A GUIDE to CROMER and its immediate neighbourhood having been long
desired, the following is presented to the Public. The Author pretends
to no originality, nor offers the present as perfect in its kind. It was
undertaken simply because a deficiency was expressed, and a few hours of
recreation gave the opportunity of attempting to supply it. All
criticism therefore, it is hoped, will be spared as to the execution of
the design, and that the intention only will be regarded. Sincere thanks
are returned to those individuals whose information has proved of such
material assistance towards the completion of the work, with a full
acknowledgment, that, if any worth be attached to it, that worth is due
to them.
Cromer, _August_ 3, 1841.
A GUIDE TO CROMER
AND
ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.
THERE are few places in this kingdom which combine to a greater degree
the advantages of a salubrious and invigorating air, a fine and open sea,
or more pleasing scenery than Cromer. The lover of nature, the student,
or the invalid may frequent its shores with equal benefit, and with equal
gratification. That it is not more known, or become a place of more
general resort, is the result rather of circumstances, than of any
deficiency in itself. True, indeed, it has not the metropolitan luxuries
of Brighton, or the elegances of some of our more southern favourites to
recommend it, neither does it offer any resources of gaiety for the
amusement of its visitors; but nevertheless, it will never want admirers,
so long as an unvitiated taste, a desire of scientific knowledge, or a
wish for the renovation of health shall exist.
Cromer is situated on the most north-easterly point of the Norfolk coast,
nine miles N. N. W. of North Walsham, ten miles E. N. E. of Holt, eleven
miles N. by E. of Aysham, twenty-two miles north of Norwich, and one
hundred and thirty N. E. by N. of London. It is built on lofty cliffs,
not less than sixty feet high, nearest the town, and is sheltered on
three sides by an amphitheatre of hills, partly covered with woods, and
commanding a view of the wide waters of the German Ocean, nowhere to be
excelled in extent or sublimity. Its population had increased between
the years 1801 and 1836, from six hundred and seventy-six souls to twelve
hundred and thirty-two: by the last census it appeared that it was twelve
hundred and twenty-nine; but this apparent decline may be accounted for
by the time of year in which it was taken, when no visitors were in the
place, and the greatest part of the fishermen were absent at Yarmouth,
engaged in the mackerel fishery, where their business frequently takes
them. The parish now comprises only about seven hundred acres of land,
mostly belonging to the Countess of Listowel, (widow of the late George
Thomas Windham, Esq., of Cromer, and one of the daughters of the late
Admiral Windham, of Felbrigg,) who is also the Lady of the Manor, and the
owner of Cromer Hall.
For some centuries the sea has continued to make considerable
encroachments on this part of the coast. Cromer itself was formerly
situated at some distance from it, and formed in the reign of the
Conqueror, as appears from the Doomsday Survey, a part of the lordship
and parish of Shipden, a village of some importance, which, with its
church, dedicated to St. Peter, was swallowed up by the sea about the
time, as it is supposed, of Henry IV.; for a patent to exact certain dues
for the erection of a pier at Shipden was granted in the fourteenth of
Richard II., and two years afterwards, Sir William Beauchamp alienated,
to a priory of Carthusians, a piece of land in Shipden, adjoining the
rectory.
At very low tides, large masses of old wall are still to be seen nearly
half a mile from the cliffs, which the fishermen call the Church Rock,
from the supposition that they formed part of the old church at Shipden;
but some have discredited the idea, on the ground that the constant
action of the sea for so many ages must have destroyed all vestiges of
the building. We have, however, seen a fragment of the wall which was
lately obtained from the mass during a very low tide; and it is
undoubtedly composed of the squared flints, such as are used in the
present church of Cromer.
The sea has continued to make rapid encroachments on the cliffs. Many
large portions of land were washed away in 1611, previous to which the
inhabitants had endeavoured, but fruitlessly, although they bestowed much
labour and ingenuity in the attempt, to maintain a small harbour. In the
winter of 1799, the Light-house cliffs, which rise from the beach to the
height of two hundred and twenty feet, made several large slips, or
shoots as they are called, one of which brought with it, at least half an
acre of ground, and extended a considerable way into the sea at low
water-mark. On January 15, 1825, a similar occurrence took place. An
immense mass was detached from the cliff, which fell with tremendous
force on the beach, extending in breadth above five hundred yards from
the cliffs, covering an area of about twelve acres, and containing, it
was supposed, not less than half a million of cubic yards of earth.
Nothing had been observed which could raise any suspicion of what was
about to take place, but providentially no lives were lost, nor did any
accident occur, although the coast-guard had to pass in the night the
very spot where it fell. A large and rapid stream, the cause in all
probability of the catastrophe, immediately after the fall, issued from
the bank, discharging itself down upon the beach with great violence.
In the morning of August 19, 1832, the Lighthouse hill again sustained a
similar loss. This shoot was so considerable as to cause serious
apprehension for the safety of the light-house itself; in consequence of
which the master and elder brethren of the Trinity House, London, under
whose superintendence all such matters are directed, determined on
erecting a new one on the hill, two hundred and eighty yards further
inland. The former one, which is partly dismantled, stands about
three-quarters of a mile east of the town: both houses are in the parish
of Overstrand. The first was built of brick in 1719, by Edward Browne of
Ipswich; the present tower is also constructed of brick and stuccoed. It
is fifty-two feet in height, and about three hundred above the level of
the sea, surmounted with a lantern lighted by thirty lamps in three
divisions, placed in plated copper reflectors, which revolve on an
upright axis; the whole making a revolution in three minutes,
consequently a full light is exhibited to the mariners every minute,
consuming about eleven hundred gallons of oil annually. The gleam of
light is perceptible about twenty-seven miles distant. The lamps all the
year are lighted up at sunset, and extinguished at sunrise.
Many years ago, the first house was lighted up with coals, which was not
only an uncertain light, but also a fixed one, and was frequently
mistaken. The labour and expense likewise attendant on this method were
very great; for the light was kept up by means of a large bellows, which
was incessantly worked like a blacksmith’s forge, and the coals, which
article is always at a high price in Cromer, could be brought up the hill
only by small quantities at a time. In addition to which the smoke and
dirt caused by their consumption, made the office of light-house-keeper a
most disagreeable and an unhealthy one. The lamps require to be trimmed
every three hours; but as the attendance is shared by two persons, a
comfortable portion of sleep is allowed to each, the night being divided
between them.
The annual salary formerly paid by the Trinity House to the
light-house-keeper, was fifty pounds, it is now one hundred pounds. When
the writer of this article first visited Cromer, many years ago, the
situation was held by two females, by whom the house was kept in such
beautiful order, as to form of itself, an object of attraction and
admiration.
The floating-light off Mundesley, twelve miles to the east, may be
distinctly seen in the night from the town, where the cliffs are not so
lofty as those near the light-house.
Within the last five years the appearance of Cromer, viewed from the
beach, has been materially changed. Before that time the undefended
cliff alone presented itself to the eye, and the town seemed to stand
much further back. A large subscription-room, bath-house, and other
edifices, were constructed on the beach and side of the cliff, and
apparent distance was given to the whole. At present the jetty appears
buried under the town, and the tower of the church to frown over it—this
change is owing to the following circumstance:
In the month of February, 1837, an extraordinary high tide occurred,
accompanied with a furious gale from the north-west, which washed the
whole of the above-mentioned edifices away, and even for a time
threatened the destruction of the town and church. For two days, the
17th and 18th of February, the storm continued to rage. The day previous
had been particularly fine, and the wind was gentle;—all had retired to
rest in apparent security, fearless of the grand but capricious element
which rolled near them. In the middle of the night, however, an alarm
was given;—the tide was rising to an unprecedented height, threatening to
engulph all within its reach. In a few moments all was terror and
confusion; the cliff was crowded with spectators, every assistance was
afforded to those immediately exposed to the fury of the mighty billows
which poured in, and happily the loss of one life alone is to be
deplored. This poor man was left in charge of Simons’s bathing-house; he
was aroused, but whether he gave no heed to the admonition, or remained
too long on the premises, is uncertain. He was borne away by the waters,
together with the house, and his body was afterwards picked up at Bacton,
near Mundesley, a distance of ten miles.
Morning presented an awful spectacle, and scarcely could the inhabitants
recognize their own beach. But the alarm and the danger had not yet
subsided; the wind continued to blow from the same quarter with equal
violence throughout the day, and the tide was equally high. On the
morning of the 18th, the cliff being undermined, fell in, bringing down
with it one house; at the same time two vessels were lost, the one off
the light-house hill, the other on the western edge of the town. The
crew of the former were saved; five of those of the latter perished in an
attempt to reach the shore by means of the boat. They were both from
South Shields, which place they had left only forty-eight hours before
the awful catastrophe occurred. The report of what had happened was
speedily circulated through the neighbourhood, and such was the interest
that it excited, that the town for many days afterwards was filled with
persons anxious to behold the devastation.
From that time till the following year no steps were taken to protect the
town from the increasing advance of the sea; but in the year 1838, a
proposal was made to erect a safety wall for its defence. Accordingly
the inhabitants subjected themselves to a rate in order to defray the
expense, and the remainder of the sum estimated was raised by
subscription. Those who had property on the cliff, and whose interest
was thereby more particularly consulted, were rated at twenty shillings
in the pound; others who were more remotely benefited, at ten shillings.
It is sincerely wished that the means adopted for the security of the
place will fully answer the end; but it is difficult for an inexperienced
eye at least, to watch the furious rage of the tide, and knowing what has
occurred, not to fear what yet may be.
A breakwater has also been raised as a further security to the place, and
on the stability of this much necessarily depends. Whilst this continues
firm, there is little to be apprehended; if this were swept away, the
breastwork which defends the cliff would be but a slight defence.
The jetty, which formerly projected about seventy yards into the sea, was
erected by subscription at the cost of fourteen hundred pounds, in 1822,
after the old one had been destroyed by a furious storm. The high tide
which we have just recorded did considerable injury likewise to the
jetty, an injury which has not yet been entirely repaired. This is the
fashionable resort in the evening, the company assembling here, some to
enjoy the pure sea breezes, to watch the noble billows as they dash in
graceful fury on the beach, the fine spectacle of the setting sun, or the
mild splendour of the moon; others to meet their acquaintances, and a
few, perhaps, whose discernment of the ridiculous is quicker than that of
the sublime, for the exercise of their satirical talents.
This promenade is certainly extremely agreeable. No one who has not
witnessed a fine sunset at Cromer, can have any idea of its magnificence:
nor is the sunrise less beautiful; but few eyes, it may be presumed, are
then open to view it. Cromer, indeed, possesses this double advantage,
that the sun both rises and sets in the bosom of the ocean. During the
season, a person, who is paid gratuitously, acts as a keeper of the
jetty, whose business it is to prevent improper persons from obtruding
themselves, and to preserve good order. We know not whether he has the
power to forbid the smoking of cigars, but we certainly think that such
ought to be the case; and we would add, that we can hardly believe that
any real gentleman would require an admonition on such a point. Servants
in livery and all common persons are not allowed at this time. On Sunday
the jetty is, with just consideration, resigned to the inhabitants of the
town.
The beach having a fine firm sand and a level surface, affords excellent
sea-bathing, and every accommodation is supplied for the purpose. It is
also much frequented when the tide is out, both as a promenade and for a
drive. Indeed, the sands present a very gay and animated scene at this
time, while the jetty is deserted. The carriage road to the beach is not
so good as might be desired; but there are several convenient approaches
to the beach and jetty by means of zigzag footpaths cut in the cliff, and
terminating by easy staircases. A walk on the beach, whether to the east
or the west of the town, is always delightful and interesting. Whether
the grand expanse of waters on the one side, its waves breaking in hollow
or harmonious melody, and winning us to meditation and calmness,—the
stupendous and broken cliffs, forming bold projections, or sinking into
shadow, concealing in their breast the spoils of ages,—or the treasures
of the pebbly shore be the objects of attraction, there is always enough
to amuse, to gratify, and to benefit.
The coast itself is particularly dangerous, in consequence of the violent
rising of the surf. No less than four or five lights are stationed
between this place and Yarmouth, a distance of only thirty-six miles, to
prevent vessels from running into Cromer Bay, which, by the by has
received the singular appellation of the Devil’s Throat. Life-boats are
kept in readiness to succour the distressed, and nothing is omitted for
their preservation which either the skill or courage of the fisherman can
effect, or the generous and benevolent encouragement of individuals
execute. We would not offend the amiable and much respected lady to whom
this latter observation particularly refers, and therefore we abstain
from saying more. True benevolence shrinks from all display, and is
unconscious of its own merit; but the name and the remembrance of that
lady will live long in the hearts of numbers who have been benefited by
her liberality, or have witnessed her anxious superintendence at such
seasons, accompanied with a fervent wish that she may long live to
succour others, and to enjoy the approval of her own conscience.
Cromer enjoys but little trade, there being no convenient harbour where
ships might ride in safety; what there is, consists in the exportation of
corn, and importation of coals, tiles, oil-cakes, porter, &c. in vessels
of from sixty to one hundred tons burthen. These lie upon the beach,
where, at ebb tide, carts are drawn alongside to unlade them, and, when
empty, they anchor at a little distance from the shore, and reload by
means of boats. This method of lading and unlading is very expensive, as
the carts, though drawn by four horses, owing to the steepness of the
roads up the cliff, can only carry about half a ton at a time. In this
manner they continue passing and repassing till the water has risen so
high as to oblige them to desist, and wait till the tide has again
receded. About two tides generally serve to complete the ship’s
unloading.
The sea at Cromer is almost always diversified by a change of moving
objects; the trade from Newcastle, Sunderland, and the Baltic, keeping up
a constant succession of vessels; to which may be added the regular
appearance of the various steam-vessels which ply between London and
Scotland, giving life and interest to the scene, though defiling, as it
were, the pure elements they have conquered by their ponderous volumes of
black and waving smoke. In calm weather passengers may be landed from
these vessels, in a boat sent for the purpose; but as the contingency of
“wind and weather permitting,” is always expressed, few dare avail
themselves of such a conveyance.
The cliffs, in many parts, are very lofty, and picturesquely broken; and
their base being, for the most part, composed of strong blue clay, or
marl, are capable of making considerable resistance to the impetuous
attacks of the sea; so that while the upper parts, which are chiefly of
sandy materials, are brought down by accidental circumstances, the feet
still remain, opposing their bold projections to the waves, and forming a
happy relief to the level surface of the beach. This is no place to
enter into any geological detail respecting these cliffs; but if the more
scientific reader should desire information on this point, we would
direct him to an admirable article in the “Philosophical Magazine,” from
the pen of Mr. Lyell; {13} or, what would be more acceptable, as well as
attainable, we would venture to refer him to Mr. S. Simons, of Cromer,
who, we feel convinced, would afford him that information which he is so
competent to give. In the winter the cliffs are the favourite resort of
many sea-birds, but in the summer some, as geese and ducks, retire to the
marshes, while others entirely disappear.
Cromer church, which is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, and was
probably erected in the reign of Henry IV. is a very handsome structure,
built with flint and freestone, and consists of a nave and two aisles:
the tower, which is square, with an embattled top, is one hundred and
fifty-nine feet in height. The entrance at the west end, which is a
beautiful specimen of gothic architecture, is in ruins, as are also the
north porch, and the chancel, of which little now remains. At one time
indeed the other parts of the church were so much in ruins, that Divine
service was performed in the tower. {14} Many of its ornaments were
destroyed by the soldiers of Cromwell, and the church itself converted
into barracks. The flinting, in many parts of the building, can scarcely
be excelled in the beauty of its execution. The nave and aisles are
spacious and neatly fitted up, and made capable of containing a large
congregation; but except the double row of arches which support the roof,
and divide the aisles, very little of what it once was now remains;
these, however, are of beautiful proportions. The windows, which were
formerly of noble dimensions, and were decorated with painted glass, are,
on the north side especially, either totally or partially closed, by the
introduction of common bricks. It possesses a well-toned organ, and
galleries have lately been erected by the contributions of the visitors
and inhabitants, obtained through the strenuous exertions of the Rev. W.
Sharpe, whose conduct on the occasion deserves the sincere gratitude of
all parties.
Before these galleries were built, the fishermen used to sit together in
the middle aisle, and they formed an impressive and pleasing spectacle.
Our best feelings, as well as our gratifications, are much enhanced by
the association of ideas; and it was next to impossible to behold these
persons, many of whom were venerable with age, and not be put in
remembrance of Him whose the sea is, and who is so peculiarly the
fisherman’s protector. These men, who do their “business in the great
waters, and see the wonders of the Lord,” are themselves a testimony of
his goodness. There is also something sacred in their occupation, which,
added to the circumstances of their safety, thereby bringing them calmly
to worship him in the haven where they would be, that arrests even the
careless eye, and promotes devotion in the more serious.
The church contains but very few monuments, and these belong principally
to the Windham and Ditchell families. Indeed, with the exception of one
to Mr. B. Rust, and another erected by the inhabitants to a singularly
amiable and talented individual, a surgeon and general practitioner of
the place, Mr. Charles Stewart Earle, with some ancient slabs, are all it
can boast of.
The following circumstance may seem trivial; but, as affording an
instance of a providential escape, may not perhaps be unacceptable.
At about a third part of the height of the staircase, which leads up to
the steeple, is a door opening upon the leads of a small turret,
communicating with the stairs, from which, some years ago, a boy of the
name of Yaxley fell into the church-yard between some timbers, (which
were laid there for the repairs of the church,) without receiving any
other injury than a few slight bruises. He afterwards entered the navy,
when, falling down the hold of the vessel to which he belonged, and
receiving a severe hurt, he was discharged:—through the interest of the
late Admiral Windham he obtained a pension, which he still lives to
enjoy.
The benefice is a vicarage, valued in the King’s Book at nine pounds four
shillings, and was augmented, from 1743 to 1834, with twelve hundred
pounds of royal bounty. The Rev. W. Sharpe is the present incumbent.
The living is in the gift of the Bishop of Ely, who is also appropriator
of the great tithes, now leased to the Countess of Listowel.
Cromer enjoys the advantage of a free-school, founded and endowed with
ten pounds per annum by Sir Bartholomew Reed, a native of Cromer, and
Lord Mayor of London, in 1502. The master, who was to be “a priest,
cunning in grammar,” was enjoined to say mass once a year in the
parish-church of Cromer, for the soul of the worthy founder; and to
teach, with all good diligence, “Gentlemen’s sons, poor men’s sons, and
other good men’s children of Cromer, and the villages around.” The
former part of the duty is dispensed with, but the school still
flourishes, the Goldsmith’s company, who are the trustees, having rebuilt
the school-house in 1821, and augmented the master’s salary, at different
times, and it now amounts to one hundred and thirty pounds per annum.
Roger Bacon, a mariner of Cromer, is said to have discovered Iceland in
the reign of Henry IV. and also to have taken prisoner the Prince of
Scotland, James Stewart, who was sailing to France, in order to be
educated there.
A savings’-bank was established here in 1827. Petty-sessions are held
every alternate Monday. The poor’s land was let, in 1786, for ten pounds
a year—it now lets for fourteen guineas. This is equally divided between
twenty-four widows, who do not receive relief from the parish. The
market, which was held every Saturday, under letters patent of Henry IV.
has been long discontinued; but the town is well supplied with provisions
of all kinds, during the bathing season, persons from the country round
bringing in poultry, butter, eggs, vegetables, &c. daily. Fish is not
very plentiful: however, this depends upon the season. Mackerel,
whitings, herrings, and cod are caught here; its lobsters have long been
noted for their excellence, as are also its crabs. Great quantities of
these are caught and sent immediately to London. Lobsters are reckoned
out of season, from the latter end of June to that of July.
It also boasts of an annual fair which is held on Whit Monday.
Cromer was first frequented as a watering-place about the year 1785, by a
few families of retired habits, whose favourable reports of the place
induced others to follow their example. The accommodations, however,
were long adverse to the influx of visitors, and the want of a
respectable inn, in particular, was greatly felt, and was a material
check, not so much to the actual prosperity of the place, but to its very
existence as a place of general resort. At length, a spirited
individual, the present venerable Mr. Tucker, built the New Inn, which
from that time to the present he has conducted with the greatest
propriety, and with every regard to the comfort of those who have used
his house. The character of Cromer thenceforth became altered, and
various improvements followed. Indeed, the inhabitants of Cromer owe a
large debt of gratitude to him, and if universal respect, and, it is to
be hoped, just success, to himself, can reward him, he receives his full
recompense.
There are several machines for sea-bathing, the hour for which is
regulated by the tide. The bather, Mr. Jacob, who is a very steady man,
and the descendant of a line of bathers, lives in Jetty Street.
There are two bathing-houses, one on the cliff and the other by the side
of it, on the beach: both of which are extremely well conducted, and kept
by persons of respectability, by whom every requisite attention and
civility are shown.
Cromer now contains many comfortable private lodging-houses, as well as
apartments for the accommodation of its visitors, as also some
respectable inns. One of the best houses in Cromer has lately been
converted into a boarding-house, under the name of the Hotel de Paris. A
number of houses, called the Crescent, have been built within the last
ten years, and are a great acquisition. Had the same spirit of
speculation in building, &c., existed here as elsewhere, or the same
encouragement, at least, been given to it, it is probable that long ere
this, Cromer would have risen to considerable importance as a
bathing-place and fashionable resort; nature having done everything for
it that might favour such a result. It has, however, been asserted, and
perhaps with truth, that this spirit of improvement has been
discountenanced on the ground, that the moral welfare of the place was
promoted by its comparative obscurity and non-intermixture with the idle
and the more corrupted servants, &c. of cities and towns. The facilities
of travelling to long distances, too naturally tends to injure places
which depend much on the local encouragement they receive. Persons who
were once content, to visit, summer after summer, the same place, or who
chose that which their own neighbourhood made most convenient, are no
longer detained by motives of expense or distance from indulging a taste
for variety. The rent of the houses is high, and consequently, that of
lodgings is the same: the latter may be had at the rate of from one
guinea and a half to three and a half: entire houses from four to six
guineas a week: those of the latter price, of which there are not more
than four or five, make up ten beds, and are therefore capable of
accommodating a large family.
The inhabitants, almost universally speaking, are extremely civil and
well-behaved, respectable in themselves, and respectful towards others;
simple in their manners, and free from that spirit of extortion which is
but too commonly the fault of those who have only a short season to
enable them to meet many exigences, and who have only a partial interest
in those they serve.
The walks, drives, &c., round Cromer are exceedingly beautiful, affording
alike to the geologist, botanist, and mineralogist, abundant materials
for the gratification of their respective tastes. Many valuable organic
and fossil remains are to be found in different parts of the coast, a
circumstance to which the active researches of the late Mr. C. S. Earle
served materially to draw the attention of scientific persons. Professor
Buckland and the learned Mr. Lyell have both honoured Cromer by visiting
it.
Wild flowers are to be met with here in great beauty and luxuriance, some
of them sufficiently rare to induce a long and health-giving walk in
search of them. The sea-weeds, or _algæ_, are those which are generally
found on our coasts, consisting of the great strap-wort, (_Laminaria_;)
Bladder-wort, (_Fucus vesiculocus_;) Serrated Bladder-wort, (_Fucus
serratus_;) the beautiful crimson _Plocamium coccineum_, the _Ulva
latissina_, &c.
All these, when cast on the beach, are carefully collected in heaps, and
serve as manure to the lands.
Jet and amber are found here in the winter. Jasper of all kinds,
cornelian, aqui marine, and agates of every description, some of which
are extremely beautiful, may be picked up on the beach. Many of the
common pebbles, also, are remarkably handsome, and take a fine polish.
The youthful student of mineralogy may also add to his collection
specimens of micaceous schist, trapstone, porphyry, basalt, &c. &c.
Shells, either fossil or recent, do not abound here, except in the upper
chalk, which forms the substratum of the beach, and in isolated patches
of the overlying crag, where a few rare fossil shells are found: recent
shells, indeed, are scarcely ever to be met with. The common
Perriwinkle, (_Turbo littoreus_;) is, however, plentiful on the rocks at
low water.
We give no guide to the walks, they are all easily found, and there is a
pleasure in making rambles for ourselves where every part of the country
invites us to explore it. The best view of the town, however, is from a
short distance on the Runton road. Varley, so well known as an artist,
has a very pleasing drawing, taken from the spot to which we allude. The
woods round Cromer Hall are a beautiful object from every direction. The
Hall itself is a handsome mansion, built in the Gothic style, with a
centre and two wings. It was commenced in 1827, by George Thomas
Windham, Esq., but was burnt down, before it was finished, in 1829. It
was rebuilt, and is now occupied by Henry Baring, Esq., brother of Lord
Ashburton, who married Miss Cecilia Windham, another of the daughters of
Admiral Windham.
The following gentlemen also possess, and occasionally inhabit handsome
houses in or near the town. H. Birkbeck, Esq., Sir Jacob Astley, now
Lord Hastings, Samuel Hoare, Esq., and Robert Herring, Esq. George
Stanley Repton, Esq. is lord of the manor of Cromer Weylands, and of
several other manors in the neighbourhood. Colne House is inhabited by
Mrs. Morris.
The season for Cromer is usually reckoned from the beginning of June till
the middle or end of October. The place itself is never in such beauty
as in the autumn, nor is its sea or the air more invigorating at any time
than in the month of October.
A mail-coach arrives daily from Norwich at half-past twelve, and returns
at half-past one o’clock. Letters, however, must be received at one
o’clock, at which time the post-office closes; on payment of a penny a
letter will be forwarded the same day. Phaetons, sociables, and also
saddle-horses may be had of Mr. Thomas Brown.
There are subscription reading-rooms, where the London and Provincial
papers are taken in daily, kept by Mr. Simons; and also a
circulating-library, kept by Mrs. Leak.
Carriers go once or twice a week to Norwich, Lynn, and other places in
the neighbourhood.
EXCURSION TO FELBRIGG,
RETURNING EITHER BY THE HOLT ROAD OR OVER BEESTON HEATH.
The drives about Cromer are far more agreeable than persons have
generally been led to suppose. The appearance of the country is
picturesque and diversified; the roads themselves are good, and the sea,
which is never long concealed from the view, forms at all times a
beautiful object, sometimes appearing in wide expanse before us,
sometimes seen only through an opening in the woods or over a rich
valley, and at others breaking suddenly upon the eye, yet ever
harmonizing most delightfully with the general features of the landscape.
We do not usually associate the idea of rich foliage with the sea, but in
this respect Cromer has a great advantage over most places on the coast,
certainly over those on the eastern and northern. The soil, indeed,
seems well suited to the growth of trees, many of which attain a very
considerable size, and may vie in luxuriance of foliage as in height with
those of more inland situations. The oak, Spanish chestnut, and beech,
in particular flourish here, and by their beauty afford a constant theme
of admiration.
There is no drive, however, prettier than that to the village and hall of
Felbrigg, the seat and property of William Howe Windham, Esq.
Felbrigg is three miles distant from Cromer, and is delightfully situated
in the bosom of extensive and venerable woods. Almost as soon as you
have entered the park, the tower of the church is seen on the left,
rising in a most picturesque manner above the lofty trees which encircle
it, and as the hall is approached, the drive continues between trees of
the most striking beauty; indeed, the beech-trees are esteemed as some of
the most remarkable in the kingdom, and are of an extraordinary size and
circumference. The hall is a large and handsome mansion, built in the
Elizabethan style, on a commanding eminence, and stands in a park
comprising about two hundred acres of land. Considerable additions have
been made to it at different periods, the greater part of which are in a
style corresponding with the ancient south front. It contains many of
the works of the most eminent painters, particularly of Rembrandt,
Bergham, and Vandersvelt. Among the best paintings may be enumerated, a
Usurer, and the Portrait of an Old Woman, by Rembrandt, Cows Stalled, by
Sagtleven, Scheveling Market, and a small Landscape, by Paul Brill. The
library comprises a large collection of valuable books and prints.
The stables, built in the same style as the Hall, were erected by the
late Admiral Windham in 1825.
On the skirts of the park, on a lofty eminence, stood formerly the
cottage, mistaken by some for the rectory-house: this has been lately
pulled down, and the present rector lives at Metton, which is
consolidated with Felbrigg,—the rectory-house. About a quarter of a mile
south-east of the Hall, surrounded by trees, is the church. This is a
handsome edifice, and contains several monuments to the Felbrigg and
Windham families. On a large marble slab is a very fine brass,
representing the figure, in complete armour, of Sir Simon de Felbrigg,
who lived in the reign of Henry VI. The inspection of this alone would
deserve a drive or a walk {26a} to Felbrigg, for a more perfect specimen
of the kind is rarely to be seen.
On the south side of the altar is a beautiful monument, with a fine bust
by Nollekins, of the late Right Honourable William Windham, whose
lamented death was caused by an injury he received in his endeavours to
save the library of his friend Mr. F. North, when his house in
Berkeley-square was on fire. An operation had been recommended, and to
this he submitted; but, as it proved, without success. This accomplished
and amiable man died in the year 1810. Leaving no issue, his estates
descended to his half-brother, the late Admiral Lukin, who assumed the
name of Windham. {26b}
The church at Felbrigg, like most others in this neighbourhood, is shorn
of some of its honours. There is no vestry, although the ruins of one
remain, and the entrance through the north porch is closed up, and the
porch itself serves as a shelter to the sheep, which are turned into the
churchyard. We regret the circumstance, as it appears to us a
desecration of a building in which God has allowed His name to be put;
and when we look “on this picture and on that,”—the handsome mansion with
all its comforts, and the house of God, as also the last resting-place of
the former owners of that mansion—we would not, where there is so much to
admire and so little to lament, have a blade of grass grow irregularly on
the one nor a stone left unevenly on the other.
The manor of Felbrigg was purchased by Lord Scales, of the executors of
Sir Simon Felbrigg. He afterwards sold it to John Windham, Esq., when a
curious circumstance took place, which does not speak well for the
gallantry of the times, or at least for that of the party most concerned
in it. Mr. Windham being absent, Sir John Felbrigg, who had set up an
hereditary claim to the estate, entered the Hall, from which he forcibly
dragged out Mrs. Windham, himself taking possession of the mansion.
However, he subsequently relinquished his claim for the payment of two
hundred marks.
The park, from the unevenness of the ground, rising and falling gently
into hills and vales, the richness of the woods, and the manner in which
it has been laid out, is extremely beautiful. The drive lies exactly
through it, passing close by the house. {28} There is also another way
of approaching it, which is through the village and the new lodge-gate at
the east; and this also is very beautiful.
On leaving the park, two roads present themselves, one on the right hand,
which leads through a very shady lane, the extremity of which is called
the Lion’s Mouth, into the Holt-road, by which you may return to Cromer
direct; or if the desire be to lengthen the drive, the road may be taken
across the heath, to Sherringham, Beeston, or Runton, where some of the
most delightful prospects that wild scenery can afford will be
successively presented to the eye. The descent to each of the former
villages is most striking and romantic; and but one regret will arise,
namely, that the roads are not well calculated for a carriage, being
exceedingly sandy, and the ruts very deep. There is not, however, the
slightest fear for those on horseback, nor indeed for those in a
carriage, if attended by any one accustomed to the road, {29a} and
certainly no one should leave Cromer in ignorance of the beauties which
here offer themselves.
Pic-nic parties are frequently formed to a valley on the right of the
road, over the heath, which can be approached only on foot, or on
horseback. A spot is also shown on the top of the heath, which by some
is stated to have been a Roman encampment, but it is much more probable
the site of an ancient beacon.
If on leaving the park-gate the road in front be taken, (and which is
most proper for a carriage,) the church of Aylmerton {29b} will be
passed, when turning immediately to the right, it will lead to the
Holt-road, only a little higher than the entrance from the Lion’s Mouth.
The drive will consist in that case, of about six miles,—if the road
across the hills be taken, of seven.
EXCURSION TO MUNDESLEY,
THROUGH OVERSTRAND, SYDERSTRAND, TO TRIMMINGHAM, RETURNING BY SOUTHREPPS.
The drive from Cromer to Mundesley presents some of the finest sea-views
imaginable. The road runs almost entirely along the coast, taking in its
course the villages of Overstrand, Syderstrand, and Trimmingham.
About two miles E. by S. of Cromer, is the small parish of Overstrand,
which extends two miles along the sea-cliffs, and is bounded inland by a
lofty range of hills. On the beach is a hamlet, and fishing-station,
commonly called Beck Hoy, with a curing-house, and a free-school, the
latter built and supported, during her lifetime, by the late amiable and
lamented Miss Buxton: it is now carried on by Miss Gurney, of Northrepp’s
Cottage.
The old church, like that of Shipden, was swallowed up by the sea, which
catastrophe took place in the reign of Richard II. The present, which is
dedicated to St. Martyn, was then built on half an acre of ground given
by John Reymes; but the chancel and part of the nave are in ruins, the
remainder is walled in, and fitted for divine service. The living, which
is very small, is in the gift of Lord Suffield. In the year 1250, (34
Hen. III.) a duel or combat of trial was fought on account of this
lordship, on behalf of Agnes de Reymes.
Foulness, or Cromer light-house, is in this parish.
Syderstrand is a small parish, containing not more than four hundred
acres of land, partly belonging to Samuel Hoare, Esq., the lord of the
manor, and patron of the living, which is a rectory, alternately with the
sovereign as Duchess of Lancaster. {31} The church, dedicated to St.
Michael, stands on a solitary eminence, and in appearance and loneliness,
reminds the traveller of the sacred edifices which salute his eye in the
Isle of Man.
Not a tree or a bush casts a shade near it, the dead alone in their
solitude surround it, and the deep calm is broken only by the hollow dash
of the billows, or the occasional screech of the sea-mew.
Still continuing in view of the sea, you reach Trimmingham, which stands
on the highest ground in Norfolk. The cliffs are here not less than
three hundred feet high. It is five miles E. S. E. of Cromer, and the
same distance N. by E. of North Walsham. The ocean here also gains
considerably on the coast. Several years ago, two farm-houses, with
their yards and outbuildings, were washed down by the sea. This accident
was owing to the choking up of a spring, which occasioned such a
subterraneous body of water, that several acres of land, as well as these
buildings, were detached from the main land and washed into the sea.
The church stands on the highest point of the cliffs. It was formerly a
favourite resort of the superstitious and ignorant; for its ancient
priests pretended that they were in the possession of the hand of St.
John the Baptist; an imposition which was a source of considerable wealth
to them, as pilgrims from all parts visited it, making large offerings in
honour of the precious relic. The living is in the gift of the crown.
Part of the glebe land has been washed into the sea.
On a hill about a mile from the village are to be seen the ruins of an
old beacon. This hill commands an exceedingly fine prospect both of the
sea and land. In very clear weather Yarmouth is discernible, and the
spire of Norwich Cathedral is seen without difficulty. This spot has
gained such celebrity for the extensive view it affords, that few persons
quit Cromer without having visited it. It is said that no less than from
thirty to forty churches may be counted from hence.
About two miles further on, is Mundesley, which from a mere straggling
village has become of sufficient importance to rank next to Cromer as a
watering-place; a circumstance owing chiefly to the spirited exertions of
F. Wheatly, Esq., although it is, and must continue to be, greatly
inferior to that place in every respect. It is distant from Cromer seven
miles. Like Cromer, it is situated on the lofty and broken cliffs of the
ocean, which, however, are here divided by a deep ravine, through which a
small stream discharges itself upon the beach, which at low water has a
broad firm sand, and, like Cromer, it is subjected to the formidable
encroachments of the sea. To remedy this, the above-named liberal
individual erected, at the cost of a thousand pounds, a massive wall,
forming an upper and a lower terrace, the latter of which, being ninety
feet above the beach, commands a most extensive and delightful view of
the ocean. In the year 1837, during the same extraordinary high tides,
that ravaged Cromer, this wall was in part destroyed, and was repaired at
a cost little inferior to the first. The prospect upon the beach to the
southward, differs greatly in appearance from that of Cromer, by the land
at Happisburgh projecting into the sea, forming a promontory. There are
two good inns here, and several respectable lodging-houses, with
bathing-machines, a warm bath, and other necessary accommodations for
visitors.
The church, dedicated to All Saints, stands on a lofty point of the cliff
above the village, and was formerly a noble edifice, but the tower is
gone, and the chancel, and part of the nave are in ruins. The remaining
part of the nave has been repaired, and is fitted up for divine service.
The living is in the gift of the crown. The place derives interest from
the circumstance of the father of Archbishop Tenison having been ejected
from this living in 1640, for his loyalty to the ill-fated and amiable
monarch, Charles I.
Returning by Southrepps, we are struck with its church which is one of
the most beautiful in the neighbourhood, and, as usual, is built on an
eminence. It is dedicated to St. James. In the year 1788, the
side-aisles were taken down, and the arches filled up. The living is in
the gift of the crown. The parsonage-house is situated near it.
On a hill, about a mile from the village, are the ruins of an old beacon,
which commands a fine view of the sea and surrounding country.
Southrepps, is five miles from Cromer and one from Thorpe. The drive
consists of seventeen miles.