A well-preserved relic--An old English home--Authorities
differ--Rooms on the top of a church tower--A medieval-looking
town--A Saxon tower--Bedford--Bunyan’s birthplace--Luton--The end
of the journey.
Leaving Kirby we soon reached the very pretty village of Deene, on
passing through which we noticed a picturesque creeper-covered little
hostel with the sign of “The Sea-horse,” though it was so far inland.
Then our road led us round Deene Park, shady with branching beeches and
leafy elms, just giving us a glance of the interesting old Tudor mansion
peeping through the woods, and so by the side of a little lake to
another picturesque village called Great Weldon, some of the houses
wherein are quaintly built and worthy of study. A stone district seems
to breed good architecture, even in cottages. After this we had an open
stretch of country on to Geddington where we found, to our delight, a
Queen Eleanor Cross, little damaged, either by the hand of man, or time.
It was a pleasure to come unexpectedly upon this well-preserved relic of
the vanished long ago.
Shortly after this our road brought us to Boughton Park, a fine demesne
with a large and rather ugly mansion set therein. What interested
[Sidenote: _A GRAND HOBBY_]
us here was the arrangement of wide avenues of elms, extending from the
house in every direction, rising and falling with the varying
undulations of the ground. The effect, though formal, is fine in the
sense that it gives a feeling of great expanse by leading the eye far
away into the distant country on all sides. It is magnificent, but it is
too apparently artificial to be commended; a formal garden is all very
well, and very charming; a garden is confessedly Nature tamed, to a
greater or less extent, but one does not desire a whole country-side
tamed! These stately avenues, we learnt afterwards, were planted by the
second Duke of Montague, from which grand hobby he justly earned the
title of “the planter Duke.” Soon after this we entered the busy and
thriving town of Kettering, where we fortunately discovered a very
comfortable hotel with a most obliging landlord.
We resumed our journey early the next morning; we left our hotel and
worthy landlord with regret, and the busy town with pleasure; and glad
we were to get into the quiet country again. We had a rather hilly road
at first, with charming woodland prospects opening out ever and again;
in about two miles we reached the small hamlet of Barton Seagrave,--here
we noticed more avenues of elms radiating from the ancient church,
possibly part of the scheme of “the planter Duke.” Then driving on we
came to the large village of Burton Latimer, where to the left of our
road we espied a lovely old English home of many gables, great chimney
stacks and mullioned windows, with a gray-green slabstone roof broken
above by dormers. On one chimney was a sun-dial, and on one gable we
noticed a very quaint weather-vane, whilst in the forecourt stood an
ancient pigeon-cote. A charming home of past days, that with its
old-fashioned gardens looked as though it had stepped out of some
picture, an artist’s ideal realised. You do not frequently set your eyes
upon such a delightful actuality in this commonplace age!
The next village on our way was Finedon, a straggling place; here by the
roadside we noticed a monument gray with years, and without any
inscription that we could find. So we asked a man the meaning of it; he
replied that it was erected by a gentleman whose horse had fallen dead
on the spot after being driven hard by his master to catch the
mail-coach. Another man who was listening to the conversation declared
positively that our informant was all wrong, and that it was put up as a
memorial of somebody who was drowned at sea. So hard is it to arrive at
facts in this world! Then the first man got in a rage with the second
man and called him bad names, and said he knew “nought about it,” and as
the argument was already heated and promised to be prolonged, we
politely thanked both parties for their trustworthy information and
departed. As we drove away each man shouted after us that he was right;
and we shouted back pleasantly we were quite sure of it!
The next point of interest on our way was the long-named little town of
Irthlingborough, with its ancient market-cross and fine old church. The
[Sidenote: _AN ARCHITECTURAL PUZZLE_]
church tower, detached from the main building, is surmounted by a tall
and quaint octagonal structure that gives it a strangely
unecclesiastical appearance, and a very original one too. Well,
originality that escapes eccentricity is pleasing. Our church towers and
spires, however architecturally good in themselves, too often lack
individuality, in that they resemble one another over much; even a
beautiful form by too frequent repetition may become monotonous. For a
wonder we found the clerk in the church; he told us that the tower had
been rebuilt, as we could see, but it was, externally, an exact
reproduction of the old one. The interior was not quite the same, as
there was a stone staircase up the tower, whilst in the old one you had
to get up by ladders. The octagonal structure at the top, now mere
enclosed space, used to consist, we were told, of three stories, with a
room in each provided with a fireplace, but what the use of these rooms
was, the clerk did not know. The fireplaces showed that they were
intended to be lived in, yet dwelling-rooms right on the top of a tall
church tower seemed singular; at any rate the chambers must have had a
plentiful supply of fresh air! We wondered if they could have been
intended for a priest’s home. But whatever their purpose, dwelling rooms
in such a position are surely unique.
A little farther on we crossed the silvery winding river Nene by a gray
and ancient bridge, and had before us, set pleasantly on the top of a
hill the picturesque old town of Higham Ferrers looking quite romantic
with its old-time irregular-roofed houses, and grand church spire,
strongly silhouetted against the bright blue sky. Higham Ferrers struck
us as a most interesting little town, with its fine old fane, around
which are clustered gray crumbling buildings of the medieval age, in the
shape of a bede-house, a school, a vicarage, and a Decorated stone
cross; all in the Gothic style, with many traceried windows, and
supporting buttresses to the walls. We owe this effective group of
buildings to the good Archbishop Chicheley, who was born in the town,
and when he became great and famous raised them in honour of his
birthplace. He also erected a college here, of which only a great
archway remains, and some decayed walls with broken mullioned windows;
this faces the main street of the town, and when we were there simply
enclosed a dirty farmyard. Within, the church is most interesting, and
possesses some exceedingly fine old brasses, many of the fifteenth
century; amongst the number a brass to a priest is noteworthy, as are
also the royal arms of England sculptured in relief, on the side panels
of a very beautiful altar-tomb placed under a stone canopy, suggesting
the possibility of its having been prepared for royalty, though probably
never used; the place where the recumbent effigy should be is now taken
up by a brass that manifestly was intended for the floor. There are also
some quaint medieval tiles before the altar, ornamented with curiously
figured animals in yellow on a red ground. Altogether the interior of
this splendid and ancient church affords a mine of good things for the
antiquary or ecclesiologist.
[Sidenote: _SAXON MASONRY_]
Leaving Higham Ferrers we had a pleasant drive, mostly downhill, to the
hamlet of Bletsoe, where we came in sight again of the slow-gliding
Ouse, the valley of which we followed on to Bedford. Some short way
beyond Bletsoe we passed through Clapham, unlike its ugly London
namesake, a pretty rural village by the river-side. Here we noticed the
striking-looking Saxon tower of the church, more like a castle keep than
an ecclesiastical structure. It forms quite a feature in the landscape,
and asserts itself by its peculiarity.
On arriving at Bedford it began to rain, and it was raining again in the
morning; but about mid-day the steady downpour changed to intermittent
showers. So, early in the afternoon, we started off for a twenty-mile
drive on to Luton, which we did in one stage. In a little over a mile we
found ourselves passing through a very pretty village, and on inquiring
the name thereof discovered it to be Elstow, the birthplace of John
Bunyan, a spot that does not seem to have changed much to the eye since
that event, for, if the expression be allowed, it looks still “genuinely
Old English.”
After Elstow we had a fine open country before us, bounded ahead by a
low range of wooded hills, hills that showed softly blue under the
shadow of a passing cloud, a golden green in the transient gleams of
sunshine, and were sometimes lost altogether or half hidden by the mist
of a trailing shower. Then driving on in due course we reached the hills
and had a stiff climb up them, followed by a long and glorious run down
through fragrant-scented pine-woods with open spaces here and there
given over to a little forest of waving bracken, green, red, and yellow,
in all the loveliness of their autumn tints. At the foot of the descent
we found a charming little hamlet set in woods, past which a clear
stream purled peacefully; crossing this stream we had another climb
succeeded by a level winding elm-bound road, with an uneventful
landscape on either hand, of flat fields stretching far away to a misty
horizon. Now the rounded chalk hills loomed up finely in front of us,
the clouds stooping to their low summits, so that it was hard to tell
where the land ended and the sky began; and in the fast-fading light a
sense of mystery and the majesty of space pervaded the prospect. Our
road eventually led us along the sides of these hills and into the
gathering gloom, then we dropped down into the cheerful lamp-lighted
streets of busy Luton. From Luton we drove through picturesque Harpenden
to historic St. Albans, with its much-restored abbey, and from St.
Albans by Elstree and Edgeware we made our way back to London again. And
so ended our most enjoyable wanderings on the pleasant old roads. Ours
was purely a pleasure jaunt. We set forth on it determined, come what
would, to enjoy ourselves, and we succeeded! Now, kind reader, the time
has come when I must, perforce, bid you farewell.
Of all the words the English tongue can tell
The hardest one to utter is “Farewell.”
But the fond hope that we may meet again
Relieves that word of more than half its pain.
APPENDIX
ITINERARY OF JOURNEY
Day’s Total
Stages Distance
in Miles. in Miles.
London to Stevenage 31 31
Stevenage to St. Neots 25 56
St. Neots to Huntingdon 11 }
Huntingdon to St. Ives and back 10 } 21 77
Huntingdon to Stamford }
_through Stilton_ } 25½ 102½
Stamford to Spalding }
_over the Fens and by Crowland_ } 25½ 128
Spalding to Bourn 12 140
Bourn to Sleaford 18 158
Sleaford to Boston }
_by Swineshead and Frampton_ } 25 183
Boston to Wainfleet }
_across the Marshes_ } 18 201
Wainfleet to Horncastle }
_by Spilsby and over the Wolds_ } 20 221
Round about Tennyson-land 20 241
Horncastle to Scrivelsby and back 5 }
Horncastle to Lincoln 21 } 26 267
Lincoln to Woodhall Spa }
_over Lincoln Heath_ } 18 285
Round about Woodhall Spa 18 303
Woodhall Spa to Sleaford }
_by Tattershall Castle_ } 18 321
Sleaford to Beckingham }
_over “the Cliff”_ } 15 336
Beckingham to Grantham 15 351
Grantham to Staunton Hall }
and back by Bottesford } 18 369
Grantham to Melton Mowbray }
_by Colsterworth_ } 21 390
Melton Mowbray to Uppingham }
_through Oakham_ } 16 406
Uppingham to Kettering }
_by Rockingham and Kirby_} 22 428
Kettering to Bedford }
_through Higham Ferrers_ } 25 453
Bedford to Luton 20 473
Luton to London }
_through St. Albans_ } 28 501
[Illustration:
ROUTE BETWEEN
LONDON & LINCOLNSHIRE.
]
[Illustration:
OVER FEN AND WOLD
IN LINCOLNSHIRE.
]
INDEX
Abbeys, Cathedrals, and Churches--
Ashby Puerorum, 312-315
Bag Enderby, 329-334
Bardney Abbey, 397
Barton Seagrave, 437
Beckingham, 411, 412
Benington, 259, 260
Biggleswade, 59
Boston, 251
Bottesford, 420, 421
Bourn, 202
Brampton, 82
Branston, 383, 384
Buckden, 76-79
Clapham, 441
Claypole, 415
Colsterworth, 428, 429
Coningsby, 403
Cowbit, 181
Crowland Abbey, 151, 163, 164, 172-176
Falkingham, 215-220
Fenton, 416
Frampton, 243, 244
Grantham, 425
Great Gidding, 245, 246
Great Ponton, 426
Harrington, 338-341
Heckington, 235
Higham Ferrers, 440
Horncastle, 346-348
Horsington, 399, 400
Irthlingborough, 438, 439
Kirkstead Abbey, 402
Kirkstead Chapel, 402
Leadenham, 410, 411
Lincoln Minster, 367, 368, 372-374
Mavis Enderby, 303, 304
Metheringham, 388
Osbournby, 223-225
St. Leonard’s Priory, 152, 153
Scrivelsby, 360
Silk Willoughby, 228-230
Sleaford, 233, 234
Somersby, 320-324
Spalding, 189-193
Spilsby, 297-299
Swineshead, 239-241
Tattershall, 404
Welwyn, 28, 29
Wispington, 395-397
Wrangle, 264, 265
Alconbury Hill, 103, 104
Anwick, 408
Aslackby, 207, 208
Astwick, 55-58
Bag Enderby, 329-334
Baldock, 47-52
Barholm, 155
Barnet, 13-17, 21
“Barnett Wells,” 17, 18
Barton Seagrave, 437
Beckingham, 408, 409, 411-415
Bedford, 441
Benington, 259, 260
Biggleswade, 58-60
Birthplaces of Notable People--
Bunyan, John, 441
Cromwell, Oliver, 97, 98
Franklin, Sir John, 296
Ingelow, Jean, 254
Newton, Sir Isaac, 426-428
Pepys, Samuel, 80-82
Tennyson, Lord, 316-320
Thistlewood, Arthur, 400
Young, Dr., 29
Bletsoe, 441
Boston, 246-255, 301
Bottesford, 420, 421
Boughton Park, 436, 437
Bourn, 198-204
Brampton, 80, 82
Brandon, 417
Branston, 383, 384
Brant Broughton, 410
Buckden, 75
Burleigh Park, 131-133, 135
Burton Latimer, 437
Castles and Towers--
Belvoir, 420
Hussey Tower, 255
Kyme Tower, 258
Oakham, 431
Rockingham, 433, 434
Stamford, 149, 150
Tattershall, 392, 407
“Tower on the Moor,” Woodhall, 392
Clapham, 441
Colsterworth, 426, 428, 429
Coningsby, 403
Cowbit, 181
Crowland, 163-176
Deene, 436
Deeping St. James, 156, 157
Dunston Pillar, 386, 387
Eaton Socon, 69
Edgeware, 442
Elstow, 441
Elstree, 442
Falkingham, 213-221
Fenton, 415
Finedon, 438
Frampton, 243, 244
Geddington, 436
Girtford, 65
Godmanchester, 94, 95
Gonerby Hill, 417, 418
Grantham, 83, 418-420, 425
Graveley, 38, 39
Great Ponton, 426
Great Weldon, 436
Hadley, 22, 23
Halstead Hall, 400, 401
Halton Holgate, 275, 278-280, 285
Harpenden, 442
Harrington Hall, 334-339
Hatfield, 23-27
Heckington, 234, 235
Hemingford Grey, 92-94
Higham Ferrers, 439-441
High Rigge, 392, 393
Hinchinbrook, 83
Holbeck, 310
Horncastle, 307, 308, 344-355, 362
Horsington, 399
Huntingdon, 83-86, 95-100
Irby, 284
Irthlingborough, 438, 439
Kenulph’s Stone, 159
Kettering, 437
Kirby, 434-436
Knight’s Mill, 92
Langham, 430
Langworth, 367
Leadenham, 410
Lincoln, 368-381
Lincoln Heath, 386, 387
Little Stukeley, 101, 102
Luton, 441, 442
Market Deeping, 155, 156
Martin, 388, 389
Mavis Enderby, 303-305
Melton Mowbray, 429, 430
Metheringham, 387, 388
Norman Cross, 119
Oakham, 430, 431
Osbournby, 223-225
Peakirk, 158
Poolham Hall, 393-395
Rivers--
Ivel, 60
Nene, 119, 129-131, 439
Ouse, 68, 69, 74, 86, 87, 91-95, 441
Steeping, 274
Welland, 150, 159, 161, 183
Witham, 389, 407, 428
Rockingham, 433, 434
St. Albans, 442
St. Guthlak’s Cross, 159
St. Ives, 87-91
St. Neots, 69-73
Scrivelsby Court, 356-360
Silk Willoughby, 226-230
Sleaford, 231-234, 408
Somersby, 309, 315-329
Somersby Grange, 324-328
Somersby Rectory, 316-320
South Ormsby, 341
Spalding, 183-194
Spilsby, 293-300
Stamford, 83, 119, 133-151
Staunton Hall, 409, 420-424
Stevenage, 31-36
Stilton, 39, 107-117
Stixwold, 401
Stixwold Ferry, 389
Stubton, 416
Swineshead, 236-241
Tallington, 155
Tattershall, 404
Tempsford, 66-68
Tetford, 341
Treckingham, 222
Uffington, 154
Uppingham, 430-433
Wainfleet, 271-275
Walcot, 222
Wansford, 129-131
Water Newton, 119-128
Welwyn, 27-30
Whetstone, 12
Winceby Hill, 307, 347
Wispington, 395-399
Wolds, the, 300-307, 310-342, 362
Woodhall Spa, 389-392, 401
Woolsthorpe Manor-House, 426-428
Wothorpe, 139, 140
Wragby, 363-367
Wrangle, 261-265
THE END
_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, _Edinburgh_