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FINDEN'S VIEWS
_OF THE_
PORTS, HARBOURS & WATERING PLACES
_OF_
GREAT BRITAIN,
Continued by
W. H. BARTLETT.
* * * * *
[Illustration: TYNEMOUTH PRIORY AND LIGHT-HOUSE.
_THE LIFE-BOAT_]
* * * * *
THE
PORTS, HARBOURS, WATERING-PLACES,
And Picturesque Scenery
OF
GREAT BRITAIN.
ILLUSTRATED BY VIEWS TAKEN ON THE SPOT,
BY
W. H. BARTLETT, J. D. HARDING, T. CRESWICK,
AND OTHERS.
* * * * *
WITH DESCRIPTIONS, HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL.
* * * * *
VOL. I.
VIRTUE AND CO., LIMITED, CITY ROAD AND IVY LANE, LONDON.
LIST OF PLATES.
The arrangement adopted in this List is that of starting from
the metropolis, and following the line of the Eastern coast of
Great Britain as far northward as Banff, and then returning
westward to the River Thames. But as the description of each
plate is complete in a single leaf, and there is not any series
of folios, the order can be varied at the taste of the
purchaser, if directions to that effect be given to the binder.
VOLUME I.
FRONTISPIECE--LONDON, SOUTHWARK, AND BLACKFRIARS BRIDGES.
VIGNETTE--TYNEMOUTH PRIORY AND LIGHTHOUSE, WITH LIFE-BOAT.
HARWICH.
YARMOUTH, NORFOLK.
--------- WITH THE QUAY AND SHIPPING.
--------- WITH NELSON'S PILLAR.
CROMER, NORFOLK.
HULL--KINGSTON-ON-HULL.
BURLINGTON QUAY.
FLAMBOROUGH-HEAD, WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE.
SCARBOROUGH, WITH THE HARBOUR, CASTLE, &c.
WHITBY, WITH MONASTIC RUINS.
------- FROM THE NORTH-WEST.
ROBIN HOOD'S BAY, YORKSHIRE.
HARTLEPOOL.
SUNDERLAND, WITH THE LIGHTHOUSE, SOUTH PIER.
----------- THE BRIDGE FROM THE WEST.
SHIELDS, ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR.
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, TOWN AND HARBOUR.
BLYTH, NEAR THE HARBOUR.
TYNEMOUTH CASTLE, WITH VESSEL ON THE ROCKS.
CULLERCOATS.
DUNSTANBOROUGH CASTLE, FROM THE EAST.
---------------------- BY MOONLIGHT.
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE, FROM THE SOUTH-EAST.
------------------ FROM THE NORTH-WEST.
CASTLE OF HOLY ISLAND AND ABBEY OF LINDISFARN.
--------------------- FROM THE WESTWARD.
BERWICK FROM THE SOUTH-EAST.
LEITH, WITH THE DOCKS, AND EDINBURGH IN THE DISTANCE.
NEWHAVEN, WITH THE PIERS, EDINBURGH.
DUNDEE, ENTRANCE TO THE PORT.
------- FROM THE FIFE SIDE OF THE TAY.
ABBEY OF ARBROATH.
MONTROSE, WITH THE HARBOUR AND CHAIN-BRIDGE.
DUNNOTTAR CASTLE, NEAR STONEHAVEN.
STONEHAVEN, WITH THE TOWN AND HARBOUR.
ABERDEEN, ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR.
--------- FROM ABOVE THE CHAIN-BRIDGE.
--------- THE LIGHTHOUSE.
SLAINES CASTLE, SEAT OF THE EARL OF ERROLL.
BULLERS OF BUCHAN.
PETERHEAD, TOWN, HARBOUR, AND LIGHTHOUSE.
MACDUFF, TOWN AND HARBOUR.
BANFF.
PORT-GLASGOW, WITH THE PIER AND DOCKS.
GREENOCK, WITH THE CUSTOM-HOUSE.
BROOMIELAW, WITH THE NEW BRIDGE, GLASGOW.
THE SOLWAY, VIEW ACROSS THE FRITH.
ALLONBY, WATERING-PLACE, WITH FISHING-BOATS.
MARYPORT, TOWN AND HARBOUR, ENGLISH COAST.
MARYPORT-PIER, IN A STORM.
WORKINGTON, CUMBERLAND.
WHITEHAVEN, CUMBERLAND.
----------- THE HARBOUR.
ST. BEES' COLLEGE, WITH THE VILLAGE.
ST. BEES' HEAD AND LIGHTHOUSE.
FLEETWOOD-ON-WYRE.
BLACKPOOL, WATERING-PLACE.
BLACKPOOL SANDS.
LYTHAM, LANCASHIRE.
SOUTHPORT SANDS, LANCASHIRE.
THE
PORTS AND HARBOURS
OF
GREAT BRITAIN.
TYNEMOUTH LIGHTHOUSE AND PRIORY.
Our present engraving is a view of Tynemouth Lighthouse and Priory, with
the life-boat in the act of saving the crew of a vessel, which has
struck upon the rocks at the foot of the cliff on which the lighthouse
is built. This incident, so effectively and appropriately introduced by
the artist, Balmer, who has frequently witnessed the scene which he has
depicted, is peculiarly characteristic of the neighbourhood of
Tynemouth; for, in consequence of the danger of the entrance to Shields
Harbour in stormy weather, with the wind from the eastward, more vessels
are there lost than at the entrance of any other harbour in Great
Britain; and in no part of the kingdom has the value of the life-boat
been more frequently experienced.
The view is taken from the entrance to Shields Harbour, about half a
mile to the south-west of the lighthouse, which is seen rising from
behind the extremity of the cliff which overlooks the entrance to
Prior's Haven. Towards the centre of the land view are the ruins of
Tynemouth Priory; while farther to the left, in the same distance, is
seen the castle, now modernised and occupied as a garrison. The
fore-ground to the left is the bank which forms the south-western
boundary of Prior's Haven; and the rocks which are seen at its foot are
a portion of the formidable _Black Middens_, which lie on the north side
of the entrance to the harbour.
The principal feature of the engraving under observation is the view of
the life-boat, which is introduced with a thorough knowledge of the
subject, and with a feeling and a character of truth which mere
imagination can never inspire. The downward plunge of a boat's bows
among broken water, while her stern is at the same time elevated by a
slanting wave, was never more happily represented. A person who has been
at sea, may almost fancy that he hears the resounding dash of the water
against the curved bow, and the seething of the angry wave as it rises
on each side. The idea of motion is admirably conveyed in the
representation of the wave lashing over the floating mast, which is
tossed about like a light spar by the violence of the sea; and the
continued inward roll of the water, from the side and bow of the boat
towards the shore, is no less naturally expressed.
Part of the life-boat's crew, with most of the oars double-manned, are
seen "giving way," with strenuous efforts, through the breakers, while
others are endeavouring to save the shipwrecked seamen; and one of the
men at the steer-oar appears to be encouraging the sailor who clings to
the floating mast. The position of the boat, with her stem towards the
harbour, and the shipwrecked men seated towards her stern, indicate that
she is returning from the vessel, the top of whose masts are seen, and
that she is now endeavouring to save such men as were washed overboard
when the vessel sunk. The flying of the spray declares the loudness of
the wind; and though a cheering glimpse of sunshine appears to illumine
the land, yet the dark cloud, which seems to rest upon the waters to the
right, sufficiently informs us of the gloominess of the prospect when
looking towards the sea.
In consequence of a bar of sand, which stretches across the mouth of the
Tyne, where the outward current of the river at ebb tide is met by the
inward roll of the sea; and from the Herd Sand on the south, and the
Black Middens on the north, the entrance to Shields Harbour is attended
with great danger when the wind is blowing hard from the eastward and a
heavy sea running. In crossing the bar, at such a time, a loaden ship,
with rather a heavy draught of water, will sometimes strike, and unship
her rudder; and a light one, in consequence of being struck by a heavy
sea will sometimes broach to. A vessel thus rendered unmanageable, is
almost certain, with the wind from the north-east and a flood tide, to
be driven on the Herd Sand; and, should the wind be blowing strong from
the south-east, she is extremely liable to be thrown either on the Black
Middens or on the rocks at the foot of Tynemouth Castle; more especially
in attempting to gain the harbour after the tide has begun to ebb. In
the latter case, when vessels have been too late to save tide and are
land-locked, and when it may seem less hazardous to attempt to pass the
bar than to bring up, with evening approaching, on a lee shore, the
danger of being wrecked on the rocks to the northward is more especially
imminent.
LONDON:
THE BRIDGES OF LONDON, SOUTHWARK, AND BLACKFRIARS, FROM THE SURREY SIDE.
"O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream
My great example as it is my theme;
Though deep, yet buoyant,--gentle, yet not dull,--
Strong, without rage,--without o'erflowing, full."
DENHAM.
The New London Bridge, which forms so striking a feature in this View,
is justly considered the finest specimen of bridge-building in Europe.
It is alike the admiration of strangers and natives, and unites in the
highest degree the useful and ornamental--elegance of design with
solidity of structure. The first pile of this superb structure was
driven on the 15th of March, 1824; and on the 27th of April, the
following year, the first stone was laid by his Royal Highness the Duke
of York, attended by the Lord Mayor, a distinguished party of noblemen,
gentlemen, and citizens, and a great concourse of strangers, who had
assembled to witness the imposing ceremony. The contracts amounted to
five hundred and six thousand pounds, but the total expenditure more
than trebled that sum. The clear water-way is six hundred and ninety
feet out of seven hundred and eighty-two--the actual width. The
carriage-way is thirty-five feet wide, and the foot-paths nine feet
each. The central arch, of the five of which it consists, is one hundred
and fifty-two feet in span--one of the largest ever known--it is
twenty-nine feet and a half in height; and there is no _weir_, or fall,
as in the Old London Bridge. We are thus particular in the measurements
that the reader may more readily comprehend the magnificent scale upon
which this great national structure has been finished; and it may be an
additional facility to this purpose to state, that of granite alone one
hundred and twenty thousand tons were consumed in the building.
After six years of incessant labour, it was happily brought to a
successful termination under the direction of the late John Rennie,
Esq., of whose genius as an architect it is a splendid monument. The
opening of the bridge took place on the 1st of August, 1831, and gave
occasion to a magnificent festival, which was honoured with the presence
of his late Majesty William the Fourth and Queen Adelaide, the Lord
Mayor, and all most remarkable for rank and station who were at that
time in London. The ceremony was of the most gorgeous and gratifying
description; and the water-pageant which accompanied it was the finest
ever remembered on the Thames. The bridge was lined with tents and
marquees, from which proudly floated the national standard, with
numerous flags of societies and corporations, which gave the whole a
strikingly gala-like effect. Under these a superb _dejeuner_, consisting
of all the luxuries of the season, was served to the numerous assembly;
and, to give additional novelty to the scene, Mr. C. Green, the
celebrated aeronaut, ascended from the bridge in his balloon, much to
the gratification of the spectators.
Immediately adjoining the Bridge, on the right, is the Steam-packet
Wharf, which, from the constant landing and embarkation of passengers to
and from all parts of the river, is a scene of uninterrupted stir and
animation. On the left are the Bridges of Southwark and Blackfriars,
with the magnificent Cathedral of St. Paul's in the centre of the
picture.
The Monument (a conspicuous object on the right hand of the engraving)
is a magnificent pillar, erected to commemorate the great fire of the
city of London, in 1666, on the spot where it first began. It is of the
fluted Doric order, and the material employed in its erection is
Portland-stone of the best quality. It is one of the boldest specimens
of the kind ever attempted, being two hundred and two feet in height,
and fifteen in diameter, and stands on a pedestal forty feet high and
twenty-one feet square; and within the shaft is a spiral staircase,
consisting of three hundred and forty-five steps, formed of black
marble. It was begun in 1671, but not completed till seven years after,
as the great demand for stone in the restoration of London and the
Cathedral of St. Paul's absorbed nearly all that the Portland quarries
could furnish. Mr. Elmes, in his _Life of Sir Christopher Wren_, informs
us that the Monument was at first used by the members of the Royal
Society for astronomical experiments; but was abandoned on account of
its vibrations being too great for the nicety required in their
observations. This occasioned a report--extensively circulated at one
time--that it was unsafe; but its sound foundation and scientific
construction may bid defiance to all attacks, but those of earthquakes,
for centuries to come.
This View of the Metropolis, from Southwark, is exceedingly grand and
impressive, and presents a faithful picture of the every-day scenes
which are here passing before the eyes of the spectator--dazzling his
eye, and filling his mind with those images of unbounded wealth, power,
and magnificence, of which there is no precedent in ancient or modern
history.
[Illustration: HARWICH.
_ESSEX._]
HARWICH.
Harwich is in the county of Essex, and lies on the south side of the
estuary formed by the confluence of the Stour and the Orwell, about
sixty-two miles to the north-eastward of London. The view in the
engraving is taken from the southward, and comprises three of the most
conspicuous objects in the town--the church, which is of modern
erection, and the upper and the lower light-houses. In the distance, to
the right, is perceived Landguard Fort, which lies on the Suffolk shore,
on the opposite side of the channel.
In 1318, Harwich was incorporated by Edward II., at the request of his
brother, Thomas de Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk. In 1347, the town
supplied 14 ships and 183 mariners to the grand fleet of Edward III.;
and in the 17th and 18th years of that king's reign, Harwich returned
two members to Parliament; but the exercise of this privilege was
discontinued till 1616, when it was restored by James I.
The trade of Harwich never appears to have been extensive; and its
prosperity seems to have greatly depended on the Post-office packets,
which formerly used to sail from the place with passengers and letters
for the northern parts of Europe. The introduction of steam-packets has,
however, rendered Harwich a place of no further importance as a
packet-station, and for several years past the town has been in a
declining state. The fishery, which formerly contributed to the
prosperity of the place, has greatly diminished since the commencement
of the present century. Harwich is the only harbour between Yarmouth
Roads and the mouth of the Thames that is capable of affording refuge,
in gales of wind from the eastward, to vessels navigating the eastern
coast. During the prevalence of strong north-east winds, sometimes from
200 to 300 light colliers, and other vessels proceeding northward, are
to be seen anchored in the harbour.
On the south of the town a cliff divides Orwell Haven from the bay, that
extends to Walton-on-Naze. This cliff is observed to be constantly
giving way to the action of the sea, which, it is expected, will at some
future period force a passage to the opposite shore, and insulate
Harwich and its vicinity. The cliff contains many acres of land, and its
greatest height is about fifty feet. At the bottom, a bed of clay, of a
bluish colour, about one foot thick, is succeeded by a bed of stone of
nearly the same colour and thickness. Within the latter, shells and
petrifactions, of various descriptions, have been found embedded. Above
the stone are several beds of clay similar to that under the stone,
rising to more than twenty feet. This clay, on exposure to the air,
hardens into stone, and the streets of Harwich are paved with it. The
town walls were formed of this material, as were also the castles of
Orford and Framlingham.
During the fashionable season the town is visited for sea-bathing, and
excellent accommodations are now provided, bathing-machines having been
introduced, and the private baths rendered most convenient. They stand
in a large reservoir of sea water, which is changed at every tide, and
supplied with fresh water every hour, by a contrivance on the principle
of a natural syphon. In some of these baths, the water is made hot for
invalids, who, if they have neither strength nor courage to plunge
themselves into the water, are assisted with a chair. There are also
vapour baths, and machinery to throw the sea water, either hot or cold,
on any part of the body.
There is a delightful walk, called "the Lawn," much frequented in fine
weather as a promenade; and not far distant from it is the Beacon Cliff,
on which were formerly the signal-house and telegraph, which were, some
time ago, destroyed by the encroachments of the sea. This eminence
commands a grand, interesting, and extensive prospect. Parties are also
frequently made by the visitors for sailing or steaming up the Orwell
and Stour, and making excursions on the bosom of the ocean. The scenery
of the Orwell possesses peculiar interest, the banks being studded with
elegant villas and pleasure grounds.
[Illustration: YARMOUTH.
_NORFOLK._]
YARMOUTH.
Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk, sometimes called Great Yarmouth, to
distinguish it from Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight, lies about 123 miles
north-east of London, and about twenty-four to the eastward of Norwich.
In the Vignette Engraving, from a beautiful painting by E. W. Cooke, the
view is taken from the shore a little to the northward of the Jetty,
which is seen extending into the sea. Nearly in the centre of the
engraving is seen the column erected by the county of Norfolk to the
memory of Nelson; and to the right are perceived several _look-outs_,
like so many elevated scaffolds, from which, as the shore is very low,
the pilots are enabled to take a wider survey when looking out for ships
which may require their assistance.
The name of Yarmouth obviously alludes to the situation of the town near
the mouth of the river Yare; the word Yare, according to Druery, in his
_Historical Notices of Great Yarmouth_, is derived from the Celtic
_Iar_, dark, supposed to have been given to this river from the dark
colour of its waters. According to Sir Henry Spelman, the ground on
which Yarmouth stands became firm and habitable in the year 1008, from
the recession of the sea, and the accumulation of the sands. If this
account be correct, it would appear that the town began to be built
almost immediately afterwards; for in the _Domesday-book_, which was
compiled between 1080 and 1086, the place is mentioned, with the usual
carelessness of the Norman scribes, by the name of Cernemude; and the
entry further records that the place had been held by King Edward [the
Confessor], and that it "always had seventy burgesses."
In 1208, Yarmouth received a charter of incorporation from King John;
and the privileges of the town were confirmed and enlarged by several
succeeding kings. In 1228, in the reign of Henry III., Yarmouth had
become a considerable port, both for the importation and exportation of
merchandize; and in a charter of Edward I., granted in 1306, it is
especially mentioned as a place where fishing-vessels, from an early
period, had been accustomed to land the herrings which they caught
during the season of the fishery. In 1347, Yarmouth supplied 43 ships
and 1,095 mariners to the grand fleet of Edward III. and in 1349, the
town was visited by a dreadful plague, which carried off seven thousand
of the inhabitants. In the 31st of Edward III., an act was passed
regulating the annual herring fair at Yarmouth, and appointing it to be
governed by the barons of the Cinque Ports, according to the composition
made between them and the inhabitants of the town in the reign of Edward
I., the king's grandfather. One William Beukelem, of Biervliet, in
Flanders, who died in 1397, according to Anderson, in his _History of
Commerce_, is said to have been the inventor of the method of pickling
herrings: but this cannot be correct; for though he may have introduced
some improvements in the mode of cleaning and barrelling the fish, the
inhabitants of Yarmouth and other places on the eastern coast were
accustomed both to pickle and smoke herrings long previous to the time
when the practice is said to have been introduced by Beukelem. Yarmouth
is still the principal place of resort on the eastern coast of England
for vessels engaged in the herring fishery, which there commences about
the 21st September, and concludes about the 14th December. Most of the
Yorkshire five-man boats come to Yarmouth in the herring season, and
make their fishery from that place, disposing of all the herrings which
they catch to curers who live in the town.
The quay at Yarmouth is one of the longest and most spacious of any in
the kingdom; but from the shallowness of the entrance of the harbour,
there being only fourteen feet of water on the bar at spring tides, the
trade of the place is chiefly carried on in small vessels. It is high
water in Yarmouth Roads at forty minutes past eight, and at Yarmouth
Sands at thirty minutes past ten, on the full and change of the moon.
The column erected to the memory of Nelson stands on the low sandy flat,
called the Denes, to the south of the town. Its total height, including
the basement and the figure of Britannia at the top, is 144 feet, and it
is ascended by a staircase consisting of 217 steps. It forms a
conspicuous object when seen from the sea; and to the crews of vessels
passing through Yarmouth Roads it is a proud memento of Nelson's fame
and the naval glory of their country.
"O England!--dearer far than life is dear,
If I forget thy prowess, never more
Be thy ungrateful son allowed to hear
Thy green leaves rustle, or thy torrents roar!"
[Illustration: THE QUAY, YARMOUTH.]
YARMOUTH QUAY.
'Twas from the "craft of sail and oar"
That states and kingdoms sprang of yore;
When Commerce ceased to woo the wind,
Their wealth decreased--their power declin'd--
Then, thou who lov'st thy native shore,
Pray Heaven to bless "the sail and oar!"
The subject of the annexed View, representing the Quay at Yarmouth,
conveys a faithful idea of that interesting and important locality. It
is considered by competent judges as the finest quay in England, and in
point of length exceeds every other in the United Kingdom. It is one
hundred and fifty yards in breadth, contains in its centre a delightful
promenade--planted on each side with trees, protected from the east wind
by a row of handsome and well-built houses--and presents in all its
aspects a striking combination of commercial activity and ornamental
beauty. To the elegant Town Hall, which occupies the centre of this
space, and to other public buildings, we have briefly alluded elsewhere.
As a grand panorama of commercial life, it would be difficult to point
out a finer scene than what is every day presented on the Quay at
Yarmouth. Its principal foreign connexion is with the Baltic; and its
trade in coal, corn, and other merchandise, coastwise, is very
extensive. By means of the navigable rivers Yare, Waveny, and Bure, it
possesses great facilities of intercourse with the interior of the
county.
In Yarmouth Roads--so renowned for the safe riding they afford to
shipping--the anchorage is extensive, and there is room for any number
of ships. The Roadstead, however, is better calculated for summer than
winter, for to large vessels it is only accessible in the daytime with
safety.
The trade for which Yarmouth is peculiarly noted is its fisheries, which
are an unfailing source of wealth and employment to the inhabitants, and
have proved an invaluable nursery for those hardy and gallant seamen who
have so often fought and conquered in the battles of their country. The
mackarel[1] fishery begins in the end of April, and ends in the
beginning of July. The herring[2] fishery commences at Michaelmas, and
continues till the end of November; during that interval, it affords
constant employment to sixteen hundred fishermen, besides six or seven
hundred men and women who are engaged in the curing-houses.[3] In
addition to all these, many others are occupied in the various
manufactures connected with the fishery--in the preparation of nets,
rope, twine, baskets, coopering, &c.
The number of registered vessels belonging to the Port of Yarmouth is
about six hundred, exclusive of fishing-smacks and other small craft.
Ship-building is carried on to a great extent; and the artificers in the
various departments of the building-yards are considered eminently
skilful. There are several private bonding-warehouses, besides that on
the South Denes belonging to the Custom-house. On the North Denes are
the silk-mills of Messrs. Grout and Co.; and on Cobham Island are
considerable salt-works for the use of the town and fisheries. At South
Town, or Little Yarmouth, the banks of the Yare--besides the handsome
houses by which they are lined on the south--are occupied by docks,
timber-wharfs, and shipbuilding-yards, in which a large proportion of
the vessels belonging to Yarmouth are constructed and fitted out for
sea.
[1] Mackarel is found in large shoals, especially on the French and
English coasts. This fish enters the English Channel in April, and, as
the summer advances, is found on the coasts of Cornwall, Sussex,
Normandy, Picardy, &c., where the fishing is most considerable.
[2] Herrings are also remarkable as appearing in immense shoals--many
miles in extent, and several fathoms in depth. Their presence is easily
discovered by the flights of sea-fowl which accompany them, by the
unctuous matter with which the water is covered, and in the night by the
brilliant phosphoric light which they emit. They are very plentiful
about the Orkney Isles in June and July, in the German Ocean in
September and October, and in the English Channel in November and
December.
[3] The London fishmongers are said to prefer the Lowestoff herrings to
those cured at Yarmouth, although they are generally retailed under the
name of "Yarmouth Herrings."
[Illustration: YARMOUTH, WITH NELSON'S MONUMENT.
(from the Lowestoft Road.)]
YARMOUTH, WITH NELSON'S PILLAR,
(FROM THE LOWESTOFT ROAD).
"A fertile soil, a fruitful sea,
And wealth amassed by Industry;
And patriot virtues that sustain
Their 'Meteor-flag' on land and main;
A scene where Nelson's gallant name
Is 'watch-word' to immortal fame:
And here,--with grateful triumph crown'd,--
Imparts a charm to all around."
YARMOUTH PILLAR.
Yarmouth, as a market-town and sea-port, enjoys many natural advantages;
and, aided by the public spirit of its inhabitants and a train of
successful enterprise, has long enjoyed a well-merited distinction in
the chart of the British Empire. It is a borough, both corporate and
parliamentary, situated at the eastern extremity of the county, near the
mouth of the river Yare, from which it derives its name, and which is
navigable as far as Norwich. Joined by its tributaries, the Waveney and
Bure, a short distance to the west of the town, in a fine sheet of water
called the Breydon, it proceeds in a copious stream to the sea. The
Waveney and the Bure are both navigable rivers--the former as far as
Bungay, and the latter to Aylsham.
The town, extending upwards of a mile along the river, from north to
south, occupies an area of at least a hundred and thirty acres. On the
western side it is bounded by the river, over which there is a handsome
drawbridge, communicating with South Town or Little Yarmouth, one of its
populous suburbs, where extensive business is carried on. The principal
streets, running north and south--Regent-street and South-street
excepted--are all indicative of the stir and animation which pervade
every place of trade, and evince in their construction both taste and
comfort, with an occasional air of the picturesque. The market-place of
Yarmouth is extensive, covering an area of nearly three acres, and
inclosed on the west side with a range of handsome and well-furnished
shops.
Among the public edifices of Yarmouth, which merit especial notice, is
the Town Hall, which stands near the centre of the quay. It is an
elegant modern structure, with a portico admirably proportioned, and
supported by pillars of the Tuscan order. The interior consists of a
noble room, finely designed and ornamented, with a richly embossed
ceiling in stucco, from which are suspended three massive and superbly
cut lustres, containing seventy-six lights, which are used on festive
nights, when, with permission from the mayor, public assemblies are held
within its walls. Over the chimney-piece is a full-length portrait of
George III., in which is preserved a faithful resemblance of that
sovereign. The theatre, erected about sixty years ago, and the
bathing-establishment, with a spacious public room adjoining, where the
company are supplied with refreshments, are among the other places of
public resort. A jetty, twenty-four feet wide, secured by a strong
railing, and extending four hundred and fifty-six feet into the sea, on
piles of wood, forms a delightful promenade, where health of body and
exhilaration of mind may be greatly promoted by the salubrious sea
breezes by which it is constantly visited. Near this, and commanding a
magnificent view over the German Ocean, the stranger is particularly
struck with the appearance of a marine villa, which harmonises admirably
with the scene.
At a short distance from the pier is a noble pile of buildings,
belonging to the barrack department and erected on a portion of the
South Denes. In the centre of the latter rises the triumphal Pillar,
which forms so striking a feature in the landscape, and awakens so many
proud and heroic associations in the heart of the spectator. This
monument, raised to commemorate in his native county the services of the
immortal NELSON, is worthy of the virtue and valour it was designed to
celebrate. It was erected in 1817, by W. Wilkins, Esq. Both in the
design and execution great solicitude was evinced by the public that a
monument, bearing the name of the greatest of our Naval Heroes, should
present everything that classical taste and national gratitude could
suggest--and in this respect his countrymen have been fully gratified.
It is of the Doric order, fluted and ornamented with appropriate
decorations and title-inscriptions--illustrating the Hero's most
celebrated battles--and surmounted with a ball and an exquisitely cast
figure of Britannia, supporting her trident and laurel wreath. The
ascent is by an easy flight of two hundred and seventeen steps, and the
whole is built of white Scottish marble. Its height from the ground is
one hundred and forty-four feet; the diameter of the column or shaft is
twelve feet six inches; and the pedestal is twenty-three feet square by
twenty-seven feet in height.
[Illustration: CROMER.]
CROMER.
Cromer is a fishing village, situated near the north-eastern extremity
of the county of Norfolk. It lies about 129 miles north-north-east of
London, and about 22 miles nearly due north of Norwich. The view in the
engraving is taken from the sands, looking to the westward. Some years
ago, part of the cliff, with two or three houses beyond those which are
now seen standing on its extremity, fell down in consequence of the
encroachments of the sea. At that time a subscription was entered into
by the inhabitants of the place, and by several of the neighbouring
gentry, for the purpose of forming a breakwater; for without some such
protection it was apprehended that at no very distant period many more
houses, with the fine old church, would fall a prey to the violence of
the sea.
It is supposed that Cromer was formerly a place of much greater
importance than it is at present; and that at the time of the Domesday
survey it was included in the town of Shipden, which, with its church,
is supposed to have been destroyed by the sea in the reign of Henry IV.
At low water many large portions of wall are to be seen, which have
evidently formed part of the houses of the old town of Shipden. "The set
of the great tidal current of the German Ocean," says Mr. R. C. Taylor,
in his _Geology of East Norfolk_, "is from the north-west, along the
eastern shores of this island. In their progress southward, the tides
meet with an extensive obstruction in the projecting county of Norfolk.
About twenty miles of its coast has been subjected, from time
immemorial, to the abrasive action of ocean currents. The ancient
villages of Shipden, Wimpwell, and Eccles, have disappeared; several
manors, and large portions of neighbouring parishes, have, piece after
piece, been swallowed up by the encroaching waves; and their site, some
fathoms deep, now forms a part of the bed of the German Ocean."
The sea in this neighbourhood, and on the whole of the Norfolk coast, is
particularly dangerous. Between Flamborough and Spurn Heads, and
Winterton Ness, the most easterly points of land on this side of the
island (excepting the North Foreland), the land retreats inward, forming
a large bay. If vessels leaving Flamborough Head proceed southward and
meet with a hard gale from any point between north-east and south-east,
or of leaving Yarmouth Roads, proceeding northwards, they are retarded
by the wind blowing hard from the north-east; so that as they cannot
weather Winterton Ness, they become embayed, and the only chance of
safety is to run for Lynn Deeps, in attempting which they are in danger
of foundering on the rocks near this town or stranding upon the flat
shores between Cromer and Wells.
Cromer is much frequented in summer by visitors for the sake of
sea-bathing, for which the fine sandy beach to the eastward affords
great convenience. It is a place of very little trade, and is chiefly
dependent on the fishery. Cromer light-house stands on an eminence,
about three-quarters of a mile to the eastward of the village. It is a
revolving light, and is visible, in clear weather, at a distance of five
or six leagues. It appears in its brightest state once in every minute,
and then gradually becomes eclipsed.
[Illustration: HULL.]
KINGSTON-ON-HULL.
Hull, though one of the most considerable ports of the kingdom, is also
one of the least picturesque. From its low situation, little more of the
town can be seen than the modern houses near the banks of the Humber;
and though jetties, dock-gates, and pier-heads, are sometimes useful as
accessories in a picture, yet where such occupy almost the entire line
of the foreground, with a row of brick buildings behind them, the
painter must manage his subject as he best can, and be content with
giving correctly that which his art cannot improve:--"Res ipsa negat
ornari." The view of Hull, from a painting by Balmer, is taken from the
Humber, looking towards the north. Beyond the river-craft, which are
seen in front, is the entrance to the Humber dock; and the jetty to the
right, which appears crowded with people, is a favourite promenade with
the inhabitants of Hull, who sometimes assemble there in crowds to watch
the sailing and arrival of the steam-packets. The most distant building
to the right is the citadel, at the entrance of the river Hull, which
then discharges itself into the Humber. Towards the middle of the
engraving is seen the tower of Trinity Church, the only object which, at
the distance of a mile, commands the attention of the stranger, and
gives an individual character to the river.
The town of Hull, or, as it is sometimes called, Kingston-upon-Hull, is
in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and lies about one hundred and seventy
miles northward of London, and about thirty-nine to the south-east of
York. On the south it is bounded by the Humber, and on the eastward by
the small river Hull. The old town, which was formerly protected on the
north and west by a wall running from the Hull to the Humber, is now
wholly insular, as a line of wet-docks occupies the site of the old
fortifications. The suburbs, of Sculcoates on the north, and Drypool on
the east, may be considered as forming, with the old borough of Hull,
but one large town.
The Hull, which is but a small river, has its source near the village of
Lissett, about five miles from Burlington, and after running about
twenty-six miles, in a southern direction, discharges itself into the
Humber, on the east side of the town to which it gives name. It is
navigable for small craft as far as Elmotlands about sixteen miles from
its mouth. It contains many fish, such as roach, perch gudgeon, eels,
and pike; and Driffield Beck, one of its tributaries, is famed for the
size and excellence of its trout.
The Humber, which opposite to Hull, is nearly three miles broad, and
about six fathoms deep in mid-channel, is formed by the junction of the
Trent and the Ouse, about sixteen miles above Hull, and it discharges
itself into the sea about twenty-four miles below that town. From the
rapidity of the current, which at spring tides runs at the rate of five
miles an hour, and from the numerous sand-banks which are in the river,
the navigation of the Humber is both intricate and dangerous; for should
a vessel get aground on one of the sands, she is extremely liable to be
overset by the force of the tide. Such accidents are, indeed, by no
means uncommon, for almost every year affords instances of vessels, both
ships and river-craft, being lost in the Humber in this manner. In the
upper part of the Humber, in the Trent, and in the Ouse between
Trent-falls and Selby, the flood tide, more especially in a strong
easterly wind, frequently rushes up the river like a wave, considerably
raised above the water which it meets. This tidal wave is called by the
people of Hull and its vicinity the "_Ager_,"--the _g_ being pronounced
hard; and from the murmuring sound which it makes, as it rolls onward
and dashes against the shore, it has been supposed that the river was
called the "_Humber_." Drayton, in his Poly-Olbion, thus notices the
"_Ager_," or as he spells it, the "Higre," in his description of the
Humber:--
"For when my Higre comes, I make my either shore
Ever tremble with the sound that I afarre doe send."
Taylor, the water-poet, observed this tidal wave in the estuary of the
Wash below Boston:--
"It hath lesse mercy than beare, wolfe, or tyger,
And, in those countries it is called the Hyger."
Dryden, who had noticed it in the river Trent, calls it the "_Eagre_."
"But like an Eagre rode in triumph o'er the tide."
[Illustration: BURLINGTON QUAY.]
BURLINGTON QUAY.
The Engraving of Burlington Quay, from a painting by Balmer, presents a
view of the entrance to the Harbour from the eastward. To the right is
seen the inner part of the Old Pier, as it appeared after the great
storm of 17th and 18th February, 1836. In front are the houses at the
end of Quay Street, and to the left is the South Pier; between this and
the shore two ships are perceived aground at the entrance of the inner
harbour, which is nearly dry at low water. In the storm above alluded
to, great injury was done to the old North Pier, and part of one of the
houses to the right was washed down by the violence of the sea.
Burlington Quay lies about a mile to the north-east of the market-town
of Burlington, and at the bottom of a bay of the same name. It is in the
East Riding of Yorkshire, and is about two hundred and eight miles from
London, forty from York, and twenty from Scarborough. The earliest
mention of it as a harbour occurs in a mandate of King Stephen,
addressed to the Sheriff of Yorkshire, commanding him to allow the Prior
of Burlington to hold it on the same terms as Walter de Gaunt, and
Gilbert, his ancestor, had held the same. During the time that it was in
the possession of the Priors of Burlington, it seems to have been an
inconsiderable place; but subsequently, as the coal trade between London
and the northern parts of the kingdom increased, it began to be of
greater importance as a harbour, in consequence of its affording shelter
in stormy weather to vessels engaged in that trade. In 1546, an act was
passed imposing a duty for erecting the piers and keeping them in
repair; and, in 1614, a second act was passed, upon a petition from the
merchants and ship-owners of the eastern coast, imposing a duty, for the
same purposes, on all coals shipped at Newcastle. Since 1614, several
other acts have been obtained, authorising the levy of duties and tolls
for the purpose of improving the harbour and repairing the piers; and
since 1816, the sum thus collected has averaged about L1,750 per annum.
The harbour at Burlington Quay is almost entirely the work of art, as
the small stream which there runs into the sea is scarcely sufficient to
turn a mill. Its locality seems to render it one of the most appropriate
stations for a harbour of refuge between the Frith of Forth and Yarmouth
Roads, more especially in gales of wind from the north-eastward; but
unfortunately it can only be entered by comparatively small vessels, as
the depth of water at the entrance is only from ten to twelve feet at
neap-tides, and from fourteen to sixteen feet at springs. The harbour is
also so small, that fifty sail of colliers taking shelter there would
render it extremely crowded.
The history of Burlington Quay, considering it as a separate place from
the town of Burlington, is extremely meagre. The most remarkable event
which its annals record is the landing there of Henrietta Maria, Queen
of Charles I., on her return, in 1643, from Holland, whither she had
been to conduct her newly-married daughter to her husband, the Prince of
Orange, and where she pledged part of the crown jewels in order to
obtain money to purchase arms for the Royalists. The Queen, who was
attended by a convoy of Dutch men-of-war, under the command of Admiral
Van Tromp, landed at Burlington Quay, on the 22nd of February. The
Parliamentary admiral, Batten, who had been cruising, with four ships,
for the purpose of intercepting her, having received intelligence of her
arrival, sailed into the bay and began to cannonade the town. Several of
the shot struck the house in which the Queen was lodged, so that she was
obliged to leave it, and take shelter in a ditch in a neighbouring
field. A serjeant was killed near her, and the Parliamentary admiral
continued his fire until the reflux of the tide and the threats of Van
Tromp compelled him to desist.
Burlington Quay is much frequented in summer as a bathing-place; and
many persons prefer its quiet and retirement to the greater gaiety of
Scarborough. The beach, to the northward of the quay, affords excellent
opportunities for bathing, and the walks and rides in the vicinity are
extremely pleasant. A visit to Flamborough Head, which is only about
five miles distant, forms a highly interesting excursion either by land
or water.
The market-town of Burlington, or, as it is frequently spelled,
Bridlington, is situated about a mile to the north-westward of the
quay.
[Illustration: FLAMBOROUGH HEAD.]
FLAMBOROUGH HEAD.
The view of Flamborough Head, drawn by Balmer, is taken from the cliffs
to the north-west. To the left is the promontory properly called "The
Head," at a short distance from which stands the lighthouse. Between the
Head and the nearer cliffs is a small haven, which is used as a landing
place by the fishermen of the village of Flamborough, which lies about a
mile to the south-west of the lighthouse.
Flamborough Head, which lies about eighteen miles southward of
Scarborough, and four and a half miles northward of Burlington, is one
of the most remarkable promontories on the eastern coast. It projects
about five miles into the sea, from a line drawn between Burlington Quay
and Filey; and its southern side forms the northern boundary of
Burlington Bay. The cliffs, which are of limestone rock, are from three
hundred to four hundred feet high, and their crumbling sides form the
haunt and the breeding place of innumerable flocks of sea-birds: among
which are cormorants, puffins, razor-bills, and guillemots, with gulls
and terns of several species. Guillemots, which are here extremely
numerous, are known to the seamen of Shields and Newcastle by the name
of "Flamborough-head pilots," as their presence in considerable numbers
is almost a certain indication of the ship being "off the Head." Great
numbers of those feathered denizens of the cliff are killed every year
by "parties of pleasure," from Burlington, Scarborough, and other
places, who visit the "Head" for the sake of indulging in the heartless
sport, which requires neither skill nor courage, of killing birds by
wholesale. At the foot of the cliff, which to the north-west is much
indented, there are several caverns and large insulated masses of rock.
The largest of those caverns, called Robert Lyth's Hole, has two
openings, the one communicating with the land and the other exposed to
the sea. The roof, though low at the landward entrance, is in some
places fifty feet high; and the view, looking through the rocky vault
towards the sea, is extremely grand.
Flamborough Head, which is a most important land-mark for vessels
navigating the eastern coast, lies in 54 deg. 8' north latitude; longitude
2' 30" west. A revolving light is displayed from the lighthouse from
sunset to sunrise, and presents, first the appearance of two lights on
the same tower, and next a brilliant red light. Each of those lights
appears at intervals of two minutes; and after gradually attaining their
greatest lustre, they in the same manner decline and become eclipsed.
Between Flamborough Head and Burlington Quay, is situated Burlington
Bay, a secure roadstead in north-east gales; and, during the prevalence
of such winds, it is not unusual for three hundred ships to be riding
there at the same time, sheltered from the violence of the wind and sea
by the lofty promontory. On the south-east, the Bay is partially
sheltered from the violence of the sea by the Smithwick Sands, which run
nearly in a line with the coast, from Burlington Quay to Flamborough
Head. At each extremity of those sands there is a channel leading into
the Bay; that towards the Head is called the North Sea; and the other,
towards Burlington, the South Sea. Though the Smithwick Sands
effectually break the violence of the sea at low water, yet at high
water, when they are covered to a considerable depth, the protection
which they afford, in gales of wind from the south-eastward, is not to
be depended on. Vessels, therefore, leave the Bay as soon as the wind
changes to east or south-east, as it no longer affords them sufficient
security; the protection of the Smithwick Sands not being equivalent to
the risk of the lee-shore, to which they would be exposed in a gale from
the south-east. Were the harbour of Burlington, which is situated to the
westward of the Bay, enlarged and deepened, its importance, as a place
of refuge for vessels compelled to leave the Bay from the wind changing
to the eastward, would be very greatly increased. Could it be so
enlarged as to admit one hundred vessels, of from 200 to 300 tons each,
it would, with the Bay, afford a place of refuge in all storms from
north-east to south-east, which are generally the most destructive on
the eastern coast.
[Illustration: SCARBOROUGH.]
SCARBOROUGH.
In this view of Scarborough, by Harding, which is taken from the
southward, the most conspicuous object is the Lighthouse on the Old
Pier, or, as it is sometimes called, Vincent's Pier, from the name of
the engineer, by whom the outer portion was erected about the year 1750.
Beyond the pier are seen the masts of vessels lying in the harbour; to
the left are the houses, which are built near the shore between West
Sand-gate and Bland's Cliff; and on the height are the barracks, with
the ruins of the old castle, a little further distant, to the left.