and detail, and is furnished with gates at the
bottom, placed there originally for preventing the dogs from wandering
upstairs.
The paintings in the hall and other rooms in Hatfield House include
portraits of the great Burleigh, Sir Robert and other Cecils, by Lely
and Kneller; Henry VIII., Anne Boleyn, Mary Queen of Scots, the Earl of
Leicester, and Queen Elizabeth.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
HATFIELD HOUSE.]
RUNNYMEAD, THE SIGNING OF MAGNA CHARTA
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Staines.
=Distance from London.=--19 miles.
=Average Time.=--50 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 0d. 2s. 0d. 1s. 6d.
Return 5s. 0d. 3s. 6d. 2s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Staines--"Pack Horse Hotel,"
"Swan Hotel," "Bridge Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington to Staines. G.W.R.
Runnymede takes a prominent place among the many historical spots which
crowd the banks of the Thames. The river at this point is winding and
picturesque. Some doubt attaches to the exact spot where John, in 1215,
realising at last that the barons were too strong for him, confirmed
their articles with his hand and seal, with the full intention of
breaking his word as soon as it was possible. It was either on the south
side of the river, or on an island opposite the end of the meadow, now
known as Magna Carta Island, that this early bulwark of freedom was
granted by the king. Though there is strong tradition in favour of the
meadows on the opposite bank, possibly the balance of favour is with the
island. On the island there is a rough stone bearing an inscription
stating that this is the celebrated spot.
The island is now private property. Above it, on the left, is a low
wooded ridge known as Cooper's Hill, from which one can enjoy some
exquisite views of the Thames valley.
THE OLDEST BRASS IN ENGLAND
=How to get there.=--Train to Leatherhead by South-Western or
London, Brighton and South Coast lines.
=Distance from London.=--19 miles.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Swan Hotel," etc., at Leatherhead.
Two and a half miles from Leatherhead is situated the ancient church of
Stoke d'Abernon, famous for possessing the oldest brass in England. It
shows a complete figure of Sir John d'Abernoun, who died in 1277. The
church, restored externally, overlooks the river Mole.
[Illustration: IN STOKE D'ABERNON CHURCH
Twelfth Century Parish Chest, with slot for inserting Peter's Pence. The
three locks were for the rector and two churchwardens.
The brass to Sir John d'Abernoun on the floor of the Chancel showing the
chain armour worn between 1250 and 1300 A.D.
Jacobean hour-glass stand.]
ST. ALBANS
VERULAMIUM AND GORHAMBURY
=How to get there.=--Through train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--St. Albans.
=Distance from London.=--20 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1/2 to 1 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 2s. 8d. ... 1s. 7-1/2d.
Return 5s. 4d. ... 3s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Peahen," "Red Lion Hotel,"
"The George," etc.
=Alternative Routes.=--Train from Euston, L. and N.W. Railway.
Train from King's Cross, Great Northern Railway.
St. Albans is an ancient town of much historic interest, being built
close to the site of the old Roman city of Verulamium. West of the town;
by a little stream, the Ver, some remains of the old Roman wall may be
seen, and the frequent discoveries made there are placed in the museum
in the town. St. Alban, or Albanus, who has given his name to the town,
was the first British martyr. He lived in the reign of Diocletian, and
was beheaded on the site of the abbey raised in his honour. The
Benedictine monastery which arose became the wealthiest and most popular
in England through the fame of the saint. Most of the kings from Saxon
times until the dissolution of the monastery in Henry VIII.'s reign,
visited this shrine. In later times the Abbey Church was made parochial,
and finally a cathedral.
St. Albans owes some of its importance to its situation on the famous
northward road; Watling Street runs through it. Owing to its proximity
to London, it was the scene of two battles in its High Street during the
Wars of the Roses.
The cathedral occupies the highest site of any in England. The square
Norman tower owes its red hue to the Roman bricks used in its
construction. One remarkable feature is the length of the nave, which is
only exceeded by Winchester. Every style of architecture is represented
in the interior from Early Norman to Late Perpendicular, and in the
triforium of the north transept are to be seen some Saxon balusters and
columns. The shrine of St. Alban is in the Saint's Chapel, with the
interesting watching-loft on the north side. The west end has been very
much renovated by Lord Grimthorpe.
At Gorhambury can be seen the tower of the ruined house formerly
occupied by Sir Nicholas Bacon, and visited by Queen Elizabeth. In the
antique church of St. Michael in Verulamium is Lord Bacon's monument.
[Illustration: _F. Frith & Co., Ltd._
ST. ALBANS ABBEY.
Showing the Central Tower constructed of Roman bricks from Verulamium.]
STOKE POGES CHURCH, BUCKS
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Slough (2-1/2 miles from Stoke Poges).
=Distance from London.=--21-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 3/4 to 1 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 0d. 2s. 0d. 1s. 6d.
Return 5s. 0d. 3s. 6d. ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Windsor--"White Hart Hotel,"
"Castle Hotel," "Bridge House Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo to Windsor, 3 miles from
Stoke Poges. London and South-Western Railway.
"The curfew tolls the knell of parting day" has immortalised the
otherwise unimportant district of Stoke Poges--a parish embracing
numerous small hamlets.
Leaving Slough by the north end of the railway bridge, one turns first
to the right and then to the left, and soon after leaving the
uninteresting bricks and mortar of the town, one enters some of the most
beautiful lanes in the home counties. At the first cross road one turns
to the right, and again through an open gate to the left, and thence a
field path leads to the churchyard.
The little church, which is always open, has walls of old red brick and
flint, with patches of rough plaster. It is wonderfully picturesque,
with its partial covering of ivy and beautiful background of fine old
trees, and no one can view the scene at sunset without recalling Gray's
immortal _Elegy written in a Country Churchyard_--those exquisite verses
which breathe in every line the peace of an ideal country scene. To a
lover of Nature there can be nothing more beautiful than the lines--
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds;
Save where the beetle wheels his drony flight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.
Near the east wall of the church is the red brick tomb where Gray sleeps
his last sleep, and in the meadow by the chancel window stands the huge
cenotaph raised to his memory by John Penn. Of the little cottage where
he spent his summer vacations and wrote the _Elegy_ nothing now remains.
Gray was born in London in 1716, and died at Cambridge in 1771.
The interior of the church has lost its high old pews and galleries, so
that it lacks the interest it might have had, for until these were
removed the building was almost exactly what Gray knew so well.
[Illustration: _Mackenzie Fine Art Co._
STOKE POGES CHURCHYARD.
Associated with Gray's _Elegy_.]
WINDSOR
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Windsor.
=Distance from London.=--21-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1/2 to 1 hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 6d. 2s. 3d. 1s. 9d.
Return 5s. 6d. 4s. 0d. 3s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"White Hart Hotel," "Bridge House
Hotel," "Castle Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
The chief interest of Windsor centres in its castle, without which
visitors to the town would probably be few in number. Some of the old
streets are narrow, and there are many architecturally interesting
buildings. The business portion of the town lies nearest to the Castle,
the residential parts being chiefly round the Great Park. The Town Hall,
in the High Street, was commenced in 1686, and was completed under the
direction of Sir Christopher Wren.
The history of Windsor Castle commences with the granting of the site of
the castle and town to the Abbot of Westminster by Edward the Confessor.
William the Conqueror, was, however, so struck with its splendid
military position, that he revoked the grant, and where the castle now
stands built a fortress of considerable size. Of this there is no
description extant. The first court was held at Windsor by Henry I., and
during his reign many splendid functions took place there. Edward III.
employed William of Wykeham to rebuild almost the whole castle. Henry
VII., Henry VIII., and Elizabeth all made additions to the buildings.
Many magnificent paintings were added during the reign of Charles I.
George I. made Windsor Castle his chief residence, and appointed a Royal
Commission to rebuild the castle in its present form at a cost of more
than one million sterling. About 1860, Wolsey's Chapel, now known as the
Albert Memorial Chapel, was restored in memory of the Prince Consort,
and the Duchess of Kent's mausoleum was erected. St. George's Chapel, a
splendid specimen of ecclesiastical architecture, was originally built
by Edward III., and was finally restored in 1887. The State apartments,
which can be seen when the Royal family are absent, are sumptuously
furnished and contain much beautiful tapestry and a valuable collection
of pictures.
Windsor Great Park, the chief feature of which is the Long Walk, is well
stocked with deer.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
WINDSOR CASTLE.]
JORDANS AND WILLIAM PENN
=How to get there.=--Train from Baker Street. Metropolitan Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Chalfont Road (3 miles from Jordans).
=Distance from London.=--22 miles.
=Average Time.=--51 minutes. (Convenient trains, 10.27 A.M., 12.17
and 2.27 P.M.)
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 2d. 2s. 4d. 1s. 7d.
Return 4s. 9d. 3s. 5d. 2s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--None at Jordans.
=Alternative Route.=--Train to Uxbridge. Great Western Railway.
Jordans, the burial-place of William Penn, the great English Quaker and
philanthropist, lies on a by-road in Buckinghamshire, leading from
Chalfont St. Peter to Beaconsfield. The place itself, though full of the
typical charm of English scenery in the home counties, does not contain
anything of particular interest, and it owes its reputation to the
associations with the wonderful man who lived and died there. Jordans is
visited by many hundreds of tourists during the summer, mainly
Americans. One of these offered to remove Penn's remains to
Philadelphia, capital of Pennsylvania, and there build a mausoleum over
them; but the offer was declined.
The road runs south-west from the village of Chalfont St. Peter, and
after a sharp curve brings the visitor to the Meeting House, a very
plain and unobtrusive structure, dating from about the end of the
seventeenth century. In the secluded burying-ground surrounded and
overhung by great trees lies William Penn. Five of his children also
rest among these quiet surroundings; and here are buried two well-known
Quaker leaders, Isaac Penington and Thomas Ellwood. At the actual time
of burial there were no gravestones, but these have since been added.
Though the house as a regular place of meeting has long fallen into
disuse, there is still an annual gathering of Quakers there in memory of
the great dead.
Penn was the son of Sir William Penn, an eminent admiral, and was born
in 1644. His violent advocacy of the Quaker creeds led him into
continual trouble and several times into prison. In 1681 he obtained, in
lieu of the income left by his father, a grant from the Crown of the
territory now forming the state of Pennsylvania. Penn wished to call his
new property Sylvania, on account of the forest upon it, but the king,
Charles II., good-naturedly insisted on the prefix Penn. The great man
left his flourishing colony for the last time in 1701, and after a
troublous time in pecuniary matters, owing to the villany of an agent in
America, Penn died at Ruscombe in Berkshire in 1718.
[Illustration: _H.C. Shelley._
THE JORDANS.
The burial-place of William Penn.]
KNOLE HOUSE AND SEVENOAKS
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Sevenoaks (Knole House is just outside Sevenoaks).
=Distance from London.=--22 miles.
=Average Time.=--45 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 10d. 2s. 5d. 1s. 11d.
Return 6s. 8d. 4s. 10d. 3s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Sevenoaks--"Royal Crown Hotel,"
"Royal Oak Hotel," "Bligh's Private Hotel," etc.
Sevenoaks is famous for its beautiful situation near the Weald of Kent.
It possesses still some old inns, relics of coaching days. The Grammar
School was founded in 1432 by Sir William Sevenoke, who, from being a
foundling, became Lord Mayor. St. Nicholas' Church is a large building
in the Decorated and Perpendicular style, much restored.
The chief charm of Sevenoaks is Knole House, a splendid example of the
baronial dwellings that were erected after the Wars of the Roses, when
the fortress was no longer so necessary. The demesne of Knole was
purchased in the fifteenth century by Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of
Canterbury, who rebuilt the mansion on it. It was taken from Cranmer by
the Crown and granted in 1603 to Thomas Sackville, Baron Buckhurst,
afterwards Earl of Dorset, who is now represented by the Sackville-West
family, the present owners.
The first Earl of Dorset greatly improved Knole, employing, it is said,
200 workmen constantly. The building surrounds three square courts and
occupies about 5 acres. Knole possesses an extremely valuable collection
of paintings, and the mediaeval furniture is untouched from the time of
James I. There are famous pictures by Flemish, Dutch, Venetian, and
Italian painters. In the dressing-room of the Spangled Bedroom are to be
seen some of Sir Peter Lely's beauties. The Cartoon Gallery has copies
of Raphael's cartoons by Mytens, and in the Poet's Parlour are portraits
of England's famous poets--some by Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds.
The banqueting-hall has a screened music gallery. It is said that there
are as many rooms in the house as there are days in the year. The drives
and walks of the large park are always open, and the house is shown on
Fridays from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., and on Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to
5 P.M. at a charge of 2s.; there is a reduction for a party. Tickets are
procurable at the lodge.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
KNOLE HOUSE.
One of the finest examples of a baronial residence of the period
immediately succeeding the Wars of the Roses.]
GREENSTEAD CHURCH
A SAXON CHURCH WITH WOODEN WALLS
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street.
Great Eastern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Chipping Ongar (1 mile from Greenstead Church).
=Distance from London.=--22-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 11d. 2s. 10d. 1s. 11-1/2d.
Return 5s. 9d. 4s. 2d. 3s. 1d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Inn, etc., at Ongar.
Entering Ongar from the railway station one finds on the right a
footpath leading into a fine avenue. About ten minutes' walk down this
brings one to Greenstead Hall, a red brick Jacobean house, with the
church adjoining it. Set among a profusion of foliage, the simple little
building would be quite interesting as an ideally situated little rustic
church, but when one realises how unique it is, the spot at once becomes
fascinating. The walls of the diminutive nave, as one may see from the
illustration given here, consist of the trunks of large oak trees split
down the centre and roughly sharpened at each end. They are raised from
the ground by a low foundation of brick, and inside the spaces between
the trees are covered with fillets of wood. On top the trees are
fastened into a frame of rough timber by wooden pins. The interior of
the building is exceedingly dark, for there are no windows in the wooden
walls, and the chief light comes from the porch and a dormer window.
This window in the roof, however, was not in the original design, for
the rude structure was only designed as a temporary resting-place for
the body of St. Edmund the Martyr. It was in A.D. 1010 that the saint's
body was removed from Bury to London, its protectors fearing an
incursion of the Danes at that time. Three years afterwards, however,
the body was brought back to Bury, and on its journey rested for a time
at Greenstead--a wooden chapel being erected in its honour. The remains
of this chapel, built nearly half a century before the Conquest, are
still to be seen in the wooden walls just referred to. The length of the
original structure was 29 feet 9 inches long by 14 feet wide. The walls,
5 feet 6 inches high, supported the rough timber roof, which possessed
no windows. The chancel and tower were added afterwards.
Ongar Castle, a huge artificial mound surrounded by a moat, is close to
the main street. The church contains in the chancel, hidden by a carpet,
the grave of Oliver Cromwell's daughter. A house in the High Street is
associated with Livingstone.
[Illustration: GREENSTEAD CHURCH, ESSEX.
Built in 1013, is remarkable for its nave, constructed of solid tree
trunks.]
CHALFONT ST. GILES
HOME OF MILTON
=How to get there.=--Train from Baker Street. Metropolitan Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Chalfont Road (2-1/2 miles from Chalfont St. Giles).
An omnibus runs between the village and the station during
the summer months.
=Distance from London.=--23-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--51 minutes. (Convenient trains, 10.27 A.M., 12.17
and 2.27 P.M.)
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 2d. 2s. 4d. 1s. 7d.
Return 4s. 9d. 3s. 5d. 2s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Merlin's Cave Inn," etc.
This pretty little Buckinghamshire village has become almost as
celebrated as its neighbour Stoke Poges, on account of having been the
home of John Milton. The poet's cottage is the last on the left side at
the top of the village street. As one may see from the illustration, it
is a very picturesque, half-timbered house, whose leaded windows look
into a typical country garden. In 1887 a public subscription was raised
and the cottage was purchased. Visitors are therefore able to see the
interior as well as the exterior of Milton's home, which, it should be
mentioned, is the only one existing to-day of the various houses he
occupied. For those who are not residents in the parish a charge of
sixpence is made for admission. The poet's room, which is on the right
on entering, is rather dark, and has a low ceiling. One notices the
wide, open fireplace where the white-bearded old man would sit in winter
days, and the lattice-paned windows through which in summer-time came
the humming of bees and the scent of the flowers growing in the
old-fashioned garden. The pleasant indications of his surroundings must
have been a great solace to the blind old man. In these simple
surroundings one must picture Milton dictating his stately verse, with
his thoughts concentrated on the serried ranks of the hosts of heaven.
Milton came to Chalfont in 1665, in order to escape from the plague. His
eldest daughter was at that time about seventeen years of age, and as
she and her sisters are supposed to have remained with their father
until about 1670, it is probable that they came to Chalfont with him.
The church of Chalfont St. Giles has a Norman font, and there are other
traces of Norman work in the bases of the pillars and elsewhere. The
south wall of the nave and the north chapel are specially interesting on
account of their frescoes.
[Illustration: MILTON'S COTTAGE, CHALFONT ST. GILES.
Milton moved here from London in 1665, to avoid the Plague.]
WESTERHAM
THE HOME OF GENERAL WOLFE
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Westerham.
=Distance from London.=--25 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1 to 2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 3s. 10d. 2s. 5d. 2s. 0d.
Return 6s. 8d. 4s. 10d. 4s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The King's Arms," "The Bull,"
"The George and Dragon," etc.
Westerham as a small country town is not very remarkable in itself,
although not devoid of interest, but as containing the birthplace of
General Wolfe it becomes a place worthy of a pilgrimage. Colonel and
Mrs. Wolfe, the parents of the hero of Quebec, had just come to
Westerham, and occupied the vicarage at the time of the birth of their
son James in 1727. This, being previous to 1752, was during the old
style, when the year began on March 25. The day was December 22, now
represented by January 2. Colonel Wolfe's infant was christened in
Westerham Church by the vicar, the Rev. George Lewis; but although born
at the vicarage, James's parents must have moved into the house now
known as Quebec House almost immediately afterwards, for practically the
whole of the first twelve years of the boy's life were spent in the fine
old Tudor house which is still standing to-day. The vicarage is also to
be seen, and though much altered at the back, the front portion,
containing the actual room in which Wolfe was born, is the same as in
the past. It has a three-light window towards the front, and two small
windows in the gable at the side. Quebec House is near the vicarage. It
does not bear its name upon it, but it will be pointed out on inquiry.
The front is a most disappointing stucco affair, but this merely hides
the beautiful Elizabethan gables which originally adorned the house from
every point of view. Two private tenants now occupy the house, but the
interior is on the whole very little altered since little James Wolfe
played hide-and-seek in the old passages and rooms. Squerryes Court, the
seat of Lieut.-Colonel C.A.M. Warde, J.P., is the local storehouse of
Wolfe relics. Numbers of letters, portraits, and other interesting
objects are all carefully preserved there. Young Wolfe was constantly at
Squerryes, and the spot in the park where he received his first
commission is marked by a stone cenotaph.
[Illustration: QUEBEC HOUSE, WESTERHAM.
Where General James Wolfe spent the first twelve years of his life.]
GUILDFORD, SURREY
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Guildford.
=Distance from London.=--29-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies from 50 minutes to 1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 0d. 3s. 2d. 2s. 6d.
Return 8s. 9d. 5s. 6d. 5s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Angel," "White Lion," "Castle,"
etc.
=Alternative Route.=--South-Eastern and Chatham Railway from
Charing Cross Station, and other South-Eastern and Chatham
Railway termini.
Guildford High Street is without doubt one of the most picturesque in
England. When one stands beneath the shadow of the quaint
seventeenth-century town hall, with its great clock projecting half-way
across the street towards the Corn Exchange, with its classic stone
portico, a most charming picture is spread before one. The steep street
dropping down to the river Wey, with the great green slopes of the Hog's
Back rising immediately beyond, framed in with quaint gabled fronts and
projecting windows. The castle, though very much in ruins, still
possesses its huge square keep standing upon an artificial mound. Both
the keep and the other portions of the fortress were probably built in
the reign of Henry II. Those who are endeavouring to read the history of
the castle should bear in mind that in 1623 it was converted into a
private dwelling-house, and this accounts for the red brick mullions in
the upper windows of the keep. From the highest portion of the walls
there is an exceedingly pretty view up the winding course of the Wey.
Abbot's Hospital, at the top of the High Street, was built in 1619. It
is an exceedingly picturesque old structure of red brick, with
conspicuously fine chimney-stacks. The buildings enclose a beautiful
courtyard full of the richest architectural detail. The dining-hall is
oak-panelled almost to the ceiling, and contains oak tables, benches,
and stools. The chapel in the north-east corner contains an alms-box and
a "Vinegar" Bible, and two of the windows are remarkable for their fine
old glass.
The Angel Hotel in the High Street is built over a thirteenth-century
crypt and contains much panelling.
The old stone grammar school in Spital Street was founded by Edward VI.
St. Mary's Church, in the centre of the town, has a painted roof to one
of its chapels and some Saxon features.
[Illustration: HIGH STREET, GUILDFORD.
Showing the Town Hall, with its projecting clock, and the Corn
Exchange.]
GAD'S HILL
THE HOME OF CHARLES DICKENS
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria or Holborn Viaduct. South-Eastern
and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Rochester. (Gad's Hill lies 1-1/2 miles from
Rochester).
=Distance from London.=--31 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1 and 1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 4d. 3s. 4d. 2s. 8d.
Return 9s. 4d. 6s. 8d. 5s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Rochester--"King's Head Hotel,"
"Royal Victoria Hotel," "Bull Hotel," "Royal Crown Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
Mr. Latham, the present occupier, kindly admits visitors on Wednesday
afternoons.
Lovers of Charles Dickens naturally have a pleasure in seeing the places
near Rochester so familiar to them through his works. A mile and a half
from this ancient city with its cathedral and castle is Gad's Hill
Place, where the great author resided from 1856 till the day of his
death in 1870. When Dickens was a small boy the house had always a
curious interest for him, for he thought it the most beautiful house he
had ever seen. His father, then living in Rochester, used to bring him
to look at it, and used to tell the little fellow that if he grew up to
be a clever man he might own that or another such house. Gad's Hill
Place is a comfortable old-fashioned house, built, it is said, about
1775. Facing it is a shrubbery containing huge cedars. This was
connected with the grounds opposite by an underground passage still
existing, and here Dickens erected a châlet given to him by his friend
Mr. Fechter, in which he worked till the time of his sudden death. Gad's
Hill had a peculiar fascination for Dickens, for it was on the highway
there that he obtained his wonderful insight into the character and
manners of the various tramps and showmen he portrays in his books.
Dickens liked nothing better than taking his friends over this district.
He thought the seven miles between Rochester and Maidstone one of the
most beautiful walks in England. Dickens would compress into infinitely
few days an enormous amount of sight-seeing and country enjoyment:
castles, cathedrals, lunches and picnics among cherry orchards and
hop-gardens.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
GAD'S HILL PLACE, NEAR ROCHESTER.
The home of Charles Dickens.]
IGHTHAM MOTE, KENT
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria, Holborn Viaduct, and Ludgate
Hill. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Wrotham (2 miles from Ightham Mote).
=Distance from London.=--31 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 1d. 3s. 2d. 2s. 6d.
Return 8s. 11d. 6s. 4d. 5s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The George and the Dragon,"
Ightham.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
In a lovely green hollow, surrounded by splendid old trees and velvet
turf, stands Ightham Mote, a gem among old English moated manor-houses.
It is the home of Mr. J.C. Colyer-Fergusson, who allows the public to
see the house and grounds on Fridays, between 11 and 1, and 2 and 6. A
charge of 6d. is made.
Crossing a bridge over the moat, one enters the courtyard of the house
through the great Tudor gate illustrated here. Standing in this
courtyard one can scarcely imagine anything more beautiful and
picturesque. The great square battlemented tower, through which one has
just passed, is pierced with leaded windows, and its weather-beaten old
walls are relieved by all sorts of creepers, which have been allowed to
adorn without destroying the rich detail of stone and half-timber work.
Those who find pleasure in gazing on architectural picturesqueness can
satisfy themselves in the richness of colour and detail revealed in this
beautiful courtyard. The crypt with its fine groined roof, the chapel
which dates from 1520, the drawing-room with its two hundred years old
Chinese wall-paper--believed to be one of the earliest occasions when
wall-papers were used in this country--and many other interesting
features are shown to visitors.
The original Ightham Mote seems to have been built in 1180 by Sir Ivo de
Haut. The Hall, it is known, was built by Sir Thomas Cawne in 1340.
Richard de Haut, who owned the place later on, was beheaded in 1484 at
Pontefract. His estate was confiscated and came into the hands of Sir
Robert Brackenbury, governor of the Tower, who lost his life at the
battle of Bosworth. However, during the reign of Henry VII., Ightham
once more came into the possession of the de Hauts; and it should be
mentioned that throughout the seven centuries of its existence the house
has always been inhabited.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
IGHTHAM--THE MOAT AND BRIDGE.]
PENSHURST
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Penshurst.
=Distance from London.=--32 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 0d. 3s. 3d. 2s. 6d.
Return 8s. 8d. 6s. 2d. 4s. 7d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Leicester Arms Hotel."
The pleasant little village of Penshurst, situated 6 miles north-west
from Tunbridge Wells, is renowned for the beautiful fourteenth-century
mansion known as Penshurst Place. From Norman times a house has occupied
the site, but the present building did not come into existence until
1349, when Sir John de Poultenay, who was four times Lord Mayor of
London, built the present historic seat. Having come into the possession
of the Crown, the estate was given by Edward VI. to Sir William Sidney,
who had fought at Flodden Field. The unfortunate young King Edward died
in the arms of Sir William's son Henry, whose grief was so excessive
that he retired to Penshurst and lived there in seclusion. Sir Henry
Sidney had three children, one of whom being Sir Philip Sidney, the type
of a most gallant knight and perfect gentleman. It was at Penshurst that
Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip's friend, wrote his first work, the
_Shepherd's Calendar_, and though Sidney did not actually write his
famous poem _Arcadia_ in his beautiful Kentish home, its scenery must
have suggested many of the descriptions. Algernon Sidney, who was
illegally put to death through Judge Jeffreys, was the nephew of Sir
Philip, and he is supposed to be buried in Penshurst Church, though no
monument remains. The present owner of Penshurst is Lord De Lisle and
Dudley (Sir Philip Charles Sidney (died 1851) was given the peerage in
1835), who allows visitors to view the historic mansion on Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and Fridays, from 3 P.M. to 6 P.M. (admission 1s.). The great
feature of the house is the baronial hall, built in 1341, which has a
hearth in the centre of the room. The Queen's drawing-room, said to have
been furnished by Queen Elizabeth, contains some interesting Tudor
furniture, and the satin tapestry which adorns the walls is also
believed to be the work of the virgin queen and her maidens. There are
many valuable and interesting portraits of the famous members of the
Sidney family. In the beautiful grounds of Penshurst is an oak tree,
planted, says tradition, at the time of Sir Philip Sidney's birth.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
PENSHURST PLACE.
Which was built in 1349, was the home of Sir Philip Sidney.]
ST. MICHAEL'S MOUNT AND MARAZION
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Marazion.
=Distance from London.=--324-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 8-1/2 to 11-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 50s. 2d. 31s. 6d. 25s. 1d.
Return 87s. 10d. 55s. 0d. 50s. 2d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Godolphin Hotel," "Marazion Hotel,"
etc.
Marazion, the nearest town to St. Michael's Mount, is situated on the
eastern side of Mount's Bay, and was in the Middle Ages a place of some
importance, being the headquarters of the pilgrims to St. Michael's
Mount. Marazion is connected with St. Michael's Mount by a causeway 120
feet in width, formed of rocks and pebbles, and passable only at low
tide for three or four hours.
The mount itself is a remarkable granite rock, about a mile in
circumference and 250 feet high. It was referred to by Ptolemy, and is
supposed to have been the island Iclis of the Greeks, noticed by
Diodorus Siculus as the place near the promontory of Belerium to which
the tin, when refined, was brought by the Britons to be exchanged with
the Phoenician merchants. Its British name was equivalent to "the grey
rock in the woods," a traditional name, apparently confirmed by the
discovery of a submarine forest extending for some miles round the base
of the mount. The beauty of the spot caused it to be selected by the
ancient Britons as a favourite resort for worship, and shortly after the
introduction of Christianity it became a place of pilgrimage, and was
visited in the fifth century by St. Kelna, a British princess, who
founded a hermitage there. Some sort of military defences protected the
mount at a very early date, for Edward the Confessor's charter in 1047
to the Benedictine monks, whom he settled here, especially mentions its
_castella_ and other buildings.
In Charles II.'s reign the estate was purchased from the Basset family
by the St. Aubyns, who still remain its owners. In the castle itself,
which crowns the mount, the chief feature is the old hall, now known as
the "Chevy Chase" room, from its being adorned with carvings of various
field sports. There is some fine old furniture and good pictures.
Visitors are allowed to see the principal rooms of the castle when the
family are from home, and at all times to see the quaint old Gothic
chapel. There is a small fishing village with a pier and harbour at the
foot of the rock.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ST. MICHAEL'S MOUNT.
The rock is 250 feet in height, and has possessed a castle since 1047.]
ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria, Holborn Viaduct, or St.
Paul's. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Rochester.
=Distance from London.=--33 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 4d. 3s. 4d. 2s. 8d.
Return 9s. 4d. 6s. 3d. 5s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"King's Head Hotel," "Royal Victoria,"
"Bull Hotel," "Royal Crown Hotel," etc.
Rochester, a most picturesque old town on the river Medway, has been a
place of importance from the earliest times. The cathedral, which is not
very impressive externally, and is much surrounded by houses, is best
seen from the castle. It was the first church built after Augustine
settled in Canterbury, but of this building no trace now remains except
some foundations. The Norman Bishop Gundulf in 1080 built a large
portion of the Norman work of the present cathedral. In 1201 it was
largely rebuilt by money obtained from thank-offerings for miracles
wrought by St. William, a baker of Perth, who was murdered near
Rochester on his way to Canterbury, and buried in the cathedral. The
Norman castle, standing on the banks of the river, was built by Bishop
Gundulf, and though it is now in ruins, the interior having been
destroyed for its timber, the walls remain firm. The castle was besieged
by William Rufus and Simon de Montfort, and on both occasions suffered
considerable damage. One of the many interesting buildings in the High
Street is the three-gabled house of Watts's Charity, which has become
famous from Dickens's Christmas story of _The Seven Poor Travellers_.
According to the inscription above the doorway, Richard Watts in 1579
founded this "Charity for Six Poor Travellers, who not being Rogues or
Proctors, may receive gratis for one night, Lodging, Entertainment, and
Fourpence each." Restoration House, an old red-brick mansion on the
Maidstone Road, is so named from the visit of Charles II. on his way to
London in 1660. To all admirers of Charles Dickens, Rochester is full of
memories (see Index, Gad's Hill). Not only did Dickens make Rochester
the scene of his last unfinished work, _Edwin Drood_, but he made many
allusions to it elsewhere. Mr. Jingle, for instance, in the _Pickwick
Papers_ says, "Ah! fine place, glorious pile--frowning walls--tottering
arches--dark nooks--crumbling staircases--old cathedral too--earthy
smell--pilgrims' feet worn away the old steps."
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL.
A considerable portion was built in 1080 by Bishop Gundulf.]
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Tunbridge Wells.
=Distance from London.=--34-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1 to 2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 10d. 3s. 8d. 2s. 8-1/2d.
Return 10s. 0d. 7s. 4d. 5s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Spa Hotel," "The Swan Hotel,"
"Castle Hotel," "Carlton Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Victoria, Holborn Viaduct, and St.
Paul's. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
At the same time that Epsom began to become known as a watering-place,
Tunbridge Wells was rapidly growing into a famous inland resort. The
wells were discovered by Lord North in 1606, while he was staying at
Eridge, and in a few years Tunbridge Wells became the resort of the
monied and leisured classes of London and other parts of the kingdom.
From that time to this the town has been one of the most popular of
England's inland watering-places.
The Tunbridge Wells of to-day is a charming and picturesque town. "The
Pantiles," with its row of stately limes in the centre and the colonnade
in front of its shops, is unique among English towns. Readers of
Thackeray's _Virginians_ will remember his description of the scene on
the Pantiles in the time of powdered wigs, silver buckles, and the
fearful and wonderful "hoop."
At the end of the Pantiles is the red brick church of
King-Charles-the-Martyr, the only one with any claim to antiquity in the
town; the rest are all quite modern.
Walks and excursions around Tunbridge Wells are numerous. The common,
with its mixture of springy turf, golden gorse, with here and there a
bold group of rocks, is one of the most beautiful in the home counties,
and in whatever direction one wanders there are long views over
far-stretching wooded hills and dales.
Rusthall Common, about a mile from the town, though somewhat smaller
than that of Tunbridge Wells, commands more extensive views.
One great feature of interest at Rusthall Common is the group of rocks,
of which the largest, the Toad Rock, bears a most singular resemblance
to the reptile from which it is named. The High Rocks, situated further
on, and just in the county of Sussex, are also very remarkable, rising
from 30 to 60 feet in height.
[Illustration: THE TOAD ROCK
On Rusthall Common, Tunbridge Wells.]
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE PANTILES, TUNBRIDGE WELLS.]
THE QUINTAIN POST AT OFFHAM AND MALLING ABBEY
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria, Holborn Viaduct, Ludgate
Hill, or St. Paul's. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--West Malling (1 mile from Offham).
=Distance from London.=--36 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 5s. 11d. 3s. 9d. 2s. 11-1/2d.
Return 10s. 4d. 7s. 6d. 3s. 11d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"George Hotel" at West Malling.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
On the green at Offham, an out-of-the-way Kentish village, stands the
only quintain post in England. It consists of a tall white post, having
a spike at the top, upon which revolves a cross-bar. This portion, which
turns on the spike, has a fairly broad square end covered with small
holes, while at the opposite end hangs a billet of wood.
The pastime consisted in riding on horseback at the broad end and aiming
a lance at one of the holes. The rider had to duck his head at the same
instant, in order to save himself from the billet which swung round
immediately the lance-point caught the opposite end. Only those who were
very agile saved themselves from a nasty blow. Instead of a billet, a
bag containing sand or mould would sometimes be suspended on the
cross-bar. This would swing round with sufficient force to unseat the
rider.
This quintain post is undoubtedly one of the most interesting survivals
of the pastimes of the "good old days." The owners of the adjoining
house have been required to keep the quintain post in a good state of
repair, and it is doubtless to this stipulation in the title-deeds of
the property that we owe the existence of this unique relic.
The ruins of Malling Abbey, now the property of an Anglican sisterhood,
are extremely interesting. The abbey was founded in 1090, and was given
to the nun Avicia by the famous Gundulf of Rochester. The keep of St.
Leonard, not far from the abbey, was also built by Gundulf, who is
responsible for the White Tower of the Tower of London. This St.
Leonard's Tower is said to be of earlier character than any keep in
Normandy. Permission to see the ruins must be obtained from the abbess
or chaplain, and visitors are expected to give a small contribution
towards the restoration fund.
[Illustration: OFFHAM.
The Quintain Post on the Green.]
EVERSLEY
THE HOME OF CHARLES KINGSLEY
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway.
=Nearest Stations.=--Wokingham, 5 miles; Winchfield, 7 miles.
=Distance from London.=--Wokingham, 36-1/2 miles; Winchfield, 39 miles.
=Average Time.=--Wokingham, 2 hours; Winchfield, 1-1/2 hours.
=Fares.=--
Single. Return.
1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd
Wokingham 5s. 6d. 3s. 9d. 3s. 0d. 9s. 0d. 6s. 6d. 6s. 0d.
Winchfield 6s. 6d. 4s. 0d. 3s. 3d. 11s. 6d. 7s. 2d. 6s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Small village inn at Eversley. "George
Hotel" at Odiham, 2 miles from Winchfield Station; very old
and picturesque.
=Alternative route.=--Train to Wellington College. S.E. and C. Rly.
The drive from Winchfield (7 miles) is chiefly across beautiful heathery
commons; from Wokingham the road is more enclosed with hedges. Eversley
Church and rectory stand almost alone, save for a farmhouse and barns,
being nearly a mile from the other portions of the village. The church
is very picturesquely situated on sloping ground, an avenue of yews
leading from the lych gate to the porch. Inside, the building has
suffered a good deal from restoration, but the pulpit from which
Kingsley preached his stirring sermons remains unaltered. The rectory is
a very old building which has been modernised on the side fronting on
the road. On the lawn stands the group of glorious Scotch firs which
Kingsley was never tired of watching. Their boughs sweep downwards and
almost touch the grass, and their great red trunks are a strong contrast
to the dense green of the surrounding foliage.
In one of the sitting-rooms is a set of drawers in which Kingsley kept a
collection of fossils. His grave is on the side of the church yard
nearest the overshadowing branches of the Scotch firs. The Runic cross
of white marble is a beautiful one. The head is ornamented with a spray
of passion flower and bears upon it the words "God is Love." On the base
are the words "Amavimus, amamus, amabimus."
The neighbouring district of Bramshill has still the little thatched
cottage where Kingsley used to conduct a little simple service on Sunday
afternoons. The whole of the country surrounding Bramshill Park is
closely covered with self-sown firs, and the commons interspersed among
the forest lands are covered with heather and gorse. This was the
country Kingsley loved, whether he was riding over it with the local
pack of foxhounds or on a visit to one of his parishioners.
[Illustration: EVERSLEY RECTORY.
The scene of the labours of Charles Kingsley.]
FARNHAM, SURREY
THE HOME OF WILLIAM COBBETT
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Farnham.
=Distance from London.=--37-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 6s. 3d. 4s. 0d. 3s. 1-1/2d.
Return 10s. 0d. 7s. 0d. 6s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Bush," "The Railway Hotel,"
"The Lion and Lamb," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
In 1762 William Cobbett, one of the great writers and reformers of the
eighteenth century, was born at Farnham, in Surrey. The house is still
standing, and is now known as the "Jolly Farmer" Inn. Cobbett gives a
very clear account of his early years at Farnham, and some of his
youthful escapades are very amusing. One game which he and two of his
brothers were never tired of playing was that of rolling each other like
barrels down the very steep sandy hill which one may see rising sharply
from the back of the "Jolly Farmer." Cobbett left Farnham for London
when he was twenty-one, but often revisited his native town in later
years. When he died, in 1835, he was buried in Farnham churchyard. The
grave faces the porch on the north side of the church. The Rev. Augustus
Toplady, who wrote the universally known hymn "Rock of Ages," was born
in a little house in West Street, Farnham, which was rebuilt some years
ago.
Overlooking the town from the hills to the north is Farnham Castle, the
historic seat of the Bishops of Winchester for many generations past. A
portion of the buildings, including the keep, are of Norman origin, the
rest having been chiefly built by Bishop Fox in the early part of the
sixteenth century. During the Parliamentary war Farnham Castle was for
some time the headquarters of the Roundhead army operating in this part
of the country, Sir William Waller having overcome the garrison placed
there by the High Sheriff of Surrey.
Vernon House, in West Street, is notable by reason of the visit paid to
it by Charles I. when on his way to London as a prisoner in the hands of
the Parliamentary troops. The silk cap which King Charles presented to
his host is still preserved in the house by the present owner, a
descendant of the Vernon family.
[Illustration: THE BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM COBBETT AT FARNHAM.]
HINDHEAD, SURREY
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Haslemere.
=Distance from London.=--43 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 7s. 2d. 4s. 6d. 3s. 7d.
Return 12s. 6d. 8s. 0d. 6s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Old Swan Hotel," "The Hindhead
Beacon," "White Horn Hotel," Haslemere. "Hindhead
Hotel," "Royal Anchor Hotel," Liphook, etc.
The Hindhead district, not long ago one of the wildest in the home
counties, has of late been much encroached upon by the erection of
modern villas and houses. A few years back there was scarcely a vestige
of human habitation to be seen from the road skirting the "Devil's
Punchbowl," or the descent on the other side, but since the time
Professor Tyndall built his house there, the aspect of the country has
been in places considerably changed.
From Haslemere Station one may take a direct road to the Hindhead
summit, but the most interesting route is through Shottermill, about a
mile distant (see p. 64). From here an easy walk takes one into the main
Portsmouth road close to the Seven Thorns Inn, where there is a long
ascent to the summit of Hindhead, with its inn, the Royal Huts Hotel.
Close by is the village of Grayshott, now fast growing into a place of
considerable residential importance. Following the road Londonwards, one
arrives in a few hundred yards at the very highest point of the road
over Hindhead, after which it drops gently, skirting the magnificent
hollow known as the "Devil's Punchbowl." On the left-hand side, in the
loneliest part of the road, is the gruesome tombstone which marks the
spot where an unknown sailor was murdered and robbed while tramping from
Portsmouth to London. This stone and its surroundings, it will be
remembered, are mentioned in _Nicholas Nickleby_, in the account of the
walk of Nicholas and Smike from London to Portsmouth. Close by, on the
opposite side of the road, there is a rough sandy track--once the old
coach road--which leads up to the stone cross on the extreme summit of
the Hindhead--900 feet above sea-level--where the murderers of the
sailor were executed, and hung in chains. The view from this point,
aptly named Gibbet Hill, is quite magnificent for Surrey.
On the northern slope of Blackdown--the high ridge of hills towards the
south-east--is Aldworth House, where Tennyson resided in his latter
years.
[Illustration: THE PORTSMOUTH ROAD.
Near the highest point, where it crosses Hindhead.]
SHOTTERMILL
THE HOME OF GEORGE ELIOT
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo Station. L. and S.W.
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Haslemere (1 mile by road from Shottermill
village).
=Distance from London.=--43 miles.
=Average Time.=--From 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 7s. 2d. 4s. 6d. 3s. 7d.
Return 12s. 6d. 8s. 0d. 6s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Haslemere--"White Horse Hotel,"
"Swan Hotel," etc. "Oakland's Mansion Private Hotel."
This lovely little village, on the slopes of Hindhead, with its breezy
uplands, its hills covered with Scotch firs and its undulating tracts of
land, so beautiful in the autumn with the glorious purple heather, was
much beloved by George Eliot, known to the whole world as the writer of
_Adam Bede_ and the _Mill on the Floss_. In 1871, while _Middlemarch_
was appearing in parts, George Eliot, who as Mr. Lewes said, "never
seemed at home except under a broad sweep of sky," spent part of the
spring and summer at Brookbank,--an old-fashioned gabled cottage in the
village (close to the church) with delightful lattice-paned
windows,--belonging to a Mrs. Gilchrist. At this time George Eliot was
in a delicate state of health and scarcely equal to finishing her new
story. One cannot call it a novel, for it had no plot. It was simply a
remarkable picture of provincial life in the first half of the
nineteenth century. George Eliot greatly enjoyed her quiet life at
Shottermill, although many of her friends thought it incomprehensible
that she could endure such a secluded life. One can scarcely read her
graphic description of the sweet beauty of a Warwickshire lane, with its
hedgerows all radiant in summer beauty, without feeling how much this
remarkable woman loved it all, and in some degree one may understand how
restful were the village surroundings. They led a most uneventful life,
but occasionally would pay a visit to Tennyson, whose house at Aldworth
was only 3 miles off. George Eliot rarely went out in the daytime, but
sometimes she would go to see some cottagers and have a chat with them.
A farmer's wife was greatly astonished at her knowledge of
butter-making, and of the growth of fruit and vegetables, little
imagining that in her early days, after her mother's death, the great
authoress had managed the dairy in her own home at Griff House.
[Illustration: BROOKBANK.
George Eliot's cottage at Shottermill, near Haslemere.]
PENN'S CHAPEL AT THAKEHAM, SUSSEX
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria or London Bridge. L.B.
and S.C. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Billingshurst (3 miles from Thakeham).
=Distance from London.=--44 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 7s. 2d. 4s. 8d. 3s. 6-1/2d.
Return 11s. 5d. 8s. 2d. 7s. 1d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--None at Thakeham. "King's Arms"
at Billingshurst.
The little chapel where the great William Penn used to worship when he
lived at the old mansion of Warminghurst is so entirely buried in the
country that one must make careful inquiries in order to find one's way
to it from Billingshurst. When one reaches the cottage at last, one
finds a gate right across the road, for beyond it the lane gradually
deteriorates to a mere grassy track between hedges. Locally this
Thakeham meeting-house is known as the "Blue Idol," a name not
altogether explained when one discovers that for a long period the
interior of the chapel had blue-washed walls.
As one may see from the drawing given here, it is an exceedingly quaint
old building, the portion shown being used as a meeting-house, the other
half being a cottage occupied by the family who act as caretakers. The
cream-washed walls are broken up by the richly mellowed half-timber
work, and above is the roof of grey green Horsham slabs splashed over
with bright orange lichen.
Inside there are the very old oaken settles as well as less ancient
ones. The timber framing shows on the walls and roof, here, as on the
exterior, and the general quaintness of the place is enhanced by the old
stone-flagged floor. Of William Penn's house at Warminghurst no traces
whatever remain, but this only helps to increase the interest in the
little chapel which has remained entirely unaltered for over two
centuries. Penn, who bought the house in 1682, probably chose its site
on account of its remoteness, for those were the days when their
meetings were at any moment liable to interruption--when the members of
the congregation met together knowing well that discovery meant
imprisonment. In the quaint little meeting-house it is easy to feel the
spirit of the Quakers, and one may almost imagine that one hears outside
the rumble of the wheels of the heavy ox-waggon in which Penn drove over
from Warminghurst Place.
[Illustration: THE OLD CHAPEL AT THAKEHAM NEAR BILLINGSHURST.
Where William Penn used to worship.]
CHAWTON THE HOME OF JANE AUSTEN
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Alton (1 mile from Chawton).
=Distance from London.=--46-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-3/4 to 2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 7s. 9d. 5s. 0d. 3s. 10-1/2d.
Return 13s. 6d. 8s. 8d. 7s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Alton--"Swan Hotel," "Crown
Hotel," etc.
Situated about a mile from Alton Station, on the main line of the
South-Western Railway, is the little village of Chawton, the residence
of Jane Austen at the time when she was producing her best literary
work. A walk along the main Winchester road brings one to the charming
old-world place, and, keeping on past the thatched cottages of the
village, one reaches a small brick house on the right-hand side, near a
pond, just before the road divides for Winchester and Gosport. This
building, which is now tenanted by a workman's club, was Chawton
Cottage, where Jane Austen spent some of the brightest days of her life,
and wrote her most successful novels, books which are more highly
appreciated at the present day than they were during the lifetime of the
authoress.
Her father was rector of Steventon, another Hampshire village, at which
place his daughter was born in 1775, and where her early days were
spent. Jane Austen's novels are remarkable for the truthfulness and
charm with which they reproduce the everyday life of the upper middle
classes in England in her time, and for delicate and yet distinct
insight into every variety of the human character. Miss Austen's first
four novels, _Sense and Sensibility_, _Pride and Prejudice_, _Mansfield
Park_, and _Emma_, were published anonymously.
A short distance along the Gosport road is Chawton Park, a remarkably
fine Elizabethan mansion, occupied in Miss Austen's time by Edward
Knight, the lord of the manor. This country seat, which is not
accessible to visitors, was most probably the original of _Mansfield
Park_, and in the little church close by are several monuments to the
Knight family. Miss Austen died at Winchester on July 24, 1817, and is
buried in the cathedral. The brass to her memory is in the north aisle.
Within easy walking distance is Gilbert White's home at Selborne, which
is treated under a separate heading (p. 70).
[Illustration: JANE AUSTEN'S COTTAGE AT CHAWTON.
_Sense and Sensibility_, _Pride and Prejudice_, and _Northanger Abbey_
were revised and partly rewritten here; and _Emma_, _Mansfield Park_,
and _Persuasion_ were entirely produced at the cottage.]
SELBORNE
THE HOME OF GILBERT WHITE
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Alton (4 miles from Selborne).
=Distance from London.=--46-1/2 miles. East Tisted, 2 miles from Selborne,
shortly to be available.
=Average Time.=--1-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 7s. 9d. 5s. 0d. 3s. 10-1/2d.
Return 13s. 6d. 8s. 8d. 7s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Alton--"Swan Hotel," "Crown
Hotel," etc.
Selborne, the birthplace of the famous naturalist, Gilbert White, is
situated in the extreme eastern corner of the county of Hampshire. A
vast chalk hill rises some 300 feet above the south-western side of the
village, part of which is covered with an extensive beech wood, called
"The Hanger," and a down or sheep-walk. This down is a beautiful
park-like spot, with a delightful woodland, now bounded by the Sussex
Downs. The village lies at the foot of the chalk hill parallel with the
Hanger, and contains only one straggling street, nearly a mile in
length, a small rivulet rising at each end. The stream at the
north-western end often fails, but the other, known as the "Well-Head,"
is a fine spring, seldom influenced by drought. Wolmer Forest, near by,
is famed for its timber. In the centre of the village, on a piece of
ground commonly known as "The Plestor," there stood, until the fearful
storm of 1703, a colossal oak tree, with a short body and enormous
horizontally spreading arms. The stone steps, with seats above them,
surrounding the tree, formed a favourite resort for both old and young
during summer evenings. This oak, together with an equally large elm
tree, are mentioned by White.
Gilbert White was born in 1720. He began his education at Basingstoke,
from whence he proceeded in 1739 to Oriel College, Oxford, and finally
became one of the senior proctors of the university in 1752. On his
father's death, White became the occupier of his house in Selborne known
as "The Wakes," and afterwards became curate of the parish. He never
married, but lived a happy and uneventful life, wrapped up in the
wonderfully exact observations of nature which were the basis of his
numerous letters forming _The Natural History of Selborne_. His final
resting-place is unobtrusively marked by a simple grey stone bearing the
initials "G.W.," a monument entirely in keeping with Gilbert White's
quiet and retiring nature and refreshingly simple style of writing.
[Illustration: THE WAKES.
Gilbert White's house at Selborne.]
ELSTOW
THE HOME OF JOHN BUNYAN
=How to get there.=--Through train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Bedford (1 mile from Elstow).
=Distance from London.=--50 miles.
=Average Time.=--An hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 6s. 7d. ... 3s. 11-1/2d.
Return 13s. 2d. ... 7s. 11d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Embankment Hotel," "Lion Hotel,"
"Swan Hotel," etc., at Bedford.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
The little village of Elstow, near Bedford, will always be remembered as
the birthplace of John Bunyan, and the cottage is still shown where the
"immortal dreamer" was born. It was while in Bedford jail for
"conscience' sake" that Bunyan ministered to all posterity by writing
the _Pilgrim's Progress from this World to the World to Come_, under the
similitude of a dream. As an allegory of the soul's conflicts and
struggles with evil in its journey through life, it is unsurpassed. It
is believed that no other book except the Bible has gone through so many
editions or attained such a popularity in all languages. It has been
generally understood that Bunyan's early life was a very profligate one,
but some have thought that his terrible self-accusations in after years
may have arisen from the height of his religious fervour and Puritan
strictness, which made him look on dancing and bell-ringing as deadly
sins. This idea is satisfactorily given by Macaulay.
Bunyan was of poor parentage, his father being a tinker. At one time he
was in the Parliamentary Army, and in 1645, was present at the siege of
Leicester. Having left the army, he married. Then after a time of great
spiritual agony and doubt, with quieter intervals, he became a member
and then minister of the Baptist congregation at Bedford. His labours
were stopped by the Act of Conventicles, and Bunyan was a prisoner in
Bedford jail for twelve years. While in prison Bunyan assisted in
providing for the wants of his wife and family by making tagged laces.
The only books he had during his confinement were the Bible and Foxe's
_Book of Martyrs_. Through the kind interposition of Bishop Barlow of
Lincoln, Bunyan was released, and resumed his work of a preacher until
his death from fever in London in 1688. Bunyan also wrote the _Holy War_
and _Grace Abounding_, an autobiographical narrative.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._
BUNYAN'S COTTAGE AT ELSTOW.
The cottage is structurally the same as in Bunyan's time.]
LEWES, SUSSEX
=How to get there.=--Train from London Bridge or Victoria. London,
Brighton, and South-Coast Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Lewes.
=Distance from London.=--50 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-1/4 to 2-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 8s. 6d. 5s. 0d. 4s. 2d.
Return 15s. 0d. 9s. 0d. 8s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The White Hart Hotel," "Crown,"
"Commercial," "Temperance Hotel," etc.
Lewes, a prosperous agricultural centre, situated on the Sussex Ouse, is
a place of great antiquity, in spite of its present modern appearance.
Its early history is vague, but it is known that it was of importance
even under the Saxon kings, and was fortified in Alfred's time. William
the Conqueror gave Lewes to Earl William de Warenne, who had married
Gundrada, said to be the daughter of Queen Matilda and the Conqueror. De
Warenne built the castle, or considerably enlarged the old Saxon
fortress, which is now in ruins. The castle possessed a curious feature,
of which no other examples now remain, in having two keeps, each built
upon a mound. Only one of these keeps (admission 6d.) still exists, its
towers covered with ivy. From its summit a splendid view of the
surrounding country can be obtained towards the chalk bluffs of the
South Downs and the valley of the Ouse. The great gateway of the castle
still stands, and in Southover, the suburb of Lewes, are the remains of
the once large and wealthy Priory of St. Pancras. This was the first
Cluniac establishment in England. It was founded by De Warenne and
Gundrada, and continued to be of great importance up to the dissolution.
Until about sixty years ago the old pigeon-house of the priory,
containing 3228 pigeon-holes, was still standing. When excavations were
going on during the construction of the railway, which passes through
the priory grounds, the workmen came upon two leaden coffins, which were
discovered to be those of William de Warenne and his wife. These were
removed to Southover Church, and Gundrada's grave has now its original
tombstone of black marble, which was found in Isfield Church. On the
site of the race-course was fought in 1264 the battle of Lewes, between
Henry III. and the insurgent barons, led by Simon de Montfort, Earl of
Leicester. There are a few old houses left, and the modern town hall
contains a beautiful oak staircase and panelling taken from the old Star
Inn.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE BARBICAN AT LEWES CASTLE.
The castle was built by William de Warenne, who had received Lewes from
William the Conqueror.]
BODIAM CASTLE, SUSSEX
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Robertsbridge (4 miles from Bodiam). From
Robertsbridge take train to Bodiam Station (which is close to
the castle) on Rother Valley Light Railway.
=Distance from London.=--51 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-1/2 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 8s. 4d. 5s. 3d. 4s. 2-1/2d.
Return 14s. 8d. 10s. 6d. 8s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Castle Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=--None.
Bodiam Castle is open to the public every day of the week except Sundays
(tickets, obtainable at the keeper's cottage, 6d. each; Thursdays, 1s.
each).
There is practically no other moated castle in England which compares
with Bodiam in its completeness. It was built about the year 1386, but
its usefulness for defensive purposes, in view of the increasing
destructiveness of weapons at that time, has been doubted. However, the
knight who was responsible for its construction was Sir Edward
Dalyngrudge, who fought at both Crecy and Poictiers, and must therefore
have seen the primitive forerunner of the modern field-gun in use. The
walls of the castle now enclose a grassy quadrangle, to which access is
gained through a fine gateway, which still retains its outer iron
portcullis. The three others, through which an attacking force was
obliged to penetrate, have all disappeared. Although it has been stated
that the parliamentary forces under Waller captured Bodiam Castle during
the Civil War, it seems to be unlikely that such an attack was ever
made; for in March 1645 the property was conveyed by the Earl of Thanet
to one Nathaniel Powell of London, who was strongly in favour of the
Commonwealth.
Lord Ashcombe, the present owner, has restored the walls very carefully,
and the chapel and various private apartments with their fireplaces
remain intact.
The castle buildings as a whole are a rectangular block entirely
surrounded by the wide moat shown in the illustration. One crosses to
the main gateway by a narrow raised pathway. The surface of the water
during the summer is generally bright with water-lilies.
Bodiam Church is an Early English structure, now very much restored. It
is on the hill, a few minutes' walk from the castle.
[Illustration: BODIAM CASTLE.
One of the most perfect moated castles in England.]
COLCHESTER, ESSEX
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street. Great Eastern
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Colchester.
=Distance from London.=--51-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies from 1 hr. 4 m. to 2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 9s. 9d. ... 4s. 4-1/2d.
Return 14s. 8d. ... 8s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The George," "Red Lion," "The
Cups," etc.
Modern Colchester is the direct descendant of the ancient British town
of Camulodunum, referred to by Tacitus and other Roman historians.
Various kings of the Trinobantes seem to have caused much trouble during
the early period of the Roman occupation. Cunobelinus, one of their
kings, reigned from about 5 B.C. to A.D. 42 or 43, and numerous coins
bearing the abbreviated form of his name, CVNO, have been discovered.
After his death the Emperor Claudius came over to England, subdued the
Trinobantes, and established a Roman colony at Camulodunum. The new
colony, under the name of Colonia Victriensis, was, however, attacked by
a huge horde of the British under Boadicea in A.D. 61. They slaughtered
all the inhabitants and destroyed the temple of Claudius.
The Romans, however, soon turned the tables again on the Britons, and at
once surrounded the town with a very strong wall. From this time onwards
for several centuries the place was one of the strongest Roman stations
in the country. It is not surprising, therefore, that the remains of the
Roman occupation at Colchester are the most perfect of the kind in the
country. The coins range from Asupa, 6 B.C., to Valentinian, who died
A.D. 455, while very great quantities of Roman glass, pottery, and
tiles, all sorts of domestic vessels and personal ornaments have been
discovered. Some idea of the richness of these finds can be obtained
from the collection in the museum in the old Norman castle.
The story of King Coel in connection with Colchester is not altogether
accepted by historians, yet there are so many references to it in
Anglo-Saxon writings that it cannot be quite ignored.
Colchester suffered terribly in the Civil War, and sustained a fearful
siege lasting seventy-six days, the townsfolk and Royalist forces being
eventually forced to surrender to Fairfax. The Saxon doorway of Trinity
Church, and St. Botolph's Priory, are exceedingly interesting.
[Illustration: COLCHESTER CASTLE.
Which now contains a magnificent collection of the Roman remains found
in the town.]
LAYER MARNEY
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street. Great Eastern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Colchester (7 miles from Layer Marney).
=Distance from London.=--51-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1 and 2-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 9s. 9d. ... 4s. 4-1/2d.
Return 14s. 8d. ... 8s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Red Lion Hotel," "George
Hotel," "The Cups Hotel," etc., all at Colchester.
The unfinished home of the Marneys rises in lonely grandeur in an
out-of-the-way part of Essex. To the north runs the road to Colchester;
southwards the ground slopes away in the direction of the Blackwater.
The great gateway has stood in these peaceful surroundings quite
untouched for 400 years. A small portion of the mansion is by the side
of the gateway, and the church with the Marney monuments is further to
the left.
Lord Marney fought for Henry VII. in France, and was one of the court
counsellors at the time of his son's accession. He became a great
favourite with Henry VIII., and was created a baron, besides being made
a Knight of the Garter and Captain of the Bodyguard. He came of an old
Norman stock, but had not overmuch land. At Layer Marney, his chief
estate, he determined to build a fitting abode for himself. It was one
of the earliest buildings since Roman times to be built of brick. The
terra-cotta mouldings are a peculiar feature. It is thought that Lord
Marney brought over Italian workmen to make the terra-cotta, for there
is a classic touch about the ornaments. The gateway has two towers, one
ivy-clad. The whole structure is strikingly original in style. It was
commenced in 1500, but Lord Marney died before the work was done. John,
his son, died the next year, and with him the line of Marneys became
extinct.
In the church are three monuments of the Marneys. The tomb of Henry,
Lord Marney, is in the arch leading to the Marney Chapel, which was
founded by him. The figure is of dark marble, clad in armour, and
wearing the robes of a Knight of the Garter. An ancestor of Lord Marney,
who died in 1414, lies near. The effigy is clothed in mail. The figure
of John, the last of the Marneys, is of black marble. There are some
curious frescoes in the church, and an oak screen. The interior of the
building is probably older than the exterior, which is of about the same
date as the towers.
The church keys may be procured at the rectory.
[Illustration: LAYER MARNEY TOWER, ESSEX.
Commenced by the first Lord Marney about the year 1500, but owing to the
death of Lord Marney and of his only son, the year following, the
buildings were never finished.]
BATTLE ABBEY
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross or Cannon Street.
South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Battle.
=Distance from London.=--55-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/2 hours and 1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 9s. 4d. 5s. 10d. 4s. 8-1/2d.
Return 16s. 4d. 11s. 8d. 9s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"George" and "Star" Hotels.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
Battle Abbey is open to the public on Tuesdays only, between 12 and 4.
There is no charge for admission, tickets being obtained from the
stationer's shop bearing the name Ticehurst. It is situated close to the
main entrance to the abbey. The great gateway through which one enters
is illustrated here. It was probably built by Abbot Retlynge in the
first half of the fourteenth century. The original abbey was built in
fulfilment of a vow which William the Norman made just before the battle
of Senlac Hill, the building being arranged so that the high altar was
placed on the exact spot where the body of Harold II. was discovered on
the awful field of slaughter. The sixty monks who started the monastery
were brought over by William from the Benedictine monastery of
Marmontier in Normandy. They were granted many extraordinary privileges,
including the right of treasure-trove. A further privilege was given to
the abbots in the form of authority to pardon any sentenced criminal
whom they might chance to meet on the road. The abbey was not completed
until after the death of William the Conqueror.
On the left, as one goes through the great gateway, are the portions of
the abbey which have been converted into the house which was, until her
death, the home of the Duchess of Cleveland. At right angles to these
buildings runs a terrace, from which one looks towards the sea across
the battlefield on which was decided one of the most momentous issues
which have affected the English nation.
One must have read Lord Lytton's _Harold_ to fully realise the
tremendous pathos of the struggle to the death between the English and
the Normans. The green facing the great gateway has half hidden on its
surface an old bull ring. In wet weather this is scarcely discoverable,
the ring being easily hidden in the small puddles of water which
accumulate.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE GATEWAY OF BATTLE ABBEY.
The high altar of Battle Abbey was placed exactly over the spot where
the body of Harold II. was discovered after the battle of Senlac Hill.]
CAMBRIDGE
=How to get there.=--Train from St. Pancras or Liverpool Street.
Great Eastern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Cambridge.
=Distance from London.=--55-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-1/4 and 2-1/2 hours. Quickest train,
1 h. 13 m.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 8s. 9d. ... 4s. 7-1/2d.
Return 15s. 10d. ... 9s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Bull Hotel," "Lion Hotel,"
"University Arms Hotel," "Hoop Hotel," "Bath Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Routes=.--From Euston by L. and N.W. Railway.
From King's Cross, Great Northern Railway. From St.
Pancras, Midland Railway.
Cambridge shares with its sister university, Oxford, the honour of being
one of the two most ancient seats of learning in Great Britain. The town
itself is of very remote origin, and stands on the site of the Roman
station _Camboricum_, on the _Via Devana_. By the Saxons, Cambridge
appears to have been known as Grantabrycge, which was probably later
abbreviated into Cantbrigge. The true history of the town as a
university began at the opening of the twelfth century, when Joffred,
Abbot of Crowland, sent over to Cottenham, near Cambridge, four monks,
who, in a hired barn, started their teachings, which soon became
excessively popular. The first regular society of students was founded
in 1257.
Cambridge abounds in features of interest and contains a large number of
old churches, perhaps the most interesting being that of St. Sepulchre,
one of the four circular churches remaining in England. This church,
which is in Bridge Street, was erected in the reign of Henry I., and
founded, like the one at Northampton, by the Knights Templars in
imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem.
The colleges are, of course, the glory of Cambridge, and one is almost
bewildered by the beauty and variety of their architecture. King's
College Chapel is one of the most magnificent examples in the town, but
nearly all the more important collegiate buildings are beautiful types
of mediaeval work. The visitor should on no account omit to walk through
the "Backs," which is the 'varsity term for the backs of the colleges,
with the "Fellows' Gardens" reaching down to the quiet Cam. The Great
Court, Trinity College, is one of the most imposing of the numerous
quadrangles, and is the largest of any at either Oxford or Cambridge.
The Master's Lodge here is the residence of the sovereign on all royal
visits.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ST. JOHN'S GATEWAY, CAMBRIDGE.]
ARUNDEL CASTLE
=How to get there.=--Trains from Victoria and London Bridge. By
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Arundel.
=Distance from London.=--58-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 9s. 2d. 6s. 0d. 4s. 8d.
Return 14s. 10d. 10s. 7d. 9s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Norfolk Hotel," "Eagle Inn,"
"Bridge Hotel," "Granville Boarding House," etc.
The interior of the castle is not shown to visitors without special
permission from the Duke of Norfolk, the keep alone being thrown open to
all on Mondays and Fridays between 12 and 4 P.M.--tickets being obtained
at the Norfolk Hotel. The park, however, is open to the public.
The town of Arundel is one of the oldest and most beautifully situated
in Sussex, that county of ancient towns, and its castle, a wonderful
feudal fortress, was originally bequeathed by Alfred the Great to his
nephew Adhelm. After the Conquest, it came into the possession of Roger
de Montgomery, who rebuilt it, and in 1097 it was held for a short time
by William II. It was at Arundel Castle that Adeliza, the widow of Henry
I., entertained Queen Maud in 1139. The castle came afterwards to the
Fitzalans, and from them by marriage to the Howard family, who still
hold it. It was the object of several fierce attacks during the
Parliamentary War, for having been captured by Waller and garrisoned for
the Parliament, it was retaken by the Royalists under Lord Hopton, and
soon after taken once more by Waller. The castle was much damaged by all
these assaults, and was almost in ruins at the commencement of the last
century, when it was taken in hand and restored by the then Duke of
Norfolk. Of the ancient buildings, the keep, the entrance gateway, and
parts of the walls, are all that now remain. The keep or Bevis Tower is
an old Norman structure with walls 8 to 10 feet thick, having in the
centre the castle dungeon, reached by a narrow staircase in the wall.
The restoration was made as much as possible in conformity with the
style of the old fortress, and the interior is a good example of modern
Gothic art, the new chapel being an interesting example of this. The
Baron's Hall, with its open chestnut roof and stained-glass windows, is
perhaps one of the most striking features in the castle.
A fine stone bridge of three arches connects the two portions of the
town. It spans the river Arun, which is navigable up to Arundel for
vessels of 150 tons burden.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ARUNDEL CASTLE.
Built soon after the Conquest by Roger de Montgomery. It was much
damaged during the Parliamentary War, but was repaired by a former Duke
of Norfolk early in the 19th century.]
OLNEY, BUCKS
THE HOME OF COWPER
=How to get there.=--Train from St. Pancras. Change trains at Bedford.
Midland Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Olney.
=Distance from London.=--60-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--1-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 8s. 1d. ... 4s. 9-1/2d.
Return 16s. 2d. ... 9s. 7d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Bull Hotel," etc.
Olney was for a period the home of the delicate and sensitive poet
William Cowper, who was born at the parsonage of Great Berkhampstead.
His father was chaplain to George II. Cowper lost his mother at a very
early age, and the sad event made a deep impression on his mind. In
after years he wrote a poem addressed to his mother's portrait which it
is said has drawn more tears than any other poem in the English
language. Cowper was sent to school at six years of age, but was very
unhappy there, and it laid the foundation of that settled gloom which
oppressed him all through life. When Cowper had finished his studies at
the Westminster School he commenced the study of law, and was afterwards
called to the bar; but he never practised, for he hated law. Cowper was
offered several appointments, but failed in examinations for them from
extreme nervousness. By the kindness of friends an income was secured
for him and he went to reside at Huntingdon. Here he formed an
acquaintance with Mrs. Unwin, the "Mary" of his poems, which ripened
into deepest friendship. He enjoyed much tranquil happiness during the
time of his residence with the Unwin family.
When Cowper and his friends moved to Olney they lived in the
old-fashioned regular fronted house illustrated opposite. Here Cowper is
said to have amused himself with his hares and in the making of boxes
and tables. He was also interested in the bees in the old-fashioned
garden at the back of the house, where one may still see the little
rustic summer-house in which _John Gilpin_ and some of the _Task_ were
written. The house now contains a Cowper museum, and visitors thus have
an opportunity of seeing the parlour and other rooms, besides many other
interesting objects connected with the poet. His great friend at Olney
was the Rev. John Newton. They were constantly together in their walks,
in their homes, and at church, and both wrote a number of hymns.
[Illustration: _Thornborough._
COWPER'S HOME AT OLNEY.
The house now contains a Cowper museum.]
WANTAGE AND THE COUNTRY OF ALFRED THE GREAT
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Wantage Road.
=Distance from London.=--60-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-1/2 to 2-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 10s. 0d. 6s. 4d. 5s. 0-1/2d.
Return 17s. 8d. 11s. 0d. 10s. 1d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Good posting and hotels. "Bear
Hotel" and "Blue Boar."
The chalk ridge in the north of Berkshire is rich in memories of Alfred.
First in importance is Wantage, a peaceful town at the foot of the
hills, and famous as the birthplace of the great king. There is a statue
by Count Gleichen in the wide market-place representing Alfred with a
battle-axe and a charter in his hands. The church is a fine example of
Early English architecture, and interesting besides as the burying-place
of many famous Fitz-warens, among them Ivo, whose daughter married
Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London. Dr. Butler of _The Analogy_
was born in the town, and the house is still to be seen.
Leaving Wantage, one may go along the breezy downs to Uffington Castle,
a large fort, presumably of British origin. It was one of many similar
forts along the Roman way called Ichenilde Street, that stretches
straight as an arrow along the whole ridge. Near the fort is the famous
White Horse cut in the chalk, which, since its recent cleansing, gleams
brilliantly from the hillside. It was cut out to commemorate the
magnificent victory of Ethelred the Unready and Alfred over the Danes at
Ashdown in 871. Readers of _Tom Brown's School Days_ will recall the
story of the Berkshire revels in 1857, when the scouring of the Horse
took place. Judge Hughes was born here, under the shadow of the downs,
and near by is the round hill where tradition says St. George slew the
dragon.
In _Kenilworth_ Sir Walter Scott has immortalised Wayland Smith's Cave,
a neolithic burial-place of some ancient chieftain which lies to the
west of Uffington Castle. It is a circle of stone slabs with flat stones
on the top. Wayland was the "Vulcan" of the men of the north, and
Alfred, in one of his translations, altered the "Fabricius" of the Roman
account into the northern "Wayland," the fairy smith who replaced lost
shoes on horses. It was in this cave that Scott made Flibbertigibbet
play tricks on Tressilian.
[Illustration: THE STATUE OF ALFRED THE GREAT AT WANTAGE.
It was designed by Count Gleichen.]
CANTERBURY AND ITS CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria, Holborn Viaduct, Charing
Cross, or Cannon Street. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Canterbury (East).
=Distance from London.=--61-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-3/4 to 2-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 10s. 4d. 6s. 6d. 5s. 2d.
Return 18s. 0d. 13s. 0d. 10s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"County Hotel," "The Fleece
Family and Commercial Hotel," Baker's "Temperance Hotel,"
"The Royal Fountain Hotel," "Falstaff Hotel," etc.
The city of Canterbury, originally an important station in Watling
Street, the _Durovernum_ of the Romans, was one of the earliest places
occupied by the Saxons, by whom it was named _Cantwarabyrig_, or "town
of the Kentish men," and made the capital of the Saxon kingdom of Kent,
and a royal residence. About 597 the abbey was founded by St. Augustine
and his royal convert King Ethelbert. Canterbury was then constituted
the seat of the primacy in England, a dignity it retains to this day.
At the period of the Norman Conquest the city was of considerable size,
and the castle, of which very little now remains, is reputed to be the
work of William the Conqueror. The cathedral was burnt down at least
twice before the present building was erected, but under the influence
of the Norman archbishops, Lanfranc and Anselm, the erection of the new
"Church of Christ" proceeded apace. But it was not until the end of the
twelfth century that the murder of Becket set the whole of Europe
ringing with excitement, and Canterbury rose at once into the front rank
as an ecclesiastical city and pilgrims' shrine.
At the time when Chaucer wrote his _Canterbury Tales_ the city was
surrounded by a strong wall with twenty-one towers and six gates. Of the
wall there are some remains in Broad Street; of the gates "West Gate,"
through which the pilgrims entered from London, is the only survivor.
Canterbury teems with interesting relics of the past, and weeks may be
spent in its old-world streets, where one is continually coming across
unexpected little bits of half-timber work, weather-beaten gables, and
grotesque oak carving. The cathedral, whose "Bell Harry" or central
tower seems to dominate the whole city, should be approached through
Mercery Lane, at the corner of which are some slight remains of
Chaucer's hostelry, "The Chequers of Hope." At the bottom of the lane
the cathedral close is entered by the famous Christ Church Gateway,
erected by Prior Goldstone in 1517. Once inside the close gate the
visitor gets some idea of the amazing beauty of the structure, which is
certainly unsurpassed by any other cathedral in the kingdom. The
building exhibits almost every style of architecture, from the Norman
work of William of Lens to the late Perpendicular of Prior Goldstone,
and yet the work of composition and design has been so exquisitely
carried out that there is no hint of any want of harmony in the
magnificent whole. The interior is no less remarkable, the arches and
vaulting of the nave being some of the most beautiful in existence.
Becket's shrine was despoiled at the Reformation, but the number of
pilgrims who visited it may be imagined from the fact that the broad
stone steps are worn hollow, and this only by the knees of his
worshippers. The Angel doorway in the cloisters, by which the archbishop
entered the sacred building pursued by his murderers, gives access on to
the north-west or martyrdom transept. Here is shown the spot where the
primate made his last stand and fell under the blows of the Norman
knights. Another object of special interest is the tomb of Edward, the
Black Prince, who died in the city in 1376. There is so much to see in
and about the cathedral and its precincts, however, that a trustworthy
guide-book is a _sine qua non_. The building is open from 9.30 to the
end of evening service--the nave and two west transepts free; the choir
and crypt, 6d. each person. Sketching orders, 2s. 6d. per day, and
photographing orders, 5s. per day.
In the city itself the most interesting of the old churches is St.
Martin's, reputed to be the oldest in England (admission, 6d.). Here St.
Augustine first preached Christianity before the cathedral was built.
St. Martin's Hill, near the church, should be noticed. It was over this
ascent that Augustine with his Roman monks passed into Canterbury in
697.
In Monastery Street is the fine gateway of the once rich and powerful
St. Augustine's Abbey; and near it, not many years ago, was a fine
example of Saxon work, known as Ethelbert's Tower, which some of the
intelligent busybodies of the time had removed with a battering-ram.
In Broad Street is the Hospital of St. John, with its quaint entrance
and fine old timbered gateway.
The Grammar School, known as the King's School, was founded at the close
of the seventh century. The most remarkable portion of what remains of
the old buildings is an almost unique Norman staircase.
[Illustration: THE WEST GATE, CANTERBURY.
The only one left standing of the six in existence in the days of
Chaucer.]
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE TRANSEPT OF MARTYRDOM.
In Canterbury Cathedral.]
RECULVERS
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria, Holborn Viaduct, or St.
Paul's. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Herne Bay. (Reculvers lies 3 miles along the coast.)
=Distance from London.=--62-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-3/4 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 10s. 6d. 6s. 6d. 5s. 2-1/2d.
Return 18s. 5d. 13s. 0d. 10s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Herne Bay--"The Dolphin Hotel,"
"The Connaught," "The Grand," "St. George's Cliff," "Pier
Hotel," "Herne Bay Hotel," etc.; also the "Bungalow Hotel,"
etc., at Birchington.
About 3 miles to the east of Herne Bay, the twin towers of an old Roman
church stand prominently out from the flat marsh-land which stretches
between the villages of Herne and Birchington, some 5 miles from the
well-known health resort of Margate. Regulbium, now known as Reculver,
and Rutupium, or Richborough, near Sandwich, were two Roman stations
guarding the entrances to the estuary which formerly separated the Isle
of Thanet from the mainland. Regulbium was also used as a lighthouse and
watch-tower, because of its commanding position near the mouths of both
the Thames and Medway.
After the Roman occupation, Regulbium became one of the chief seats of
the Saxon kings, and when, after his conversion to Christianity by St.
Augustine, King Ethelbert gave up his palace at Canterbury, he lived
there with his court, and his remains were interred in the first church
erected on the spot. In the ninth century a Benedictine abbey was
founded at Regulbium by a priest named Bapa. A few years after, King
Edred granted the abbey to the Monastery of Christchurch at Canterbury,
but the society was either removed or dissolved before the Norman
Conquest. This practically ends the history of Regulbium, for owing to
the steady encroachments of the sea, and to the fact that the estuary
continued to fill up, the once populous Roman city was gradually
deserted. The present remains consist of parts of the earth-works of the
Roman station, and the twin towers and ruined walls of the church.
Though the church formerly occupied the centre of the Roman city, the
sea has now reached the base of the bank on which the towers stand. In
his famous "Brothers of Birchington," Thomas Ingoldsby says of the twin
towers--
They were tall and upright
And just equal in height.
Reculvers and the neighbourhood were at one time a favourite resort for
smugglers.
[Illustration: RECULVERS FROM THE EAST.]
OXFORD
=How to get there=.--Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station=.--Oxford.
=Distance from London=.--63-1/2 miles.
=Average Time=.--Varies between 1-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares=.--Single 10s. 6d. 6s. 8d. 5s. 3-1/2d.
Return 18s. 6d. 11s. 8d. 10s. 7d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Randolph Hotel," "Mitre Hotel,"
"The Roebuck Hotel," "Railway Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
Oxford was a centre of learning in the time of Alfred. Walter de Merton
_founded_ the first college there, and others started the collegiate
system of corporate colleges which makes English universities unique.
The most celebrated colleges are Christ Church, Magdalen, New College,
and Merton. Keble, Mansfield, and Hertford were established in Victorian
times. In one part of the High Street the scene is architecturally
magnificent. On the south side is University College, which claims the
oldest foundation, although the present building only dates from the
seventeenth century. Opposite is Queen's College, then comes All Souls'.
On the same side is St. Mary's Church, and a little further All Souls'
Church. A turning by St. Mary's Church leads to the Bodleian Library,
the Sheldonian Theatre, and the Ashmolean Museum. At one end of St.
Giles' Street is the Martyrs' Memorial and the Taylor Institution.
Returning to High Street, and going towards the stations, a turning on
the left leads to Oriel, Corpus Christi, and Merton Colleges, and still
further on, St. Aldate's Street, on the left, leads to Pembroke College
and the fourteenth-century church of St. Aldate's. Opposite the church
are the buildings known as Christ Church, which has the Cathedral Church
of St. Frideswide for its chapel. In the principal entrance is "Great
Tom," the famous bell that tolls at 9.5 P.M. Christ Church, though the
smallest cathedral in England, and possibly in Europe, is of great
interest on account of its very distinct transitional style. Magdalen
College, near the bridge over the River Cherwell, and the Botanic
Gardens, are at the other end of the High Street.
There was a monastery in Oxford in the eighth century. A castle was
built by William I. after he captured the town, and from that time it
was often visited by English kings. Several parliaments have been held
there, and the courts of law as well as the parliament removed to Oxford
during the plague of 1665. Charles I. made it his headquarters until
Fairfax took the town.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
MAGDALEN COLLEGE, OXFORD.]
MIDHURST
AND THE HOME OF RICHARD COBDEN
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Midhurst.
=Distance from London.=--64-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 to 3-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 10s. 2d. 6s. 6d. 5s. 0-1/2d.
Return 17s. 10d. 11s. 3d. 10s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Angel," "Spread Eagle,"
"New Inn," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Victoria and London Bridge.
London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.
Though only a small town, Midhurst is a place of some antiquity, and was
of some size prior to the Conquest. It is situated in Mid-Sussex on the
Rother, and on a site close by it, now marked only by a mound, was the
castle of the Bohuns, a powerful Norman family, who were lords of the
manor here. In 1547, King Edward VI. was entertained with great
splendour here. It is curious to note that the custom of ringing the
curfew bell is still maintained at Midhurst.
The town is picturesque, and contains many old houses and buildings of
interest, notably those in West Street and Wool Lane, near the church,
and the Grammar School at the further end of the town, where Sir Charles
Lyell and Richard Cobden were educated. Cobden was born at Durnford,
close to Midhurst. Durnford House, built for him by the nation, is still
standing, and at Cocking Causeway is a monument to his memory.
In Cowdray Park, within easy walking distance, are the ruins of the
magnificent Tudor mansion, Cowdray House, destroyed by fire in 1793.
There was an old tradition, "The Curse of Cowdray," that the building
should perish by fire and water, and this was curiously fulfilled, for
the house was burnt and the last Lord Montague drowned almost on the
same day.
A custodian who shows visitors over Cowdray House has a cottage here.
Over what remains of the entrance gateway are the arms of Sir Anthony
Browne, the favourite of King Henry VIII.; and on the porch are the
initials of the Earl of Southampton.
West Lavington Church, beautifully situated on a height two miles south
of Midhurst, has in its churchyard the grave of Richard Cobden, the
political reformer, and originator of Free Trade. Cardinal Manning was
rector here at one period.
[Illustration: _F. Coze, Midhurst._
COBDEN'S PEW IN HEYSHOTT CHURCH.
The pew is immediately beneath the pulpit, in which a small brass plate
may be noticed. Here Cobden regularly worshipped.]
PEVENSEY CASTLE
LANDING-PLACE OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR
=How to get there.=--Train from London Bridge or Victoria. London,
Brighton, and South Coast Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Pevensey and West Ham.
=Distance from London.=--65 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 and 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 10s. 0d. 6s. 2d. 4s. 8d.
Return 17s. 6d. 11s. 8d. 9s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Oak Inn" at Pevensey village.
Pevensey, the scene of so many notable events in English history, was
probably a fishing-port in prehistoric times. It is situated on flat and
low-lying marsh-land, about 15 miles westward along the coast from
Hastings. Here the Romans built a town and fortress. Entering Pevensey
Castle by the main gateway, you stand on the site of the Roman city of
Anderida, of which many evidences remain in the shape of Roman cement
and tiles in a wall which surrounds the enclosure. The Romans retired
from Anderida in the fifth century, when it was destroyed by the Saxons
under Ella, and the inhabitants slain for their obstinate resistance.
A fortnight before the great battle on Senlac Hill, William of Normandy
landed at the old Roman city. After the Conquest, Roger, Earl of
Mortmain and Cornwall, half-brother of the Conqueror, built the Norman
building whose shattered walls are to be seen to-day. William Rufus,
Simon de Montfort, and Stephen each attacked the castle, and it remained
a fortress until the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In the south-eastern
corner of the Brito-Roman city, there still stands an interesting old
culverin, bearing the crown, Tudor rose, and the initials of Queen
Elizabeth. It is one of two cannon placed there in 1587 in readiness for
the Spaniards. The present castle shows the different work of several
centuries. The remains of a much-weathered stone font, surrounded by an
iron cage, stand in the centre of the enclosure. Near by, within a
palisade, is the old castle well, with hart's-tongue ferns growing on
the damp brick lining.
At one time Pevensey formed, with Hastings, one of the Cinque Ports. It
began to decline as a seafaring place with the loss of its harbour,
owing to the receding of the sea along the Sussex shore--the walls,
which were formerly almost washed by the waves, being now quite a mile
inland. Visitors may enter the castle on week days without charge.
[Illustration: PEVENSEY CASTLE.
Before the sea receded the waves almost reached the Castle walls.]
WINCHESTER & ITS CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Winchester.
=Distance from London.=--66-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-1/2 to 2-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 11s. 0d. 7s. 0d. 5s. 6d.
Return 19s. 3d. 12s. 2d. 10s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"George Hotel," "Royal Hotel,"
"Black Swan Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
Winchester, the ancient Saxon capital of England, is situated near the
foot of the chalk uplands surrounding the river Itchin. It is a city
full of historical interest, and its two most striking features are the
cathedral and college. Long before the Norman Conquest there was a
grammar school at Winchester under the care of the monks. Bishop William
of Wykeham was educated at this earlier school, and it was he who
re-established it on a larger scale. The new college was founded at the
end of the fourteenth century, under the direction of a corporation, and
was allied to one of the colleges at Oxford. For five centuries this
college, the most ancient of the public schools in England, has kept a
foremost place among the many educational centres that now exist. Many
of the college buildings remain almost the same as they were originally
founded.
The cathedral, which is the largest in England, shows every style of
architecture from pure Norman to Early Renaissance. It was founded by
Walkelin, the first Norman bishop, whose carved font is one of the
finest treasures of the building. Bishop Wykeham, at the end of the
fourteenth century, continued the building, which had been steadily
progressing for a considerable time, and commenced the partial casing of
the Norman columns with Perpendicular mouldings. The vaulting shafts of
the nave rise from the ground, and owing to the thickness of the Norman
masonry, there is no proper triforium. The reredos was built by Cardinal
Beaufort in the fifteenth century, and the Lady Chapel was added about
the same time. Though it suffered much damage during the Parliamentary
wars, the cathedral is wonderfully rich in monuments, all its various
architects being buried there, and among the many shrines is that of
William Rufus.
Winchester's associations with King Alfred, and its numerous examples of
architecture of all the centuries, make the city one of the most
interesting in England.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL.
Showing the Norman north transept and the west end.]
SAVERNAKE FOREST
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Savernake.
=Distance from London.=--70 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 11s. 8d. 7s. 4d. 5s. 10d.
Return 20s. 6d. 12s. 10d. 11s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Forest Hotel" (near railway station),
"Ailesbury Arms Hotel," etc., in Marlborough.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
Savernake is said to be the only forest in England possessed by a
subject. It occupies a piece of country 16 miles in circumference, is
entirely open to all, and the Marquess of Ailesbury also allows
Savernake Forest House to be seen by strangers when the family are
absent. At Savernake Station one is brought within sight of the forest,
and entering it at this point one is able to enjoy a lovely walk of 6 or
7 miles, which brings one out close to Marlborough Station, with the
town on the further side of the railway. The forest is specially famous
for its glorious avenue of beech 4 miles in length, and there is little
doubt that there is no finer in the kingdom.
If one enters through the park gates, near Savernake Station, the house
(formerly known as Tottenham House) lies on the right, and in the
opposite direction one may notice, at the end of a perspective formed by
great masses of elms and beeches, the column erected in 1781 by the
first Earl of Ailesbury (the marquisate was not created until 1821),
commemorating the recovery of George III. and other circumstances.
If one crosses the avenue and bears off to the right across the turf the
church of St. Catherine will soon appear in sight. It is a very richly
ornamented structure, and was built by a former Marchioness of
Ailesbury, in memory of her mother the Countess of Pembroke. Returning
to the avenue, one may continue down it for about 3 miles to the "eight
walks," where an opening in the ranks of the stately trees reveals a
number of grassy glades running off to the chief points of the compass.
The walk going off to the south-west leads to the King's Oak, a gigantic
tree whose hollow trunk is 24 feet in circumference. This oak is
surrounded by a number of grand old trees, their bold outlines enriched
with velvety moss. On an autumn afternoon, when the forest is a blaze of
crimson and yellow, this spot is seen at its loveliest--the long shadows
and the golden sunlight giving the scene a painted, almost too brilliant
effect.
[Illustration: _E.H. Roberts._
THE AVENUE IN SAVERNAKE FOREST.]
ELY CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=--From Liverpool Street or St. Pancras. Great
Eastern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Ely.
=Distance from London.=--70-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies from 1-3/4 to 3-1/4 hours. Quickest train 1 hour
38 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 11s. 3d. ... 5s. 11-1/2d.
Return 20s. 0d. ... 11s. 11d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Bell Hotel" and others.
Ely is situated on an eminence in the midst of the flat district forming
the centre of the county of Cambridge, and was originally a settlement
termed by the Saxons _Eleg_ or _Elge_, _i.e._ "an eel," from the number
of eels found in the fenny district around. St. Etheldreda, daughter of
a king of the East Angles, founded an abbey here, where she died in 679,
being afterwards canonised as a saint. The monastery was destroyed by
the Danes in 870, and did not regain importance till one hundred years
later.
In _Hereward the Wake_ Kingsley tells us how gallantly the Isle of Ely
was defended against the attacks of William the Conqueror, but the
chieftain was at last forced to surrender, and the monastery was seized.
Ely was created a bishopric by Henry I. in 1107.
The cathedral is one of the most beautiful and remarkable in England.
The oldest portion was erected in the reign of William Rufus and Henry
I., and additions were continually made to the fabric until 1534, so
that it contains an almost unbroken series of the architectural styles
prevailing from the Conquest, yet so wonderfully has the design been
managed that no disagreeable effect is produced.
The nave of the cathedral, considered one of the finest specimens of
Norman work in England, was completed about 1174, and the west front,
built by Geoffrey Ridel, the third bishop, about ten years later.
Originally there stood a square tower in the centre of the building, but
this fell in 1322, crushing three arches of the choir. The repair of
this misfortune was undertaken by the sacrist, Alan de Walsingham, who
erected in 1342 the octagonal tower now existing.
The choir contains much rich decorated Gothic; and the east end of the
cathedral, with its two tiers of lancet windows, is very beautiful.
Another most interesting feature is the Lady Chapel, with a magnificent
fan-vaulted roof; the walls were originally decorated with countless
niches and statues of saints and martyrs, not one of which escaped the
destroying hand of the Puritan.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ELY CATHEDRAL.
The remarkable octagonal tower was rebuilt in 1342 by Alan de
Walsingham.]
ST. IVES, HUNTINGDONSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Train from Liverpool Street or St. Pancras. G.E.R.
=Nearest Station.=--St. Ives.
=Distance from London.=--70-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 8s. 9d. ... 4s. 10-1/2d.
Return 17s. 6d. ... 9s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At St. Ives, "The Golden Lion Hotel,"
"White Horse Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--From King's Cross to Huntingdon. G.N. Rly.
St. Ives is a town of considerable antiquity, and in Saxon times was
known as _Slepe_, which name is still retained by one of the two manors
included in the parish, and it is applied to the town in the Domesday
book. The more modern name is derived from Ivo, or St. Ives, a Persian
who is said to have visited England in the sixth century, and to have
been buried here.
A considerable part of the place was destroyed by fire in 1689, but
there are still a number of quaint and interesting buildings. Over the
Ouse is a stone bridge of six arches, supposed to have been built by the
abbots of Ramsey. The approach to the bridge on the south side is by a
causeway raised on arches to admit the passage of the waters in time of
floods, which have on different occasions caused much damage here; and
over one of the arches, near the centre of the bridge, is a mediaeval
building, originally intended for a chapel.
The first church, built by Abbot Ednoth in the reign of King Edgar, was
burnt in 1207, and rebuilt. The present structure, dedicated to All
Saints, occupies the same site, close to the river, where it forms with
the old houses adjoining a very charming picture. Until quite recent
years, by a quaint bequest, dicing for bibles on the altar of the church
took place every Whit Tuesday. The dicing is now done on a small table.
The interest in St. Ives and the neighbouring town of Huntingdon chiefly
centres in the fact of their associations with Oliver Cromwell, who was
born at the latter town in 1599. Cromwell went to school at Huntingdon,
and from thence to Cambridge, but his father dying shortly afterwards,
he returned home to manage family affairs. In 1628 he was elected for
the borough of Huntingdon, but after the dissolution of Parliament,
Cromwell returned to his native county and devoted himself to farming on
the Ouse at Huntingdon and St. Ives. During his residence at St. Ives,
Cromwell occupied the manor-house, Slepe Hall, which has been ruthlessly
pulled down to allow of the erection of modern houses.
[Illustration: THE BRIDGE AT ST. IVES, HUNTINGTON.]
WINCHELSEA AND RYE
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, or
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Winchelsea.
=Distance from London.=--72 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/4 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 12s. 0d. 7s. 6d. 6s. 0d.
Return 21s. 0d. 15s. 0d. 12s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The New Inn," etc., Winchelsea.
=Routes.=--_Via_ Ashford or _via_ Hastings.
Winchelsea, situated about 8 miles from Hastings, though now a small
village, was once an important seaport, being one of the Cinque Ports.
It has suffered severely from the sea, having been completely destroyed
in 1287 by an inundation. It was afterwards rebuilt by Edward I. on
higher ground. The French made several attempts on the town, and in 1380
succeeded in capturing and burning it. The gradual decay of the port was
due to the retiring of the sea in the fifteenth century, which rendered
the harbour useless. Winchelsea is a pretty place with massive gateways,
survivals of the old fortified town. In the centre of the village is a
square containing the remains of the old Parish Church built in 1288 in
the Decorated style. The nave and transepts have gone, having been
destroyed by the French, and only the chancel remains. It contains some
interesting canopied tombs, one being to Gervase Alard, Admiral of the
Cinque Ports in 1383. John Wesley preached his last open-air sermon in
the churchyard.
Rye lies 2 miles east of Winchelsea, and though more flourishing than
the latter place, has much dwindled in importance, since it too was a
Cinque Port. The town is built on a hill, and the steep, narrow streets
are filled with quaint houses. The harbour is still visited by small
fishing-boats. The French constantly attacked Rye, and in 1380 they
succeeded in burning it. Overlooking the sea and belonging to the old
wall is the Ypres Tower, built in the reign of Stephen by William de
Ypres.
Close to the tower is the large Parish Church, which contains much
Decorated Gothic work, although its oldest portions are Norman, the
church having been partly rebuilt after the destruction caused by the
French in 1380. It contains a wonderful clock, made in Queen Elizabeth's
reign, and said to be the oldest in England still in working order. It
has a long pendulum which comes through the ceiling and swings in the
church.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
WINCHELSEA CHURCH.
The French did much damage to the building in 1380, and portions of it
are still in ruins.]
BLENHEIM PALACE
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Blenheim.
=Distance from London.=--72-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--2-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 12s. 0d. 7s. 6d. 6s. 0-1/2d.
Return 21s. 2d. 13s. 4d. ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Bear Inn," Woodstock, "King's Arms
Hotel," "Marlborough Hotel," "Star Hotel," etc.
Blenheim Palace, the magnificent seat of the Duke of Marlborough, was,
like Strathfieldsaye, erected at the public expense. On the 2nd of
August 1704, the great Duke of Marlborough gained a decisive victory
over the combined forces of the French and Bavarians near the village of
Blenheim, on the banks of the Danube. The French and Bavarians left
10,000 killed and wounded on the field, huge numbers were drowned in the
river, and about 13,000 taken prisoners. The victory was complete, and
immediately afterwards Queen Anne presented the victorious general with
a "grant of the honour of Woodstock," this being followed by a vote of
£500,000 for the erection of the palace and the laying out of the
grounds. The building was erected from the designs of Sir John Vanbrugh,
the great architect and dramatist. It is of enormous size, the frontage
being 350 feet from wing to wing, and the entire structure covers about
7 acres. The gateway to the park on the Woodstock side is a fine
Corinthian triumphal arch, giving access to a magnificent avenue more
than 2 miles in length.
Among the principal apartments of the palace are the lofty entrance
hall, with a fine painted ceiling by Thornhill; the bay-window room with
its famous tapestry; the dining-room, containing many family portraits
by Sir Joshua Reynolds; the marble saloon, the ceilings and walls of
which are painted by La Guerre; and the library, a magnificent room
nearly 200 feet long, containing about 20,000 volumes. In addition to
these, there are the chapel and theatre, as well as the state and other
drawing-rooms. The Titian room was totally destroyed by fire, with a
large portion of the north-east section of the palace, in February 1861.
The ancient road, called Akeman Street, runs across the park, and Roman
remains have been discovered near it.
The palace is open every day (except Saturdays and Sundays) from 11 to
1, and the gardens from 11 to 2. Either can be seen separately by
tickets, 1s. each, obtainable at the porter's lodge.
[Illustration: _Taunt, Oxford._
BLENHEIM PALACE.
Built for the Duke of Marlborough at the public expense, after his
famous victory over the French and Bavarians.]
PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL AND CROWLAND
=How to get there.=--Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Peterborough.
=Distance from London.=--76-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-1/4 to 2-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 11s. 3d. ... 6s. 4d.
Return 22s. 6d. ... 12s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Great Northern Railway Company's
Hotel," "Golden Lion Hotel," "Angel Hotel," "Grand Hotel,"
etc., at Peterborough.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Liverpool Street, _via_ Ely. Great
Eastern Railway.
Nine miles north of Peterborough the ruins of Crowland Abbey arise out
of the flat fen country like a lighthouse out of the sea. With only the
nave and north aisle standing, it breathes the very spirit of romance
even in its decay. It is easy to picture the time when four streams
surrounded the monastery and church and formed an island in the fens,
and to recall how Hereward the Wake demanded entrance to the abbey to
see Torfrida, and was refused admittance by the Abbot Ulfketyl. In those
days two rivers met in the High Street of the little town that grew
round St. Guthlac's Monastery. Now the country is drained, Crowland is a
decayed little town with many thatched roofs, situated in an
agricultural district; the island exists no longer, and the old
triangular bridge rises over the dry Square at a place where three roads
meet. This bridge is older and more peculiar than any bridge in Europe
that is not of Roman origin. It is believed to have been built in 870,
and consists of three pointed arches rising steeply in the centre to
permit the rush of water in flood times. It is too steep to admit of its
use by any sort of vehicle, and one ascends by steps to the top. At the
end of one portion of the bridge there is a stone image of a Saxon
king--possibly Ethelbert--with a loaf in one hand.
In the time of Ethelbald, King of Mercians, a young noble named Guthlac,
weary of life's rough way, sought peace in the ascetic life. He drifted
in a boat to Crowland Isle, and there lived a hermit's life till his
death in 817. On the spot where he died Ethelbald founded and endowed a
monastery on the island, and it flourished exceedingly. The larger part
of the conventual church is now destroyed, but the north aisle is used
as the Parish Church of Crowland.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
CROWLAND ABBEY.
The building rises above the little thatched village, which stands on
slightly raised ground in the midst of the fens.]
PETERBOROUGH
As was the case with Wells, Peterborough would have had no existence but
for its cathedral, which was reared in the midst of the fertile fen
country near the slow-flowing river Ness. But the coming of the railways
has roused the country town, and in the last fifty years its population
has increased fivefold. It is situated in a rich agricultural district,
and has a good trade in farm products. Its annual wool and cattle
markets are well known in the eastern counties.
On the site of the present cathedral a minster was built in 870 by a
king of Mercia. On its being destroyed by Danes, a new building was
erected, which was burned down in 1116. The foundations of the Saxon
church can be seen in the crypt. The new Norman building was consecrated
in 1237, and has remained with few alterations to the present day. While
the interior of St. Albans Cathedral shows every phase of Norman and
Gothic architecture, that of Peterborough is remarkable as showing
practically one style throughout the entire building. The west front has
been described as the "grandest portico in Europe." It is Early English
in style, and the finest feature of the cathedral. Its three colossal
arches are flanked and strengthened by two turreted towers with spires.
It needs a close observer to perceive that the central gable of the west
front is smaller than the side ones, for the difficulty has been
cleverly overcome. The northern gable and part of the arch below have
been repaired very carefully amid an outcry from all parts of England
against the restoration. However, the work was proved to be necessary,
as the mortar had crumbled to dust, and many stones were merely resting
one on the other. The Perpendicular Galilee Porch over the small doorway
adds strength to the façade. The room over it is used as a library.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the interior is the
twelfth-century wooden vaulting of the nave. There is no Lady Chapel at
the east end as is usually the case. When the ritual demanded a
retro-choir for processions, the Norman apse fortunately was not pulled
down, but the new building, Tudor in style, and with a beautiful
stone-vaulted roof, was built round it. After Ely's Tower fell, the
Norman central tower of Peterborough was pulled down as if a similar
fate was feared for it, and a shorter tower was erected in its place.
Two queens have been buried in the church, namely, Catherine of Arragon
and Mary Queen of Scots. The remains of both queens have been removed to
Westminster Abbey.
Other places worth visiting in Peterborough are the Parish Church and a
well-preserved thirteenth-century manor-house at Longthorpe.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL
The magnificent west front, which has recently been restored.]
SOUTHAMPTON
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Stations.=--Southampton Docks or Southampton West.
=Distance from London.=--78-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 13s. 0d. 8s. 2d. 6s. 6d.
Return 23s. 0d. 14s. 6d. 11s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Royal Hotel," "Radley's Hotel,"
"London and South-Western Hotel," "Dolphin Hotel," "Royal
Pier Hotel," "Flower's Temperance," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--From Paddington. Fares as above.
The earliest accounts of Southampton are vague and uncertain. On the
opposite bank of the Itchen, at Bitterne, was the Roman station of
Clausentum, but Southampton itself seems to have been originally a
settlement of the West Saxons. In the reign of William the Conqueror,
Southampton, owing to its situation, became the principal port of
embarkation for Normandy. In 1295 it first returned representatives to
Parliament, and in 1345 was strongly fortified, and able to contribute
twenty-one ships to the Royal Navy, Portsmouth only supplying five. Many
expeditions for Normandy embarked here during the reigns of the
Plantagenets, and the men who fought and won at Crecy and Agincourt must
have passed, on the way to their ships, under the old West Gate, which
still remains much as it was in those stirring times.
The town is full of interesting relics of every description, one of the
most remarkable being the old wall, of which a considerable portion
remains; that known as The Arcades, built in a series of arches, being
specially noticeable. Close by, in Blue Anchor Lane, is a Norman house,
reputed to be King John's palace, and claiming, with several others, to
be the oldest house in England.
The town was formerly entered by several gates, two of which, Westgate
and Bargate, are still in a good state of preservation.
The Bargate stands in the centre of the High Street, and is an excellent
example of mediaeval fortification.
At the head of Blue Anchor Lane is the remarkably picturesque and
substantial Tudor house, once the residence of Henry VIII. and Anne
Boleyn, and nearly opposite rises the tall tower of St. Michael's, the
oldest church in Southampton. The building is open all day (the keys
being obtainable on inquiry), and contains a remarkable carved black
marble font, reputed to be of Byzantine origin, and a fine eagle lectern
of the fifteenth century.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE BARGATE IN THE HIGH STREET OF SOUTHAMPTON.]
HELMINGHAM HALL
=How to get there.=--Great Eastern Railway. Liverpool Street.
=Nearest Station.=--Woodbridge (10 miles).
=Distance from London.=--79 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Quickest train
1 hour 56 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 14s. 9d. ... 6s. 8d.
Return 22s. 2d. ... 13s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Bull Hotel," etc., at Woodbridge.
Helmingham Hall, the seat of Lord Tollemache, lies in a beautiful park,
ten miles from Woodbridge, in Suffolk, and has been one of the homes of
the family for generations. The Tollemache family own two of the finest
Tudor houses in this country, Ham House near Richmond, the property of
the Earls of Dysart, and Helmingham, which now belongs to the other
branch of the Tollemache peerage. Helmingham came to them in the reign
of Henry VIII., by the marriage of Lionel Tollemache with the daughter
and heiress of Sir William Joyce, who owned a home called Creke Hall.
The present mansion he rebuilt on the same site, in all probability
retaining the ancient moat.
The hall is approached through an entrance gateway, giving access to a
fine avenue leading directly up a gentle slope to the moat and main
drawbridge of the hall. The house, of red brick, wonderfully tinted by
the hand of time, is remarkably picturesque, with its twisted chimneys,
finely proportioned gables, and beautiful bay windows; and its charm is
considerably enhanced by the brickwork, with sturdy buttresses here and
there, rising sheer out of the clear and tranquil waters of the moat.
The hall is entered by two bridges, each ending in a drawbridge, which
is kept in full working order, and both drawbridges are, and have been
for some hundreds of years, hauled up at ten o'clock every night, when
the house can only be approached from the park by means of a boat.
On crossing the main bridge, one enters the inner court, a fine red
brick quadrangle, much after the style of those at Hampton Court. From
this access is gained to the various wings and apartments of the
mansion, the finest room being the hall, with its deep oak dado,
fireplace, and open timber roof. The best suite of rooms looks out
across the moat to the beautiful gardens. These are some of the most
magnificent in the county, and they are most carefully and elaborately
arranged, and always kept in fine condition. The garden is divided into
two portions by a strip of water covered with lilies.
[Illustration: HELMINGHAM HALL.
An Elizabethan moated mansion. Its drawbridge has been lowered and
raised every day for about 400 years.]
STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Amesbury (1-1/2 miles from Stonehenge).
=Distance from London.=--80 miles.
=Average Time.=--3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 13s. 2d. 8s. 3d. 6s. 7-1/2d.
Return 23s. 2d. 14s. 8d. 13s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The George Hotel" at Amesbury.
"Railway Hotel" (small) at Porton.
=Alternative Route.=--Porton Station, 5-1/2 miles, and Salisbury Station,
8 miles from Stonehenge.
One of the earliest and most enduring works of man in the British
Islands is to be seen in the circles of giant stones on Salisbury Plain.
They stand in two concentric circles. The outer ring of monoliths
encloses an inner one of blue stones about half their height. These in
turn surround a horseshoe formation consisting of the remains of five
great trilithons. Some of these stones have fallen across the flat one
known as the altar stone, occupying a central position at the head of
the horseshoe. On the 21st of June the sun rises exactly in a line with
the centre of the horseshoe and the long earthen avenue leading towards
the stones, and thus throws a ray between two of the outer monoliths and
touches the altar stone. This orientation on the plan of so many eastern
shrines proves that Stonehenge was the temple of some early
sun-worshipping race of men in Britain.
Sir Norman Lockyer's recent observations at the summer solstice have
placed the date of erection at about 1680 B.C., and the discovery of
flint implements beneath some Roman remains also points to neolithic
times. The upright stones and those resting upon them were originally
all mortised and tenoned together, and from the fact that no similar
stone is found nearer than Marlborough Downs the primitive men must have
hauled the stones considerable distances by means of long leather ropes.
The small blue stones were possibly brought from Normandy.
Other stone circles and similar remains are to be seen at Avebury,
Rollright, and Kit's Coty House, a few miles from Rochester. Also in
Shropshire there is a district rich in stone circles and prehistoric
remains. This is in a line north of Bishops Castle and Shelve, and to
those who appreciate wild scenery this part of the county may be
specially recommended.
[Illustration: STONEHENGE.
Looking towards the east from the altar stone. The point on the horizon
where the sun rises on June 21 is indicated by the small stone seen
through the arches.]
NETLEY ABBEY
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo _via_ Southampton. L. and
S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Netley (about a mile from the abbey).
=Distance from London.=--82-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 13s. 6d. 8s. 6d. 6s. 9-1/2d.
Return 23s. 10d. 15s. 0d. 12s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Hotel," "Radley's Hotel,"
"Dolphin," "South-Western," etc., Southampton (3 miles from
Netley).
Netley is a small village on Southampton Water, about 3 miles south-east
of the town of Southampton. It is famous for the ruins of Netley Abbey,
which are not far from the shore, in a wooded and picturesque nook. The
abbey is supposed to have been founded by Peter des Roches, Bishop of
Winchester in Henry III.'s reign, and the monks belonged to the
Cistercian order. It was neither a rich nor famous establishment, and
the monks possessed but one book, Cicero's _Treaty on Rhetoric_. Since
the Dissolution the abbey has belonged to many different families. Only
the walls are now standing, but enough remains to show how beautiful it
once was. The buildings formed a square of which the south wall of the
church formed the side opposite the entrance. Various buildings in
connection with the monastery formed the rest of the quadrangle, which
was known as Fountain Court. The kitchen is still roofed in, although it
has lost its stone groining. Other buildings are, conjecturally, the
buttery and the refectory. Near the kitchen is a curious underground
passage leading to the castle (erected by Henry VIII.), which stands
nearer the shore than the abbey. It is thought to be a drain.
The church is of cruciform shape, in Early English style. Though the
west end is now in a very ruinous condition, the great east window is
fairly well preserved. It has two lights, and is very beautifully
proportioned. Outside the court is the garden, with lawns and trees, too
often desecrated by picnic parties, and the ponds that supplied the
monks with fish are now choked up. It is said that a carpenter who
bought the materials of the church from Sir Bartlet Lucy was warned in a
dream by a monk not to destroy the building. He paid no heed, and was
killed by the west window falling on him.
The Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Soldiers, erected after the Crimean
War, can be seen at Netley.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
NETLEY ABBEY, LOOKING EAST.]
SALISBURY AND ITS CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Salisbury.
=Distance from London.=--83-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 1-3/4 and 3-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 14s. 0d. 8s. 9d. 6s. 11-1/2d.
Return 24s. 6d. 15s. 4d. 12s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Angel Hotel," "Crown Hotel,"
"White Hart Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
Salisbury Cathedral is, in the opinion of many, the finest of all the
English cathedrals, and it certainly has many claims to be considered
so. The vast building was completed within fifty years, and is therefore
practically in one style throughout, an advantage not shared by any
other cathedral in the kingdom. Its situation, too, is unique, standing
as it does in the fine old close, entirely separated from any other
buildings, and with its grey walls and buttresses rising sheer up from
such velvety turf as is seen in England alone. The tower and spire are
perhaps the most beautiful in this country.
Passing into the close by the gate at the end of the High Street, one
reaches the west front, which is very rich in effect, with its tiers of
canopied statues and wonderfully proportioned windows. Through the
beautiful north porch one passes into the nave, which, though
exceedingly beautiful, has a certain air of coldness owing to the
absence of stained glass. It seems hardly credible that this beautiful
glass, the making of which is now a lost art, was deliberately destroyed
at the end of the eighteenth century by the so-called "architect" James
Wyatt. In addition to this, "Wyatt swept away screens, chapels, and
porches, desecrated and destroyed the tombs of warriors and prelates;
obliterated ancient paintings, flung stained glass by cartloads into the
city ditch, and razed to the ground the beautiful old campanile which
stood opposite the north porch."
The Lady Chapel of the cathedral is one of the most beautiful in the
kingdom.
Although the cathedral is the great glory of Salisbury, there are plenty
of interesting mediaeval buildings in the city. In the close itself are
the King's House and the King's Wardrobe, both old gabled houses of
great beauty. St. Thomas's and St. Edmund's are the two most interesting
churches in the city.
About 2 miles north of Salisbury is a group of pretty cottages on the
Avon, forming the village of Milston. Here, on May 1, 1672, Joseph
Addison was born in the old rectory, now unfortunately pulled down. His
father, Lancelot Addison, was rector of the parish.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
SALISBURY CATHEDRAL.
The spire is one of the most graceful in the world, and the whole
building, commenced in 1220, was completed within fifty years.]
SANDWICH, KENT
=How to get there.=--Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Sandwich.
=Distance from London.=--84-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 13s. 0d. 8s. 4d. 6s. 6d.
Return 22s. 8d. 16s. 8d. 13s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Bell," "Bell and Anchor," "Fleur
de Lys," etc.
It is difficult to realise that Sandwich, now 1-1/2 miles from the
coast, was yet once situated on the sea, and was the second in
importance of the Cinque Ports. In Roman and early Saxon times a wide
arm of the Thames, called the Wantsume, flowed from Reculver (then known
as Regulbium), where it was a mile wide, southwards to what is now the
mouth of the Stour. Between Ebbsfleet and Worth it was over 4 miles
wide. The Roman fortress of Ritupiae (Richborough) guarded it on the
south, and the river Stour flowed into it at Stourmouth. This stream
caused so much alluvial deposit that the sea receded from Richborough in
early Saxon times, and part of the population removed to Sandwich. The
repeated attacks by the Danes and the French did not check the growth of
the town, which attained its maximum prosperity in Edward IV.'s reign,
when it was walled. But the sea left its shores, and the town declined
to again rise in importance, when the 400 Flemish emigrants settled
there in Elizabeth's reign and introduced silk-weaving, flannel
manufactures, and market-gardening.
Sandwich contains some of the richest bits of mediaeval architecture in
England. There are some traces of the walls to be seen, and one ancient
gateway is perfect, Fisher's Gate, near the quay. On the north is the
Tudor barbican gate. St. Clement's Church possesses a central Norman
tower. The nave is in the Perpendicular style, and the chancel is
Decorated. Both have fine roofs. St. Peter's Church (thirteenth century)
has a tower, but its south aisle was destroyed in 1661. The session-room
at the town hall has some curious seats for the mayor and aldermen, and
the hospital of St. Bartholomew's has an Early English chapel. The best
of the ancient houses in the town are in Strand Street and Lucksboat
Street. Manswood Grammar School dates from 1564, and has a Flemish
front.
At Richborough can be seen some Roman rectangular walls about 10 feet
high, with a subterranean concrete building in the centre.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
FISHER'S GATE, SANDWICH.
A picturesque survival of the days of the town's importance as a Cinque
Port.]
NEW FOREST, HAMPSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Lyndhurst Road Station (3 miles).
=Distance from London.=--85-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/4 to 3-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 14s. 2d. 9s. 0d. 7s. 1d.
Return 24s. 10d. 15s. 8d. 14s. 2d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Grand Hotel," Lyndhurst; "Crown
Hotel," Lyndhurst; "Rose and Crown," Brockenhurst, etc.
The popular story as to the creation of what was then the "New" Forest
by William the Conqueror has been probably much exaggerated, although we
all believed in our school days the old chroniclers, who averred that
the king destroyed fifty or so churches and numerous villages, and
exterminated their inhabitants. The fact is that the harsh feudal forest
laws were rigidly enforced by the Conqueror, who no doubt in some places
swept away the villages and churches of rebellious foresters, but the
very qualities of the forest soil disprove the fact that the land was
once all "smiling pastures and golden cornfields," as some of the old
historians would have us believe.
The New Forest of the present day forms a triangle about 20 miles long
and 12 broad, of which the base is a line drawn westward from the mouth
of the Beaulieu river to within a mile or two of the Avon, the apex
reaching to the confines of Wiltshire. The forest scenery is extremely
diversified, but always very beautiful; glades and reaches of gentle
park and meadow, and open heath-like stretches, contrast wonderfully
with the actual masses of huge beeches, under some of which daylight
never penetrates.
Lyndhurst, the little capital of the New Forest, is situated in its
centre, and is one of the best points from which to explore the beauties
of the district. The church at Lyndhurst is modern, rebuilt in 1863; but
it should be visited in order to see the large altar-fresco of the Ten
Virgins executed by the late Lord Leighton. A little way beyond the
church is the Queen's House, built in Charles II.'s reign. Here resides
the Deputy-Surveyor, who administers under the Crown, while six elected
Verderers, in their courts of Swain-mote, represent the Commoners. In
the hall is kept what is known as William Rufus's stirrup-iron.
Close to the village of Minsted is Malwood Lodge, Sir William Harcourt's
New Forest seat. From a ridge near this there are grand views of the
forest, till one comes to the Compton Arms Hotel, a completely isolated
inn, near the Rufus Stone, which marks the spot where William II. fell
by the arrow of Walter Tyrell.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE RUFUS STONE IN THE NEW FOREST.
Marking the spot where William II. fell by Walter Tyrell's arrow.]
OSBORNE HOUSE
=How to get there.=--Train from London Bridge or Victoria. London,
Brighton, and South Coast Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Cowes.
=Distance from London.=--87 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 4 to 5-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 16s. 0d. 10s. 5d. 8s. 10d.
Return 27s. 10d. 18s. 2d. 16s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Cowes--"Fountain Hotel," "The
Gloster," "Royal Marine Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo _via_ Southampton. L. and
S.W. Railway.
Osborne House having been presented to the nation by King Edward,
portions of the buildings and grounds are, or will be, available to the
public on week days.
This stately marine residence of the late Queen Victoria is situated in
the Isle of Wight, an island remarkable for the variety and beauty of
its scenery. The Queen purchased the estate in 1845 from Lady Elizabeth
Blachford, and the palace was finished in 1851. Since that time many
additions have been made. The main gates are about three-quarters of a
mile up the hill from the ferry, and the Prince of Wales's Gate further
south, opposite the hotel. Osborne House has a melancholy interest
attached to it, for here, on January 22, 1901, Queen Victoria breathed
her last. A portion of every year was spent by the Queen at her seaside
home, which had many associations of her happy life there with her
husband, the late Prince Consort, "Albert the Good." Surrounded with
their children, they forgot the splendours and fatigues of Court, and
devoted themselves to training their family in all that was useful and
good. The Queen nearly always spoke of Osborne as "her island home." She
and Prince Albert delighted in the fact that it was their own, that they
could make their own plans, exercise their own taste in the laying out
of the gardens, and in the building--in fact, in everything in this
seaside home. The building is in the Palladian style, and was designed
by Thomas Cubitt and the late Prince Consort. The grounds, covering 5000
acres, are 8 miles in extent, with a sea front of 1-1/3 miles. The
terrace gardens are ornamented with statuary, and the grounds lead down
to the water's edge, where there are sea baths and a private pier. The
last journey of Victoria the Good from Osborne to the mausoleum at
Frogmore, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, was a spectacle never to be
forgotten.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
OSBORNE HOUSE.
Built by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1851.]
CARISBROOKE CASTLE
=How to get there.=--Train from Victoria or London Bridge _via_
Portsmouth and Ryde. London, Brighton, and South Coast
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Carisbrooke.
=Distance from London.=--88 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 16s. 4d. 10s. 8d. 9s. 1d.
Return 28s. 4d. 18s. 6d. 16s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Red Lion Hotel," "Waverley Hotel,"
"Eight Bells Hotel," "Castle Hotel," "Temperance Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo _via_ Cowes and Ryde.
L. and S.W. Railway.
Carisbrooke village is a charming place delightfully situated in the
centre of the island. The castle (the charge for entering is 4d.) stands
on a wooded hill at an elevation of 150 feet. The summit of the hill
forms a level plateau about 20 acres in extent, all enclosed by the
castle walls. Sir Walter Scott is said to have had this castle in his
mind when writing _Marmion_. Beyond the great interest attached to the
fact that it was here that Charles I. was confined, the castle does not
figure very prominently in history. The fact, however, that this
unfortunate monarch was imprisoned here in 1647 by the Parliament will
be always sufficient to give its ancient walls and battlements a
never-dying interest. When Charles was brought to the castle he was
treated more as a guest than a prisoner, but after his attempted escape
the king was much more closely watched and his pleasures curtailed. The
story of the king attempting in vain to get through his bedroom window
is known to all. Everything was in readiness, the details of rescue were
all carefully prepared. Captain Titus and others of the guard had been
won over to assist the king, and had King Charles negotiated the narrow
window, in all probability the escape would have been a success. In
1650, the year after Charles I. was beheaded, Henry Duke of Gloucester
and the Princess Elizabeth were brought to the castle. Shortly after her
arrival the princess, who was of a sickly constitution, took a severe
chill and was found one morning by her attendants lying dead on a couch.
Queen Victoria had a beautiful monument erected to her memory in Newport
Church. The Well House, where the water is drawn from the depth of 150
feet by a clever donkey and draw-wheel, is an interesting feature of the
castle. Princess Beatrice is the present Governor of the Island.
[Illustration: CARISBROOKE CASTLE.
Where Charles I. was imprisoned in 1647.]
LUTTERWORTH
THE HOME OF JOHN WYCLIFF
=How to get there.=--Train from Marylebone. Great Central Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Lutterworth.
=Distance from London.=--90 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/4 to 3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 12s. 4d. ... 7s. 0d.
Return 24s. 0d. ... 14s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Hind Hotel," "Denbigh Arms,"
"Fox," etc.
Situated in typical English midland scenery, the quiet little country
town of Lutterworth rises from the surrounding undulating pasture-land.
Here, in the beginning of the fourteenth century, when it was probably
merely a fair-sized village, John Wycliff, the "Morning Star of the
Reformation," and founder of the Lollards, was born. The main street
slopes down the hill, beyond the houses, till it reaches the river side,
where it is carried over the little river Swift on a small bridge.
A good proportion of the church, which is so closely associated with
Wycliff, dates from the fourteenth century. It is a large building, with
a tower and belfry stage, and four crocketed pinnacles. The tower was
formerly surmounted by a wooden belfry, but this was destroyed by the
great gale of 1703. The nave is lighted by a clerestory, and the aisles
are divided by high arches. The church is built in Early Perpendicular
style, but there is a good decorated window at the eastern end of the
south aisle, where there used to be a Lady Chapel. The lower portions of
the walls date from before the time of Wycliff. At the eastern end of
the chancel are an aumbry and piscina. About thirty years ago the church
was restored by Sir Gilbert Scott, when much new stone was inserted.
There are three interesting frescoes in the interior: one is believed to
represent Queen Philippa asking Edward III. to give the living of
Lutterworth to Wycliff. The roof of the nave is formed of fine woodwork
of the Perpendicular period, but the pulpit, a splendid piece of
fourteenth-century oak carving, claims the chief interest, being the
same from which the great reformer preached. The base has been renewed,
and the rest has been much repaired, but the same pulpit has been in use
for more than 500 years. A fragment of Wycliff's cope or chasuble is
preserved in a glass case in the vestry, but some doubt attaches to the
origin of "Wycliff's chair," which seems of considerably later date.
[Illustration: WYCLIFF'S PULPIT IN LUTTERWORTH CHURCH.
It is a fine piece of fourteenth-century oak carving.]
COMPTON WYNYATES
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. London and North-Western
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Kineton (5 miles from Compton Wynyates).
=Distance from London.=--91-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 to 3-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 14s. 4d. 9s. 0d. 7s. 8d.
Return 26s. 6d. 16s. 11d. ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Kineton--"Red Lion Hotel,"
"Swan Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=--None.
Compton Wynyates, the seat of the Marquess of Northampton, is one of the
most beautiful Tudor houses in England, and although Warwickshire is
exceedingly rich in castles and fine old houses, it can show nothing to
surpass this time-worn pile of red brick and stone. Though the moat,
which was the outer guard of the place, has been partly filled in and
converted into smooth lawns, one of the most romantic aspects of the
house is to be seen across an angle of the watery enclosure. The
buildings surround a quadrangle, the entrance being made through a
beautiful Tudor gateway. In the spandrils of its archway are carved the
arms of Henry VIII., with the griffin and greyhound for supporters and
the royal crown above.
The house was built by Sir William Compton during the reign of Henry
VIII., with the exception of some additions, including the great parlour
panelled with oak, which dates from the days of Queen Elizabeth.
To touch on half the glories of this perfect Tudor house would occupy
many pages of this book--its beautiful chapel with its curious carvings
with the seven deadly sins represented as knights in armour, the great
hall in which Henry VIII. was welcomed by Sir William Compton, the
drawing-room with its fine plaster ceiling--all are so full of beauty
and interest that they can merely be referred to here.
The situation of the house in a richly timbered hollow adds infinitely
to its charm. The gardens, too, are of the beautiful type that one
learns to expect in conjunction with so lovely a dwelling, while
flowering creepers on the towers and on the gabled walls complete an
ideal picture of all that is loveliest in an old English mansion.
Permission to see Compton Wynyates can only be obtained by a written
application.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._
COMPTON WYNYATES.
The seat of the Marquess of Northampton, is one of the most beautiful
mediaeval homes in England.]
KENILWORTH CASTLE
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Kenilworth.
=Distance from London.=--99 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/2 to 4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 15s. 3d. 10s. 2d. 8s. 1-1/2d.
Return 28s. 3d. 17s. 10d. 16s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Abbey Hotel," "King's Arms,"
"Castle Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
Kenilworth is a small town, situated midway between Coventry and
Warwick, about 5 miles from either town. It is chiefly noted for the
ruins of the famous castle, so celebrated from its association with Sir
Walter Scott's romance. The castle was built in the reign of Henry I.,
the site having been granted to Geoffrey de Clinton, Lord Chief Justice
of England. The fortress at one time belonged to Simon de Montfort, who
imprisoned Henry III. and his son Edward during the War of the Barons.
Edward II. also was forced to sign his abdication there. Queen Elizabeth
gave the castle as a present to her favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of
Leicester, who spent large sums in making great alterations and
additions, and entertained the Queen on four different occasions. The
memorable visit that has been described by Scott took place in 1575,
when Dudley not only lodged Queen Elizabeth, her court, and 400 servants
for seventeen days, but provided a series of pageants and festivities to
please his royal mistress. During the Civil War the castle was taken by
Cromwell and given by him to Colonel Hawkesworth and some other officers
belonging to his army. They destroyed the place very much, draining the
lake, besides pulling down walls and towers. The estate now belongs to
the Earl of Clarendon, to whose ancestor, Lawrence Hyde, Earl of
Rochester, it was given by Charles II. The only building which has still
preserved its roof is the gatehouse, built by Robert Dudley. It is now
used as a dwelling-house, and contains some beautiful panelling and also
a wonderful chimney-piece. The rest of the castle is very ruined, but
the remains are of great interest, being sufficient to convey an
impression of the castle as it originally stood. Close to the parish
church are the ruins of the priory, which was founded at the same time
as the castle, by Geoffrey de Clinton. At the Dissolution it was
completely destroyed, and only the gatehouse remains.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
KENILWORTH CASTLE.
Where Queen Elizabeth was entertained for seventeen days by Robert
Dudley, Earl of Leicester.]
BELVOIR CASTLE
THE SEAT OF THE DUKE OF RUTLAND
=How to get there.=--Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Grantham (7 miles from Belvoir Castle).
=Distance from London.=--105-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 and 2-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 15s. 10d. ... 8s. 9d.
Return 31s. 8d. ... 17s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Angel Hotel," etc., at Grantham.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
Belvoir Castle, the Leicestershire seat of the Duke of Rutland, stands
on a lofty eminence, commanding a magnificent view over the rich vale of
Belvoir. It was originally founded by Robert de Todeni, a Norman noble,
and a standard-bearer to William the Conqueror. In the reign of Henry
III. the property passed to Robert de Roos, and in the time of Henry
VIII. to the family of Manners, who have held it ever since. The
building suffered much damage during the Wars of the Roses and the
Parliamentary Civil War. James I. was entertained there in 1603, on his
way from Scotland to London, by Roger, the fifth Earl. In 1814, George
IV., then Prince Regent, visited the castle, in commemoration of which
one of the towers was named Regent Tower. In 1816, alterations were
being carried out in the interior, under the direction of James Wyatt,
the architect, when a fire broke out and almost entirely destroyed the
castle. The picture gallery and the grand staircase perished utterly,
and the damage was reckoned at £120,000. The final restoration was
completed by Matthew Wyatt, who succeeded in building one of the finest
palaces in the length and breadth of England. One of the features of the
mansion is a magnificent picture gallery in which hang priceless works
by Nicolas Poussin, Claude, Murillo, Reynolds, Gainsborough, and other
old masters. The name "Belvoir" is derived from the magnificent
prospects lying around it in all directions, the view extending over the
level country for 30 miles; more than 170 towns and villages are visible
within its horizon. The castle is situated in the midst of a fine
sporting country, the Belvoir hounds being one of the finest packs in
the country.
Near the mansion, and below it, are some remains of a priory also
founded by the Norman owner, Robert de Todeni, about 1076. This priory
was dedicated to St. Mary, and was annexed to the Abbey of St. Albans.
[Illustration: _G.W. Wilson & Co._
BELVOIR CASTLE.
It was originally founded by Robert de Todeni, a standard-bearer to
William the Conqueror.]
BATH
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Bath.
=Distance from London.=--107 miles.
=Average Time.=--2-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 17s. 10d. 11s. 2d. 8s. 11d.
Return 31s. 3d. 19s. 6d. 17s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Empire Hotel," "Pulteney Hotel,"
"York House Family Hotel," "Royal Station Hotel," "Railway
Hotel," "Waldron's Private Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway.
Bath, one of the largest towns in Somersetshire, is beautifully situated
on the Avon in a wooded valley in the north-east of the county. The city
is of great antiquity, and was one of the most powerful Roman stations,
being at the intersection of two very important roads,--the Fosse Way,
which extended from the coast of Devonshire to the north-east coast of
Lincolnshire, and the Via Julia, the great road between London and
Wales. The story of the British king Bladud and his connection with Bath
is immortalised in the _Pickwick Papers_, but is more or less legendary;
however, as to the greatness of the city during the Roman occupation
there is ample evidence. Even in those times the great natural feature
of the place was its mineral waters, and in the first century the Romans
built some luxurious baths there, and now the extensive remains have
made the place notable. The Saxons quaintly named the city _Akeman
Ceaster_, or town of invalids.
In the original Abbey Church took place the coronation of King Edgar as
King of England by the famous St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.
This church stands on the site of the old conventual church, on the spot
where once stood the Roman temple of Minerva. It was rebuilt in the
fifteenth century by Bishop Oliver King, and completed by Bishop
Montague at the beginning of the seventeenth century. On the west front
are sculptures representing the angels upon Jacob's Ladder, and the
whole building teems with interest; but the original purity of its
architecture has been much marred by faulty and ignorant restoration.
Till the middle of the eighteenth century Bath covered no larger area
than that contained within the Roman walls, but Queen Anne and Prince
George of Denmark having conceived a great partiality for the place, and
the medicinal quality of the waters being much advocated, the city
rapidly grew in favour and size, until it reached its heyday in the time
of Beau Nash and the Prince Regent.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE RESTORED ROMAN BATH AT BATH.
The bases of the columns are chiefly untouched Roman work.]
BOSTON AND THE PILGRIM FATHERS
=How to get there.=--Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Boston.
=Distance from London.=--107-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 15s. 4d. ... 8s. 11d.
Return 30s. 8d. ... 17s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Peacock and Royal," "Red Lion"
Hotels, etc.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
The English Boston, which gave its name to the great American seaport,
was at one time--although it is hard to believe--of as relatively great
importance as its mighty namesake of to-day. In the time of Edward III.
it was considered the third most important town in England, for during
that reign it contributed no fewer than seventeen ships to the great
fleet which was raised by Edward III. But Boston declined through its
river--the Witham--becoming scarcely navigable for more than small
ships, and after a time was placed on the list of decayed seaports. At
the present time it should be mentioned that its trade is steadily
reviving.
The town has a quiet, old-fashioned aspect, and many of its houses date
from the days when the Pilgrim Fathers made their first attempt to leave
England. The very first effort failed, through the treachery of the
captain of the vessel in which they were to take passage. They suffered
a month's imprisonment, but shortly afterwards made another attempt to
get away from the coast on a Dutch ship. This was only partially
successful, for William Brewster and a few others only, reached
Amsterdam, the women and the rest of the party having fallen into the
hands of a detachment of soldiers. Brewster, however, by untiring
efforts got all the rest over to Holland.
It was in 1620 that the Pilgrim Fathers finally set out on their voyage
to America. (See Index, Plymouth.) The greatest glory of Boston is "The
Stump," the highly unsuitable name given to its magnificent church
tower, 300 feet high, and a landmark all over the surrounding fen-lands
and even out at sea. It seems strangely slight when one is standing
within the tower and notices that no floor breaks the great sweep of
walls for a great height. The large perpendicular windows also help to
give an impression of frailty. The foundation stone, however, was laid
as long ago as 1309, and the structure is not so many years younger.
[Illustration: BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE.
From whence the Pilgrim Fathers sailed in the _Mayflower_.]
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.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
WARWICK CASTLE ON THE AVON.
One of the very few baronial castles still remaining entire.]
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.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL.
Showing the east window, which is one of the largest in the world.]
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.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
AMONG THE NORFOLK
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