DAVID COPPERFIELD
THE ROYAL HOTEL, LOWESTOFT--THE PLOUGH, BLUNDERSTONE--THE VILLAGE
MAID, LOUND--THE YARMOUTH INNS--THE BLUE BOAR--THE RED LION--TWO
CANTERBURY INNS--THE PIAZZA HOTEL--JACK STRAW'S CASTLE--THE SWAN,
HUNGERFORD STAIRS--AND OTHERS
Before Dickens commenced to write _David Copperfield_, he visited all the
districts of its early scenes to obtain local colour, and to learn
something of the geography of Blunderstone, Lowestoft and Yarmouth. He was
a guest of Sir Morton Peto's at Somerleyton and was invited there
ostensibly to see Lowestoft, a town then just emerging into prominence as
a watering-place, in the hope that he might introduce it into one of his
books. On another occasion he, with John Leech and Mark Lemon, visited
Yarmouth and stayed at the Royal Hotel on the Marine Parade. He either
did not care very much for Lowestoft, or else found that Yarmouth was more
suitable to the purpose of his book, for we only find one small incident
in it associated with the first-named town.
This occurred on one autumn morning when Mr. Murdstone took little David
on to the saddle of his horse and rode off with him to Lowestoft to see
some friends there with a yacht. "We went to an hotel by the sea, where
two gentlemen were smoking cigars in a room by themselves," says David.
"Each of them was lying on at least four chairs and had a large rough
jacket on. In a corner was a heap of coats and boat-cloaks, and a flag,
all bundled up together."
Here Mr. Murdstone was chaffed about David, whom his friends referred to
as "the bewitching Mrs. Copperfield's incumbrance," and he warned them to
take care as "somebody's sharp." "Who is?" asked Quinion. "Only Brooks of
Sheffield," replied Mr. Murdstone, which caused much amusement, and
whenever any reference was made to David he was always styled "Brooks of
Sheffield." Sherry was ordered in with which to drink to Brooks, and David
was made to partake of the wine with a biscuit, and drink to the toast of
"Confusion to Brooks of Sheffield."
After this incident they all walked about the cliffs, looked at things
through a telescope, and then returned to the hotel to an early dinner,
and David and his future father-in-law afterwards wended their way back to
Blunderstone.
The hotel in which all this took place was probably the Royal, which
stands to-day facing the pier and harbour, but it has evidently been
rebuilt, or very much altered structurally.
Blunderstone has a village ale-house called the Plough, from which started
Barkis the carrier on his daily trip to Yarmouth. David speaks of this
inn, and pictures the parlour of it as the room where "Commodore Trunnion
held that club with Mr. Pickle." It is still a comfortable ale-house and a
centre of attraction to visitors of the unspoiled village where David was
born.
On the occasion of David's drive in the carrier's cart to Yarmouth for a
stay with Daniel Peggotty in order to be out of the way for his mother's
marriage to Mr. Murdstone, we are introduced to the road between the
village and the famous seaside town, so frequently used by Barkis and so
often referred to in the course of the story.
[Illustration: THE PLOUGH INN, BLUNDERSTONE
THE BUCK INN
THE DUKE'S HEAD
YARMOUTH
_Photographs by T. W. Tyrrell_]
The first halt was made at a public-house where a long wait occurred
whilst a bedstead was delivered there. This inn was probably the Village
Maid, at Lound, a name that may also have suggested that of the Willing
Mind, the public-house where Mr. Peggotty went occasionally for short
spells, as he put it to Mrs. Gummidge. But no public-house with that name,
or anything like it, existed in Yarmouth, and it must, therefore, be
assumed that no particular one was intended.
Arriving at Yarmouth, David found Ham awaiting him at the public-house
which was the stopping place of the Blunderstone carrier. Although Dickens
does not mention its name, the Buck Inn undoubtedly was the identical
house where Barkis came to a halt on such occasions, and it still exists
in the Market Square. At the end of his visit, David, arm-in-arm with
Little Em'ly, made for the same inn once again to meet Barkis for the
homeward journey in his cart.
The inn, however, at Yarmouth which has more importance attaching to it
than any other is that where David met the friendly waiter whilst waiting
for the coach to take him to London, and where he procured the sheet of
paper and ink-stand to write his promised note to Clara Peggotty assuring
her that "Barkis is willing."
There is little doubt that the inn referred to here was the Duke's Head.
It was the principal coaching inn of the town, and we know that Dickens
knew it well. On his arrival there in Barkis's cart, David observed that
"the coach was in the yard shining very much all over, but without any
horses to it as yet; and it looked in that state as if nothing was more
unlikely than its ever going to London." To the coffee-room, which was a
long one with some maps in it, David was conducted by William the waiter,
who assisted him to get through his meal, and told him the horrible tale
of the man who died from drinking a glass of ale that was too old for him.
But that incident of David and the friendly waiter is too well known to
need recapitulation here.
Before leaving Yarmouth, there is one more inn that claims attention. When
David and Steerforth later on in the story visited the Peggottys, the
hotel they stayed at has been identified as the Star Hotel, an old
mansion, with moulded ribbed ceilings and the sides of the rooms panelled
with oak. It has been added to since those days, but the old part still
remains. It was in this house that Miss Mowcher was first introduced into
the story.
It is also believed that the Feathers at Gorleston is the "decent
ale-house" on the road to Lowestoft where David Copperfield, as stated in