still called the "Forge," was possibly an ironworks under the
superintendence of the monks.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
RIEVAULX ABBEY.]
BRIXHAM, DEVON
LANDING-PLACE OF WILLIAM III.
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Brixham.
=Distance from London.=--222-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 5-1/4 to 6-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 34s. 0d. 21s. 4d. 17s. 0-1/2d.
Return 59s. 8d. 37s. 4d. ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Queen's Hotel," "The Bolton,"
"The George Hotel," "The Globe," etc.
On the southern side of Tor Bay is Brixham, the fishing village selected
by William of Orange as a landing-place when in 1688, at the request of
the English Parliament, he brought over an army raised in Holland. It
was from here, too, that he commenced his victorious march to London
with thirteen thousand men--Exeter, Bristol, and other towns throwing
open their gates to welcome the Prince of Orange. The French, on the
momentous occasion of the visit of Admiral Tourville to the English
coast during the reign of James II., found Tor Bay a safe place for
their fleet to anchor, and William of Orange, probably having heard of
this, chose the same portion of the Devonshire seaboard. The exact spot
on which the Dutch prince first placed his foot on shore is marked by a
brass footprint, and close by stands the statue of England's third
William, overlooking the quaint quay, the brown-sailed fishing-boats,
and the old-world village.
Brixham is just such another town as Newlyn or Port Isaac, for its
streets are narrow and winding, and there are flights of stone steps
here and there which add considerably to the picturesqueness of the
place.
Brixham can easily be visited at the same time as Dartmouth, which is
dealt with on another page. Totnes can also be reached by taking the
train to Paignton, whence run two omnibuses at various intervals
throughout the day. It is a delightful drive, occupying less than an
hour. Totnes has a very quaint little main street which rises steeply
from the bridge over the Dart. Near the highest portion the roadway is
crossed by one of the old gateways of the town. This feature and the
many quaint gabled houses give a charm to the place, making it
attractive to all who love old architecture. Fragments of the old walls,
a second gateway, and the shell of the castle, which is possibly
pre-Norman, are also in existence.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
BRIXHAM HARBOUR.
Showing the statue of William of Orange on the spot where he landed in
1688.]
CONWAY CASTLE
=How to get there.=--From Euston Station. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Conway.
=Distance from London.=--225 miles.
=Average Time.=--6-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 35s. 9d. 20s. 7d. 18s. 8d.
Return 65s. 0d. 36s. 6d. 33s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Castle Hotel," "Erskine Arms,"
"Bridge Hotel," "Harp Hotel," "Aberconway Temperance
Hotel" (old house containing coffee-room dated 1400), and others.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington, _via_ Chester. Great
Western Railway.
The castle at Conway is one of the noblest fortresses in the kingdom,
the only one to approach it in size being the famous building at
Carnarvon. The present town of Conway has gradually sprung up round the
castle, built by Edward I. in 1284 to intimidate the Welsh. It was
unsuccessfully besieged by them in 1290. At the commencement of the
Parliamentarian War, the castle was garrisoned for the King by Williams,
Archbishop of York, but was taken by Mytton in 1646. The building was
comparatively unhurt during the war, but the lead and timber were
removed at the Restoration by Lord Conway, who dismantled the beautiful
fortress in a most barbarous manner, and the edifice was allowed to fall
more or less into decay.
The castle stands on the verge of a precipitous rock on the south-east of
the town, one side bounded by the river, a second by a tidal creek; the
other frontages overlook the town. It constitutes part of the walls of
Conway, which, with the castle, form the finest examples extant of
thirteenth-century military fortification. The castle itself was a
perfect specimen of a fortress, with walls of enormous thickness,
flanked by eight huge embattled towers. There are some traces still
remaining of the royal features of "Queen Eleanor's Oratory."
Near the Castle Hotel, in a side street, stands _Plas Mawe_, the "Great
House," a rich example of domestic Elizabethan architecture, built in
1585 by Robert Wynn of Gwydir. The rooms contain much oak panelling and
carving. A charge of 6d. is made for admission to the house.
Conway has a station of its own within the walls of the town, but the
visitor will do well to get out at Llandudno Junction, where a walk of a
few hundred yards leads to the famous Suspension Bridge, designed by
Telford in 1826.
The charge for admission to the castle is 3d.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
CONWAY CASTLE.
It is one of the finest of the ruined castles England possesses. The
suspension bridge was designed by Telford in 1826.]
THE DOONE VALLEY, EXMOOR
ASSOCIATED WITH "LORNA DOONE"
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo _via_ Barnstaple. L. and
S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Lynton (about 6 miles distant).
=Distance from London.=--225 miles.
=Average Time.=--7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 37s. 10d. 24s. 0d. 18s. 10-1/2d.
Return 65s. 6d. 42s. 0d. 37s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--Lynton--"The Tors Hotel," "Valley
of Rocks," "Royal Castle," "Kensington," "Crown," "Globe,"
etc. Minehead--"Métropole," "Beach," "Plume of Feathers,"
etc. Porlock--"The Ship," "The Castle," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington to Minehead, Great
Western Rly. By coach from Minehead _via_ Porlock, 12 miles.
Every one who has read the late Mr. R.D. Blackmore's _Lorna Doone_ has a
keen interest in what is frequently called the Doone Country. This
comprises the north-west corner of Exmoor, bordering on the boundaries
of Devonshire. But those who visit the little village of Oare and
Badgworthy Water must not expect to see all that the novelist's
imagination conjured up. Nevertheless, though some have been
disappointed, there is much to be seen which is of interest. The church
at Oare, for instance, is closely associated with John Ridd and Lorna,
and the Snowe family, mentioned by the novelist, are commemorated in the
church. Then, too, the feats of a "Great John Ridd" are obscurely
traditional in the district.
The Doone valley, with Badgworthy (pronounced _Badgery_) Water running
through it, is about half-an-hour's walk from Malmsmead Bridge, which is
close to the village of Oare. Keeping up the course of the stream one
reaches a wood of oaks, and near it one finds a tributary of the brook
falling down a series of miniature cascades. This is the "water slide"
up which Blackmore took his hero on the occasion of his first meeting
with Lorna Doone. If one crosses a bridge near this the path will be
found to continue for about a mile. At this distance one turns to the
right by another stream, and enters a combe containing the ruins of the
Doone Houses as they are called. A lonely cottage looks down upon all
that is to be seen of the famous stronghold of the Doones. The narrow
approach to the place never existed outside the pages of the romance.
The scenery of this portion of Exmoor is exceedingly wild.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE DOONE VALLEY, EXMOOR.
Associated with Blackmore's _Lorna Doone_.]
LLANDOVERY, SOUTH WALES
A CENTRE FOR THE FINE SCENERY OF THE DISTRICT
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Llandovery.
=Distance from London.=--228 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 6-3/4 to 8-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 33s. 11d. 21s. 1d. 16s. 10d.
Return 58s. 9d. 37s. 0d. 33s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Castle Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
The town of Llandovery, chiefly interesting by reason of the interesting
and picturesque excursions in its vicinity, is situate in the county of
Carmarthenshire, 24 miles north-east of Carmarthen. The town stands on
the river Bran, near its junction with the Towy, in a beautiful valley,
surrounded by wooded hills. Besides these two rivers, some smaller
streams join in the neighbourhood, and from this fact comes the name of
the place, a corruption of the Welsh _Llan ym Ddy fri_, or Church among
the Waters.
There are two churches of some interest, the more important being the
one in the main street, where the famous Rhys Pritchard was vicar in
1602. The other church stands on higher ground to the north of the town,
on the site of the old Roman station.
On a grassy knoll, adjoining the Castle Hotel and overlooking the river
Bran, are the remains of Llandovery Castle, built about the twelfth
century, and dismantled by Cromwell's orders.
Llandovery is a good starting-place for the ascent of the
Carmarthenshire Van (_i.e._ Beacon), about 13 miles distant, one of the
highest peaks in South Wales. The view from the summit of the Van in
clear weather is magnificent. Near at hand are the Black Mountains, a
rather gloomy sandstone range, and in the distance are the mountains of
North Wales, Swansea Bay, and the Devonshire coast. An easy descent may
be effected on the south-eastern side of the mountain to Penwyllt
station, on the Brecon-Swansea line. Just below this is Craig-y-Nos
Castle, the home of Madame Patti-Nicolini.
Among other interesting excursions from Llandovery are those to
Irecastle, a village in the valley of the Usk; Ystradffyn, near which a
splendid panorama of the valley of the Towy is obtained; and Pumpsaint,
a romantic village with a gold-mine near at hand.
[Illustration: _H.F. Dann._
LLANDOVERY CASTLE.
It was built in the twelfth century, and dismantled by Cromwell's
orders.]
DARTMOUTH, DEVON
=How to get there.=--From Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Dartmouth (by steam ferry from Kingswear).
=Distance from London.=--229 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 5-1/2 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 34s. 6d. 21s. 6d. 17d. 3d.
Return 60s. 3d. 37s. 10d. ...
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Castle Hotel," "Raleigh
Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--None.
There is scarcely a more romantic spot in the whole of England than
Dartmouth. Spread out on one of the steep slopes of the Dart, it
overlooks the deep-set river towards the sea and inland towards Totnes.
Steep wooded banks rising out of the water's edge give the windings of
the estuary the feeling of solemn mystery which is not obtainable from
meadows or ploughlands. In the midst of scenery of this character--and
it must have been richer still a few centuries back--the inhabitants of
Dartmouth made history.
Perhaps the earliest mention of Dartmouth is by Chaucer. Among his
Canterbury Pilgrims he says:--
A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by weste;
For ought I wost, he was of Dertemouthe.
Whether this particular "schipman" was given over to piracy it is not
possible to say, but the nature of their splendid harbour, which they
protected with a great chain drawn across the narrow outlet to the sea,
led the Dartmouth men into a trade which to-day goes by that name. Thus
in the days of Queen Elizabeth, and even in more recent times, these
lusty sailors gained a livelihood by periodical harryings of the
opposite coast of Brittany, suffering in the chances of such warfare the
disadvantages of sudden incursions of the Bretons, which, despite the
chain and the two little castles at the mouth of the inlet, were
sometimes so successful that when the Frenchmen retired there were a
good many heaps of smoking ashes where comfortable homes had stood.
Despite the varied turns of fortune's wheel, there are still many fine
old gabled houses in Dartmouth, with overhanging upper stories rich in
carved oak.
The church of St. Saviour contains a finely carved pulpit, and is full
of indications of the wealth and importance of Dartmouth in the past.
Though a chain is no longer used to close the entrance to the Dart, the
remains of the two little towers are still to be seen.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
THE BUTTER MARKET AT DARTMOUTH.
Although the town possesses many fine old seventeenth-century houses,
these in the Butter Market are the finest examples.]
RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE
=How to get there.=--Train from King's Cross. Great Northern
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Richmond.
=Distance from London.=--237 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 6-1/2 to 9-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 33s. 6d. ... 19s. 9d.
Return 67s. 0d. ... 39s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Fleece Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from St. Pancras _via_ Sheffield. Midland
Railway.
Richmond was a place of considerable importance at the time of the
Norman Conquest, when William I. gave the title of Richmond to his
kinsman, Alan Rufus, on his obtaining the estates of the Saxon Earl
Edwin, which then extended over nearly a third of the North Riding of
Yorkshire. When Henry VII., who was Earl of Richmond, came to the
throne, these possessions reverted to the Crown, and many years later
Charles II. gave the title to the Lennoxes, with whose descendants it
still remains.
The castle, which is the most striking feature of Richmond, stands on an
almost perpendicular rock, 100 feet above the level of the Swale, and in
its best days must have been practically impregnable. The structure is
now in ruins, though the Norman keep with pinnacled corner towers is
still intact, the walls being over 100 feet high and 11 feet thick. At
the south-east corner is the ruin of a smaller tower, beneath which is a
dungeon 15 feet deep, and at the south-western corner is another lofty
tower. The castle originally covered five acres, and from its
magnificent position commanded the whole of the surrounding country.
The church, standing on the hillside near the castle, is full of
interest, and has been admirably restored by Sir Gilbert Scott, who used
the old materials as far as possible. The greater part of the choir and
the tower are Perpendicular, the rest Decorated, and two of the old
Norman piers remain at the west end. The screen and stall work brought
from Easby Abbey are of great beauty, and the carvings on the subsellia
are quaint and humorous.
Besides the castle, there are the remains of a Grey Friars' monastery,
founded in 1258 by Ralph Fitz-Randal, and situated at the back of
French-gate; and about a mile from the town the ruins of the monastery
of St. Martin and the abbey of St. Agatha, on the north bank of the
Swale, in the adjoining parish of Easby.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
RICHMOND CASTLE.
It stands upon a perpendicular rock one hundred feet above the river
Swale.]
TINTAGEL
=How to get there.=--Train from Waterloo, L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Camelford. Thence by omnibus to Tintagel (4-1/2
miles distant) twice daily.
=Distance from London.=--241 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 6-1/2 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 41s. 0d. 26s. 3d. 21s. 3d.
Return 72s. 2d. 46s. 4d. 42s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"King Arthur's," "Castle Hotel,"
"Tintagel," etc.
Tintagel Castle is situated near Bossiney, a place of some importance in
bygone times, to judge from the number of ruins of houses to be seen
there. Situated as the castle is, high up on a mass of dark, slaty rock
in one of the wildest parts of the coast of Northern Cornwall, it is a
suitable spot to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. The
formation of the rocky ground is very interesting. Tintagel itself is
almost an island, but a low isthmus connects it with the mainland. On
both sides of the chasm are the ruins of the castle, and wide as the gap
is, the buildings on the mainland and on the rock are in an exact line,
and present the same characteristic features, thus showing that there
has probably been a considerable subsidence of the land at that point.
The castle must have been almost inaccessible. In the time of Leland a
chapel occupied part of the keep. Some doubt is entertained as to the
date of the building of the castle, opinion being divided between a
Norman, a Saxon, or a Roman origin.
The remains of a British or Saxon church are to be found on the summit
of the island. The church is supposed to have belonged to the abbey and
convent of Fontevrault, in Normandy. It was afterwards given by Edward
IV. to the Collegiate Church of Windsor, the dean and the chapter being
the patrons. Parts of the church of Tintagel have recently been restored
by the vicar of the parish.
About 3 miles from Tintagel is the Slaughter Bridge, which derives its
names from the two great battles which were fought there, one between
King Arthur and his nephew, who died in 542, when Arthur was said to
have been mortally wounded, and the other between the Britons and Saxons
in 823. Other ancient relics in the form of barrows and stone crosses
are to be found in this neighbourhood.
For Stonehenge and other prehistoric remains, see Index.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
KING ARTHUR'S CASTLE, TINTAGEL.
One of the wildest spots on the north coast of Cornwall.]
WHITBY
=How to get there.=--Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=--Whitby.
=Distance from London.=--244-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 34s. 6d. ... 20s. 4d.
Return 69s. 0d. ... 40s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Hotel," "Crown Hotel,"
"Métropole Hotel," etc.
Whitby is renowned for its ancient abbey and its beautiful situation on
the high and rocky coast of Yorkshire, just where the river Esk finds a
way to the sea. The Esk cuts the town into two portions. East Cliff is
on the one side, with its hoary abbey and quaint parish church on its
summit, towering over the old fishing hamlet which clusters so
picturesquely at its base. West Cliff is on the other side, a modern,
fashionable seaside resort. Close by are the heather-clad moors with
their keen, invigorating air.
From the bottom of East Cliff one ascends by 199 steps to the abbey,
which was founded in (_circa_) 658. Its first abbess was the saintly
Lady Hilda. During her rule, the poor cowherd, Caedmon, sleeping among
the cattle, being ashamed that he could not take harp and sing among the
rest, had his wonderful dream. An angel appeared to him and told him to
sing the Beginning of the Creation. Immediately the cowherd went to the
Abbess Hilda and sang his song. He became our first English poet.
In 870 the abbey and town were destroyed by the Danes. The
ecclesiastical buildings were deserted for two hundred years, but the
town was rebuilt and prospered. The foundations of the present buildings
were laid in 1220, and the abbey flourished till the Dissolution, when
it was despoiled. Even in its ruinous condition it is a marvellous
specimen of Gothic architecture. The choir, with its north aisle and
transept, parts of the north aisle, and the west front are standing.
The Parish Church of St. Mary is worth a visit because of its extreme
age (it dates from Norman times) and its quaint ugliness. Whitby built
the ship in which Captain Cook sailed round the world. The house where
he served his apprenticeship to a shipbuilder is in Grape Lane. The jet
works are only carried on to a limited extent. In the Scaur, below East
Cliff, ammonites are to be found.
A charge of threepence is made for admission to the abbey.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
WHITBY.
The old town from across the harbour.]
CARNARVON CASTLE
=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Carnarvon.
=Distance from London.=--246 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 7 and 9-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 39s. 11d. 22s. 9d. 20s. 7-1/2d.
Return 72s. 0d. 38s. 6d. 35s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Hotel," "Royal Sportsman
Hotel," "Castle Hotel," "Queen's Hotel," "Prince of Wales
Hotel," "Arvonia Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--From Paddington _via_ Chester, 282 miles. Fares
as from Euston.
The town of Carnarvon is situated on the east side of the Menai Straits,
close by the side of the Roman station of _Segontium_, which was
connected with Chester by Watling Street. There is said to have been a
fortress here shortly after the Conquest, but the real beginning of the
importance of Carnarvon was the erection of the magnificent castle there
by Edward I., immediately after his conquest of the principality. The
work was commenced in 1283, and occupied more than ten years. In 1284,
the birth of Edward II., the first Prince of Wales, took place at
Carnarvon. During the Civil War the castle changed hands several times;
at length, in 1646, it was taken and held by the Parliamentary forces
under General Mytton.
Portions of the old Roman wall of the city still exist, and numerous
interesting relics have been found. Traces of the old Roman forts or
outposts are also to be seen.
The remains of the castle are very extensive, covering nearly three
acres. The outer walls, from 8 to 10 feet thick, are nearly perfect, and
have thirteen towers, with turrets of five, six, or eight sides. The
five-sided Eagle Tower is one of the loftiest, and takes its name from
the finely sculptured figure of an eagle which surmounts it. This tower
is entered by the Water Gate. The other entrances to the castle are by a
gateway on the north side, under a tower bearing a statue of Edward I.,
and by Queen Eleanor's Gate, which looks northward and is defended by
four portcullises.
The enclosure originally formed two courts, and though the interior
buildings are in a very decayed state, the outer walls have been
preserved to a great extent by judicious restoration. Thus Carnarvon
Castle is a prominent feature in the general aspect of the town, and
shares with the magnificent remains at Conway the honour of being one of
the two finest castles in the kingdom.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
CARNARVON CASTLE.
The birth of Edward II., the first Prince of Wales, took place here.]
PLYMOUTH
=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Plymouth (North Road Station).
=Distance from London.=--246 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 5-1/4 to 6-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 37s. 4d. 23s. 4d. 18s. 8d.
Return 65s. 4d. 40s. 10d. 37s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Royal Hotel," "Central Hotel,"
"Chubb's Hotel," "Grand Hotel," "The Lockyer Hotel," "Duke
of Cornwall Hotel," "Mount Pleasant Hotel," "Great Western
Hotel," "Westminster Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
Down by Sutton Pool is the portion of the quay known as the Barbican,
famous as the spot from which the _Mayflower_ cast off her moorings and
commenced her momentous voyage across the Atlantic. The place is marked
by a stone inserted among the granite sets, bearing the inscription
"_Mayflower_ 1620."
The Pilgrim Fathers had started from Delfshaven, in Holland, in July,
and after coming to Southampton, started their voyage in the _Mayflower_
and _Speedwell_. The _Speedwell_, however, proved unseaworthy, and both
ships were obliged to put into Dartmouth, where the _Speedwell_
underwent repairs. When they started again, however, it became evident
that the _Speedwell_ would not be able to stand the long Atlantic
voyage, so once more the Puritans put back to the shelter of a
port--this time Plymouth--and there abandoned the _Speedwell_. On 6th
September 1620 (old style) they finally started, having reduced their
numbers to 101 persons--48 men, the rest women and children.