SECTION IX

(TRUNK ROUTE)

ABERGAVENNY TO GLOUCESTER VIA NEWPORT AND MONMOUTH, 84¼ MILES

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE

Miles.

=Abergavenny= to Raglan Castle 9

=Raglan Castle= to Usk 5¼

=Usk= to Caerleon 7¾

=Caerleon= to Newport 3¼

=Newport= to Caerwent 11

=Caerwent= to Chepstow 5

=Chepstow= to Tintern 5¼

=Tintern= to Monmouth 11

=Monmouth= to Whitchurch 4½

=Whitchurch= to Ross 6

=Ross= to Lea 4½

=Lea= to Dursley Cross 3

=Dursley Cross= to Gloucester 8¾

NOTES FOR DRIVERS

Abergavenny to Newport.=--No steep hills, fine surface.

Newport to Ross.=--A splendid road; at Chepstow a hill 1 in 12.

At =Whitchurch= a dangerous hill, 1 in 10, with poor surface.

After passing =Goodrich= the Wye is crossed by Kerne Bridge, where a

toll is charged for motor-cars.

=Ross to Gloucester.=--Very good; no stiff gradients.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE

=Raglan.=--Village and church; beautiful ruins of the castle;

picturesque scenery.

=Usk.=--A village, with ruins of castle and a Norman church.

=Caerleon.=--A village, with museum of Roman antiquities; the

amphitheatre.

=Newport.=--A busy port; ruins of the castle; interesting church of

St. Woollos; the docks.

=Caerwent.=--Small village with Roman remains; Caldicott Castle is a

little to south of route.

=Chepstow.=--A market town; the castle, a fine example of a Norman

fortress; the church, chiefly of Norman architecture.

=Tintern Abbey.=--One of the most beautiful ruins in England.

=Tintern Parva.=--Hamlet, with small Early English church.

=Monmouth.=--A pleasant county town; the county buildings; Monnow

Bridge or Western Gate; church, modern except tower.

=Symond's Yat.=--Beautiful scenery on the Wye.

=Goodrich Castle.=--On the Wye; beautiful ruins of one of the earliest

castles built in England.

=Ross.=--Picturesque little town; Wilton Castle and bridge; the market

hall; the 'Man of Ross'; the church, good Early English work, with

interesting monuments; the castle remains.

=Dursley Cross.=--The Long Hope; very fine views.

=Gloucester.=--Old-fashioned county town; a grand cathedral, with tomb

of Edward II.; the Guildhall; the museum; Llanthony Abbey; the

churches of St. Catherine, St. Mary de Lode, St. Mary de Crypt, and

others; many old timbered houses; the New Inn.

[Map: (TRUNK) No. 9. ABERGAVENNY TO GLOUCESTER.]

[Map: ABERGAVENNY TO GLOUCESTER.]

Soon after leaving Abergavenny the classic portico of Coldbrook House,

in its large park, is passed upon the left. Looking backwards over the

route, the picturesque situation of Abergavenny is seen, with the

Sugar Loaf, nearly 2,000 feet in height, towering up beyond. Upon the

right Blorenge Hill stands out boldly, a great rounded mass clothed

with plantations to the summit. It is a prominent feature in the

landscape for some time.

Between Abergavenny and Llanvihangel-on-Usk the road follows the

railway-line and the river, and at the latter place a pretty stretch

of Usk scenery is met, while the fine church of Llangattock-juxta-Usk,

where there are some awkward turnings in the road, is well worth a

visit. Just beyond Llanvihangel the road to Raglan branches off to the

left, and a glance backwards shows the great mass of the Brecknock

Beacons silhouetted against the western sky. Clytha Castle, a building

dating from 1790, stands near this parting of the ways. Although so

near the border-line between England and Wales, the stereotyped

whitewashed cottages of Wales are still to be seen.

RAGLAN

The road to the castle turns to the left in the middle of the village,

and stops abruptly at a meadow in which are the entrance-gates.

(_Admission to the castle 6d. at any reasonable time on weekdays; on

Sundays from 2.30 to 5._)

A description of Raglan Castle that will give an approximate idea of

the exquisite beauty of this ruin has yet to be written; many have

attempted it, but all have fallen short of the charming reality. It is

a poem in stone; a crystallized ideal of all that was beautiful in

medieval architecture; the embodiment of centuries of progressive

emulation in castle-building, now mellowed by the hand of time, and

with its corners and rough edges covered by clinging masses of

creepers. It is eminently the most beautiful ruin to be met with in

this western tour. The chief characteristic is undoubtedly the

detached keep, which was built after the main structure; the element

of romance and mystery haunts one while looking down upon the dark

waters of the moat encircling this keep, and one feels a

disinclination to leave the place, although other castles await one.

No part of the building is of a date anterior to Henry V., and it was

chiefly erected by Sir William ap Thomas and his son, William, Earl of

Pembroke, who was beheaded in 1469.

Subsequent architecture, however, may be traced down to the time of

Charles I. It came into the possession of the Beaufort family (the

present owner is the Duke of that name) by the marriage of an

ancestor. The Earl of Richmond, afterwards Henry VII., was a prisoner

here for a time, and Charles I. sought refuge within these walls after

Naseby, in 1645. It was besieged by Fairfax in 1646, and dismantled by

Act of Parliament.

Raglan Church is not worthy of much attention if time is short. The

tower was rebuilt, it is said, after having been demolished for

strategic purposes by Cromwell's orders.

USK

Usk was formerly a Roman station, and in the immediate vicinity there

are several encampments, both Roman and British, where excellent

views are obtainable over the surrounding country, reaching to the

mountains near Abergavenny and to the wooded summits about Monmouth.

~The Castle~, now dismantled and covered with ivy, stands upon a

prominent hill to the north; the Parliamentarians were responsible for

its destruction.

~The Church~ is of Norman origin, with a tower rebuilt in recent years.

CAERLEON

'For Arthur on the Whitsuntide before

Held court at old Caerleon upon Usk.'

_Idylls of the King._

The name of Caerleon brings vivid recollections to the mind of the

Round Table and King Arthur, but its history commenced before the

sixth century, when the great Pendragon flourished. The name Caerleon

means 'The Camp of the Legion,' the Roman _Isca Silurum_, the capital

city of the province of _Britannia Secunda_. After the Roman

occupation it became a seat of learning. Remains of villas, Roman

walls, and other traces of the conquerors of the world, abound, and

the local museum is rich in treasures--chiefly of that period, but by

no means confined to it. The building is upon the farther side of the

churchyard. (_There is no fixed charge, but a box for contributions.

Key at the schoolhouse opposite._) The church is Early English, with

traces of Norman work in it. To the right of the schoolhouse a lane

leads for about a hundred yards to a field on the left, opposite a

racecourse, where the amphitheatre, 220 feet by 190 feet, may be seen.

Excavations have revealed the stone seats surrounding this concave

site, known locally as 'King Arthur's Round Table.' In the main street

of the sleepy little town some old timbered houses are found, and of

the once famous castle nothing now remains except a small tower, which

once protected the bridge over the river, behind the Hanbury Arms Inn.

The few houses upon the other bank of the Usk are known as 'Ultra

Pontem,' a most remarkable instance of persistence and survival. It is

difficult when walking through the streets of Caerleon to realize that

London, York, and this little place were once the three chief cities

of Britain.

NEWPORT

Newport is an example of rapid growth from a small market town into a

flourishing port, with extensive docks, wharves, and jetties. It,

however, may claim a high antiquity, for it formed a post during the

Roman period.

~The Castle.~--This was at one time an extensive building, and the river

face of it is still of impressive proportions. For many years the ruin

was occupied by a brewery, but the town has lately gained possession

of the sadly-diminished fortress. A deep moat, filled at high tide,

defended the walls of the bailey on the north, west, and south sides,

but all this has vanished, leaving only the eastern side, with three

imposing towers, washed by the muddy waters of the Usk. The Norman

Fitzharon, who conquered Glamorgan, built a castle at Newport towards

the close of the eleventh century; but the existing structure is three

centuries later, and was, to some extent, remodelled in the fifteenth

century. The town was protected by a wall as late as Leland's time,

and he speaks of three gates. One of these was close to the inn,

called the West Gate to this day. Conspicuous in the High Street is

the house of the _murringer_, a person whose duties were in connection

with the guarding of the wall.

~The Church of St. Woollos~ has been restored, but preserves many of its

Norman features, and contains interesting memorials, some of them of

considerable antiquity. A remarkable feature is the separation of the

tower from the church by a small building, the Chapel of St. Mary,

believed by some ecclesiologists to be the primitive church founded

_c._ 550, and, if so, the most ancient building still used for

Christian worship in the United Kingdom. The two structures are

divided by a good Norman arch, the columns of which appear to be of

Roman origin, and were possibly brought from Caerleon.

During the Chartist riots the Mayor of Newport, backed by some

soldiers, defended himself from a mob headed by Jack Frost. Bullet

marks may be seen upon a wooden pillar in the West Gate Hotel, where

the Mayor concentrated his defence, many of the rioters being killed

and wounded.

* * * * *

The road from Newport to Caerwent gives wide views over the alluvial

flats between it and the Estuary of the Severn, protected from

inundations by extensive embankments, while to the north the great

woods lying upon high land are a pleasing contrast. At first the road

is nearly flat, but it becomes undulating near Caerwent. This road is

part of the _Via Julia_, which commenced near the mouth of the Severn,

passed through Caerwent and Caerleon, and terminated at Neath in

Glamorganshire.

~Cencoed Castle~ lies upon the right hand; the remains are not very

extensive, consisting chiefly of a gateway flanked with turrets. A

mansion was at one time incorporated with the main portion of the

castle, but was subsequently abandoned, and now the whole of the

buildings form a farmhouse.

~Penhow Castle~ lies by the side of the road, near the village of the

same name. A short time after the Norman Conquest this fortress was in

the possession of the Seymours. It seems to have been at one period

fairly extensive, but only an old square tower with battlements

remains, and this also has been converted into a farmhouse.

CAERWENT

is a small village with no pretensions of importance, although the

descendant of a strong Roman town. The walls stand from 10 to 12 feet

thick, are well preserved, and are similar in many respects to those

at Carnarvon. A good facing of stone is backed up by a solid mass of

concrete, and then a supporting bank of earth is raised behind them.

The church occupies a prominent position, but does not possess any

noteworthy feature. ~Caldicott~ ~Castle~, lying to the south of the

route, has extensive remains of the foundation of the twelfth century,

and at the same time some indications of Saxon work belonging to the

previous fortalice built upon the site. Passing Crick, Mathern is

perceived upon the right. The Bishops of Llandaff had a palace here in

medieval times, and portions of it are still in existence,

incorporated with the modern farm-buildings.

CHEPSTOW

is a market town and river port occupying a slope on the western bank

of the Wye, and surrounded by beautiful and sometimes imposing

scenery.

[Illustration: COMING NIGHT, NEAR BEDDGELERT.

Beddgelert is one of the most romantically situated villages in North

Wales.]

~The Castle~ is the dominating feature in the town, and is one of the

finest examples of a Norman fortress that has been preserved. It

stands upon a rocky eminence, and occupies nearly three acres. Founded

by Fitz-Osborn, Earl of Hereford, in the eleventh century, it was

almost rebuilt in the thirteenth. It was garrisoned by the King during

the Civil War, but surrendered in 1645 to the Parliamentarians. The

castle was divided into four great courts, and a number of round

towers defended the exterior walls, while a deep ditch upon the

land side, now used as a public resort, completed the defences.

~The Church of St. Mary~ is built near the river, and is coeval with the

castle. A priory stood here in the time of King Stephen, and the nave

of the present church is the nave of the priory chapel. The larger

part of the building is Norman, while the western doorway is an

exceptionally fine example of the period. The tombs of Somerset,

second Earl of Worcester, and Elizabeth, his Countess, are worthy of

special notice.

The road to Tintern gives at first a view of the remains of an ancient

bridge opposite Chepstow Castle, which, when in use, rose and fell

with the tide. Piercefield Park lies upon the right hand, with an

early camp amongst the trees. At St. Arvans the road bears to the

right, and a number of S turns are met. Near here is the well-known

'Lovers' Leap.' Moss Cottage stands by the road farther on, with the

Windcliff, famous for its glorious view of the Wye, above it. Upon the

opposite bank of the river, and beyond the railway, is a lengthy

section of Offa's Dyke, and probably a glimpse may be obtained from

the road of the Devil's Pulpit.

TINTERN ABBEY

Tintern Abbey occupies a beautiful site upon one of the loveliest

rivers in England, and the ruins have been claimed by many as the most

picturesque in existence; but many other roofless abbey churches,

placed in the same exquisite surroundings, would appear to equal

advantage, and one is inclined to attribute Tintern's fame to its

scenery rather than to its architecture. The abbey owes much to Roger

Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, and a descendant of the De Clares, who,

according to the records, provided for extensive building in the

middle of the thirteenth century; but much of the architecture,

especially that in the south wall of the chapter-house, speaks of an

earlier date. The cloisters are late Perpendicular (1469), and were

undoubtedly of great magnificence. The abbey was dissolved in 1537,

and since then the buildings have gradually fallen into decay. The

structural parts which may be recognized are: the church, with north

and south transepts; cloisters, on the north side of the nave;

sacristy and monks' library, adjoining the north wall of the north

transept; chapter-house and monks' parlour, monks' dayroom, parlour,

refectory and almoner's room, all to the north; together with the

kitchen, buttery, lavatory, and other small rooms.

The road from Tintern accompanies the Wye in conjunction with the

railway-line, and beautiful hanging woods, broken up with grey cliffs,

form lovely backgrounds to every view.

~Tintern Parva~ is a small hamlet with a church erected in the Early

English period, but not of great interest. At Bigsweir Bridge the

river is crossed and the turning to the left taken. Offa's Dyke now

lies upon the right hand.

~Redbrook~ is a village placed in a small combe of great beauty. The

church, with its Perpendicular tower, is worth seeing. The monuments

to John Joce and his wife, _temp._ Edward III., are preserved there,

together with two priests and a brass showing a 'free miner.'

MONMOUTH

The situation of Monmouth is an ideal one, as it is surrounded by

hills, through which the Wye, the Monnow, and the Trothy flow. It was

at one time fortified by a surrounding wall pierced by four gates; but

the Monnow, or Western Gate, dating from 1270, is regarded by some

writers as a toll-gate rather than one of those belonging to the wall.

This gate stands upon the Monnow Bridge, and is a strikingly

picturesque feature of the town. Of the Roman origin of Monmouth (the

_Blestium_ of Antoninus) there are at present no traces, but it was a

fortified station as early as the Saxon period.

~The Church of St. Mary~ was rebuilt from the designs of Street in 1881,

with the exception of the tower and the tall and very slender spire.

Near it, in Priory Street, is a building called 'Geoffrey's Study,'

possessing a Perpendicular window corbelled out on brackets. It cannot

possibly have been used by Geoffrey of Monmouth, after whom it is

named, as he died in 1154. The building, or, more correctly, the old

portion of it, is a remnant of the domestic buildings of the

Benedictine Priory.

~St. Thomas's Church~, in Overmonnow, contains some Norman architecture.

Near the door of the church stands an elaborate cross.

~The Shire Hall~, built in 1724, has a solemn façade bearing in the

centre a niche filled with a metal statue of Henry V., the hero of

Agincourt. One cannot be long in Monmouth without being reminded of

Harry of that ilk, for the square in front of the Shire Hall, formerly

the bull-ring, is now called Agincourt Square. Many quaint old houses

and inns still exist in the town, the Robin Hood in Monnow Street and

the Queen's Head in Wyebridge Street being good examples of the

picturesque hostelry, so attractive after journeying for many miles in

Wales, where every town is uniformly dreary in its architecture.

Monmouth Castle stood on a raised site close to the church. It was a

ruin at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and where the keep

stood there is a house of that period. There are still, however, some

sections of walls, and one window of the great hall survives.

* * * * *

On leaving Monmouth by the Ross Road, the little parish church of

~Dixton~ is soon encountered, and farther on the beautiful level height

called King Arthur's Plain is seen across the river. At times it

presents the appearance of towers belonging to a castle.

(It is advisable not to take cars down the road marked 'To

Symond's Yat and the Hotel,' between Kerne Bridge and

Whitchurch, as it is very narrow and rough. The road from

Whitchurch is better.)

~Symond's Yat~ is a rock which towers up to 800 feet above the surface

of the river. The ascent is quite easy, and from the upper part a

magnificent view is to be obtained. The scenery at this part of the

Wye is of quite exceptional beauty. Between the road and Symond's Yat

two hills--the Great and Little Dowards--occur. Upon the top of the

latter is a fine British camp, reputed to have once been occupied by

Caractacus.

~Whitchurch~ is a pretty little village possessing an Early English

church dedicated to St. Dubricius, Archbishop of Caerleon in the sixth

century. The remains of a stone cross have been restored. After

leaving Whitchurch, the roads become somewhat confusing, and care

should be taken at the turns. At the foot of the bridge carrying the

main road over the river stands Flanesford Priory, which was erected

in 1347. From Kerne Bridge a magnificent prospect of the Wye is

obtained.

~Goodrich Castle~ was an early residence of the Earls of Shrewsbury (the

Talbots) and there is little doubt that the ruins now seen upon these

rocky heights are all that is left of one of the first castles built

in England, dating well back into the Saxon period. The keep was built

in the time of Stephen, and it will be noticed that no windows look

away from the castle. In the Civil War it was taken by the

Parliamentarians, with the inevitable result. It is a noble and

imposing ruin, and a journey up the Wye Valley should not omit a visit

to Goodrich Castle.

~Goodrich Court~ lies half a mile north of the castle. It was built in

the early part of the last century by Sir Samuel Meyrick, the

well-known authority upon, and collector of, ancient arms and armour,

and also the author of valuable works upon the same subject. The fine

collection was sold some time since, and the house purchased in 1870

by Mr. George Moffatt.

~Goodrich Church~ stands in the little village of that name near the

Court, and should be visited, as the stained-glass windows are good.

The ancestors of Dean Swift resided in the parish, and one of them was

the Vicar and a notable Royalist.

The main road to Ross now leaves the Wye, but in order to see Wilton

Castle, that passing near the river should be taken.

~Wilton Castle~ was built soon after the Norman Conquest. It stands near

the river upon ground which is not elevated, and was erected to

protect the Welsh marches. It has been held by various families--the

Longchamps, the De Greys, and that of Chandos. It suffered from the

Parliamentary army in 1645. The remains consist of the outer walls

only. A footpath will be found running between the walls and the

river.

Wilton Bridge is a well-known landmark near Ross. It was built in the

reign of Elizabeth, and consists of six arches. One of them--that near

Wilton--is more recent than the others, having been rebuilt since its

destruction by the Roundheads during the Civil War.

ROSS,

a picturesque little town with the steepest of streets, is perched

upon uneven rocky ground high above the left bank of the Wye, and is

surrounded by hills on three sides. It was a town at the time of

Domesday.

~The Market Hall~ stands prominently in the centre of the town, and its

quaintness adds much to the attractiveness of the place. It was built

in the time of Charles II., and the upper part is now used for the

County Court and Petty Sessions. On the exterior of the south wall one

notices a curious carving of the letters F and C, with a heart,

reputed to be 'faithful to Charles in heart.' The 'Man of Ross,' who

was famed for his good deeds, and is alluded to by Pope, lived

opposite the Market Hall. The lower part of the house is now a

stationer's shop. The good man's name was John Kyrle, and his

portrait, by Sir Godfrey Kneller, can be seen in the upper room of the

Market Hall, together with his will and an autograph letter, dated

1695.

[Illustration: TINTERN ABBEY.

Showing the beautiful reach of the Wye which flows between steep

wooded scarps.]

~The Church~ stands on higher ground than the rest of the town, on the

south-west side. It is chiefly Early English, and has a nave with

aisles, chancel, and three chapels. One of the chapels on the south

side has a parvise over it. Probably the feature which the average

visitor finds most interesting is the presence of two elm-trees

growing out of the wall inside the church. Both saplings are now dead,

but some creepers running over them afford sufficient foliage to

simulate vitality.

There is an Easter sepulchre in the chancel, and a tablet opposite the

organ contains sage reflections upon man's life and destiny. Of the

monuments remaining in the church, one, dated 1637, of a knight and

lady, is probably one of the most perfect memorials of contemporary

costume to be found in any church. The 'Man of Ross,' who follows the

visitor wherever he goes in this town, lies interred under a flat

slab, and against the wall is preserved a splendid marble monument to

his memory, erected in 1766 by a relative. A door leading to the

vanished rood-loft is on the north side of the chancel arch. The loft

apparently contained a piscina similar to Eastbourne Old Church.

~Of Ross Castle~ but little remains at the present time to give an idea

of its former importance and extent. A tower, which may be entered,

stands near the church, and in the High Street another portion is

seen. From the first-mentioned there is a beautiful view, including

Symond's Yat, the Great and Little Dowards, with a fine range of hills

upon the horizon, and a splendid loop of the Wye lying at one's feet,

with Wilton Castle and the bridge in the foreground. Ross is in many

ways a capital centre for exploring the Wye Valley.

* * * * *

The road between Ross and Gloucester for about half the distance lies

in a picturesque piece of country on the northern confines of the

Forest of Dean, chiefly covered with coppices, grown for the sale of

the bark, the manufacture of charcoal, and the distillation of

wood-spirit. It is one of the wildest portions of Gloucestershire.

~Weston-under-Penyard~ is a small village near the ruins of ~Penyard

Castle~ and the conspicuous hill of that name. The church was restored

in 1870, and is not of great interest. Near this village is the site

of the ancient _Ariconium_. The rise to Lea affords a view of

considerable interest backwards, extending as far as Graig Serrerthin

in Monmouthshire.

~Lea Church~ stands beside the road, and possesses a remarkable font of

Indian workmanship inlaid with mosaic. The base represents an

elephant, from which springs a twisted, snake-like column supporting

the basin. Nearly two miles to the south of the road lies the village

of Mitcheldean. The Early English spire of the church is occasionally

seen through the trees, as it stands upon high ground.

A number of sharp turns now occur, and the rise to Dursley Cross is a

steady one. The road is good, and a splendid view may be obtained from

the summit, which is 500 feet above sea-level. A long descent

eventually leads to Huntley, lying upon the lowlands which surround

Gloucester. After crossing the Severn, the ruins of ~Llanthony Abbey~

can be seen to the south. The whole of this comparatively level

country is of the most beautiful description, covered with English

homesteads nestling among orchards, which are quite exquisite in

spring-time.

[Map: TOWN PLAN NO. 9--GLOUCESTER.]

GLOUCESTER

~Gloucester~, the _Glevum_ of the Romans and the _Glow Ceaster_ of the

Saxons, lies in the centre of a broad valley, and possesses a history

of no mean order. The Saxon kings made the place their residence, and

in 681 founded a nunnery, which subsequently became a monastery and

the nucleus of the present cathedral. Parliaments have been summoned

in this city, and its connection with the Empress Matilda in the time

of Stephen is well known. In the Civil War, Gloucester was on the side

of the Parliament, and resisted a Royalist army in 1643--a regrettable

fact, to which must be attributed the demolition of the city walls at

the Restoration.

~The Cathedral~ has dignified surroundings, and velvety turf runs up to

the weather-stained masonry. The most prominent architecture to arrest

the eye is the Perpendicular, of which, from the exterior, the

cathedral appears mainly to consist, although Norman, Early English,

and Decorated are all represented. The Perpendicular south porch is

richly decorated, and possesses a parvise. Upon entering, the enormous

Norman columns of the nave, standing closely together and towering

upwards, at once fix the attention. The semicircular arches upon them

appear small when compared with other cathedrals, while the triforium

and clerestory are dwarfed and rendered comparatively unimportant. The

zigzag and chevron work in the bays is of excellent character. The

choir is pure Perpendicular and probably unsurpassed, and the glass in

the large window is old and a grand example of medieval work. The bold

and original idea of ornamenting comparatively plain Norman work with

the delicate beauty of the Perpendicular has been carried out to the

fullest perfection. The vaulting of the roof should be especially

noted. The monument on the north of the choir, of Osric, King of

Mercia, 729, was probably made about 1520. Next to it is the splendid

monument of the unhappy Edward II., whose wasted career was terminated

at Berkeley Castle, where he was murdered in 1377. Above the

altar-tomb is a beautifully sculptured effigy of the King in

alabaster, resting under a gorgeously elaborate canopy. It is

interesting to remember that this tomb--one of the finest of the royal

monuments in England--was put up to a vain and worthless King by his

son and successor, whose reign helped to make the country prosperous,

while the man whose memory is perpetuated in richly carved alabaster

allowed his father (Edward I.), a great and courageous King, to rest

under the five plain slabs of marble to be seen in Westminster Abbey.

The recumbent effigy of Abbot Parker, last Abbot of Gloucester, should

be noticed. The chantry, however, is a cenotaph.

~The North and South Transepts~ are Norman, enriched with Perpendicular

work. From these points the flying arches, added to relieve the strain

on the piers supporting the central tower arches, are features of

grace and beauty. The north and south choir aisles each possess a

side-chapel, in one of which Robert, Duke of Normandy, lies. He died

in 1134 in Cardiff Castle, after an imprisonment of twenty-six years.

~The Lady Chapel~ is of magnificent Perpendicular work. There are

chapels also leading from the choir triforium, superimposed upon those

below. ~The Crypt~ is Early Norman work. ~The Cloisters~ are the finest

in England, the roof being vaulted with fan-tracery, said to be the

earliest example. In the north walk of the cloisters is the lavatory,

with a long trough at which the monks washed, still in a perfect

state, while in the wall opposite is a place for the towels. In the

south walk are twenty recesses where the monks studied or wrote. The

whole of the windows in these cloisters are filled with stained glass.

~The Chapter-house~ is of plain Norman work, with the exception of one

small portion. By its side is the abbot's cloister, over which is the

chapter library, containing some manuscripts of great value.

[Map: PLAN OF GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL.

_Monuments._

1. Dr. Jenner.

2. Alderman Jones.

3. Abbot Seabroke.

4. Brydges.

5. Sarah Morley (by Flaxman).

6. Alderman Machen.

7. Bower.

8. Alderman Blackleech.

9. Abbot Foliot.

10. Osric.

11. Edward II.

12. Bishop Parker.

13. Courtehouse.

14. Bishop Godfrey.

15. Thomas Fitzwilliams.

_Parts of Building._

A. West door.

B. South porch.

C. Monks' door to Cloisters.

D. Abbot's door to Cloisters.

E. Reliquary.

F. Chapel.

G. Doorway to Crypt.

H. Chapel of St. Andrew.

I. Sedilia.

K. Chapel of Duke of Normandy.

L. Abbot Hanley's Chantry.

M. Abbot Farley's Chantry.

N. Chapel.

O. Lavatory.

P. Passage to Cloisters.

Q. Slype and Sacristy.]

The cathedral has a number of interesting ruins on the northern side.

These include the remains of a Dominican monastery, founded in the

ninth century and rebuilt in 1115, of which some arches and pillars

remain. There are other buildings partially adapted for modern

purposes.

Gloucester also possesses some churches of considerable interest, such

as ~St. Mary de Lode~, said to be the oldest in the city, with the

Norman chancel and tower of the original building. In the churchyard

stands a monument to Bishop Hooper, burnt alive on the spot in 1555.

~St. Mary de Crypt~ is of Early English workmanship, and derives its

name from two large crypts beneath it. It stands in Southgate Street,

and has a beautiful and lofty tower. ~St. Michael the Cross~ was rebuilt

in 1815, but incorporates original Decorated work. It is said to have

a connection with the ancient Abbey of St. Peter. The curfew bell is

still rung from the tower every evening. ~St. Nicholas~, in Westgate

Street, also contains Norman and Early English work.

One of the greatest charms of Gloucester lies in the multiplicity of

houses to be found which range in date from the fourteenth to the

seventeenth century, and a ramble through the streets will disclose

many besides those seen with a hurried glance. The New Inn, for

example, despite its unpromising name, possesses a courtyard with

surrounding gallery eminently medieval in every respect, and the

feeling is not lessened by a descent into the adjoining vaults. It was

built in 1450 by John Twining, a monk, for the accommodation of

pilgrims to the shrine of Edward II. It may be of interest to note

that the wood employed is chestnut. A fine old timbered house stands

in Northgate Street, but has been refronted. A passage, however,

affords a view at the side. There are many other examples of old

domestic architecture to be found at the junctions of the four

principal streets in the centre of the town, where, it may be

mentioned, the Town Hall stands upon the site of the ancient Courts of

Justice.

* * * * *

In selecting a motoring centre in this part of England, the writer has

found Gloucester to be a very suitable one in every way. The Bell and

County Hotel has a large garage, and combines in a very exceptional

manner the charm of the old-fashioned English hostelry with the needs

of the present day. Apart from the long routes described in these

pages, there are many short runs from Gloucester to pretty villages in

the Cotswolds and to historic spots, such as Berkeley Castle,

Llanthony Abbey, Deerhurst Priory, and a dozen other places, which a

local handbook will point out. Nearly all the important places in the

neighbourhood are described in this book.

LOOP No. 6

=FIRST PORTION=: HEREFORD TO SHREWSBURY--=SECOND PORTION=: SHREWSBURY

TO WORCESTER, LEDBURY, AND HEREFORD

HEREFORD TO SHREWSBURY, 54¾ MILES

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE

Miles.

=Hereford= to Moreton-on-Lug 4

=Moreton-on-Lug= to Bodenham Moor 3¾

=Bodenham Moor= to Leominster 7

=Leominster= to Wooferton 7¼

=Wooferton= to Ludlow 4

=Ludlow= to Craven Arms 7¾

=Craven Arms= to Church Stretton 7¾

=Church Stretton= to Dorrington 6½

=Dorrington= to Shrewsbury 6¾

NOTES FOR DRIVERS

To =Shrewsbury= a first-class road; a hill of 1 in 12 at =Ludlow= and

1 in 15 at =Bodenham Hill=.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE

=Sutton Walls.=--Remains of Offa's castle.

=Bodenham.=--A village with a large and handsome church.

=Hampton Court.=--A house dating from the time of Henry IV.

=Leominster.=--A very picturesque town; the Town Hall; the church,

with the nave of a former Priory; the Butter Cross.

=Ludlow.=--An old and very interesting town; the church, one of the

finest in England; the Guildhall; an excellent museum; Richard's

Castle near the town.

=Stokesay Castle.=--One of the most perfect fortified houses of the

thirteenth century in the kingdom; strikingly picturesque.

=Craven Arms.=--The camp of Caer Caradoc; the Long Mynd district;

extremely picturesque hills of exceptional interest to geologists.

=Church Stretton.=--A pretty village in charming surroundings of

wooded hills and valleys; Norman and Transitional cruciform church.

[Map: LOOP 6 (FIRST PORTION). HEREFORD TO CHURCH STRETTON.

_Continued on p. 230._]

(_For description and plan of_ ~Hereford~, _see pp. 176-179_.)

The road to Leominster passes due north out of Hereford by, or rather

through, the racecourse, and directly afterwards ~Holmer Church~ is seen

upon the left side of the road. It belongs to Early English times, and

has a detached tower.

~Moreton-on-Lug~ has a church which has recently been restored, but it

contains some altar-tombs of the Dauncer family. From this point

onwards Robin Hood's Butts and the Sugar Loaf Hills become prominent

objects in the landscape on the left, their rugged summits of

sandstone resisting the action of the weather better than the soft

marls through which they protrude.

~Sutton Walls~ lie to the right upon a wooded hill, and are of great

historical interest. Offa, king of Mercia, had a palace there, and to

it Ethelbert, king of the East Angles, was invited, the ostensible

object being his marriage to the daughter of the Mercian king. The

young prince was foully murdered by the connivance of Quendrida,

Offa's queen, and East Anglia annexed to Mercia in A.D. 782. In

expiation of this deed Offa founded the great monastery at St. Albans.

There is a large encampment upon the hill, with four entrances,

apparently of Roman origin, and containing an area of about thirty

acres.

Entering a low-lying district, upon which stands Wellington Marsh,

~Marden Church~ is seen upon the right, the place of Ethelbert's first

interment, the original building having been erected by Offa.

~Wellington Church~, lying to the left of the road, is chiefly of modern

construction. Two miles farther on a bifurcation occurs, and the road

to the right may be taken if one wishes to avoid the rather steep way

leading over Dinmore Hill. ~Bodenham~ is the next village on the route.

It possesses a large church of the Early English and Decorated

Periods, containing an alabaster tomb of Sir Walter Devereux, 1401. In

the village will be seen the remains of a large cross and a well. A

sharp turn to the left at England's Gate leads back in a few miles to

the junction with the main road near ~Hope-under-Dinmore~, crossing the

River Lug just before the junction. Hope Church, standing on the

hill-side, contains many tablets to the Coningsby family. About two

miles to the right of Ford lies Risbury Camp, of an oval form, with

deep ditches surrounding it, and containing an area of about eight

acres. ~Hampton Court~ was built by Sir Roland Lenthall in the time of

Henry IV., and much enlarged by ransoms subsequently obtained from

prisoners at the Battle of Agincourt. It was once the home of the Earl

of Coningsby. Mr. J. H. Arkwright, a descendant of Richard Arkwright,

is now the owner. The Court has been partially rebuilt.

LEOMINSTER

This town presents an exceedingly picturesque aspect, a number of

medieval or Renaissance buildings having survived. It was a place of

importance in the days of the Heptarchy, and a monastery was

instituted by Merewald, king of the West Mercians, in the seventh

century, which, however, disappeared subsequently in the Danish

invasions. A residence of the Saxon kings, together with a stronghold,

was also raised here, only to be destroyed in a Welsh raid in 1088. In

1125 Henry I. established a Benedictine cell under the rule of Reading

Priory, and the buildings now form part of the workhouse!

~The Church~ includes examples of almost every style of architecture.

The nave is Norman, and originally formed part of the Priory Church

standing upon this site. The monuments are very numerous, and some of

the finest window tracery in any ecclesiastical building in the

British Isles exists here. A fire in the eastern parts of the church

in 1699 led to a restoration in a very debased style. The Butter Cross

is an object of interest, and in the Bargates are Georgian almshouses

dating back to 1736. They have an effigy with an inscription

containing an admonition against the exercise of charity without

discrimination. The road to Ludlow lies upon the eastern side of the

railway, and a sharp turn to the right occurs in the town. ~Ivington

Camp~ is a British earthwork, but was considerably strengthened by Owen

Glendower when he retreated from Leominster and was vigorously pursued

by Prince Henry. One mile to the right lies Eaton Hall, now a

farmhouse. It was erected in the time of Henry V., and was once

occupied by the old family of Hakluyt.[1]

~Eye~ lies to the left of the road, and has a church with some fine

alabaster monuments in it--one figure with the collar of SS.

Berrington Hall and Park, the seat of Lord Rodney, are close by. The

country passed through for some miles past is a cider district, and

numerous orchards can be seen on every side. Near Woofferton is a fine

open stretch of country, in which the highlands upon the left, wooded

to their summits, form a welcome break. ~Richard's Castle~, of the motte

and bailey type, lies under the hills. It was erected in the reign of

Edward the Confessor, and stands upon a mound 60 feet in height, with

some peculiar earthworks adjoining. It is a matter for remark that

this stronghold was erected and occupied by a Norman, Richard, the son

of Scrop, _before_ the Conquest, and thus is one of a little group of

castles of peculiar interest. An old church at the town of Richard's

Castle has a detached belfry.

LUDLOW

This is an ancient British town lying in an amphitheatre of high

ground, but no reliable history relating to the place is extant until

after the Conquest, when Roger de Montgomery founded the ~Castle~, which

for a considerable time was the residence of Royalty, more

particularly of Edward IV. and his children. Ludlow was also the seat

of the Grand Council entrusted with the jurisdiction of the Marches.

The keep of the castle was erected between 1086 and 1096. In the Civil

War the castle surrendered to the Parliamentary forces in 1646, at the

same time as Bridgnorth. The appearance of the dismantled fortress on

an eminence above the River Teme is imposing and impressive, as the

Norman towers and bastions, together with a considerable portion of

the curtain walls, are still standing.

~The Church~ stands upon elevated ground near the castle, and is of

Decorated Gothic, dating from the time of Edward III., although

originally built in the twelfth century. It is dedicated to St.

Lawrence, and is a cruciform building with a lofty tower, and one of

the finest churches in England. There is also a guildhall, a

town-hall, and the museum, chiefly confined to natural history, has a

grand collection of Silurian fossils. A very fine timbered house, the

Lane Asylum, dates from 1672.

From the district round Bromfield a fine view is obtained of Clee

Hill lying to the right, with Titterstone Camp, 1,749 feet above the

sea, on it. Farther to the north is Brown Clee Hill, 1,792 feet high,

with Corne Dale to the left. Near Onibury the route is well wooded,

and the valley becomes contracted as the road leads through a break in

Wenlock Edge. Upon the right Norton Camp, a horseshoe-shaped

entrenchment, occupies the summit of a knoll.

STOKESAY CASTLE

is reached just before coming to Craven Arms Station. It is, without

exaggeration, one of the most picturesque and also one of the earliest

fortified houses in the kingdom. From almost any point of view it

thrills the artist, the architect, the archæologist, and the ordinary

visitor who has any capacity to read sermons in stones. The very name

'Stokesay' tells the story of Norman owner superseding Saxon, the Says

or Sayes being descendants of Picot de Sai, who came over with the

Conqueror, a similar instance being found in Stoke d'Abernon in

Surrey, where the Saxon 'Stoke' is again tacked on to the name of the

new Norman owner. The gatehouse of the castle, although a highly

picturesque timber-framed building of Elizabethan times, with a

carving of Adam and Eve and the Serpent over the door, is not the

most interesting feature, for the rest of the building belongs to the

thirteenth century, and is quite one of the best examples of a

fortified house of the Early English period. The moat is now dry, but

otherwise one can see in Stokesay the type of house close to the Welsh

Marches which was occupied by a lesser feudal lord in the days when

Wales was still the home of unconquered tribesmen, who might at any

time make a sudden descent into English territory. Facing the gateway

is the hall, 51 feet by 31 feet (internal measurements), lighted with

four tall lancet windows looking on to the moat on the west side. The

open timber roof is blackened with smoke, for there was no fireplace,

and the smoke from the central brazier escaped through an outlet in

the roof. The builder of this hall is given by the late Mr. Augustus

Hare as John de Verdun, who died in 1279, while the curious and

picturesque polygonal tower at the south corner was no doubt built by

Verdun's successor, that Lawrence de Ludlow who received permission

from Edward I. to fortify his house of Stokesay. It would be a

pleasant task to describe every room and every architectural detail of

this fascinating castle, but space unfortunately does not permit.

~The Church~ at Stokesay was rebuilt after the Civil War. Beautiful

views of the Long Mynd, of Wenlock Edge, and the ridge lying between

them, now open up. The church at the little village of ~Wistanstow~ has

been restored, and during the alterations a carved oak roof of the

Perpendicular period came to light.

CHURCH STRETTON

is a village in an exceedingly pleasant situation, with the Long Mynd

ridge of hills to the west, and with Hope Bowdler, Caer Caradoc, and

the Lawley nearly opposite. The name Stretton, like Streatham,

indicates the presence of a Roman road--one of those leading

southwards from the great Roman city of _Uriconium_.

The interesting cruciform church has a Norman nave with Transitional

central tower and transepts. Several Perpendicular windows have been

inserted. Mr. Hare mentions a stone in the churchyard, near the

sundial, bearing this inscription to Ann Cook, who died in 1814:

'On a Thursday she was born,

On a Thursday made a bride,

On a Thursday broke her leg,

And on a Thursday died.'

'Hesba Stretton,' the novelist, took her pen-name from this village,

where she lived for many years.

Near Church Stretton the site of Brockhurst Castle is passed over.

Bodbury Ring, to the left beyond Church Stretton, is said to have been

occupied by Ostorius Scapula previous to his great battle with

Caractacus. The site of the engagement is on the right, and a mile

farther on the road leads under Caer Caradoc Hill, 1,506 feet high,

with a perfect camp, vallum, and ditches upon the summit, wherein

Caradoc entrenched himself previous to the fight. The district under

the Long Mynd is extremely picturesque, with deep gullies and cross

valleys running into the great ridge, whose elevation in places

reaches to 1,600 feet. It is a paradise for geologists, deposits

emerging from underneath the Silurian which are of more than ordinary

interest. The Caradoc Range is an old volcanic outburst. The line of

the Roman road traversing the valley already mentioned may be noted

running parallel with the railway.

(_For description and plan of ~Shrewsbury~, see pp. 76-79._)

FOOTNOTE:

[Footnote 1: A Welsh family, of whom Richard Hakluyt (1552?-1616), the

famous geographer, is the best known.]

LOOP No. 6--SECOND PORTION

SHREWSBURY TO HEREFORD, 81¼ MILES

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE

Miles.

=Shrewsbury= to Buildwas 11¾

=Buildwas= to Ironbridge 2

=Ironbridge= to Bridgnorth 7¾

=Bridgnorth= to Birdsgreen 7

=Birdsgreen= to Kidderminster 7¼

=Kidderminster= to Worcester 14½

=Worcester= to Malvern 8¼

=Malvern= to Ledbury 8

=Ledbury= to Hereford 14¾

NOTES FOR DRIVERS

=Shrewsbury to Worcester.=--A few hills only to Bridgnorth; thence to

Kidderminster some steep hills, but otherwise an excellent road. One

of the hills is 1 in 12 after Shatterford; after that good.

=Worcester to Hereford.=--To Malvern splendid; between Malvern and

Ledbury ascent 1 in 9, descent 1 in 11 in crossing the Malvern Hills,

then very good road to Hereford, with only trifling hills.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE

=Buildwas Abbey.=--A beautiful ruin.

=Bridgnorth.=--A picturesque town, with a church and the remains of a

castle; the bridge.

=Kidderminster.=--A town famed for its manufacture of carpets; church,

Perpendicular.

=Stourport.=--An uninteresting town.

=Ombersley.=--A picturesque village; The Court, the residence of Lord

Sandys.

=Worcester.=--A busy city; the cathedral and tomb of King John; the

Edgar Tower; the Guildhall; the famous porcelain works.

=Great Malvern.=--A finely-situated watering-place; the abbey gateway;

a Norman church, originally a priory church.

=Ledbury.=--Picturesque market town, with old market hall and several

quaint houses; church, Norman, Early English, and Perpendicular; tower

detached.

=Hereford.=--(See p. 176.)

[Map: LOOP 6. (NORTHERN PART INCLUDING SHREWSBURY).

_Continued on p. 239._]

The route from Shrewsbury follows that to _Uriconium_ for nearly a

mile, when a bifurcation occurs, and the road to the right is chosen,

passing through Sutton and Cound. The church at the latter place is

chiefly of Early English architecture; it contains a carved early

Norman font of great interest. The Wrekin, with Heaven's Gate Camp

upon it, is a prominent feature in the distance, while the Severn

indulges in sinuous windings by the side of the road. ~Buildwas Abbey~

is quite close to the road; it presents a beautiful aspect, and is

one of the finest ruins in the county. The abbey was founded by Roger

de Clinton, Bishop of Chester, in 1135, for Cistercians. Parts of it

still remain roofed. Coalbrookdale is historically interesting as the

cradle of the iron trade. It sprang into prominence when the Sussex

ironfields had to be abandoned, owing to the shrinkage of the forests

there. In 1700 members of the Darby family experimented upon iron ore

smelted with coal and coke, and since then it has been a centre of the

iron industry.

~Ironbridge~ contains nothing of any particular interest. It is a town

of foundries, forges, and furnaces, while hideous tiers of dirty

cottages cluster on the steep hill-side. In the town is the iron

bridge from which the place gains its name; it is a bridge of a single

span, stretching 120 feet, and is the first on record. Its presence is

due to the energy of Abraham Darby, of the Coalbrookdale Works, in

1779. From Ironbridge the road trends away from the Severn, passing

through a well-wooded country, and eventually reaches

BRIDGNORTH

This picturesque town is reputed to have been founded by a daughter of

Alfred the Great, and was fortified with walls and a castle by Robert

de Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury. Henry I. besieged it in 1102, and in

the time of Henry II. it was dismantled. The walls suffered the same

fate at the hands of the Parliamentary forces after a long siege in

1646. The upper town is built upon a steep rocky plateau, which rises

abruptly from the river, crowned by the remains of the old castle,

which deviate remarkably from the vertical. A bridge of fine design

joins the upper to the lower town.

~At Quatford~ a fortress was built by Ethelfleda, and subsequently a

college by the wife of Roger de Montgomery, from a romantic

remembrance of having first met her husband upon that spot. Slight

indications of a keep still remain upon a rock overlooking the Severn.

The church has the chancel arch and font of the Norman period, and the

remainder is Decorated work of the fourteenth century.

The Forest of Morfe at one time covered the whole of this district.

Dudmaston Castle is passed immediately before Quatt is reached, and

then an undulating run eventually leads to

KIDDERMINSTER

The name of the town means the 'minster on the brow of the hill.' From

the time of William the Conqueror down to _c._ 1135 it was a manor in

possession of the Crown.

~The Church.~--This is dedicated to St. Mary, and is chiefly of the

Perpendicular period. It contains a number of ancient monuments, and

has recently undergone a restoration. The town is celebrated for its

manufacture of carpets; a peculiar property of the River Stour is

reputed to add to the brilliancy of the colouring. Dyeing,

worsted-spinning, together with iron manufactures, are carried on in

the town.

On leaving Kidderminster the road lies almost due south to ~Stourport~,

a rather uninteresting town, possessing, however, an iron bridge over

the Severn. The church is of modern construction.

~Ombersley~ is a village of uncommonly neat appearance, with many

timbered houses effectively rendered in black and white. The Court was

erected in the time of Queen Anne, and is the country residence of

Lord Sandys. The church in the village is new.

[Map: TOWN PLAN NO. 8--WORCESTER.]

WORCESTER

is sheltered by the Malvern Hills on the south-west, and by other

picturesque eminences. A Roman road originally traversed the city, and

as early as the year 680 Worcester was surrounded by lofty walls and

fortifications, which, by existing records, appear to have compared

favourably with other towns.

~The Cathedral.~--(_Open on weekdays 9.30 to 6, but closed at 5.30

between October and March 31 [or dusk]. 6d. each charged for entering

the Choir, Lady Chapel, and other special portions._) When Mercia

became an independent kingdom a church was raised, and subsequently

another built by Oswald in the tenth century a little north-east of

the present building. Wulfstan found Oswald's church in ruins, the

handiwork of Hardicanute's soldiers. He began a new cathedral in 1084,

but two fires subsequently ruined it. Re-erected, it was reconsecrated

in 1218. The cathedral suffered but little at the Reformation, but

very much during the Civil War. It is not a grand building so far as

massiveness is concerned, but possesses a variety of styles which

harmonize in a remarkable degree, and a sense of unity pervades the

whole building. The tower is a beautiful specimen of Perpendicular

work, and has recently been thoroughly renovated. The chief objects of

interest in the interior are the stalls, with their miserere seats,

dating from 1397, formerly in Worcester Priory; the cloisters,

chapterhouse, and remarkable Norman crypt, with King John's tomb in

the choir. There are picturesque remains of the old Guesten Hall, the

refectory and dormitory.

~The Edgar Tower~ stands near the entrance to the cathedral cloisters.

It was originally the entrance to Worcester Castle, but the monks

converted it into a monastery gateway.

~The Guildhall~ dates from 1721, and is an impressive building,

containing some objects of interest from the battlefield of Worcester.

~The Commandery.~--This is a hospital founded in 1085; the great

refectory and Guesten Hall, with beautiful roofs and stained glass,

should be seen.

There are a number of old timbered houses remaining in the city,

especially in Friar Street, near the city gaol, and in Lich Street. In

the Corn Market is King Charles's House, built 1577, in which Charles

II. took refuge in 1651 after the Battle of Worcester. It has the

inscription, 'Fear God; honour the King,' over the doorway. In the

Trinity, not far off, is an interesting Elizabethan house with an open

gallery. The Royal Porcelain Works, founded in 1751, are in Severn

Street, near the cathedral. (_Open 9.30 to 12.30, 2.15 to 5. Admission

6d._)

[Map: LOOP 6 (PART OF SECOND PORTION). SHREWSBURY TO HEREFORD.

_Continued from p. 230._

_Continued on p: 241._]

GREAT MALVERN

Malvern is a watering-place, situated in a beautiful district on the

eastern slope of the hills of the same name, and is much frequented by

reason of its fine air, its healthy surroundings, and its mineral

springs. A Benedictine priory was founded here shortly after the

Conquest, and one of the buildings, the ~Abbey Gateway~, dating from

1083, still remains.

~The Church~ is of Norman work, with Perpendicular additions, dating

from the time of Henry VII.; it originally formed the Priory Church,

and was purchased by the inhabitants at the Dissolution, and made

parochial. The recumbent effigies in it are of considerable interest.

Between Malvern and Ledbury lie the Malvern Hills; in crossing them

one has to negotiate a hill of 1 in 11. One is reminded of Touraine in

the quantities of mistletoe growing on the trees as the quaint old

town of Ledbury is neared.

[Map: LOOP 6 (LAST PORTION). LEDBURY TO HEREFORD.

_Continued from p. 239._]

LEDBURY

The main street is full of charm in its possession of several old

houses and a market-house standing on chestnut pillars. The upper

portion has been much restored, but the wooden supports are those of

the building believed to have been put up by John Abell in Elizabethan

times.

The most notable feature of the church is the detached Early English

tower, now crowned with a modern spire. Of the original Norman church

the western doorway remains in the Perpendicular nave. Besides the

tombs of the Biddulphs the stained glass in the north chapel should be

examined. These windows are of the Decorated period, and the chapel is

dedicated to the local St. Catherine, who lived at the beginning of

the fourteenth century. During the Civil War there was a hot fight in

Ledbury in the year 1645 between Prince Rupert and a body of

Roundheads. Marks of bullets can be seen on the church doors and

elsewhere in the town.

(_For_ ~Hereford~, _see p. 176_.)

LOOP No. 7

GLOUCESTER TO BATH, MALMESBURY, EVESHAM, TEWKESBURY, AND GLOUCESTER,

153 MILES

DISTANCES ALONG THE ROUTE

Miles.

=Gloucester= to Stroud 12¼

=Stroud= to Nailsworth 4¼

=Nailsworth= to Old Sodbury 13¼

=Old Sodbury= to Bath 11

=Bath= to Chippenham 13

=Chippenham= to Malmesbury 10

=Malmesbury= to Minety 7¼

=Minety= to Cricklade 4¾

=Cricklade= to Highworth 7½

=Highworth= to Lechlade 4½

=Lechlade= to Burford 8¾

=Burford= to Shipton-under-Wychwood 4¼

=Shipton= to Chipping Norton 6¾

=Chipping Norton= to Moreton-in-the-Marsh 8

=Moreton= to Broadway 8½

=Broadway= to Evesham 5¾

=Evesham= to Tewkesbury 13¼

=Tewkesbury= to Gloucester 10

NOTES FOR DRIVERS

=Gloucester to Nailsworth.=--The road is fairly level, with a good

surface.

=Nailsworth to Bath.=--The road climbs for the first 2 miles (1 in

15), and then is undulating along a ridge of downs until about 3 miles

from Bath, where the long descent is 1 in 15.

=Bath to Highworth.=--An excellent road, with a steep hill soon after

Cricklade (1 in 12), and an abrupt descent after Highworth (1 in 12).

The road becomes hilly near =Chipping Norton=, with a very stiff

descent at Fish Hill (1 in 11), after which the road is excellent all

the way to =Tewkesbury= and =Gloucester=.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE

=Painswick.=--Exceptionally picturesque little Cotswold town. Fine

church and churchyard, with clipped yews; Painswick Court, a fine old

Tudor house near the church.

=Stroud.=--A small town with cloth manufactures. Town Hall of

fifteenth century; church modern, except tower.

=Nailsworth.=--A cloth manufacturing place scattered in the valley

south of Stroud.

=Bath.=--The famous Georgian watering-place. A large stone town. Roman

baths in splendid preservation; the Abbey Church, Perpendicular;

Pulteney Bridge lined with shops; good eighteenth-century houses.

=Bradford-on-Avon.=--An old village with a famous Saxon church. (On a

short loop from Bath. See Map.)

=Box.=--A small village near long tunnel on G.W.R. Church of various

periods.

=Corsham= (_just off the road to the right_).--An old village with

interesting Norman church. Corsham Court, partially Elizabethan house,

the seat of Lord Methuen.

=Chippenham.=--Old town on Avon with manufactures. Church spoiled by

restoration; Maud Heath's Causeway.

=Malmesbury.=--Picturesque old town on the Avon. Abbey Church

Trans-Norman; tower of old parish church; Elizabethan houses; fine

market cross; old almshouses.

=Cricklade.=--A pleasant little town on the uppermost windings of the

Thames. St. Sampson's Church, with fine Perpendicular tower; St.

Mary's, Norman; early crosses in both churchyards.

=Lechlade.=--Another little town on the Thames. Old bridge;

Perpendicular church.

=Shipton-under-Wychwood.=--Village with a fine church, close to

Wychwood Forest.

=Chipping Norton.=--Highest town in Oxfordshire; picturesque street.

=Moreton-in-the-Marsh.=--A pleasant little market town.

=Bourton-on-the-Hill.=--A very picturesque Cotswold village.

=Broadway.=--A beautifully-situated and strikingly attractive Cotswold

village. Many old houses, including manor-house of Abbots of Pershore

Abbey. Old church 1 mile from village, interesting.

=Evesham.=--A small town on Avon; picturesque. Booth Hall, Bell Tower,

and various remains of the extensive abbey. Churches of (1) St.

Lawrence, not very interesting; (2) All Saints, Early English and

later. Battle fought in 1265.

=Tewkesbury.=--Very picturesque old town on Avon and Severn. Abbey

Church, splendid Norman; many old timber-framed houses. Battle of

Tewkesbury, 1471.

=Deerhurst Priory= (_off road to west_).--Pre-Norman buildings lately

well restored.

[Map: LOOP 7. GLOUCESTER TO BATH.]

[Map: LOOP 7. GLOUCESTER TO BATH AND EVESHAM.]

The extensive loop described briefly in this chapter takes one to many

interesting towns in Gloucestershire and the neighbouring counties,

and as there is much to see, it is advisable to break the journey at

Bath, and possibly again at Broadway or Evesham, in order not to be

obliged to hurry through beautiful scenery and romantic towns.

Although the level road from Gloucester to Stroud by Hardwicke is to

be recommended to those who would avoid a long, stiff climb, the way

through the Cotswolds is so much more interesting and so vastly more

picturesque that it should by all means be taken if the hill is of no

consequence.

The easiest ascent of the face of the Cotswolds is by the road through

the village of Brookthorpe, descending into the Painswick valley near

the secluded and quite typical Cotswold hamlet of Pitchcombe.

A still more beautiful road goes through Sneedham's Green, near Upton

St. Leonards, and winds up a long steady ascent among beeches. This

road is well engineered, and the views from it, first over the Vale

of Severn and then into the Painswick and Sheepscombe valleys, are

full of exquisite charm at all times of the year.

PAINSWICK

is one of those little stone towns with that peculiarly foreign

flavour so frequently experienced in the Cotswolds. Perched on a steep

hill-side and dominated by the tall tower and spire of its stately

church, the place is the centre of the life of a lovely valley. Every

other house in the town is a picture by itself, and when grouped with

others and backed by the emeralds and blues of the opposite side of

the valley, the stranger can hardly be prevented from exclaiming aloud

as each corner brings some new composition before him.

In the centre of the town stands the fine church, with a unique

churchyard, wherein a wonderful array of richly carved altar-tombs of

delicate classic design are scattered in picturesque irregularity

under the sombre shade of rows of closely trimmed yews. The stems of

these trees are kept clear of twigs and branches, and the masses of

green are shaped into great round-topped cylindrical forms. Just below

the church, beyond a group of magnificent elms, stands Painswick

Court, a stone, many-gabled house of such reposeful dignity that one

seems to find in it as nearly as possible the ideal English

manor-house of modest proportions. The title 'Court' came to the

house, not in connection with the manor, but through a visit paid to

it by Charles I. in 1643. The King slept in the house, and issued a

proclamation 'given at our Court at Paynewicke.'

Whether one decides to go through Painswick or Pitchcombe, or even if

one keeps below the hills, all the roads meet at

STROUD

This is a hilly town abounding in very steep streets, and possessing,

as all Cotswold towns do, a number of good old stone houses of the

sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. It is, nevertheless,

a place without much appeal to the passing motorist, for the church

has been rebuilt in recent times, with the exception of the tower,

which is Early English. The Town Hall, formerly the market-house, was

built in the fifteenth century by John Throckmorton of Lypiatt.

Stroud still maintains its woollen industry, and thousands of people

are employed in the mills in the town and in the valley to the east.

Leaving Stroud for Bath, one ascends the valley towards ~Nailsworth~, a

busy locality, where the weaving of broadcloth is the chief industry.

There are also flock factories and workshops where beech--'the weed of

the oolite'--is used in making beds, gunstocks, and umbrella-sticks.

A little beyond Nailsworth the road comes out on the ridge of

wind-swept hills, and continues a slightly undulating course

southwards to Bath, a distance of over twenty miles, without a village

and scarcely a hamlet on the whole journey. There are wide views in

both directions, and some grand panoramas across the Severn.

After dropping down from the level of the downs, one turns to the

right and enters the ancient city of

BATH

This wealthy, picturesque, and still popular watering-place, is

described at some length in another volume of this series--the

Southern Section of England--and it must therefore be dealt with in

the briefest fashion here. The thermal springs attracted the Romans to

the spot, and of their city _Aquæ Solis_ there are probably very

considerable remains beneath the present city. ~The Baths~ themselves

have been excavated, and several feet below the street-level one can

now see the Roman tanks filled, as they were some sixteen centuries

ago, with the steaming waters which still bring many ailing folk to

the town. Besides the baths there is the ~Abbey Church~, a magnificent

example of late Perpendicular work, crowded with memorials to

distinguished visitors and residents of Bath, whose virtues and

achievements are not overlooked on the marble tablets.

[Map: TOWN PLAN NO. 16--BATH.]

~Pulteney Bridge~, like the Ponte Vecchio, is lined with shops, but the

famous bridge at Florence quite eclipses this structure of a much

later and less artistic age. In walking through the streets of Bath

one cannot fail to be struck by several of the Georgian façades, whose

dignity and classic perfection reflect the formal manners of the

latter part of the eighteenth century, when Beau Nash drew admiring

and envious eyes upon his elaborately-attired person as he passed

along the stone-built streets of the great centre of smart society

when George was King.

* * * * *

From Bath to Chippenham the road goes through Batheaston, and keeping

to the north side of the railway for a couple of miles, passes under

it to reach the village of ~Box~, which has given its name to one of the

longest tunnels on the Great Western Railway. It is one and

three-quarter miles in length, and cost more than half a million

pounds to build. Box village has a church belonging to the three great

periods of Gothic, with a Perpendicular tower.

Going to the left in the village, the road to Chippenham rises from

the valley of the By Brook, crosses the ridge of oolite and fuller's

earth pierced by the famous tunnel, and drops down to

CORSHAM

The little town lies chiefly to the right, towards the railway and

Corsham Court, Lord Methuen's stately Elizabethan house. It is quite

desirable to run through the place, returning to the Chippenham road

by the road that skirts the park, north of the church. There are some

old houses in the street, and among them one dating back as far as the

fifteenth century. Corsham Court contains a magnificent collection of

paintings, mostly brought here by Sir Paul Methuen, who was at one

time Ambassador to Madrid, and died in 1757.

The beautiful cruciform church was shorn of its central tower during

the restoration by Street, who built a new tower and spire in a rather

unusual position south of the south transept. The Norman nave and a

north door of the same period are the earliest portions of the

building, and the Methuen Chapel, built in 1879, is the most recent.

From Corsham the road falls continuously to

CHIPPENHAM,

an old manufacturing town on the Avon. As its name suggests, it has

been a market town from a very remote age. It was a place of

importance in Saxon times, and one or two events are recorded as

happening there before the year 878, when the Danes took the place and

made it their headquarters, while, with fire and sword, they spread

ruin and desolation over the neighbourhood. After Alfred reappeared

from his hiding-place in marsh-bordered Athelney to the south-west,

and gained his famous victory over the marauding Danes at Ethandune,

he regained possession of Chippenham, and gave it to his daughter

Ælfrith for life. For objects to connect the Chippenham of to-day with

these thrilling times of half-civilized Britain one looks in vain, for

the church, the most hopeful link, reveals no Saxon work, and what is

Norman has been so cruelly handled that its interest has vanished.

The richly-carved Norman chancel arch, dating from about half a

century after the Conquest, has been recut and removed to the north

side of the chancel.

The modern church of St. Paul was built in 1853 by Sir Gilbert Scott.

A new Town Hall belongs to this period, but the old one is still

standing.

MAUD HEATH'S CAUSEWAY

A very remarkable feature of Chippenham is a paved track some four and

a half miles in length, and still bearing curious inscriptions,

leading northeastwards from the town to the ridge of Bremhill Wick.

This path owes its existence to a bequest made by a certain Maud

Heath, who lived as long ago as the fifteenth century, and the cost of

the maintenance of the path at the present day is defrayed by the

property she bequeathed for the purpose. Tradition says that Maud

Heath was a market-woman of Langley Burrell, a village on the

causeway; and if this is correct one imagines that the good dame left

her money to save those that came after her the toil and discomfort of

trudging with a heavy basket in the deep mire of the heavy clay of the

valley. On the ridge where the path terminates stands a column

bearing a statue of the woman, put up in 1838 by the Lord Lansdowne of

that time--Bowood, the ancestral home of the Lansdownes, from which

Rembrandt's 'Mill' has lately been sold and removed to America, being

only two miles distant.

An undulating road goes almost due north to Malmesbury, passing

through the hamlet of ~Corston~, which has a small church with a curious

Perpendicular bell-turret at the west end.

MALMESBURY

This interesting and historic town is comparatively unknown to the

ordinary tourist. Its situation on a spur of raised ground, with two

branches of the Avon almost surrounding it with a natural moat, made

the place of importance in early days, when such things were eagerly

sought after. One is not surprised, therefore, to find that the site

was a stronghold of the British, known as _Caer Bladon_, and in Saxon

times was a frontier town of Wessex. According to Murray, the present

name is derived from Maidulph or Maldulph, an Irish missionary who,

about the beginning of the seventh century, established a hermitage

under the protecting proximity of the castle, and there began

educational work among the semi-barbarous Saxons. One of his scholars

was the learned Ealdhelm, who became the first abbot of the monastery

of Malmesbury, founded in 680. Of the great religious house which

eventually grew up at Malmesbury only the church remains, now, alas!

sadly diminished and curtailed. Both the central and the western

towers collapsed somewhere about the sixteenth century, crushing the

adjoining parts of the nave and chancel in their fall. The existing

church is therefore only a portion of the nave of the magnificent

abbey church which dominated the little town in pre-Reformation times.

The arcades are Transitional Norman with massive cylindrical pillars,

but above the arches rises a Decorated clerestory, supporting a richly

vaulted roof of the same period. If it had not been for Master Humpe,

whom Leland describes as 'an exceeding riche Clothiar,' there would

quite possibly have been nothing left at all of the abbey church after

the suppression of the monasteries; but this worthy man bought the

buildings from the Crown and presented the church to the parish. The

old parish church was utilized as a town hall, but nothing remains of

that structure except the tower, with a spire.

The beautiful Elizabethan house to the north-east of the abbey church

is built on a portion of the monastic buildings in which Master Humpe

had set up his looms. The famous historian, William of Malmesbury, who

lived in the twelfth century, was librarian and precentor of the

abbey. Before leaving the town the lovely Perpendicular market cross

should be seen, and also the almshouses near St. John's Bridge.

* * * * *

Leaving Malmesbury by the Cirencester road, one soon goes to the right

for Cricklade, skirting Charlton Park, with its dignified Jacobean

house built by Sir Thomas Knyvet, with a west front designed, it is

said, by Inigo Jones. It is the seat of the Earls of Suffolk and

Berkshire. The present holder of the title was extra A.D.C. to Lord

Curzon of Kedleston, and married, in 1904, a sister of the late Lady

Curzon. The interior of the house has been modernized, but it contains

a remarkably fine collection of old masters.

CRICKLADE

This prettily-situated little town is on the Thames, about ten miles

from Thames Head, close to the Foss Way, St. Sampson's Church, with

its pinnacled tower, rising picturesquely over the roofs half hidden

among trees. It is a cruciform building, and the interior of the

tower, which is enriched with armorial shields, contains a clock

possessing no face on the exterior! In the churchyard there is a fine

cross with niches in the head, and another is to be found in the

churchyard of the little St. Mary's. Cricklade is one of those really

ancient places whose beginnings are far off in British times, the

origin of the name being the two British words _cerrig_ (stone) and

_lád_ (ford).

From Cricklade one goes south-west as straight as an arrow for about

four miles on the Roman Ermine Way leading from Cirencester

(_Corinium_) to Speen (_Spinæ_), near Newbury. Then one goes to the

left to ~Highworth~, where the route turns due north and meets the

Thames again at

LECHLADE

The Lech and the Coln meet the Thames at the town, and the united

streams suddenly assume an air of dignity, having reached a width of

some 20 yards and a depth sufficient for vessels of 80 tons. Across

the 'stripling Thames' there stands the first stone bridge, whose core

is the medieval structure built somewhere about the beginning of the

thirteenth century, or possibly earlier, in the days when

bridge-building was regarded as a pious enterprise. In its prosperous

days Lechlade sent great quantities of cheese down the river to

London. The church is mainly Perpendicular, dating, according to

Bigland, from about 1470.

Continuing northwards, the road climbs among the eastern slopes of the

Cotswolds, and reaches picturesque old ~Burford~ (see p. 276). The next

place to the north is

SHIPTON-UNDER-WYCHWOOD,

an interesting and attractive old village on the east side of Wychwood

Forest. The spacious church is chiefly an Early English building, with

alterations in Perpendicular times, and no indications at all of

Decorated work. The spire, like that of Witney, is Early English,

while the font and stone pulpit are Perpendicular. Adding immensely to

the picturesqueness of the church, there is on the east side a group

of timeworn buildings of ecclesiastical origin dating back to the time

when Shipton was a prebend of Salisbury Cathedral. One should also

notice the sixteenth-century work of the Crown Inn, standing near the

centre of the village.

Going on towards Chipping Norton, one comes after two miles to some

tumuli, called Lyneham Barrows, and not far beyond these there is a

standing stone about 6 feet high.

CHIPPING NORTON,

another of the towns with the distinctive term revealing an old-time

importance as a market, is the highest town in Oxfordshire, being

nearly 700 feet above the sea. The place consists chiefly of one long

and picturesque street, and what there is to tell of its history is

almost exclusively in relation to its cloth manufactures, its

breweries, or its glove factories. The conspicuous church is mainly

Decorated and Perpendicular, with the tower above the obviously Early

English work, rebuilt in 1825.

There is a story of Bishop Juxon having been the cause of a complaint

to Cromwell because once, when the prelate was hunting, the hare,

closely followed by the hounds, ran through the churchyard. The

Protector's reply, however, took the form of a question: 'Do you think

the Bishop prevailed on the hare to run through the churchyard?'

Nothing whatever is left of the castle formerly standing to the east

of the church, but the almshouses, built in 1640, still survive.

Chipping Norton is left by the road to Evesham, and a run of eight

miles brings one into the long, wide street of ~Moreton-in-the-Marsh~, a

little market town without any exceptional features needing special

reference here. The next place, however, is ~Bourton-on-the-Hill~, a

lovely village, with its old cottages perched either above or below

the steeply ascending road. Of the gardens gaily decked with flowers

one could write many pages; but not far off is ~Broadway~, one of those

delightful villages of the always lovely Cotswolds, full of pleasing

stone architecture, in spite of the evil tendencies which have marred,

if not destroyed, the beauty of so many pleasant old-world haunts. At

the picturesque Lygon Arms, at the lower end of the village, Charles

I. is said to have stayed on more than one occasion, and near it is a

house called the 'Abbot's Grange,' where Mr. Millet, the artist, has

his studio. This was the manor-house of the Abbots of Pershore, a

Benedictine abbey possessing much property at Broadway. There is a

large hall open to the roof, a solar, and a small chapel chiefly

dating from Decorated times. The old church of Broadway, dedicated to

St. Eadburgh, is three-quarters of a mile away, in the Snowshill

Valley. It contains a plain Norman font, a painted wooden pulpit of

the fourteenth century, and some good brasses. From the tower, built

in 1797, above the village one can see a wide panoramic view over the

beautiful rounded hills, broken up by belts of beech and larch.

If there is no need to economize time, it would certainly be unwise to

pass so near the picturesque old town of ~Chipping Camden~ without

having a peep at its fine market hall, its church, and beautiful array

of stone-built houses. After this the hills are left behind, and

Evesham, on the river which flows past Shakespeare's birthplace, is

reached.

EVESHAM

This picturesque little town owed its importance to the great

Benedictine abbey, which up to the Dissolution had, according to

Grose, such a great assemblage of religious buildings that its equal

was not to be found out of Oxford and Cambridge. Of these, however,

there remain to-day only the beautiful Perpendicular bell-tower, the

almonry, the mutilated Norman gatehouse, and the archway leading to

the chapter-house, now the entrance to allotments. Many houses in the

town are built of stones from the destroyed abbey. The Booth Hall, in

the market-place, is a charming old building, and in the High Street

and in Bridge Street there are many fine old houses.

The two churches of Evesham stand in one churchyard, and both were

founded by the monks of the abbey as secular chapels for the town. The

Church of St. Lawrence was practically rebuilt a century ago, but All

Saints, which existed in 1223, has an Early English north aisle and

chancel, and examples of the succeeding periods in the other parts of

the building. The Battle of Evesham was fought on August 4, 1265,

rather less than a mile from the town, on high ground to the north,

marked by an obelisk. Simon de Montfort, who held Henry III. prisoner,

was crushingly defeated by Prince Edward, and both he and his son

Henry were killed, their bodies being buried in Evesham Abbey Church

before the high-altar.

[Map: TOWN PLAN NO. 10--TEWKESBURY.]

TEWKESBURY

is the last place passed through on this extensive loop, and going in

this direction one finds the best wine reserved to the last, for this

exceptionally picturesque old town, with its solemn abbey church,

surrounded by tall ancient trees, and the sweet green meadows, where

Severn and Avon are only separated by a belt of level greensward, is

one of those places that have a way of fixing themselves in the

memory, even if one has never read Miss Mulock's 'John Halifax,

Gentleman.' If one has done so, and remembers the descriptions of

'Norton Bury,' the old town will never be forgotten. One can hardly

think of Tewkesbury without the dominating presence of its great

Norman abbey church, but even without it the long street contains so

many delightful sixteenth-century houses, each possessing individual

charms, that the town would still make an irresistible appeal to all

for whom the architecture of the vanished centuries has some message.

The founder of the present abbey was Robert FitzHamon, who was related

to William the Conqueror, and received the Honour of Gloucester from

Rufus. Having decided to rebuild the modest Saxon abbey, FitzHamon

soon removed all traces of the early buildings when, in 1102, the work

was begun. Five years later the founder died of a wound received

during a siege of the impregnable castle of Falaise in Normandy, and

was buried in the chapter-house. The consecration took place in 1123,

and in 1178 a fire occurred, which was fortunately restricted to the

conventual buildings.

Gilbert de Clare, one of the barons who had signed Magna Charta, was

buried in the abbey, and after him, for two and a half centuries,

every one of his successors was laid to rest in the same building.

When Tewkesbury Abbey was suppressed, the nave, which had always been

secular, continued to be a possession of the town, and the other

portions of the great fabric were bought from the Crown for the sum of

£453.

It is often stated that the great Norman tower is the most perfect in

this country, but the people of St. Albans would no doubt question

this claim. The tall wooden spire, covered with lead, fell during

service on Easter Sunday in 1559, and was never replaced. Inside the

church one sees little that is not pure Norman, and for solemnity and

vast, imposing dignity it would be difficult to find any building able

to overshadow Tewkesbury. It may be compared with Durham, Selby, and

Christchurch. The west end has a wonderfully fine recessed window of

immense proportions. In 1661 the window was blown in during a gale,

and was replaced in 1686. Surely those who were attached to the

Commonwealth must have thought there was something significant in this

parallel to the rending of the veil of the Temple, for the seventeenth

century was a superstitious age.

The Battle of Tewkesbury, one of the decisive encounters of the Wars

of the Roses, was fought, in 1471, on the south side of the town (its

position is shown in the accompanying plan). Edward IV. crushingly

defeated the Lancastrians under Edward, the youthful Prince of Wales,

whose army fought with Tewkesbury in their rear. The defeated army

took refuge in the town, and the slaughter continued in the abbey

church in hideous fashion, until the abbot, bearing in his hands the

consecrated elements, brought the fighting to a close. Prince Edward,

who had been struck in the mouth by the gauntleted hand of the King,

was killed in a house in Church Street.

With the rooks cawing high overhead in the tree-tops, and a sweet

solemnity pervading the whole abbey precincts, it is almost impossible

to picture the ghastly scene of civil war which, four and a half

centuries ago, soaked the meadows in human blood and turned the noble

church into a shambles. For a month no services were held in the

building while every blood-stain was removed.

On the way back to Gloucester one could make a very profitable detour

of a few miles to Deerhurst Priory, a highly interesting pre-Norman

building, until recently used as part of a farm, but lately restored

in a most efficient manner.