Thames, at about 9 miles by land from Hyde Park Corner, and 16 miles by
following the windings of the river. The most pleasant mode of
conveyance to it used to be by one of the small steamboats from
Hungerford Pier; for then an opportunity was afforded of seeing numerous
beautiful and interesting spots on both banks of the river. The river is
now, however, so shallow, that steamers can seldom reach this spot; and
the trip is usually made by railway—from the Waterloo and Vauxhall
Stations, and from all stations on the Blackwall, North London, and North
and South Western lines. Omnibuses also run very frequently from the
City and West End. Richmond stands on a slope overhanging the river.
Opposite the village is a stone bridge crossing the Thames. South from
the village, a pretty steep bank ascends to the green and bushy eminence
called _Richmond Hill_; and from the terrace on its summit a view is
obtained of the beautifully wooded country up the river, stretching away
to Windsor. Among numerous villas, ornamental grounds, and other
attractive objects, may be seen _Twickenham_, situated in the immediate
vicinity, on the left bank of the Thames. In the house for which the
present was erected as a substitute, lived Pope the poet, and his body is
entombed in the church. [Picture: Pope’s Villa] Close by Twickenham is
_Strawberry Mill_, once the seat of Horace Walpole, and now belonging to
Lady Waldegrave. Moving onwards along the brow of the eminence, and
passing the well known but expensive hotel called the _Star and Garter_,
we enter the famous _Richmond Park_, which is eight miles in
circumference, and enriched with magnificent trees. These extensive
grounds were at one time connected with a royal palace, but there is now
no such edifice—one or two hunting-lodges excepted; the park is, however,
still a domain of the Crown, and freely open to the public. Foreigners
are great admirers of this vicinity.
[Picture: Hampton Court]
Hampton Court.—_Hampton_ is about 13 miles from London by railway, and 24
by water. Trains run there very frequently, and at low fares, from
Waterloo Station. The village is unimportant, but rendered pleasant by
its large and open green. The chief object of attraction is _Hampton
Court Palace_, situated within an enclosed garden near the north bank of
the Thames. The palace was originally built by Cardinal Wolsey, and a
portion of the structure which he reared is still extant in the northern
quadrangle. Here was the scene of the humiliation and forfeiture of that
favourite of Henry VIII., who at this place often held his court, and
made it the scene of his Christmas festivities; there Edward VI. was
born; here were held the masques, mummeries, and tournaments of Philip
and Mary, and Elizabeth; here James I. held his court and famous meeting
of controversialists; here Charles I. was immured as a state prisoner,
and took leave of his children; here was celebrated the marriage of
Cromwell’s daughter and Lord Falconberg; here Charles II. sojourned
occasionally with his dissolute courtiers; here lived William and Mary
after the revolution of 1688; and here, till the reign of George II.,
royal courts were sometimes held. The palace, in external appearance, is
a lofty and magnificent structure of red brick, with stone cornices and
dressings. The older part, including the famous Great Hall, the scene of
the court masques and revels, is of the time of Henry VIII.; the eastern
part, including the public rooms and the long garden front, was built by
Wren for William III. Altogether, the edifice consists of three
quadrangles. Entering by the grand staircase, which is decorated with
paintings by Antonio Verrio, the visitor is conducted through a suite of
lofty and large apartments, furnished in an old-fashioned style. The
guard-room, which is first in order, contains, besides a series of
English admirals by Kneller and Dahl, a variety of ancient warlike
instruments. In the next apartment are portraits of various beauties of
Charles II.’s court, painted by Sir Peter Lely, who has here depicted
several lovely countenances, though a sensual character is common to them
all. In the third room, or audience-chamber, is seen what is generally
regarded as the finest painting in the palace—a portrait of Charles I. on
horseback, by Vandyck. The third room has also some good pictures; among
others, a painting of the family of Louis Cornaro, a person celebrated
for his extraordinary temperance. The picture, which is from an original
by Titian, shews Cornaro and three generations of descendants, who appear
in the act of adoration at a shrine. There are likewise portraits of
Titian and his uncle, painted by Titian himself, and a spirited
battle-piece by Giulio Romano. The fourth apartment, or Queen’s
drawing-room, is enriched with an exceedingly fine painting of Charles
I., a whole length, by Vandyck, esteemed the best likeness we have of
that monarch. There is a well known and beautiful print from it by Sir
Robert Strange, the prince of English line-engravers. In the next room,
or state bedchamber, the visitor will see a portrait of Ann Hyde,
daughter of Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, and mother of the successive queens,
Mary and Anne. The Queen’s dressing-room and writing-closet, and Queen
Mary’s state bedchamber, which follow, contain many fine pictures, by
Holbein, Sir Peter Lely, Sebastian del Piombo, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert
Durer, and others. A series known as the Beauties of the Court of
William and Mary comprises portraits (by Kneller) more staid than those
of the court of Charles II., and, it must be admitted, more tame and
dull. After having traversed these stately and silent halls, one of
which contains a valuable collection of historical portraits, the visitor
is led out through the gallery lately containing the famous Cartoons of
Raphael—which were transferred in 1865 to the South Kensington Museum.
Another room contains a fine series of Cartoons by Andrea Mantegna. The
whole of the pictures at Hampton Court are little less than 1000 in
number.
The palace garden has a _Vinery_, where there is a grape vine ninety
years old, which has sometimes yielded 3000 bunches of grapes in one
year. The garden also possesses a _Maze_, a source of great delight to
holiday juveniles. On the opposite side of the Hampton Wick Road from
the palace gardens, is _Bushy Park_, a royal domain, embellished with an
avenue of horse-chestnut trees, which present a splendid sight when in
full bloom. The palace grounds are also exceedingly beautiful. Bushy
Park is open for omnibuses and other vehicles, as well as for
pedestrians. The palace is open free every day except Friday, from 10
till 4 or 6, according to the season; and the grounds or gardens till
dusk. This is one of the very few public buildings in or near the
metropolis open on Sundays.
Windsor.—Passing over the country between Hampton and Windsor, which does
not comprise many spots interesting to strangers, we come to the famous
royal domain. _Windsor_ is situated in the county of Berks, at the
distance of 22 miles west from London by the road through Brentford; but
it may now be reached in an hour or less by the Great Western Railway
from Paddington, or the South-Western from Waterloo Bridge. Windsor
occupies a rising-ground on the south bank of the Thames, and is
interesting for its ancient and extensive castle, the grandest royal
residence in this country. The gates of the castle are close upon the
main street of the town, and lead to enclosures containing a number of
quadrangles, towers, gates, mansions, barracks, and other structures.
[Picture: Round Tower, Windsor] The principal portion of the castle
occupies two courts, an upper and lower, of spacious dimensions, and
having between them a large round tower or keep, in which the governor
resides. The top of this keep is 220 feet above the Thames, and twelve
counties can be seen from it in fine weather. In the lower court is St.
George’s Chapel, an elegant Gothic edifice, in which service is performed
on Sundays, occasionally in presence of the royal residents. Besides the
chapel and keep, the chief parts of the castle attractive to strangers
are the state apartments in the upper or northern court; these are
exhibited _free_ to visitors on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Fridays. Tickets can be obtained of Messrs. Colnaghi, 13 and 14 Pall
Mall East. The days, hours, and conditions of visiting are notified on
the tickets. The apartments here meant are the _old_ state rooms, not
those actually occupied by the Queen, her family, and retinue.
[Picture: Windsor Castle]
Outside the castle, facing the north, is the famed _terrace_, from which
a view is obtained over a most beautiful expanse of country. On another
side are the new royal stables, the finest in England, having, with the
Riding House, cost £70,000. In the gardens immediately adjoining the
Queen’s apartments, the royal family, before the death of the Prince
Consort, were wont occasionally to promenade, at an hour when the public
might see them. The _Home Park_, bounding the palace on two sides, is
not open to the public; but the _Great Park_ is freely open, to persons
on foot, on horseback, or in vehicles. The _Long Walk_ through this
park, extending 3 miles, is one of the finest things of the kind in
England.
[Picture: Eton College]
_Eton College_, with its school-rooms for 900 boys, chapel, quadrangles,
and playing-fields, lies beautifully situated opposite Windsor Castle.
A ramble from the Slough Station, near Eton, would take a visitor to the
scenes rendered memorable by Gray’s _Elegy_.
DOWN THE RIVER.
Deptford.—This was once of some importance as a shipbuilding place, a
dockyard having been established here ever since the time of Henry VIII.;
but the government establishments have recently been given up to the
victualling and store departments. Deptford may now be considered part
of the metropolis—and a very dirty part it is, containing few objects
that would interest a stranger. Peter the Great of Russia studied as a
shipwright at Deptford dockyard in 1698, to fit himself for creating a
Russian navy.
[Picture: Greenwich]
Greenwich.—This favourite place lies on the south bank of the Thames, a
little below Deptford, about six miles below London Bridge, following the
windings of the river, but only about four miles by railway, from the
London Bridge Station. It is noted for the _Trafalgar_, _Ship_, _Crown
and Sceptre_, and other taverns, where _whitebait dinners_ have become
celebrated. Diners at these places, however, will require long purses.
Greenwich is chiefly interesting, however, for its national
establishments. Towards its eastern extremity stands the _Hospital_,
which faces the Thames, and has a command of all that passes on the
river. This superb hospital consists of four edifices, unconnected with
each other, but apparently forming an entire structure, lining three
sides of an open square, the fourth side being next the water. It is
mostly built of stone, in majestic style; and along nearly the greater
part are lofty colonnades, with handsome pillars, and covered overhead,
to protect those underneath from the weather. The square interval in the
centre, which is 273 feet wide, has in the middle a statue of George II.,
by Rysbrach. A portion of these beautiful buildings was originally
planned by Inigo Jones, another portion by Sir C. Wren, and the rest by
later architects. It was William and Mary who, in the year 1694, here
established an hospital for superannuated and disabled seamen, to which
purpose the buildings were till lately devoted. The institution is
supported by the interest on £2,800,000, funded property, the rental of
estates in the north of England, and a national grant. In 1865 it
accommodated about 1300 pensioners, 150 nurses, and a variety of officers
for the government of the place. The inmates were old sailors, with
countenances well browned by tropical suns, or bleached by the tempests
of the ocean; here one hobbling on a wooden leg, there one with an empty
sleeve, and occasionally one with only one eye. Their clothes were of a
dark-blue colour, of an antiquated fashion. Their old cocked-hats had
been superseded by hats of more modern shape; the boatswains, or other
warrant-officers, being allowed a yellow trimming or lace to their
garments. An abundance of food was allowed, the clothing warm and
comfortable, the accommodations in the rooms good; and each man,
according to his rank, had from three to five shillings a-week, as an
allowance for pocket-money. The outer gateway, and the interior parts of
this establishment, were under the care of the pensioners themselves, who
shewed the utmost attention to strangers, manifesting a frankness and
good-nature characteristic of the profession of the sailor. Small sums
were taken for exhibiting some of the buildings, but the money went to
the general fund, or for the board and education of the children of
seamen. The visitor did not fail to glance into the _refectory_ and
_kitchen_, which were freely open, and see the old men at their meals.
It may seem singular thus to speak of this famous establishment in the
_past_ tense; but in truth the purpose of Greenwich Hospital is changed.
By an arrangement made in 1865, nearly all the pensioners (except sick
and decrepit) have left the building, with a greatly increased
money-allowance; most of them now living with their relations or friends.
[Picture: Painted Hall, Greenwich Hospital]
One attractive part of the establishment is the _Painted Hall_, in the
west wing. It consists of a great room and one smaller, a vestibule, and
a flight of steps. The appearance of the whole interior, on entering, is
very imposing, the ceiling and one end being covered with paintings; and
although these paintings, exhibiting a mixture of fantastic heathen gods
and goddesses with royal and other portraits, are not in judicious taste,
they serve to give a good general effect to the noble apartment. Along
the walls are hung a collection of pictures, partly portraits of
celebrated navigators and admirals, and partly depicting distinguished
naval victories: each being a present to the institution by some
benefactor. A good portrait of Captain Cook, by Dance, presented by Sir
Joseph Banks, adorns the vestibule. A number of portraits, by Sir Peter
Lely, Dahl, Sir Godfrey Kneller, and others, were presented by George IV.
There are also several by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The painted ceiling of
the great room was executed by Sir James Thornhill in 1703 and subsequent
years. It is related that, in consequence of the length of time he had
to lie on his back painting the ceiling, the artist could never
afterwards sit upright. In the smaller apartment are shewn several
models of ships of war, admirably executed; the coat worn by Nelson at
the battle of the Nile; the astrolabe of Sir Francis Drake, a curious
brass instrument of antique fashion, used for nautical observation; and
some interesting relics of the ill-fated voyage of Sir John Franklin.
The Hall is open free to the public on Monday and Friday; on other days
the charge is 4d. On Sunday it may be seen after morning-service. The
_Chapel_ is also worth a visit; it contains a fine picture by Benjamin
West, the ‘Shipwreck of St. Paul;’ and monuments to two admirals, by
Chantrey and Behnes. A monument or obelisk to the memory of Lieutenant
Bellot, who perished in one of the Arctic Expeditions, has been placed on
the noble Hospital-terrace, fronting the river.
The _Park_, extending behind the hospital—open free to the public until
dusk—comprehends a considerable space of ground, nearly 200 acres, of
great natural and artificial beauty. A pathway amidst lines of tall
trees leads to a piece of rising-ground or mount, which, on holidays,
generally exhibits a mirthful scene, in which ‘running down Greenwich
hill’ plays a great part. On the summit is the _Royal Observatory_,
founded by George III. for the promotion of astronomical science, and the
scene of the labours of some men of distinguished ability. An
astronomer-royal, supported by a parliamentary grant, constantly resides
and pursues investigations in the Observatory. From this spot British
geographers measure the longitude. The collection of instruments kept
and used in this building is superb and costly; but the public are not
admitted to see them. An electric _time-ball_ falls every day at one
o’clock precisely; and an _electric clock_, a _standard barometer_, and
_standard measures of length_, (of rigorous accuracy,) are placed for
public use by the side of the entrance-gates.
Limehouse to North Woolwich.—If a stranger be willing to lay aside the
ideas of mere _pleasure_ spots, he will find much to look at and think
about in the stretch of river margin here denoted. First comes the _Isle
of Dogs_, joining Limehouse on the east. This strange horseshoe-shaped
piece of ground is almost wholly below the level of the river, the
inroads of which are only prevented by embankments. The northern neck of
the peninsula (for it is not strictly an island) is occupied by the West
India Docks; the middle portion is not much appropriated to any useful
purpose, on account of the lowness of the site; the river edge is fringed
with shipbuilding and factory establishments. The _Great Eastern_ was
here built at Messrs. Scott Russell’s works. A new church has been built
at _Cubitt Town_, the name now given to the eastern part of the Isle.
Next below the Isle of Dogs are _Poplar_ and _Blackwall_, now forming one
town—observable for the shipyard of Messrs. Green, the terminus of the
Blackwall Railway, the East India Docks, and two or three river-side
taverns where _whitebait dinners_ are much in fashion during the season.
Then comes the spot, Bow Creek, at which the River Lea enters the Thames,
so closely hemmed in by shipyards and engine-factories, that the Lea
itself can barely be seen. The great shipyard of the Thames Company,
late Messrs. Mare’s, is situated here. Next we come to the extensive and
convenient _Victoria Docks_, occupying ground which was previously mere
waste. Beyond the Docks are new centres of population gradually
springing up, called _Silvertown_ and _North Woolwich_, with large
factories and a railway station. Still farther east, near _Barking
Creek_, there may be seen the vast outfall of the great system of
drainage for the northern half of the metropolis.
Woolwich.—Taking the south side of the river instead of the north, and
availing himself of steamers or of trains, (from Charing Cross, Fenchurch
Street, or Shoreditch,) the stranger finds the next place of importance
below Greenwich to be _Woolwich_. This is a busy town in Kent, eight
miles from London by land, and ten following the course of the river.
Here, in the reign of Henry VIII., a dockyard for the construction of
vessels of the royal navy was established; and ever since that time the
place has been distinguished as an arsenal for naval and military stores.
The dockyard was closed 1st October, 1869. From the river, a view is
obtained of the arsenal, now greatly improved. The ground of the
arsenal, for nearly a mile in length, is bounded on the river side by a
stone quay, and is occupied in part by prodigious ranges of storehouses
and workshops. Among these is included a laboratory for the preparation
of cartridges, bombs, grenades, and shot; a splendid manufactory for
shells and guns; a gun-carriage factory of vast extent; and a store of
warlike material that never fails to fill a stranger with amazement.
Adjoining are barracks for artillery and marines, military hospitals, &c.
On the upper part of Woolwich Common is situated a royal military academy
for the education of young gentlemen designed for the army. Strangers
(if not foreigners) are admitted to the arsenal only by a written order
from the War Office. The number of government establishments in and near
Woolwich is very large; and there is generally something or other going
on which a stranger would be interested in seeing.
[Picture: Woolwich]
Below Woolwich.—Numerous steamers during the day, trains on the Tilbury
Railway, and others on the North Kent Railway, give easy access to a
number of pleasant places lower down the river than Woolwich. On the
Essex side are _Rainham_, near which onion gardens are kept up;
_Purfleet_, where vast stores of government gunpowder are kept; _Grays_,
where immense quantities of chalk are dug, and where copious springs of
very pure water are found in the chalk beds; and _Tilbury_, where there
is a regular fortification for the defence of the river, and a
steam-ferry over to Gravesend. [Picture: Tilbury Fort] On the Kent side
are _Plumstead Marshes_, where artillery practice by Woolwich officers is
carried on; _Crossness Point_, where the fine buildings connected with
the Southern Outfall Sewer are situated, (and near which were the great
Powder Magazines that blew up in October, 1864;) _Erith_, with its pretty
wooded heights; _Greenhithe_, where the late General Havelock passed some
of his early years, and where Alderman Harmer built a mansion with the
stones of old London Bridge; and _Northfleet_, where much shipbuilding is
carried on. Beyond Northfleet is _Gravesend_, a famous place for Cockney
picnics, but fast losing its rural character. Commercially, Gravesend is
important as being the place where the customs’ authorities recognise the
port of London to begin; all ships, incoming and outgoing, are visited by
the officers here, pilots embark and disembark, and much trade accrues to
the town in consequence.
[Picture: Gravesend Reach]
CRYSTAL PALACE, &c.
There are many pretty spots in different directions in the vicinity of
London, away from the river, worthy of a visit. On the north-west are
_Hampstead_, with its noble Heath and its charming variety of landscape
scenery; and _Harrow_, with its famous old school, associated with the
memory of Byron, Peel, and many other eminent men. To its churchyard
Byron was a frequent visitor: “There is,” he wrote to a friend in after
years, “a spot in the churchyard, near the footpath on the brow of the
hill looking towards Windsor, and a tomb (bearing the name of Peachey)
under a large tree, where I used to sit for hours and hours when a boy.”
Nearly northward are _Highgate_, with its fringe of woods, and its
remarkable series of ponds; _Finchley_, once celebrated for its
highwaymen, but now for its cemeteries; _Hornsey_, with its ivy-clad
church, and its pretty winding New River; and _Barnet_, with its great
annual fair. On the north-east are _Edmonton_, which the readers of
‘_John Gilpin_’ will of course never forget; _Enfield_, where the
government manufacture rifles on a vast scale; _Waltham_, notable for its
abbey and its gunpowder mills; and _Epping Forest_—a boon to picnic
parties from the eastern half of London. ‘Fairlop Oak’ (Hainault Forest)
has disappeared.
South of the Thames, likewise, there are many pretty spots, quite
distinct from those on the river’s bank. _Wimbledon_, where volunteers
assemble; _Mitcham_, near which are some interesting herb-gardens;
_Norwood_, a pleasant spot, from which London can be well seen;
_Lewisham_ and _Bromley_, surrounded by many pretty bits of scenery;
_Blackheath_, a famous place for golf and other outdoor games; _Eltham_,
where a bit of King John’s palace is still to be seen; the _Crays_, a
string of picturesque villages on the banks of the river Cray; &c.
_Dulwich_ is a village about 5 miles south of London Bridge. Here Edward
Alleyn, or Allen, a distinguished actor in the reign of James I., founded
and endowed an hospital or college, called _Dulwich College_, for the
residence and support of poor persons, under certain limitations. On
21st June, 1870, a new college, a modern development and extension of the
old charity, was formally opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The new buildings are entirely devoted to educational purposes, and they
have accommodation for 600 or 700 boys. The founder bequeathed some
pictures to the institution, and the collection was vastly increased by
the addition of a large number, chiefly of the Dutch and Flemish schools,
bequeathed in 1810 by Sir Francis Bourgeois. A gallery, designed by Sir
John Soane, was opened in 1817; and this now forms a most attractive
sight to all who delight in the fine arts. The gallery is open free
every week-day from 10 to 5 in summer, and from 10 to 4 in winter.