principal object of interest is the Hall, the seat of S. M. Peto, Esq.,
M.P. It stands in a park of no very great extent, but well planted,
possessing a stately avenue of lime trees which, in summer are
surpassingly beautiful. Fuller in his Worthies, vol. ii. uses these
words, “Sommerley Hall, nigh Yarmouth, well answering the name thereof:
for here sommer is to be seen in the depth of winter, in the pleasant
walks beset on both sides with firr trees, green all the year long;
besides other curiosities.” This Hall was the seat of Sir John Wentworth
during the civil wars; his name and place of abode occur in the histories
of that period. Mr. Peto has made very extensive alterations and
improvements both in the house and grounds; he has also erected a neat
and commodious Chapel and a Gothic School room in this parish.
The mere, called “the wicker well,” belonging to Cammant Money, Esq., is
a small lake in this parish; its banks are fringed with shrubs interwoven
with tall and graceful trees, producing on the whole a very pleasing
effect.
At no great distance from Somerleyton is Herringfleet, the Church of
which is an interesting structure, unquestionably Norman.
St. Olave’s in Herringfleet was formerly a priory of black canons,
founded by Roger Fitz-Ozbert, of Sommerley, to the honor of St. Mary, and
St. Olave the king and the martyr, in the beginning of the reign of Henry
III. The remains of this priory were chiefly taken down in 1784, but
some parts of it are still left near the bridge, which superseded a ferry
that existed here at a very remote period, which “before the reign of
Edward I., was kept by one Sireck, a fisherman, who received for his
trouble, bread, herrings, and such like things, to the value of twenty
shillings a year;” it descended to several generations of the family. In
the reign of Henry V. permission was given to Jeffery Pollerin of
Yarmouth, to build a bridge ‘over the water between Norfolk and Suffolk,’
which, however, was not built. The old bridge and causeway over
Haddiscoe dam were constructed in the reign of Henry VII., at the sole
expense of Dame Margaret, the wife of Sir James Hobart: this bridge was
repaired about the year 1770, but was steep, narrow, and obstructive to
the navigation of the river: it has lately given place to a beautifully
designed Iron Bow Suspension Bridge, of curious mechanism, which is in
every sense an ornament to the neighbourhood.
In Herringfleet on the road to Somerleyton, the Misses Leathes have
erected a beautiful Villa, of which Messrs. Lucas and Son were the
builders.
* * * * *
The visiter may enjoy a pleasant ride through Blundeston, Lound, and
Belton; he will then arrive at Burgh Castle, the Garianonum of the
Romans.
[Picture: N.E. View of Burgh Castle, Suffolk]
“In the construction of this camp, the Romans pursued their usual
method of security in building, and practised their favourite
military architecture. It formed an irregular parallelogram, the
parallel sides of which were equally right lines, and equally long,
but the corners were rounded. Those camps which were one third
longer than they were broad, were esteemed the most beautiful; but
here the proportion is as two to one.
“The principal wall of this station, in which is placed the Porta
Prætoria, is that to the east, 14 feet high, 214 yards long, and 9
feet broad; the north and southern walls are just the same height and
breadth, and just half the length; the western side has no remains of
any wall, nor can we determine, with certainty, whether it ever had
any; the sea might, possibly, be considered as a sufficient barrier
on that side, and the steepness of the hill, as a collateral
security. Four massive round towers defend the eastern wall; the
northern has one; and another, now thrown down, stood opposite on the
southern. These towers were added after building the walls, and
served not only to ornament and strengthen them, but as turres
exploratorii; each having on the top a round hole two feet deep, and
as many in diameter, evidently designed both for the erection of
standards and signals, and for the admission of light temporary
watch-towers, under the care, and for the use of the speculatores.
The south-west corner of the station forms the pretorium, raised by
the earth taken out of a vallum which surrounds and secures it, and
which is sunk eight feet lower than the common surface of the area.
Near this was placed the south tower, which being undermined some
years since, by the force of the water running down the vallum after
some very heavy rains, is fallen on one side near its former
situation, but remains perfectly entire. The north tower having met
with a similar accident, is reclined from the wall at the top about
six feet, has drawn a part of it, and caused a breach near it. The
whole area of the station contains four acres and two roods; and
including the walls, five acres, two roods, and twenty perches.
“The mortar made use of by the Romans in this work, was composed of
lime and sand, unrefined by the sieve, and incorporated with common
gravel and pebbles. It was used two different ways; one cold, in the
common manner now in use; the other, rendered fluid by fire and
applied boiling hot. From the artful mixture of both in the same
building, and from the coarse materials of the composition, this
cement is extremely hard and durable, very difficult to break, and
for several days indissoluble in water. The Romans, raising the wall
to a convenient height with the former sort, at the end of every
day’s work poured the latter upon it: which immediately filled up the
interstices, and when cold, proved a most powerful adhesive. The
Roman bricks made use of at Burgh are of a fine red colour and very
close texture; they are about one foot and a half long, one foot
broad, and an inch and an half thick. It does not, however, appear
that the Romans had any exact standard for the size of their bricks:
in different stations their dimensions are considerably varied. We
ought, however, to observe, that either in the choice of their
materials, or in their method of preparing them, they far excel those
of later days, being much harder and less porous than ours; and for
durableness, more resembling stone, for which they were, undoubtedly,
substituted.”
* * * * *
Again starting from Lowestoft by the western outlet, passing the church,
and keeping to the right, along the road leading to St. Olave’s bridge,
Oulton High House will be presented to notice, an old manor house, some
of the internal decorations of which are highly wrought and valuable: it
dates from the days of Elizabeth. Between this and the church, which
lies to the westward, is the Rectory, which has been recently built, the
abode of the Rev. C. H. Cox.
The church is a curious structure, having its tower in the centre: but
the objects of greatest interest are within. In the centre of the
chancel floor lies the full-sized effigy of an ecclesiastic, habited in
the gorgeous sacerdotal vestments of the Roman church; this is Sire Adam
Bacon, presbyter. Ives supposes this to be the oldest and most
magnificent sepulchral brass, placed to an ecclesiastic, now remaining in
England.
On a large stone near the chancel door are the effigies of John Fastolf,
Esq., and Katherine his wife, which were placed there in 1479.
Gillingwater, page 275, discovers a relationship between these Fastolfs
and the redoubtable Knight of the “Merry wives of Windsor,” and “Henry
IV.”
Close to the church is the Hall, now the property of George Borrow, Esq.,
whose pleasant and retired residence is a little to the right of it,
overlooking the Oulton Broad.
On the road from Oulton church to Lowestoft is the house of E. Leathes,
Esq., at Normanstone, which has a fine view of the Railway and Lake
Lothing, with the parish of Kirtley in the distance.
* * * * *
The road to Beccles—though in some parts of it pleasing—is less
attractive than others in the neighbourhood, in consequence of the
marshes on one side of it; but midway between Lowestoft and Beccles is
Cove Hall, the residence of William Everitt, Esq. and nearer Beccles is
the beautiful seat of the Earl of Gosford, with its park and grounds.
The town of Beccles and its neighbourhood present several attractions—its
fine old church with its detached tower; its nursery grounds and several
gentlemen’s seats; not to mention other objects worthy of notice, will
all repay examination.
* * * * *
To the south of the harbour, and through Kirtley, is the village of
Pakefield, which may be approached either by the sea-side, or by the
turnpike road. The church has a double nave and is neat and carefully
preserved. The font and several brasses deserve attention. Beyond
Pakefield is Kessingland, and between the two villages, on the beach, is
a neat and new Light-house: the walk along the cliff here is very
pleasant; several coins and other curiosities have been found at
different times, specimens of which may be obtained of an old man who
lives close by.
Through Kessingland lies Covehithe; the ruins of its church covered with
ivy, and venerable in its decay, are thus described by Davy in his
architectural antiquities. “These splendid ruins attest the former
wealth and populousness of a place, which now ranks among the poorest and
meanest parishes in the county. All the ancient part of this once
stately pile is now in complete decay; but divine service is performed in
a small edifice erected within the nave of the old one, though it does
not occupy one half of it. This, as appears from an inscription on a
stone in the north wall, was completed in the year 1672. The three grand
arches at the east, still retain their position, though much mutilated,
and, for magnitude and form, may vie with the noblest specimens of the
kind in the county. The tower, which appears of a more ancient date than
the rest of the ruined fabric, still remains as a landmark for
travellers.”
Miss Agnes Strickland, who resides at Reydon hall, not many miles
distant, has thus sung the melancholy fate of Covehithe:—
“On gray Covehithe mild eve has cast
A soft and mellow ray;
But o’er its glories time has pass’d
With dark destroying sway.
“All roofless now, the stately pile,
And rent, the arches tall,
Through which, with bright departing smile,
The western sunbeams fall.
“The ivy wreaths unheeded twine
In wild profusion there,
And oft with summer flowers combine
To crown the oriel fair.
“The choir is hush’d, and silent now
The organ’s thrilling sigh;
Yet swells at eve, from many a bough,
The linnet’s lullaby.
“The grass-grown aisle all green and lone,
No musing footsteps tread;
And even o’er the altar stone
The mantling brambles spread.
“Tradition’s voice forgets to tell
Whose ashes sleep below,
And fancy here unchecked may swell
And bid the story flow.”
But we are trenching now upon the proper domain of Southwold, which is a
pleasant watering place beyond Covehithe, to which, if the visiter should
wish to rove, we advise that, on his return, he should take the road to
Wrentham, thence proceed along the turnpike road past Benacre Hall, the
seat of Sir T. S. Gooch, and so through Kessingland to Lowestoft again.
We have now performed our task, and heartily wish our readers health and
happiness through the season, in the enjoyment of which they cannot fail
to appreciate the pleasures afforded by the works of Him whose is the
sea, for he made it; whose hand also fashioned the dry land.
* * * * *
THE END.
* * * * *
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Footnotes
{14} For a very minute account of this strife, and for the merits of the
case, see Gillingwater’s History IN LOCO.
{16} Suckling has asserted that this was a piece of Cromwell’s “usual
duplicity.” The reader is referred to “Cromwell’s Letters and Speeches”
edited by Thomas Carlyle, for a splendid refutation of the ungenerous
calumny.
{26} Names of the persons who composed the crew of the “Frances Ann”
Life-boat:—Lieut. T. S. Carter, R.N.; H. B. Disney, James Stebbens, James
Titlow, pilots; Thomas Aldiss, Henry Smith, Thomas Butcher, William Hook,
William Gurney, James Taylor, John Browne, William Francis, Robert
Chaston, Edmund Boyce, Thomas Humsley, Nathaniel Killwick, James
Robinson, and William Butcher.
{27} The persons who composed the crew of the Life-boat were, Henry
Beverley Disney, Henry May, David Burwood, James Cullingham, pilots;
Cornelius Ferrett, William Ayers, Samuel Spurden, John Spurden, Robert
Watson, James Websdale, Samuel Butcher, Batholomew Allerton, James
Farrer, Peter Smith, George Burwood, Matthew Colman, Edward Ellis, and
James Stebbens.
{29} This poor man was a teetotaller, and although left on the wreck
some hours longer than the rest, when brought on shore was found to be
less exhausted than they.
{48} Edinburgh Review, Jan. 1840.
{50} The interest of £1000 is left to keep this tomb in repair; the
surplus is given to the poor.
{56} This is the orthodox time; we believe the merchants now perform the
whole process in a much shorter period.
{62} Craik’s Sketches of the History of Learning and Literature in
England.