of what remains of the famous Sherwood Forest associated with Robin Hood
and his "merrie men." The name "Dukeries" arises from the fact that
within the boundaries of the forest were once the homes of the Dukes of
Portland, Newcastle, Norfolk, Leeds, and Kingston. The Dukes of Norfolk
and Leeds no longer hold their property, and Earl Manvers, as a
representative of the Kingston family, preserves at Thoresby the
traditions of his race. At Welbeck the Duke of Portland, and at Clumber
the Duke of Newcastle, still keep up their magnificent homes. To the
latter noblemen the majority of the "Dukeries" belongs. The drive round
this lovely part of the forest is nearly 30 miles, through beautiful
scenery.
Worksop, with its fine old priory church, is one of the best
starting-points for a tour round the Dukeries. Clumber House, the seat
of the Duke of Newcastle, is 4 miles from Worksop, and orders to see the
interior can be obtained from the Newcastle agent, in Park Street, by
writing a day or two beforehand. The mansion, built in 1772, is very
magnificent and contains some priceless pictures.
Thoresby House, the seat of Earl Manvers, is not far distant from
Clumber. The present house, which was designed by Salvin in 1868, is the
third home of the Manvers which has occupied this site.
Welbeck Abbey, the home of the Duke of Portland, is another of the
important seats in the district, standing in the centre of one of the
finest parks in the kingdom. The mansion itself is not a showplace, but
when the family is not in residence various parts of it are exhibited
upon payment of 1s., any weekday except Saturday. An extra shilling will
enable the visitor to view the underground apartments.
The whole of the "Dukeries" district teems with interesting places,
ancient and modern. From Mansfield one may visit Hardwick Hall, Bolsover
Castle, and Newstead Abbey, beloved of Byron (see Index), while Belvoir
Castle (see Index) and Woolaton Hall are within easy distance.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
CLUMBER HOUSE
The seat of the Duke of Newcastle. It was built in 1772.]
HADDON HALL, DERBYSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Through train from St. Pancras or change at
Derby. Midland Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Rowsley (1-1/2 miles distant).
=Distance from London.=--149-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--4 to 4-1/3 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 19s. 11d. ... 12s. 4-1/2d.
Return 39s. 10d. ... 24s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Bakewell--"Rutland Arms Hotel,"
"Red Lion," "Castle," etc.
Haddon Hall, the most perfect of baronial mansions existing in England,
is situated in a wonderfully picturesque position on a limestone rock
overlooking the river Wye in Derbyshire. The manor was originally given
by William the Conqueror to William Peveril, the famous "Peveril of the
Peak" of Scott's novel. In the reign of Henry II. the lands reverted to
the Crown, and the property was granted to the Avenalls, from whom it
passed by marriage to the Vernons, of whom the last, Sir George, known
as the "King of the Peak," died in 1567. His daughter, the celebrated
Dorothy Vernon, married John Manners, son of the Earl of Rutland, and
thus the property passed to the Rutland family, who are still the
owners.
The mansion is approached by a small bridge crossing the river Wye,
whence one enters, under a lofty archway, the first courtyard. In this
beautiful quadrangle one of the most interesting features is the chapel
at the south-west corner. This chapel, which is one of the oldest
portions of the structure, is Norman, with some later work. Almost
opposite, on the left, is the magnificent porch and bay-window leading
into the great hall. It is exactly as it was in the days of the Vernons,
with its dais and table at which the "lord of the feast" sat, its huge
fireplace, timber roof, and minstrels' gallery. Adjoining it is the
dining-room, a magnificent apartment erected by the "King of the Peak."
Here there is a remarkably fine oriel window, richly ornamented with
carving.
Among other interesting features in the second courtyard are the
drawing-room, hung with the original arras, the long gallery, and the
ancient state-room, adjoining which is the Peveril Tower, the highest
point and oldest portion of the hall. The long gallery, with its stately
bay-windows, looks on to the well-known terrace and the magnificent
garden, made so familiar by photographs.
Haddon Hall may be seen by visitors from nine till dusk, a gratuity
being generally given to the attendant.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE BALL-ROOM AT HADDON HALL]
THE ISLE OF ATHELNEY, AND SEDGEMOOR
THE SCENE OF MONMOUTH'S DEFEAT
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Athelney.
=Distance from London.=--150-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 4-1/2 to 5-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 26s. 8d. 16s. 8d. 13s. 4d.
Return 53s. 4d. 33s. 4d. 26s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Railway Hotel."
The Isle of Athelney, the hiding-place of Alfred the Great, at the time
when the fortunes of England lay trembling in the balance, is a slightly
elevated plot of land where the river Parret joins the Tone. In Alfred's
days it was a small island surrounded by an impenetrable morass, and
thickly grown with alders. Here tradition places the hut in which the
king, deep in thought, allowed the good wife's cakes to burn. Soon a
little band of faithful followers joined Alfred, and together they built
a causeway over the marshes, eventually constructing a fort from which
successful sallies were made against the Danes in the vicinity. The
rally of the Saxons round their intrepid king resulted in the victory of
Ethandune, and out of gratitude for his success, Alfred built on the
island an abbey, of which a few relics, including the famous Alfred
Jewel, remain to-day. A monument erected by Mr. John Slade marks the
spot.
A mile to the north is Boroughbridge with its solitary hill, on which
many believe that Alfred built his chief fort. The hill is now crowned
by the ruins of St. Michael's Church, St. Michael being the saint whose
name is associated with most of our hill-top shrines. Ling, the next
village, is thought to be a corruption of Atheling.
Athelney is on the edge of the flat valley of Sedgemoor, the scene of
Monmouth's defeat in 1685. The royal troops were quartered in the
villages of Weston Zoyland, Middlezoy, and Chedzoy, their headquarters
being Weston Zoyland, round which the battle raged most fiercely.
Knowing the carelessness that prevailed in the royal camp, Monmouth
attempted a night attack. On Sunday night, July 5, therefore, his troops
stole out. But they were foiled and trapped by the broad ditches called
"rhines," in which they lost their way in a helpless fashion, and a
pistol that went off in the confusion roused the Royalists, with the
result that Monmouth's followers were hopelessly routed, a thousand
being slain.
[Illustration: THE "ISLAND" OF ATHELNEY.
The Alfred memorial is in the foreground, and in the distance is the
"Mump," the lonely hill surmounted by the ruined church of
Boroughbridge.]
RAGLAN CASTLE
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Raglan.
=Distance from London.=--151-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 26s. 9d. 16s. 9d. 18s. 4-1/2d.
Return 46s. 10d. 29s. 4d. 26s. 9d.
Fares _via_ Monmouth are slightly cheaper.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Beaufort Arms."
Raglan Castle stands on a hill near a tributary of the Usk. It is the
most celebrated ruin on the borders of Wales, and is well preserved.
There is a six-sided keep with walls 10 feet thick, and a gateway with
two ivy-clad towers. It dates probably from Edward IV.'s reign, although
some writers give an earlier time. Before its destruction by the
Parliamentarians the castle was a magnificent structure. A massive
gateway leads to the arched bridge over the moat by which entrance was
gained to the castle. The moat, 30 feet broad, surrounded the keep. The
great hall had a fine roof of Irish bog oak, and the gallery was of
great length.
This fortress was garrisoned for Charles I. by the sturdy old Earl of
Worcester, who was created a marquess in 1642. He collected an army of
1500 foot-soldiers and 500 horse, which was commanded by his son, the
second marquess. After his defeat at Naseby, in July 1645, Charles fled
to Raglan and stayed till September. Sir Thomas Fairfax besieged the
castle in June 1646, and after a three months' siege the marquess
honourably surrendered to the Parliamentary forces.
This was the last stronghold in the west to hold out for Charles. The
walls of the keep were destroyed, and, in defiance of the terms of
surrender, the aged marquess was imprisoned. He died the following year,
and was buried in Windsor Castle.
The second marquess was a mechanical genius, who invented what was known
as a "Water-commanding Engine." He erected an apparatus in the moat
which spouted water as high as the top of the castle. This was the first
practical attempt to use steam as a mechanical agent. The marquess also
used his various mechanical contrivances to terrify a body of villagers
who came to search the castle for arms in the cause of the Parliament.
When the machines were set agoing the rustics fled, believing lions or
some other forms of wild animals were after them. This marquess died in
London in 1667, and was buried in Raglan Church.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
RAGLAN CASTLE.
It probably dates from the reign of Edward IV.]
DOVEDALE
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Thorpe Cloud, at the south end of Dovedale.
=Distance from London.=--152 miles.
=Average Time.=--About 4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 20s. 6d. ... 12s. 1-1/2d.
Return 39s. 10d. ... ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Izaak Walton Hotel," at Ham;
"The Peveril Hotel," near Thorpe; "Green Man," "White Hart,"
etc., at Ashbourne.
=Alternative Routes.=--Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway
to Ashbourne, thence by coach; or train from King's Cross,
Great Northern Railway.
Dovedale is the apt name given to the valley of the Dove, a river rising
on the borders of Derby and Stafford, near Buxton and Axe Edge Hill,
and, after a course of 45 miles, joining the Trent at Newton Solney. The
portion of its course chiefly associated with the name begins half a
mile from the village of Thorpe, which may be reached from Ashbourne,
the nearest station, by coach. From Thorpe the river is approached by a
stony declivity on the east of Thorpe Cloud.
The footpath is throughout on the Derbyshire side of the stream, and may
be reached from the Staffordshire side either by crossing the narrow
bridge or some stepping-stones at Thorpe Cloud. For some distance after
entering the valley the footpath follows the margin of the river, whose
banks are a mass of magnificent foliage, intermixed with a tangle of
brambles, honeysuckle, and wild roses. On the Staffordshire bank, a
little further up, the foliage suddenly changes to a mass of sheer
cliff, changing again to a mass of rifted rocks, divided into curious
turret-like terminations. This striking formation is known as Dovedale
Church, and is accompanied on the Derbyshire side by a number of rocks
which appear from below to terminate in sharp pinnacles, and have been
named "Tissington Spires," from the village close by. About 200 yards
beyond the "Church," on the Derbyshire bank, is the entrance to
Reynard's Cave, a huge cavern with an entrance 40 feet high by 20 wide,
from which the view over the dale is superb.
Throughout its whole length of nearly 3 miles the Dovedale scenery is
the extraordinary mixture of ruggedness and soft beauty, which makes it
unequalled, in its particular style, in the kingdom.
Dovedale is associated with the name of Izaak Walton and his friend
Charles Cotton, the poet.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
TISSINGTON SPIRES, DOVEDALE.]
WELLINGTON AND THE WREKIN, SHROPSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Wellington.
=Distance from London.=--152-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 3-3/4 to 4-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 22s. 8d. 15s. 0d. 12s. 0-1/2d.
Return 42s. 2d. 26s. 6d. 24s. 1d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Wrekin Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
To reach the top of the Wrekin from Wellington--a distance of 3
miles--one must follow the main road to Shrewsbury for a mile; then
turning to the left, having skirted a ridge of the hills, and following
a lane one reaches the foot of the ascent. The Wrekin, although it rises
in such a compact and lonely fashion from the level country, is not one
single height, but a range consisting of four hills. Those on the
north-east are called the Ercall and Lawrence hills, while those on the
west are the Wrekin and Primrose hills.
The Wrekin is composed of igneous rocks, and is one of the most
remarkable examples of eruptive trap in England. Its shoulders are of
silurian and carboniferous strata. The sedimentary deposits within the
influence of the volcanic action have passed through considerable
changes, the sandstone having become granitic quartz rock, chiefly
composed of pure white quartz with particles of decomposed felspar.
Close to the valleys of Little Wenlock, to the south-east of the Wrekin,
are irregularly shaped bosses of basaltic greenstone.
The folk-lore concerning the Wrekin is, of course, rich and full of
detail. One legend says that two giants set to work to make themselves a
citadel, and dug out the earth required for the purpose from the bed of
the Severn. The top of the Wrekin is 1335 feet high, and owing to its
remarkably isolated position the horizon on a clear day has a
circumference of 350 miles. It is not surprising, therefore, that the
hill was used as a beacon station in early days. The great sweeping
prospect from the summit includes the Malvern Hills, Caradoc and the
Brown Clee group, Plinlimmon, Cader Idris, the Brecknock Beacons, Arran
Fowdy, and the Berwin chain of mountains, overtopped by the Snowdon
range.
Wellington is chiefly modern, and its old church was rebuilt in 1789.
The chief industry is nail-making.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._
THE WREKIN FROM WELLINGTON.]
WROXETER AND THE ROMAN CITY OF URICONIUM, SALOP
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Upton Magna _via_ Shrewsbury (Wroxeter lies 2-1/2
miles south of Upton Magna).
=Distance from London.=--159 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 3-1/4 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 23s. 10d. 15s. 9d. 12s. 7d.
Return 44s. 0d. 27s. 6d. 25s. 2d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Shrewsbury, "Raven Hotel," "Lion
Hotel," "George Hotel," etc.
The village of Wroxeter would not be of exceptional interest but for the
proximity of the site of the Roman city of Uriconium. It is owing to
this fact that the churchyard gate is composed of Roman pillars and
capitals. A summer-house in an adjoining garden is also made of Roman
materials, and the church contains a font in the form of an adapted
Roman capital, obtained with the rest from Uriconium. The church is
chiefly Norman, but probably a portion of the south wall of the chancel
is Saxon.
The little village occupies the southern extremity of the Roman city
whose circumference measures about 3 miles. One can trace the limits of
the place by the indications of the vallum and fosse.
There is no doubt that Uriconium was the Romanised capital of the
Cornavii, a British tribe, and it is equally well known that the town
became the centre of a network of great roads leading in different
directions. The walls enclosed an area more than twice the size of Roman
London, and one may easily gauge its importance and its princely style
of buildings from the traces of its forum and its amphitheatre, as well
as from its wide streets.
The huge destruction brought about when the city was overwhelmed by the
West Saxons left the place a mass of ruins, for there are evident signs
that the place was plundered and burned. During the Middle Ages there
must have been, however, more than mere rubbish heaps, and the many
walls then standing were probably destroyed by monks in order to furnish
cheap material for ecclesiastical buildings. There is, notwithstanding
this, a great piece of wall 72 feet long by 20 feet high. The other
remains consist of a blacksmith's shop and the site of a market-place. A
warming apparatus under one of the floors is even more perfect than is
usually discovered in Rome. The key of the enclosure containing the
chief portion of the remains is obtainable at the neighbouring cottage.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._
WROXETER.
Remains of the Roman city of Uriconium at Wroxeter. The wall is 20 feet
high in places. A warming apparatus in the foundation of one of the
houses is more perfect than those usually found in Rome.]
BUILDWAS ABBEY, SHROPSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Buildwas Junction (1/2 mile from Abbey).
=Distance from London.=--160 miles.
=Average Time.=--4-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 24s. 2d. 16s. 3d. 13s.
Return 45s. 6d. 28s. 6d. 26s.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Abbey Inn."
The village of Buildwas is situated at the foot of the Wrekin, on the
banks of the Severn, half a mile distant from the ruined abbey lying on
the south bank of the river. It was one of the oldest Cistercian
monasteries in England, and was founded by Roger de Clinton the Crusader
Bishop of Chester in 1135, for monks of the Cistercian order. The
building, erected on the site of a hermitage, to which an early bishop
of Lincoln had retired in the time of King Offa, was destined to become
one of the richest establishments in the kingdom. It was partly
destroyed in 1536 and the site granted to Edward Grey, Lord Powis, who
married Anne, daughter of Charles Brandon, Duke of Sussex.
But though the monastery itself was destroyed, the outer walls of the
noble church remain, together with a great portion of the massive
central tower, the choir chapels, and the east end, with its delicate
lancet-windows. The clerestory, with its Norman windows, is also intact
on both sides of the nave, and between the columns are remains of the
screen which once shut off the eastern aisle. The door on the south side
leading to the dormitories of the monks may still be traced.
The ruins of the chapter-house are remarkably fine, and in good
preservation, with a beautiful early Gothic groined roof. Beyond the
chapter-house are the refectory and kitchen, and on the side next to the
river were the cloisters. In the outer court of the abbey stood the
lodge, and there was formerly a fine gatehouse, which collapsed in
1828, and is now almost entirely gone.
The brook, that once flowed across the abbey court, still works the mill
close by; but the fine old bridge over the Severn, built by the monks,
was taken down in 1690.
A good way of seeing Buildwas is to go there from Shrewsbury by an early
train, walking to Leighton and Eaton Constantine, both charming
villages, and rejoining the train at Cressage for Shrewsbury. An
alternative route is from Shrewsbury to Much Wenlock, where there are
the ruins of a fine Abbey.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
BUILDWAS ABBEY.
The ruins of the Church. This was one of the oldest Cistercian
monasteries in England.]
LUDLOW AND ITS CASTLE
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Ludlow.
=Distance from London.=--162 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 4-1/2 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 24s. 4d. 15s. 6d. 12s. 4-1/2d.
Return 43s. 4d. 27s. 2d. 24s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Feathers Hotel," "Angel
Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
Beautifully situated in a lovely valley surrounded by wooded hills,
Ludlow presents a picture of an ancient but prosperous city. The town is
placed at the meeting of two small rivers, the Teme and Corve, which
flow into the Severn. On the top of a hill in the western part of the
town is the old castle, which was a royal residence from early times. It
was built at the time of the Conquest, and was the most important of all
the castles that guarded the Welsh border. The eldest son of Edward IV.
lived in the castle under the guardianship of his uncle, Lord Rivers,
and he was proclaimed king there when only twelve years old. Prince
Arthur, the first husband of Katharine of Aragon, and the eldest son of
Henry VII., was also brought up and educated in the castle. In the Civil
War the Parliamentary troops partially destroyed the castle, but it was
not until the reign of George I. that the buildings were unroofed for
the sake of their lead.
Sir Henry Sidney, the father of the famous Sir Philip Sidney, resided at
Ludlow, being President of the Council of Wales. In the Great Hall, now
roofless, Milton's masque _Comus_ was performed for the first time, and
Samuel Butler is said to have written part of _Hudibras_ in a little
room over the entrance gateway.
The Parish Church, also situated at the top of the hill, is mainly a
fifteenth-century building, although it contains some earlier work. The
fine east window, occupying the whole breadth of the chancel, is filled
with very old stained glass, depicting the life of St. Lawrence. There
is a round church in the castle, said to be one of the earliest circular
churches in England. The streets are full of picturesque old houses, the
most celebrated being the "Feathers Inn," a beautiful Jacobean house
containing a coffee-room which has a most elaborately decorated plaster
ceiling and fine oak-panelled walls. The appearance of the room is
exceedingly rich. The Grammar School, founded by the Guild of Palmers,
claims to be the oldest in England.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._
LUDLOW, SHOWING THE PARISH CHURCH.]
SHREWSBURY
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Shrewsbury.
=Distance from London.=--162-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 3-1/4 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 24s. 4d. 16s. 3d. 13s.
Return 45s. 6d. 28s. 6d. 26s.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Raven Hotel," "George Inn,"
"Lion Inn," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
The ancient city of Shrewsbury, surrounded on three sides by the river
Severn, is most beautifully situated on a lofty peninsula. It was a
British stronghold before the Conquest, when it was given by William the
Conqueror to Roger de Montgomery, who built the castle which stands on
the narrow isthmus leading to the town. Henry IV. stayed in the castle
in 1403, before the battle with Harry Hotspur, which was fought at
Battlefield, about 3 miles from the town. Only the keep of the old
Norman castle remains, and that is now used as a modern residence. The
quaint streets of Shrewsbury not only retain their old names, such as
Wyle Cop and Dogpole, but are filled with half-timbered houses of the
fifteenth century.
At the old Grammar School, built in 1630, and now converted into a free
library and museum, many distinguished scholars have been educated,
among them Sir Philip Sidney and Judge Jeffreys. Outside this school is
erected a statue to Charles Darwin, a former scholar, who was born in
the old suburb of Frankwell. (For Darwin's home at Downe, see Index).
The Elizabethan Market House and the Council House, which was visited by
both Charles I. and James II. on different occasions, are two of the
numerous fascinating old buildings to be seen in Shrewsbury.