FOUNTAINS ABBEY
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross via Leeds. Great
Northern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Ripon (2 miles from the Abbey).
=Distance from London.=—214 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 29s. 9d. … 17s. 5d.
Return 59s. 6d. … 34s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—At Ripon—"Black Bull Hotel,"
"Black Swan Hotel," "Bradford Hotel," etc.
Fountains Abbey, about 2 miles south-west from Ripon in Yorkshire, stands in a beautiful wooded valley, through which runs a pretty stream known as the Skell. The abbey is noted for the great extent of its remains, which seem to have escaped any wanton destruction. A fine tower at the north end of the transept still stands, but the central one has fallen into great decay. Besides the church there are many remains of this famous abbey, which at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries was one of the richest in the country. The cloisters, 300 feet long, are unsurpassed in England. They extend across an archway over the stream, and are lit by lancet windows. There are also remains of the chapter-house, the refectory, and the kitchen with its two wide fireplaces.
The history of the foundation of Fountains Abbey is of considerable interest. In the twelfth century some monks of the Benedictine monastery of St. Mary at York, being attracted by the sanctity of the inmates of the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx in Yorkshire, became dissatisfied with their own form of government, and wished to adopt the rules of Rievaulx Abbey and withdraw from their own monastery. This naturally did not please their abbot; but eventually, after appealing to the Archbishop of York, some land in a lonely valley, known as Skell Dale, was granted to them. Here, in the depth of winter, without shelter or means of subsistence, the pious monks suffered great hardship. After a few years Hugh, Dean of York, left all his possessions to the Abbey of Fountains, and after this endowments and benefactions flowed in.
In 1140 the abbey was burnt down, but in 1204 the restoration was recommenced, and the foundations of a new church, of which the present ruins are the remains, were laid. The great tower, however, was not completed till the end of the fourteenth century.
At the Dissolution Sir Richard Gresham bought the estates, and they are now owned by the descendants of Mr. William Aislabie of Studley Royal.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
FOUNTAINS ABBEY.
One of the finest ruined monasteries in England.]
RIPON CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross via Leeds. Great
Northern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Ripon.
=Distance from London.=—214 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 29s. 9d. … 17s. 5d.
Return 59s. 6d. … 34s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Black Bull Hotel," "Black Swan
Hotel," "Bradford Hotel," etc.
Ripon is situated on the little river Ure in a picturesque valley in the west of Yorkshire. Its past history has been eventful enough, for it was burnt by the Danes in the ninth century, destroyed by King Edred, and laid waste by the Conqueror. It recovered quickly from all these adversities, and is now a peaceful town given up to agricultural pursuits. Besides possessing a small but interesting old cathedral and some ancient houses in its town, many places of historic importance lie in its immediate neighbourhood. Fountains Abbey is 3 miles distant (see Index), and also Fountains Hall, a fifteenth-century building. An interesting relic of old times is the blowing of the horn at nine in the evening by a constable outside the mayor's house and at the market-cross.
Ripon's minster became a cathedral in 1836. In the seventh century a monastery was established here, and St. Wilfrid, the famous Archbishop of York, built the minster. Of this building only the crypt remains, consisting of a central chamber with niches in the walls, and a window known as "St. Wilfrid's Needle" looking into the passage outside. It is reached by steps and a long passage leading from the nave of the present cathedral. Only the chapter-house and vestry remain of Archbishop Thurstan's Norman church, erected in the place of the Anglo-Saxon one, for Roger, Archbishop of York, pulled it down and began to erect the present building in (circa) 1154. Being only a Collegiate Church in those days, it was not built in a cathedral fashion, and it had no aisles to its wide and low-roofed nave. The present aisles were added in the sixteenth century, with the intention of giving a cathedral aspect to the minster church. Much of Roger's work has been altered by subsequent bishops, and the result is a strange succession of styles of architecture. Ripon is the only cathedral that has glass in the triforium of the choir.
The exterior, viewed from a distance, is a little squat, for it needs the timber spires that formerly crowned the three towers.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
RIPON CATHEDRAL—THE MINSTER BRIDGE.]
DARTMOOR
=How to get there.=—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Bovey Tracey.
=Distance from London.=—215-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 33s. 0d. 20s. 6d. 16s. 5-1/2d.
Return 57s. 9d. 36s. 0d. 32s. 11d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—At Bovey Tracey—"The Dolphin,"
"The Railway," "The Moorland" Hotels.
=Alternative Route.=—Train to Okehampton from Waterloo. L. and
S.W. Railway. Okehampton is 5 miles from Sourton and 10
from Lydford.
While only two places are mentioned above as starting-places from which to get at Dartmoor, a dozen others, such as Tavistock and Ashburton, might be mentioned. Bovey Tracey, however, has many advantages, for the moment one alights from the train one sees only four miles distant two of the most rugged tors of the moor—Hey Tor and Rippon Tor—the last with its great logan stone balanced near the summit. A coach from the "Dolphin," which runs three days a week in the season, takes one through scenery which grows more and more desolate and grand as the summit of Hey Tor is approached. From Hey Tor the coach goes on to Buckland Beacon, whence a wide view is obtained, including the shining roofs of Princetown right away in the distance. Princetown, with its convict prison, is considered by the people of the moor to be its most important town. Holne, which is included in some of the coach drives from Bovey Tracey, contains the birthplace of Charles Kingsley. Dartmoor is so huge that one must be born and spend a lifetime in or near it to really know it, and the visitor can merely endeavour to see typical examples of its granite tors, its peaty streams, its great stretches of boulder-strewn heather, and its strangely isolated villages.
Eight miles from Bovey Tracey is Widdecombe, the lonely little village possessing a church which is known as "the Cathedral of the Moor." The great tower of the church was struck by lightning one Sunday in October 1638, and a contemporary account can be seen on some panels in the tower.
Brent Tor, illustrated opposite, is quite close to the station on the L. and S.W. Railway of that name. The little battlemented church on the summit, which has nave, aisles, and chancel, has a legendary origin and is dedicated to St. Michael. The rock composing the tor is volcanic trap.
[Illustration: BRENT TOR, DARTMOOR.
The little church standing on Brent Tor is very prominently situated and can be seen for many miles across the moor.]
HAWORTH
THE HOME OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË
=How to get there.=—Train from St. Pancras. Change at Keighley.
Midland Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Haworth.
=Distance from London.=—216 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 28s. 7d. … 16s. 6-1/2d.
Return 57s. 2d. … 33s. 1d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—At Keighley—"Devonshire Hotel."
Haworth is a long straggling village 4 miles from Keighley, a large manufacturing town in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The road is very steep to the village—"four tough, scrambling miles." It consists of one street, so steep that the flagstones with which it is paved are placed end-ways that the horses may not stumble. Past the church and the lonely parsonage are the wide moors, high, wild, and desolate, up above the world, solitary and silent. This gray, sad-looking parsonage, so close to the still sadder churchyard, is a spot of more than ordinary interest, for it was the home of the Brontës—that wonderfully gifted and extraordinary family! Charlotte Brontë shared with her sisters their intense love for the wild, black, purple moors, rising and sweeping away yet higher than the church which is built at the summit of the one long narrow street. All round the horizon are wave-like hills. Jane Eyre, published in 1847, written with extraordinary power and wonderful genius, astonished the entire reading world. Little did any one imagine that the authoress lived far away from the busy haunts of men in a quiet northern parsonage, leading a gentle, sad life; for her two sisters, whom Charlotte loved as her own life, were very delicate, and their one brother, in whom they had placed great hopes, had given way to drink. Charlotte was known to the literary world as Currer Bell, her sisters as Acton and Ellis Bell. After Jane Eyre came Shirley, written in a period of great sorrow, for her two loved sisters died within a short space of each other, not long after the death of their unhappy brother, and Charlotte was left alone in the quiet, sad parsonage with only her aged father. Villette was well received. It was her last work. Charlotte Brontë married, in 1854, the Rev. Arthur Nichols, and after a few brief months of happiness passed away on March 31, 1855, at the early age of thirty-nine.
Haworth has been much influenced by the growth of Keighley.
[Illustration: W.T. Stead, Heckmondwike.
THE PARSONAGE AT HAWORTH, FROM THE CHURCHYARD.
Where Charlotte Brontë and her family lived.]
RIEVAULX ABBEY
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=—Helmsley.
=Distance from London.=—219-1/4 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 3-3/4 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 31s. 3d. … 18s. 3-1/2d.
Return 62s. 6d. … 36s. 7d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Black Swan" and "Crown" Hotels at Helmsley. There is no inn at Rievaulx. =Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras via Sheffield. Midland.
The little village of Rievaulx—the name is Norman-French, but is pronounced Rivers—is situated close to the river Rye, and 2-1/2 miles from Helmsley, on the Thirsk road. The great point of interest in connection with the village is the fact that close by are the ruins of the once magnificent abbey for monks of the Cistercian order, founded by Sir Walter D'Espec in 1131. The founder eventually became a monk at Rievaulx, and at his death was buried there. After the Dissolution the site was granted to the Villiers family, from whom it came to the Duncombes in 1695.
The most striking view of the abbey is obtained by leaving the main road and taking the footpath across Duncombe Park, where a sudden turn brings one in sight of a bend in the Rye, with the great roofless church rising on the left bank of the river. The principal remains of the fine old abbey, one of the most beautiful ruins in the kingdom, consist of the choir and transept of the church, and the refectory. The hospitium or guest house was formerly on the right of the lane leading to Helmsley. The great nave of the church is now a shapeless ruin, but from certain indications it may be seen that it was Norman, and probably the work of D'Espec. The lower parts of the transept are Norman, and the remainder Early English.
The magnificent tower arch, 75 feet high, is still standing, and one of the most striking views of the ancient fabric is the crumbling nave as it appears framed in this lofty and wonderfully-proportioned opening, with a background of rich English foliage and landscape.
West of the nave were the cloisters, of which only a few arches now remain, and opening from their west wall is the fine Early English refectory, with the reading-desk still existing. Underneath the refectory there are the remains of the Norman dormitory.
Near the bridge, at the lower end of the village of Rievaulx, a place still called the "Forge," was possibly an ironworks under the superintendence of the monks.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
RIEVAULX ABBEY.]
BRIXHAM, DEVON
LANDING-PLACE OF WILLIAM III.
=How to get there.=—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Brixham.
=Distance from London.=—222-1/2 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5-1/4 to 6-3/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 34s. 0d. 21s. 4d. 17s. 0-1/2d.
Return 59s. 8d. 37s. 4d. …
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"The Queen's Hotel," "The Bolton,"
"The George Hotel," "The Globe," etc.
On the southern side of Tor Bay is Brixham, the fishing village selected by William of Orange as a landing-place when in 1688, at the request of the English Parliament, he brought over an army raised in Holland. It was from here, too, that he commenced his victorious march to London with thirteen thousand men—Exeter, Bristol, and other towns throwing open their gates to welcome the Prince of Orange. The French, on the momentous occasion of the visit of Admiral Tourville to the English coast during the reign of James II., found Tor Bay a safe place for their fleet to anchor, and William of Orange, probably having heard of this, chose the same portion of the Devonshire seaboard. The exact spot on which the Dutch prince first placed his foot on shore is marked by a brass footprint, and close by stands the statue of England's third William, overlooking the quaint quay, the brown-sailed fishing-boats, and the old-world village.
Brixham is just such another town as Newlyn or Port Isaac, for its streets are narrow and winding, and there are flights of stone steps here and there which add considerably to the picturesqueness of the place.
Brixham can easily be visited at the same time as Dartmouth, which is dealt with on another page. Totnes can also be reached by taking the train to Paignton, whence run two omnibuses at various intervals throughout the day. It is a delightful drive, occupying less than an hour. Totnes has a very quaint little main street which rises steeply from the bridge over the Dart. Near the highest portion the roadway is crossed by one of the old gateways of the town. This feature and the many quaint gabled houses give a charm to the place, making it attractive to all who love old architecture. Fragments of the old walls, a second gateway, and the shell of the castle, which is possibly pre-Norman, are also in existence.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
BRIXHAM HARBOUR.
Showing the statue of William of Orange on the spot where he landed in 1688.]
CONWAY CASTLE
=How to get there.=—From Euston Station. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Conway.
=Distance from London.=—225 miles.
=Average Time.=—6-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 35s. 9d. 20s. 7d. 18s. 8d.
Return 65s. 0d. 36s. 6d. 33s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Castle Hotel," "Erskine Arms,"
"Bridge Hotel," "Harp Hotel," "Aberconway Temperance
Hotel" (old house containing coffee-room dated 1400), and others.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from Paddington, via Chester. Great
Western Railway.
The castle at Conway is one of the noblest fortresses in the kingdom, the only one to approach it in size being the famous building at Carnarvon. The present town of Conway has gradually sprung up round the castle, built by Edward I. in 1284 to intimidate the Welsh. It was unsuccessfully besieged by them in 1290. At the commencement of the Parliamentarian War, the castle was garrisoned for the King by Williams, Archbishop of York, but was taken by Mytton in 1646. The building was comparatively unhurt during the war, but the lead and timber were removed at the Restoration by Lord Conway, who dismantled the beautiful fortress in a most barbarous manner, and the edifice was allowed to fall more or less into decay.
The castle stands on the verge of a precipitous rock on the south-east of the town, one side bounded by the river, a second by a tidal creek; the other frontages overlook the town. It constitutes part of the walls of Conway, which, with the castle, form the finest examples extant of thirteenth-century military fortification. The castle itself was a perfect specimen of a fortress, with walls of enormous thickness, flanked by eight huge embattled towers. There are some traces still remaining of the royal features of "Queen Eleanor's Oratory."
Near the Castle Hotel, in a side street, stands Plas Mawe, the "Great House," a rich example of domestic Elizabethan architecture, built in 1585 by Robert Wynn of Gwydir. The rooms contain much oak panelling and carving. A charge of 6d. is made for admission to the house.
Conway has a station of its own within the walls of the town, but the visitor will do well to get out at Llandudno Junction, where a walk of a few hundred yards leads to the famous Suspension Bridge, designed by Telford in 1826.
The charge for admission to the castle is 3d.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
CONWAY CASTLE.
It is one of the finest of the ruined castles England possesses. The suspension bridge was designed by Telford in 1826.]
THE DOONE VALLEY, EXMOOR
ASSOCIATED WITH "LORNA DOONE"
=How to get there.=—Train from Waterloo via Barnstaple. L. and
S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Lynton (about 6 miles distant).
=Distance from London.=—225 miles.
=Average Time.=—7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 37s. 10d. 24s. 0d. 18s. 10-1/2d.
Return 65s. 6d. 42s. 0d. 37s. 9d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—Lynton—"The Tors Hotel," "Valley
of Rocks," "Royal Castle," "Kensington," "Crown," "Globe,"
etc. Minehead—"Métropole," "Beach," "Plume of Feathers,"
etc. Porlock—"The Ship," "The Castle," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from Paddington to Minehead, Great
Western Rly. By coach from Minehead via Porlock, 12 miles.
Every one who has read the late Mr. R.D. Blackmore's Lorna Doone has a keen interest in what is frequently called the Doone Country. This comprises the north-west corner of Exmoor, bordering on the boundaries of Devonshire. But those who visit the little village of Oare and Badgworthy Water must not expect to see all that the novelist's imagination conjured up. Nevertheless, though some have been disappointed, there is much to be seen which is of interest. The church at Oare, for instance, is closely associated with John Ridd and Lorna, and the Snowe family, mentioned by the novelist, are commemorated in the church. Then, too, the feats of a "Great John Ridd" are obscurely traditional in the district.
The Doone valley, with Badgworthy (pronounced Badgery) Water running through it, is about half-an-hour's walk from Malmsmead Bridge, which is close to the village of Oare. Keeping up the course of the stream one reaches a wood of oaks, and near it one finds a tributary of the brook falling down a series of miniature cascades. This is the "water slide" up which Blackmore took his hero on the occasion of his first meeting with Lorna Doone. If one crosses a bridge near this the path will be found to continue for about a mile. At this distance one turns to the right by another stream, and enters a combe containing the ruins of the Doone Houses as they are called. A lonely cottage looks down upon all that is to be seen of the famous stronghold of the Doones. The narrow approach to the place never existed outside the pages of the romance. The scenery of this portion of Exmoor is exceedingly wild.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
THE DOONE VALLEY, EXMOOR.
Associated with Blackmore's Lorna Doone.]
LLANDOVERY, SOUTH WALES
A CENTRE FOR THE FINE SCENERY OF THE DISTRICT
=How to get there.=—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Llandovery.
=Distance from London.=—228 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6-3/4 to 8-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 33s. 11d. 21s. 1d. 16s. 10d.
Return 58s. 9d. 37s. 0d. 33s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Castle Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
The town of Llandovery, chiefly interesting by reason of the interesting and picturesque excursions in its vicinity, is situate in the county of Carmarthenshire, 24 miles north-east of Carmarthen. The town stands on the river Bran, near its junction with the Towy, in a beautiful valley, surrounded by wooded hills. Besides these two rivers, some smaller streams join in the neighbourhood, and from this fact comes the name of the place, a corruption of the Welsh Llan ym Ddy fri, or Church among the Waters.
There are two churches of some interest, the more important being the one in the main street, where the famous Rhys Pritchard was vicar in 1602. The other church stands on higher ground to the north of the town, on the site of the old Roman station.
On a grassy knoll, adjoining the Castle Hotel and overlooking the river Bran, are the remains of Llandovery Castle, built about the twelfth century, and dismantled by Cromwell's orders.
Llandovery is a good starting-place for the ascent of the Carmarthenshire Van (i.e. Beacon), about 13 miles distant, one of the highest peaks in South Wales. The view from the summit of the Van in clear weather is magnificent. Near at hand are the Black Mountains, a rather gloomy sandstone range, and in the distance are the mountains of North Wales, Swansea Bay, and the Devonshire coast. An easy descent may be effected on the south-eastern side of the mountain to Penwyllt station, on the Brecon-Swansea line. Just below this is Craig-y-Nos Castle, the home of Madame Patti-Nicolini.
Among other interesting excursions from Llandovery are those to Irecastle, a village in the valley of the Usk; Ystradffyn, near which a splendid panorama of the valley of the Towy is obtained; and Pumpsaint, a romantic village with a gold-mine near at hand.
[Illustration: H.F. Dann.
LLANDOVERY CASTLE.
It was built in the twelfth century, and dismantled by Cromwell's orders.]
DARTMOUTH, DEVON
=How to get there.=—From Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Dartmouth (by steam ferry from Kingswear).
=Distance from London.=—229 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5-1/2 to 7 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 34s. 6d. 21s. 6d. 17d. 3d.
Return 60s. 3d. 37s. 10d. …
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Royal Castle Hotel," "Raleigh
Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—None.
There is scarcely a more romantic spot in the whole of England than Dartmouth. Spread out on one of the steep slopes of the Dart, it overlooks the deep-set river towards the sea and inland towards Totnes. Steep wooded banks rising out of the water's edge give the windings of the estuary the feeling of solemn mystery which is not obtainable from meadows or ploughlands. In the midst of scenery of this character—and it must have been richer still a few centuries back—the inhabitants of Dartmouth made history.
Perhaps the earliest mention of Dartmouth is by Chaucer. Among his
Canterbury Pilgrims he says:—
A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by weste;
For ought I wost, he was of Dertemouthe.
Whether this particular "schipman" was given over to piracy it is not possible to say, but the nature of their splendid harbour, which they protected with a great chain drawn across the narrow outlet to the sea, led the Dartmouth men into a trade which to-day goes by that name. Thus in the days of Queen Elizabeth, and even in more recent times, these lusty sailors gained a livelihood by periodical harryings of the opposite coast of Brittany, suffering in the chances of such warfare the disadvantages of sudden incursions of the Bretons, which, despite the chain and the two little castles at the mouth of the inlet, were sometimes so successful that when the Frenchmen retired there were a good many heaps of smoking ashes where comfortable homes had stood. Despite the varied turns of fortune's wheel, there are still many fine old gabled houses in Dartmouth, with overhanging upper stories rich in carved oak.
The church of St. Saviour contains a finely carved pulpit, and is full of indications of the wealth and importance of Dartmouth in the past.
Though a chain is no longer used to close the entrance to the Dart, the remains of the two little towers are still to be seen.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
THE BUTTER MARKET AT DARTMOUTH.
Although the town possesses many fine old seventeenth-century houses, these in the Butter Market are the finest examples.]
RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Richmond.
=Distance from London.=—237 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6-1/2 to 9-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 33s. 6d. … 19s. 9d.
Return 67s. 0d. … 39s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Fleece Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras via Sheffield. Midland
Railway.
Richmond was a place of considerable importance at the time of the Norman Conquest, when William I. gave the title of Richmond to his kinsman, Alan Rufus, on his obtaining the estates of the Saxon Earl Edwin, which then extended over nearly a third of the North Riding of Yorkshire. When Henry VII., who was Earl of Richmond, came to the throne, these possessions reverted to the Crown, and many years later Charles II. gave the title to the Lennoxes, with whose descendants it still remains.
The castle, which is the most striking feature of Richmond, stands on an almost perpendicular rock, 100 feet above the level of the Swale, and in its best days must have been practically impregnable. The structure is now in ruins, though the Norman keep with pinnacled corner towers is still intact, the walls being over 100 feet high and 11 feet thick. At the south-east corner is the ruin of a smaller tower, beneath which is a dungeon 15 feet deep, and at the south-western corner is another lofty tower. The castle originally covered five acres, and from its magnificent position commanded the whole of the surrounding country.
The church, standing on the hillside near the castle, is full of interest, and has been admirably restored by Sir Gilbert Scott, who used the old materials as far as possible. The greater part of the choir and the tower are Perpendicular, the rest Decorated, and two of the old Norman piers remain at the west end. The screen and stall work brought from Easby Abbey are of great beauty, and the carvings on the subsellia are quaint and humorous.
Besides the castle, there are the remains of a Grey Friars' monastery, founded in 1258 by Ralph Fitz-Randal, and situated at the back of French-gate; and about a mile from the town the ruins of the monastery of St. Martin and the abbey of St. Agatha, on the north bank of the Swale, in the adjoining parish of Easby.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
RICHMOND CASTLE.
It stands upon a perpendicular rock one hundred feet above the river
Swale.]
TINTAGEL
=How to get there.=—Train from Waterloo, L. and S.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Camelford. Thence by omnibus to Tintagel (4-1/2
miles distant) twice daily.
=Distance from London.=—241 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6-1/2 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 41s. 0d. 26s. 3d. 21s. 3d.
Return 72s. 2d. 46s. 4d. 42s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"King Arthur's," "Castle Hotel,"
"Tintagel," etc.
Tintagel Castle is situated near Bossiney, a place of some importance in bygone times, to judge from the number of ruins of houses to be seen there. Situated as the castle is, high up on a mass of dark, slaty rock in one of the wildest parts of the coast of Northern Cornwall, it is a suitable spot to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. The formation of the rocky ground is very interesting. Tintagel itself is almost an island, but a low isthmus connects it with the mainland. On both sides of the chasm are the ruins of the castle, and wide as the gap is, the buildings on the mainland and on the rock are in an exact line, and present the same characteristic features, thus showing that there has probably been a considerable subsidence of the land at that point. The castle must have been almost inaccessible. In the time of Leland a chapel occupied part of the keep. Some doubt is entertained as to the date of the building of the castle, opinion being divided between a Norman, a Saxon, or a Roman origin.
The remains of a British or Saxon church are to be found on the summit of the island. The church is supposed to have belonged to the abbey and convent of Fontevrault, in Normandy. It was afterwards given by Edward IV. to the Collegiate Church of Windsor, the dean and the chapter being the patrons. Parts of the church of Tintagel have recently been restored by the vicar of the parish.
About 3 miles from Tintagel is the Slaughter Bridge, which derives its names from the two great battles which were fought there, one between King Arthur and his nephew, who died in 542, when Arthur was said to have been mortally wounded, and the other between the Britons and Saxons in 823. Other ancient relics in the form of barrows and stone crosses are to be found in this neighbourhood.
For Stonehenge and other prehistoric remains, see Index.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
KING ARTHUR'S CASTLE, TINTAGEL.
One of the wildest spots on the north coast of Cornwall.]
WHITBY
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=—Whitby.
=Distance from London.=—244-3/4 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 34s. 6d. … 20s. 4d.
Return 69s. 0d. … 40s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Royal Hotel," "Crown Hotel,"
"Métropole Hotel," etc.
Whitby is renowned for its ancient abbey and its beautiful situation on the high and rocky coast of Yorkshire, just where the river Esk finds a way to the sea. The Esk cuts the town into two portions. East Cliff is on the one side, with its hoary abbey and quaint parish church on its summit, towering over the old fishing hamlet which clusters so picturesquely at its base. West Cliff is on the other side, a modern, fashionable seaside resort. Close by are the heather-clad moors with their keen, invigorating air.
From the bottom of East Cliff one ascends by 199 steps to the abbey, which was founded in (circa) 658. Its first abbess was the saintly Lady Hilda. During her rule, the poor cowherd, Caedmon, sleeping among the cattle, being ashamed that he could not take harp and sing among the rest, had his wonderful dream. An angel appeared to him and told him to sing the Beginning of the Creation. Immediately the cowherd went to the Abbess Hilda and sang his song. He became our first English poet.
In 870 the abbey and town were destroyed by the Danes. The ecclesiastical buildings were deserted for two hundred years, but the town was rebuilt and prospered. The foundations of the present buildings were laid in 1220, and the abbey flourished till the Dissolution, when it was despoiled. Even in its ruinous condition it is a marvellous specimen of Gothic architecture. The choir, with its north aisle and transept, parts of the north aisle, and the west front are standing.
The Parish Church of St. Mary is worth a visit because of its extreme age (it dates from Norman times) and its quaint ugliness. Whitby built the ship in which Captain Cook sailed round the world. The house where he served his apprenticeship to a shipbuilder is in Grape Lane. The jet works are only carried on to a limited extent. In the Scaur, below East Cliff, ammonites are to be found.
A charge of threepence is made for admission to the abbey.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
WHITBY.
The old town from across the harbour.]
CARNARVON CASTLE
=How to get there.=—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Carnarvon.
=Distance from London.=—246 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 7 and 9-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 39s. 11d. 22s. 9d. 20s. 7-1/2d.
Return 72s. 0d. 38s. 6d. 35s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Royal Hotel," "Royal Sportsman
Hotel," "Castle Hotel," "Queen's Hotel," "Prince of Wales
Hotel," "Arvonia Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—From Paddington via Chester, 282 miles. Fares
as from Euston.
The town of Carnarvon is situated on the east side of the Menai Straits, close by the side of the Roman station of Segontium, which was connected with Chester by Watling Street. There is said to have been a fortress here shortly after the Conquest, but the real beginning of the importance of Carnarvon was the erection of the magnificent castle there by Edward I., immediately after his conquest of the principality. The work was commenced in 1283, and occupied more than ten years. In 1284, the birth of Edward II., the first Prince of Wales, took place at Carnarvon. During the Civil War the castle changed hands several times; at length, in 1646, it was taken and held by the Parliamentary forces under General Mytton.
Portions of the old Roman wall of the city still exist, and numerous interesting relics have been found. Traces of the old Roman forts or outposts are also to be seen.
The remains of the castle are very extensive, covering nearly three acres. The outer walls, from 8 to 10 feet thick, are nearly perfect, and have thirteen towers, with turrets of five, six, or eight sides. The five-sided Eagle Tower is one of the loftiest, and takes its name from the finely sculptured figure of an eagle which surmounts it. This tower is entered by the Water Gate. The other entrances to the castle are by a gateway on the north side, under a tower bearing a statue of Edward I., and by Queen Eleanor's Gate, which looks northward and is defended by four portcullises.
The enclosure originally formed two courts, and though the interior buildings are in a very decayed state, the outer walls have been preserved to a great extent by judicious restoration. Thus Carnarvon Castle is a prominent feature in the general aspect of the town, and shares with the magnificent remains at Conway the honour of being one of the two finest castles in the kingdom.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
CARNARVON CASTLE.
The birth of Edward II., the first Prince of Wales, took place here.]
PLYMOUTH
=How to get there.=—Train from Paddington. Great Western Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Plymouth (North Road Station).
=Distance from London.=—246 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5-1/4 to 6-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 37s. 4d. 23s. 4d. 18s. 8d.
Return 65s. 4d. 40s. 10d. 37s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Royal Hotel," "Central Hotel,"
"Chubb's Hotel," "Grand Hotel," "The Lockyer Hotel," "Duke
of Cornwall Hotel," "Mount Pleasant Hotel," "Great Western
Hotel," "Westminster Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from Waterloo. L. and S.W. Railway.
Down by Sutton Pool is the portion of the quay known as the Barbican, famous as the spot from which the Mayflower cast off her moorings and commenced her momentous voyage across the Atlantic. The place is marked by a stone inserted among the granite sets, bearing the inscription "Mayflower 1620."
The Pilgrim Fathers had started from Delfshaven, in Holland, in July, and after coming to Southampton, started their voyage in the Mayflower and Speedwell. The Speedwell, however, proved unseaworthy, and both ships were obliged to put into Dartmouth, where the Speedwell underwent repairs. When they started again, however, it became evident that the Speedwell would not be able to stand the long Atlantic voyage, so once more the Puritans put back to the shelter of a port—this time Plymouth—and there abandoned the Speedwell. On 6th September 1620 (old style) they finally started, having reduced their numbers to 101 persons—48 men, the rest women and children.
After sailing for sixty days they reached the coast of America, but it was a portion of the coast not covered by the charter of the Company, whose assistance they had sought; they thereupon declared their intention to "plant this colony for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith." The spot where they landed they named Plymouth Rock.
Plymouth Hoe, with a magnificent view down Plymouth Sound and its associations with Drake's game of bowls during the approach of the Spanish Armada, is one of the chief glories of Plymouth. The view includes Mount Edgcumbe Castle, the breakwater built across the mouth of the harbour and Drake's Island. The Hamoaze—the estuary of the Tamar—is always full of the activity of England's great naval port.
[Illustration: THE BARBICAN AT PLYMOUTH.
From this quay the Mayflower finally left England for her long voyage across the Atlantic.]
DURHAM AND ITS CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=—Durham.
=Distance from London.=—256 miles.
=Average Time.=—6-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 35s. 10d. … 21s. 2d.
Return 71s. 8d. … 42s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Royal County Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
For the magnificent position it occupies, Durham Cathedral is without a rival in this country; and even if one includes the Continent, the cathedral of Albi in France will alone bear comparison in respect to its position. Overlooking the Wear from a considerable height appear the two massive western towers and the magnificent central tower of the cathedral, and when these and the masses of foliage beneath them are reflected on the calm surface of the river, the scene is one of rare and astonishing beauty.
The origin of the cathedral and city of Durham may be directly traced to the desire on the part of Bishop Eardulph and his monks to erect some building in which to place the coffin containing the body of St. Cuthbert. They had travelled with their sacred charge for seven years, and at the end of that time, in 997, having reached the rocky plateau overlooking the river Wear, they decided to build a chapel there. Bishop Aldhun went further, and by 999 he had finished a large building known as the "White Church." Of this, however, there are no authentic remains; for in 1081, William of St. Carileph had been appointed bishop, and after he had remained in exile in Normandy for some years he returned to Durham fired with the desire to build a cathedral on the lines of some of the great structures then appearing in France. In 1093, therefore, the foundations of the new church were laid, and the present building from that day forward began to appear. Only the walls of the choir, part of the transepts, and the tower arches had been constructed at the time of Carileph's death in 1096, but the work went on under Ralph Flambard, and when he too was gathered to his fathers, the aisles were finished and the nave also, excepting its roof. Flambard also saw the two western towers finished as high as the roof of the nave. The beautiful transitional Norman Galilee Chapel at the west end was built prior to 1195 by Hugh Pudsey. This narrowly escaped destruction at the hands of Wyatt, who in 1796 pulled down the splendid Norman chapter-house.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
DURHAM CATHEDRAL.
It has the finest situation of any English cathedral.]
RABY CASTLE, DURHAM
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=—Durham. (Raby Castle is close to the town of
Staindrop.)
=Distance from London.=—256 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5-3/4 to 7-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 35s. 10d. … 21s. 2d.
Return 71s. 8d. … 42s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—At Durham—"Rose and Crown
Hotel," "Royal County Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
Raby Castle, the ancestral home of the Nevilles and an almost perfect specimen of a fourteenth-century castle, is situated close to the little town of Staindrop in the county of Durham. Canute, the Danish king, is said to have had a house in Staindrop; and it was he who presented Raby Castle to the shrine of St. Cuthbert. The castle passed from the possession of the monks in 1131, when they granted it to Dolphin, who belonged to the royal family of Northumberland, for the yearly rental of £4. Dominus de Raby, a descendant of Dolphin, married Isabel Neville, the heiress of the Saxon house of Balmer, and their son, Geoffrey, took the surname of Neville. The present castle was built by John, Lord Neville, about the year 1379, when he had permission to fortify.
There is very little history attaching to the fortress, for, with the exception of two insignificant attacks during the Civil War, it sustained no sieges. It belonged to the Nevilles until 1570, when Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland, lost the castle, together with all his estates, for the share which he took in the rising in the North for the restoration of the Roman Catholic religion in England. Not being situated on high ground, the chief defence of Raby Castle, apart from the strength of its walls, must have been the abundance of water which completely surrounded it.
The chapel is the oldest portion; but the castle was almost entirely built in one man's lifetime, and bears scarcely any traces of earlier or later work. The interior, however, has been much altered by modern architects, who have obliterated a great portion of John Neville's work. The Baron's Hall used to be a fine room, with beautiful windows, an oak roof, and a stone music-gallery. The kitchen, which occupies the whole interior of a large tower, is one of the most interesting and perfect features of the castle, though it has no longer the original fireplaces.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
RABY CASTLE.
Built by John, Lord Neville, about the year 1379.]
SNOWDON
=How to get there.=—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Llanberis (5 miles distant). This is the easiest
of the ascents by a well-marked path.
=Distance from London.=—257 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6-1/2 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 41s. 6d. 23s. 7d. 21s. 4-1/2d.
Return 74s. 9d. 40s. 9d. 37s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Royal Victoria Hotel," Llanberis.
"Castle Hotel," "Snowdon Valley," "Dolbadarn," "Padarn
Villa." Snowdon Summit Hotel is 3560 feet above the sea.
Snowdon is the name not only of the highest mountain in Wales, but it is itself a mountain range, broken up by valleys and river courses into four mountain groups of which Moel-y-Wyddfa is the central and highest one. The best spot from which a good view of the whole group can be seen is Capel Curig. The Llanberis ascent to Snowdon is the easiest, but not so interesting as the other routes. From Capel Curig the ascent is the steepest and finest, and is unsurpassed for grandeur of scenery. In respect of foreground Snowdon is not so fine as Cader Idris, and the mountains of Scotland and the English lake district. There is an absence of rich valley scenery in the mid-distance, which the Scottish mountains possess and which so adds to the beauty of the Cumberland and Westmorland mountains. But the glory of Snowdon is that it commands such an extended view of other mountain peaks and ridges. It well repays the holiday-maker to spend a night on the summit of Snowdon to see the grand panorama which gradually unfolds itself as the sunrise dispels the mist—sea, lakes, and mountain ridges standing out by degrees in the clear morning light. Naturally the view is dependent on atmospheric conditions for its extent. On a clear day one sees the coast-line from Rhyl to the furthest extremity of Cardigan Bay, also the southern part of the Menai Straits, nearly all the Isle of Anglesey, and part of the Tubular Bridge.
One of the mountain lakes is Llyn Llydaw, a fine sheet of water 1500 feet above the sea, and surrounded except on one side by the precipitous arms of Snowdon, and there are also the Capel Curig lakes. Snowdon is 3571 feet in height. All the ascents are free from danger. From Llanberis there is a pony-track all the way to the top, but it is not the most interesting of the various routes. The new mountain railway follows fairly closely the pathway leading from Llanberis.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
SNOWDON.
It is 3571 feet to the summit.]
HARLECH CASTLE
=How to get there.=—L. and N.W. Railway from Euston.
=Nearest Station.=—Harlech.
=Distance from London.=—259 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 8-1/4 and 12-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 37s. 10d. 24s. 0d. 20s. 4d.
Return 70s. 3d. 43s. 10d. …
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Castle Hotel," "Lion," "Belle
Vue," "Cambrian" (Temperance), etc.
Harlech Castle is about 10 miles from the pleasant town of Barmouth in North Wales. The name implies "on the rock," and every year it is a great attraction to the many visitors to Wales, because of the fine mountain and sea view obtained from this commanding height. Like many other Welsh castles it owes its origin to Edward I. after his conquest of Wales. Owen Glyndwr or Glendower, a Welsh prince and a descendant of Llewelyn, had rebelled against Henry IV. in consequence of repeated injustice done to him by Lord Grey de Ruthin, who had appropriated his estates. As Owen could obtain no redress from the king he took his cause into his own hands, and in 1404 seized the important stronghold of Harlech Castle. Four years later it was retaken by the royal forces. At first Owen Glendower was successful, but eventually he had to flee to the mountains. During the Wars of the Roses, when the Duke of York defeated Henry VI., Queen Margaret fled to Harlech Castle, but after a lengthened siege in 1468, the defenders had to yield to the victorious forces of the "White Rose." It is said that this siege gave rise to the favourite Welsh air known as the "March of the Men of Harlech." The castle stands high, is square, with a round tower at each corner, and gives one the impression of massive proportions and enormous strength. The main entrance to the inner ward is between two huge round towers, and the passage was defended at one end by two, and at the inner extremity by a third, portcullis. The ascent to the top of the walls is made by a stair from the courtyard. There is a well-protected walk on the battlements. The view from the castle is magnificent and extensive, and should the day be fine it is one vast panorama of mountain, sea, and coast-line—a sight not easily forgotten. Across the bay, 7 miles off, can be seen the equally ancient castle of Criccieth, although its ruins cannot compare to Harlech. On the other side is a glorious range of heights culminating in Snowdon, while to the left are the graceful Rivals, mountain heights which should not be missed.
[Illustration: HARLECH CASTLE.]
GRASMERE AND RYDAL MOUNT
THE HOMES OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
=How to get there.=—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Ambleside (4 miles from Grasmere).
=Distance from London.=—260 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 39s. 0d. 25s. 2d. 23s.
Return 76s. 4d. 49s. 4d. 45s.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Prince of Wales Hotel," on lake,
1/2 mile from village. "Rothay Hotel," near church. "Red Lion
Hotel," "Mossgrove" (Temperance), "Grasmere Hotel" (Temperance),
all in village. No inn at Rydal village.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
Grasmere is the name of a village and lake in Westmorland, about 3 miles north-west of Ambleside. The lovely village, beautifully situated at the head of the lake, has an old church containing the grave of Wordsworth. Wordsworth's cottage (a charge of 6d. is made for admission) is only half a mile from the church. It is restored, as far as possible, to its condition in Wordsworth's day, and contains a number of relics of the poet's family. The lake, a mile in length, and surrounded by mountains, forms one of the most beautiful scenes in England. Wordsworth afterwards removed to Rydal Mount (two or three miles off), which place remains especially associated with his memory. It is a somewhat remarkable fact that this quiet and thoughtful interpreter of nature was in the early years of his life, while going on a pedestrian tour through France, thrust into the early fervours of its great Revolution. Wordsworth's sympathy with the aims of the Gironde party might have cost him his life, for many of his friends in Paris suffered death, but happily circumstances caused him to return to England. It was his noble sister Dorothy, his constant and devoted companion, who met him on his return from Paris, broken-hearted, and induced him to return to nature.
Wordsworth's poetry was not appreciated for a considerable time, but he calmly wrote on, undismayed by the ridicule poured forth on the "Lake School of Poets," which included Coleridge and Southey, and gradually his calm and dignified descriptions of nature asserted their rightful influence. After publishing his greatest poem, The Excursion, the tide of generous appreciation set in. In 1843, Wordsworth was made Poet Laureate. His pure and fervent poetry was a protest against the diseased sentimentality of the age.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
RYDAL WATER.]
THE LAKE DISTRICT
=How to get there.=—Train to Ambleside from Euston. London and
N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Ambleside (for visiting Coniston, Grasmere, Hawkshead,
Patterdale, and Windermere).
=Distance from London.=—260 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 39s. 0d. 25s. 2d. 23s. 0d.
Return 76s. 4d. 49s. 4d. 45s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—At Ambleside—"Queen's Hotel,"
"White Lion Hotel," "Royal Oak Inn," "Robinson's Temperance
Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
Ambleside, situated in the very centre of the Lake District, is by many regarded as the most tempting spot in the whole region.
It is a long and straggling town of about 2000 inhabitants. The old church stands up the hill, in the more picturesque part of the town. The old ceremony of "rush-bearing," dating from the time of Gregory IV., is still, in a modified form, an annual function in Ambleside, which, with one or two Westmorland villages, can claim the custom as unique.
About a mile south from Ambleside is the northern extremity of Lake Windermere, 10-1/2 miles long, and varying in breadth from a mile in the widest part to a few hundred yards in the narrowest. The surrounding scenery is magnificent, of a soft and graceful beauty, which forms a wonderful contrast to the wild and sublime grandeur of other parts of the Lake District. There are a number of beautiful islands in the lake, which is very plentifully stocked with fish.
The little lake at Grasmere, a village to the north of Ambleside, is one of the gems of the Lakeland scenery; indeed, Grasmere is an excellent centre from which to visit some of the points of interest in the district. Wordsworth's cottage stands half a mile outside the village.
Within easy reach of Ambleside are Coniston village and lake, upon which a little steamer plies. Near the head of the lake is Coniston Hall, now a farmhouse, but for long the seat of the Le Flemings, a well-known Westmorland family.
Among the numerous other places of interest near Ambleside are
Hawkshead, the scene of Wordsworth's school life, and a most charmingly
picturesque village; Patterdale and the surrounding district; Langdale
Pikes, Shap Fells, and Stockgill Force, a fine waterfall 150 feet high.
[Illustration: Valentine & Sons, Ltd.
WINDERMERE.
It is ten and a half miles in length, and is surrounded by the most beautiful wooded scenery.]
ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL
=How to get there.=—Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.
=Nearest Station.=—Haverfordwest (16 miles from St. Davids), thence
by coach to St. Davids, past Roch Castle.
=Distance from London.=—To Haverfordwest, 261 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6-1/2 to 9 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 42s. 0d. 26s. 3d. 21s. 0d.
Return 72s. 3d. 46s. 0d. 42s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Grove Hotel," "City Hotel," etc.
St. Davids, the most western town in Wales, is situated on the little river Alan, a mile from its mouth, near St. Davids Head, on the north side of St. Brides Bay. The place is now little more than a village, though in the Middle Ages it was a large city, the great resort of pilgrims to St. David's shrine. The city, which was the =Menevia= of the Romans, is almost as isolated now as it was in their days, the only available communication being by the daily mail-cart from Haverfordwest, and an omnibus twice a week during the season.
The modern "city" of St. Davids is a mere village, consisting of one principal street and two at right angles, with a fine old cross at their junction, but the chief attractions are its grand old cathedral and the ruins of its once famous Episcopal palace. The cathedral, originally built in 1176, is curiously situated in a deep dell, so that only the upper part of the lofty tower is visible from the village, and the close is entered by descending thirty-nine steps, locally known as the thirty-nine articles. The entrance to the close is through a fine old tower-gateway, 60 feet high, where the records were formerly kept and a consistory court held.
The west front of the cathedral, which has been well restored, is one of the finest features of the building. Among the more interesting objects in the cathedral are Bishop Morgan's throne, of remarkable workmanship; the fine rood screen, the work of Bishop Gower; Bishop Vaughan's beautiful Tudor chapel and monument; and the shrine of St. David.
The Bishop's Palace, on the opposite bank of the river, was one of the finest in the kingdom. It was founded by Bishop Gower in the fourteenth century, and, together with the cathedral, St. Mary's College, and other ecclesiastical buildings, was enclosed by a lofty wall having four gateways, of which only one remains.
In mediaeval days the shrine of St. David was regarded with great veneration, and was visited by William the Conqueror, Henry II., and by Edward I. and his queen.
[Illustration: G.W. Wilson & Co.
ST. DAVIDS CATHEDRAL FROM THE NORTH-EAST.]
FURNESS ABBEY, LANCASHIRE
=How to get there.=—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Furness Abbey.
=Distance from London.=—262 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 6 and 7-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 38s. 2d. … 21s. 9d
Return 75s. 4d (available for one month).
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"Furness Abbey Hotel," etc.
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
In the days of its prosperity Furness must have been one of the most important monastic establishments in the kingdom, although its completeness did not come about until many years after the date of its foundation in 1127 by Stephen, at that time Earl of Mortain and Boulogne. The situation chosen was on the banks of a stream flowing through a narrow fertile valley—the favourite position for Cistercian abbeys. The monks came originally from Savigny in Normandy. Having become very richly endowed, the foundation of the abbey was confirmed by the charters of twelve successive sovereigns and the bulls of various popes. Remarkable privileges were given to the abbot, who had great authority in the whole of the surrounding district, even the military element being, to a certain extent, dependent upon him.
A register known as the Abbot's Mortuary was kept at Furness throughout three centuries. This was almost unique among Cistercian monasteries, for only names of those abbots who, having presided for ten years, continued at the abbey and died abbots there, were entered in the register. During 277 years, therefore, only ten names were written upon the pages. When Henry VIII., in 1537, suppressed Furness Abbey, it was surrendered by Roger Pyke, who was abbot at the time.
The ruins of the abbey to be seen to-day are of Norman and Early English character, and the general hue of the stone-work is a ruddy brown. Their massive appearance almost suggests a shattered castle; but the share the abbey took in military matters is better illustrated from the fact that they built a watch-tower on the top of a hill rising from the walls of the monastery, and commanding a view over the sea and the whole district known as Low Furness. From this height the monks on watch were enabled to give warning by signals of the approach of an enemy. The painted glass, formerly in the east window, was removed many years ago to the east window of Bowness Church in Westmorland.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
FURNESS ABBEY.
It was founded in 1127, and gradually grew in importance until even the military element in the district became to some extent dependent upon the abbot.]
MONKWEARMOUTH, NEAR JARROW
THE HOME OF THE "VENERABLE BEDE"
=How to get there.=—Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.
=Nearest Station.=—Jarrow (2 miles north-east from Monkton).
=Distance from London.=—268 miles.
=Average Time.=—Varies between 5-1/4 to 7-1/2 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares=—Single 37s. 7d. … 22s. 3d.
Return 75s. 2d. … 44s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—At Jarrow—"Ben Lomond Hotel,"
"Burkett's Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=—Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
Monkwearmouth, a little town 2 miles distant from Jarrow, the large shipbuilding town on the southern bank of the river Tyne, is famous for being the birthplace of the Venerable Bede. Bede, who was born in 673 A.D., was placed, at the age of seven years, in the monastery at Monkwearmouth, from which he went to Jarrow, to the new monastery just built by Benedict Biscop. He remained at Jarrow for the rest of his life, studying the Scriptures and writing books. His greatest work was the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, which has given him his position as the father of English history. The story of his death is very beautiful. He was translating St. John's Gospel into English when he was attacked by a sudden illness, and felt he was dying. He kept on with his task, however, and continued dictating to his scribe, bidding him write quickly. When he was told that the book was finished he said, "You speak truth, all is finished now," and after singing "Glory to God," he quietly passed away.
The abbey churches of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow are interesting, because they have remained practically unaltered from their construction in the seventh century. The monasteries never grew sufficiently to require great enlargements, and thus they would have been to-day very nearly as the Anglo-Saxon monks saw them. Monkwearmouth Church was built in the Romanesque style by Benedict Biscop, who sent to France for workmen to put in the glass for the church windows. Besides the church, no trace remains of any monastic building at Monkwearmouth. The chancel and tower of the abbey church at Jarrow bear a great resemblance to those of Monkwearmouth, both being the work of Benedict Biscop. The domestic part of the monastery at Jarrow, where Bede lived and died, has disappeared, for the present ruins show Norman and not Saxon work. Monkwearmouth possesses one of the earliest Christian gravestones in England.
[Illustration: Valentine & Sons, Ltd.
MONKWEARMOUTH CHURCH.
Partly built by Bishop Biscop in Bede's time.]