At Wotton St. Mary, Churchdown Hill is a prominent feature on the right. Some picturesque old cottages stand beside the road, while the general aspect of the country is pastoral, broken up by large orchards, a delightful feature of the county. The road rises slightly as Cheltenham is approached.
CHELTENHAM
Cheltenham stands close to the steep, north-west face of the Cotswold Hills, and until the springs were discovered in 1716 it was but a struggling hamlet. It is now an aggregation of imposing squares, crescents, promenades, and villas, interspersed with beautiful parks. As may be expected, there are few antiquities to be found in a town of such mushroom growth, the only exception being the Parish Church of St. Mary, standing just off the High Street. The prevailing style of the building is early Decorated, and it contains a piscina believed to be one of the largest and most perfect in England. To those interested in modern architecture the Church of St. Stephen may be mentioned, but All Saints', the parish church of Pittville, is the best modern expression of architectural ideals in Cheltenham, although the Roman Catholic Church of St. Gregory is a formidable rival. The public buildings are on a level with the importance of the town. The merits and uses of the chalybeate and other waters are easily discovered locally, and no one who remembers the oft-repeated epitaph of the individual who with three daughters 'died from drinking the Cheltenham waters' should be prejudiced against their good properties, which for certain ailments are not to be despised. Cheltenham is a famous educational centre for girls, and Gloucestershire, as a whole, has been in the van in educational matters from quite early times.
Cheltenham is the 'Coltham' in 'John Halifax, Gentleman,' where John and Phineas saw Mrs. Siddons act.
The road to Oxford from Cheltenham crosses the beautiful Cotswolds, climbing up to 800 feet at the Puesdown Inn. From this point there are wide expanses visible in nearly every direction; but such views do not give one the real charm of the Cotswolds. To become intimate with the exquisite valleys and secluded upland villages, one must be in a mood to potter and loiter, and be content to desert the car at intervals in order to plunge into some beautiful beech-wood, falling steeply down a declivity, and revealing glimpses between the tall smooth trunks of the Vale of Severn, or some sleepy hollow wherein a silver-grey village nestles. The beautiful architecture of the Cotswolds, in conjunction with its lovely scenery, is a joy to all who know these oolite hills. Cottages, farms, mills, and manor-houses, all with steep roofs of grey stone like the walls, stately gables, mullioned windows, and picturesque chimneys, are all one can desire.
Even if there is no time to wander from the direct road, one cannot avoid seeing an exceedingly pleasing little Cotswold town. This is
NORTHLEACH,
a place of some importance when the woollen industry of these hills was flourishing. There is a subtle charm in the greyness of the old houses, relieved by the dark green of yew and the lighter tones of deciduous trees and grass banks here and there. The quaint little shops add other touches of colour, and wherever one turns there are pictures of simple Cotswold life, not much altered by the rapid changes of recent years. The old fellow standing meditatively by the churchyard gate may talk of the great changes since his youth, when the cloth industry had not ebbed away from the hills, but to outward appearances Northleach is, one suspects, little altered since the days of our great-grandparents, if, indeed, anything has materially changed the town since the beautiful Perpendicular church was put up. The date of its building was about the year 1489, when Cotswold wool was one of the chief industries of England. One may admire the embattled spire and the graceful delicacy of the whole building, but it is by its porch that one remembers Northleach Church. It is illustrated here; but, good as the drawing is, it does not do justice to the wonderful beauty of that noble piece of Perpendicular craftsmanship surmounted by its parvise.
On the floor of the nave are a series of brasses to the memory of some of the most successful of the wool-merchants of the town. They belong to the fifteenth century, and are exceptionally fine examples of brasses of the period, giving the details of costume with the greatest faithfulness. It is pleasant to find that the wealthy men of the Cotswold wool industry seem to have devoted their surplus riches to such public works as schools, almshouses, and churches.
At Northleach the Roman Foss Way is crossed coming from Cirencester in a north-easterly direction.
A few miles beyond Northleach, Sherborne Park, the residence of Lord Sherborne, is passed on the left. It is a dignified house, situated in open country, many portions of which are well wooded.
From this point all the way to Witney the road falls steadily, with the shallow, but always pleasing, valley of the Windrush just below on the left. This pretty stream coming out of the heart of the Cotswolds is one of the chief feeders of the Thames, which it meets a dozen miles above Oxford. Actually on the road there are no villages except Little Minster between Northleach and Witney, but just below the highway, on the banks of the little river, there are several. The first three—Windrush and Great and Little Barrington—are in Gloucestershire, and the rest are in Oxfordshire. It is tempting to describe all these places, but one must be content with pointing out the particular charm of
BURFORD,
one of the most delightful of the old-world towns of the county. There is a town hall, probably of the fifteenth century, and adjoining it are some of the best of the old houses in the town. Close to the stream stands the splendid cruciform church, with its tower and west door dating back to the Norman period. In Early English times nearly the whole building appears to have been changed into the Gothic style, and another transformation took place in the fifteenth century, when the Perpendicular phase had set in. Owing to the Sylvester aisle and several chapels, the church is of curious shape, and this helps to give that indescribable atmosphere of pre-Reformation days entirely vanished from so many old churches in this country.
Both the school and the almshouses are old foundations, and the Priory, now a partial ruin, although preserving no ecclesiastical remains, is a picturesque Elizabethan building to some extent rebuilt in 1808.
A mile or two beyond Burford one passes Asthall Barrow on the right-hand side of the road, and only a few yards away across a field. It is a prehistoric mound of earth, now kept in position by a circular retaining wall of stone, thus preventing degradation. The trees surmounting it form a prominent landmark. About three miles farther on is the fine old manor-house of Minster Lovell, about a mile to the left, on the Windrush.
WITNEY
Soon after turning to the right the road enters the main street of picturesque old Witney at right angles. Extending away some distance to the right is the pleasant elongated belt of green, giving much charm and distinction to the place, and at the end of the grassy perspective, rising in stately dignity from old trees, appears the tower and spire of the cruciform church. This is one of those peculiarly fascinating buildings one finds it hard to leave. It is mainly an Early English church, but there are features of other periods, and among them a Decorated window on the north side, which is the finest in the whole county. The spire is an Early English masterpiece. In the middle of the little town stands the quaint Butter Cross, dated 1683. On the west side of the green is the Grammar School (1663), with an avenue of elms.
The blanket industry is still in existence, for in spite of modern competition the little place holds its own on account of some particular benefit the wool derives from the water of the neighbourhood.
EYNSHAM
is the last village passed on the way to Oxford. It is a sleepy and picturesque little place with a small market hall, the shaft of a fifteenth-century cross, and an inn-sign of the drollest order. This sign hangs outside the Red Lion, and the King of Beasts is painted on one side, but the draughtsman had difficulty in accommodating the tail, and he solved it by the original plan of painting the caudal appendage on the opposite face of the sign!
Just below Eynsham the road crosses the Thames at Swinford Bridge, where the beautiful hanging woods of Wytham Hill are on the left, and a couple of miles farther on the spires and towers of Oxford are in sight.
THE CHURCH PORCH AT NORTHLEACH.
A rare example of the stateliness of Perpendicular architecture in a village church.
| Miles. | ||
| Oxford to Woodstock | 8 | |
| Woodstock to Enstone | 6 | ¾ |
| Enstone to Long Compton | 8 | |
| Long Compton to Shipstone-on-Stour | 5 | ¾ |
| Shipstone-on-Stour to Stratford-on-Avon | 10 | ½ |
| Stratford-on-Avon to Leamington | 10 | ½ |
| Leamington to Warwick | 2 | ¼ |
| Warwick to Kenilworth | 4 | ¾ |
| Kenilworth to Coventry | 5 | ¾ |
| Coventry to Princethorpe | 7 | |
| Princethorpe to Southam | 6 | |
| Southam to Fenny Compton | 5 | ½ |
| Fenny Compton to Banbury | 8 | ¼ |
| Banbury to Deddington | 6 | |
| Deddington to Sturdy's Castle Inn | 7 | ¾ |
| Sturdy's Castle Inn to Kidlington | 2 | |
| Kidlington to Oxford, Carfax | 5 | ¼ |
Oxford to Stratford.—Splendid surface; steep drop down to Long Compton.
Stratford to Coventry.—Surface on the whole excellent; not so good near Stratford.
Coventry to Banbury.—An excellent road, but a few rather steep hills are encountered.
Banbury to Oxford.—Excellent.
Woodstock.—A little town, with a church containing several styles of architecture; Blenheim, the residence of the Dukes of Marlborough; the Column of Victory.
Long Compton.—The Rollright Stones, a prehistoric circle of importance.
Stratford-on-Avon.—Shakespeare's birthplace; the memorial; the church and its interesting monuments; New Place, the residence of the poet; the Grammar School; Guild Chapel; and Anne Hathaway's Cottage, 1 mile west.
Warwick.—A picturesque town, famous for its castle; St. Mary's Church and the Beauchamp Chapel and monuments; Lord Leycester's Hospital; the West Gate and various old houses.
Leamington.—A beautiful spa; the Jephson Gardens.
Guy's Cliffe.—An exquisitely-situated country house.
Kenilworth.—A little town, containing half-timbered houses; the ruins of the famous castle; the church, chiefly Decorated; the remains of the Priory.
Coventry.—A fairly large town; St. Michael's, an exceedingly fine parish church; Holy Trinity Church; St. Mary's Hall, a fourteenth-century guild-hall; St. John's Church; the Bablake Hospital; Peeping Tom; Ford's Hospital.
Long Itchington.—Interesting fourteenth-century church.
Southam.—A town without much interest.
Banbury.—A little Oxfordshire town, famed for its cross and its cakes; but the cross is modern, and so is the church.
There are two main roads running to Woodstock from Oxford, lying parallel to each other; the western one should be selected. It passes through a well-wooded country, part of the valleys of the Thames and Evenlode rivers. Upon reaching Woodstock, Blenheim Palace claims attention, with the entrance to the park lying upon the left. The house was built at the public expense in 1715 as a national recognition of the services of the Duke of Marlborough. It was designed by Vanbrugh, and is of a heavy Renaissance character. The interior decorations and the treasures preserved in it are of an exceedingly interesting nature. (It is open to the public every day, except Saturdays and Sundays, between 11 and 1, and the gardens from 11 to 2. Tickets 1s. each.) The park contains the site of the old Manor-house of Woodstock, which is supposed to have stood upon the foundations of a Roman villa; it was a royal residence of the Saxon kings. Here Alfred the Great translated Boethius, and King Ethelred published his code of laws. Woodstock was the scene of the courtship of Henry II. and Rosamund Clifford, whose birthplace was Clifford Castle (see p. 175). Queen Elizabeth was a prisoner for a time in the old manor-house, and it endured a siege from the Parliamentarians, finally disappearing in 1723.
WOODSTOCK
This little town sprang into existence solely in consequence of the proximity of the royal seat. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene is of Norman date, but much restoration has taken place. The south aisle is Early English, and contains part of a Norman doorway. The chancel and north aisle are Decorated, while the west porch and west tower are Perpendicular. There are many monuments of interest in the church.
Soon after leaving Woodstock the Column of Victory is prominent on the left, where the ancient course of the Akeman Street, coming from Cirencester, is crossed, and shortly afterwards Grim's Dyke occurs, one of the many Grim's Dykes that are found in England.
Near Enstone is a cromlech, called the 'Hoarstone,' and soon afterwards a turning to the left leads to
CHIPPING NORTON
This is a quiet little town, devoted to the manufacture of woollen goods, and especially horse-cloths. The 'Chipping' is derived from the same root as 'Chepe,' a market. In the church the chief objects of interest are some fourteenth-century brasses, which, however, suffered very much in a restoration some forty years since, when they were wrenched from their matrices and thrown into the parvise. Of the castle which once stood here nothing remains.
Between Chipping Norton and Long Compton, at Great Rollright, are the well-known Rollright Stones, consisting of a prehistoric circle of standing stones and a cromlech. They are sixty in number, and lie about 500 yards to the left of the main road. After passing the stiff descent into Long Compton, a good surface is found to Shipstone-on-Stour, although the road is second class; but beyond that town a first-class road lies up the valley of the Stour to Stratford-on-Avon. At Alderminster tram-lines commence, which reach to Stratford, and a short distance beyond, Atherstone-on-Stour is passed, where formerly stood a monastery of mendicant friars. The scenery, meanwhile, has been gradually assuming the characteristics which distinguish the beautiful county of Warwick—luxurious hedgerows, gently-flowing streams, red loam in the fields contrasting with the varying shades of green. The half-timbered houses and cottages introduce another pleasant feature into the landscape.
STRATFORD-ON-AVON
This far-famed country town on the banks of the Avon presents a general appearance of prosperity, the well-built houses, wide streets, and prevailing aspect of cleanliness giving this impression. Everything in the town, however, lapses into insignificance in face of the paramount interest attaching to the town as the birthplace of Shakespeare. Whether the 'Bard of Avon' was nothing more than an Elizabethan play-actor or the author of the plays now so widely attributed to the great scholar and statesman, Francis Bacon, is a question which now cools the spirit of devotion of many a pilgrim; but however keen a Baconian may be the visitor to Stratford, he cannot fail to appreciate the charm of the carefully-restored Elizabethan houses associated with Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Birthplace is in Henley Street, a half-timbered, unpretentious house of two rooms and a kitchen on the ground-floor, with the room overhead in which he was born. The adjoining cottage has been converted into a museum, in which documents and relics bearing in a direct or remote manner with the poet—and some, it must be confessed, are very remote—are preserved. The birthplace was in possession of the members of the family for two centuries after the death of Shakespeare in 1616; in 1847 it was purchased by subscription for £3,000 and carefully restored. (Admission 1s.—6d. for the birthroom and 6d. for the museum.)
The Town Hall is in the High Street; on the front is a statue of Shakespeare, presented by Garrick.
New Place stood close by, but of the house occupied by the poet during the last nineteen years of his life there is nothing left but the site. In it lived Dr. Hall, who married Shakespeare's daughter Susannah. The house was pulled down in 1702 by Sir John Clopton, and the new building on its site, together with the famous mulberry-tree, were destroyed by the Rev. Francis Gastrell in 1759, 'because he was pestered by visitors'! In 1861 the site of New Place and its gardens were purchased by public subscription. A Shakespeare Library and Museum have been established there, open daily except Saturday and Sunday; admission 6d. On Saturday the Gardens are free.
At the opposite corner, Chapel Lane, stands the Grammar School, founded in 1553, where the poet is reputed to have been educated. It is a delightful old timber-framed house standing near the Guild Chapel, a Perpendicular building which is conspicuous in the High Street.
The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre occupies a pleasant position on the banks of the Avon. The old theatre was demolished in 1872, and the present building erected at a cost of £30,000.
The Parish Church, of Early English and Perpendicular architecture, is a fine cruciform building standing on the site of an early Saxon monastery. In Edward III.'s reign John de Stratford rebuilt the south aisle and erected a chantry for priests. In 1351 Ralph de Stratford built a chapel for the latter, now known as the College. The beautiful choir dates from the time of Dean Balshall (1465). Shakespeare's monument is on the left side of the chancel; the door there formerly led to the charnel-house, and the grave is near the monument under a flat stone, upon which is the oft-quoted verse said to have been written by Shakespeare. Between this spot and the north wall is buried his widow, who died in 1623, while those of relatives lie near, such as Susannah, the eldest daughter, and her husband, Dr. Hall, and Thomas Nashe, who married Shakespeare's only granddaughter. (Admission to the church 6d.)
Anne Hathaway's Cottage is at Shottery, a mile west of Stratford, divided since the poet's time into three tenements. The room where Anne was born is shown.
Charlecote Park lies about four miles north-east of Stratford. It is famous for its hall, erected in 1547 by Sir Thomas Lucy upon the capital E plan, and was visited by Queen Elizabeth. Here also is the reputed site of Shakespeare's deer-shooting escapades.
The main road to Warwick lies through a beautifully-wooded country, rich in pleasant views of hill and dale. Clopton Tower is on the left shortly after leaving.
The tower of Barford Church can be seen two miles off to the right of the main road; it was rebuilt in the last century, except the tower, which retains the marks of Cromwellian cannon-balls.
Sherbourne is near at hand. The church is modern, and of fine design.
WARWICK
It has been asserted that the history of Warwick is the history of England, and certain it is that the ancient town has been involved in the majority of the great events which have helped to make the national record. In those stirring events Warwick Castle has played no mean part, and is still the glory of the town and county. It is undoubtedly the most magnificent of the ancient feudal mansions still used as a residence, and its grand position upon a crag overlooking the Avon has accentuated its imposing grandeur in no mean degree. Its chief features are Cæsar's Tower and Guy's Tower, of the fourteenth century, and the Gateway Tower in the centre. The residential apartments and the Great Hall suffered in the fire of 1871, but have been rebuilt. Both the castle and the contents teem with interest. (Open to visitors as a rule; no fixed fee. Tickets obtained at small cottage opposite Castle Lodge, Castle Hill.)
St. Mary's Church is one of the most interesting ecclesiastical buildings in the country. A Saxon church stood upon the site, and a later building was made collegiate by Earl Roger de Newburgh. It was granted to the town as a parish church at the Dissolution. The central object of interest is the famous Beauchamp Chapel, 1443 to 1464, one of the best examples extant of Perpendicular architecture bordering upon the Tudor, and showing occasionally traces of incipient Renaissance. Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, Regent of France, and guardian of Edward VI., lies buried here, and his effigy in bronze, the finest in existence of that nature, lies in the centre of the chapel. Against the north wall is the magnificent monument of the famous Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester—splendid in life and sumptuous in death. Two small ante-chapels are seen—one is probably a chantry. In the chancel lie Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and his second Countess, both of whom died in 1370; their effigies of white marble, with many 'weepers' round the pedestal, are of great interest.
Lord Leycester's Hospital.—There are but few places in England where such a picturesque and impressive grouping of old timbered houses may be seen; antique gables and eaves, richly-carved beams and mysterious recesses; overhanging stories and twisted chimneys, with an old gateway and a church tower thrown in—it forms a gem of which any city might be proud. The Hospital was originally a hall of the Guilds; in 1571 the Earl founded it for the reception of twelve poor men, who still wear the bear and ragged staff as a cognizance. Many half-timbered houses and quaint old-world nooks remain in Warwick to delight the eye of the artist and the antiquary, especially near the castle.
LEAMINGTON
A little over a mile separates Warwick from the Royal Leamington Spa, a beautiful garden city, which has sprung into existence by reason of the discovery of the efficacy possessed by the mineral waters in 1784. Until that period it was a small village called Leamington Priors. The chief springs are saline and sulphuretted saline.
The Jephson Gardens are beautifully placed on the north bank of the River Leam, and form one of the chief centres of attraction, and the Royal Pump Room Gardens face the river on the other side of the bridge. As might be expected from such a modern town, there are no objects of antiquity to describe. Returning to Warwick, the road to Guy's Cliff is taken, running due north, and the entrance-lodge occurs in about a mile. A fine view of the house is obtained from this point on looking up the avenue of majestic firs; it was built in 1822, succeeding a small country mansion, and is in the possession of Lord Algernon Percy. Situated upon a cliff with a wide part of the river beneath, it forms a singularly beautiful picture. (It is only shown to visitors when the family is absent.)
The Chapel adjoins the mansion on the east, and contains a figure of Guy, Earl of Warwick, dating from the fourteenth century. Guy's Lane is near the chapel.
The Mill was built in 1821, and occupies the site of one dating as far back as Saxon times.
Guy of Warwick is a mythical personage, and the romance mentioning his deeds dates from the thirteenth century. In the fifteenth century, when the age of chivalry and romance was at its zenith, Guy was treated in the same manner as King Arthur, and all kinds of doughty deeds were attributed to him by the romancers.
Blacklow Hill stands half a mile farther on to the left of the road. It is surmounted by a cross, erected in 1821 to commemorate the execution in 1312 of Piers Gaveston. At Gloucester, the tomb of Edward II., who, like his favourite, came to a tragic end, has been mentioned.
KENILWORTH
The Castle is the centre of attraction, although there are some good examples of half-timbered cottages to be seen in the long street of the little town. The fortress was in ancient times one of the strongest in England, as it afforded accommodation for a large garrison, and by reason of the lake and broad moats filled with water—now disappeared—it was almost impregnable. Numerous roads converged towards it as the centre of England, and for many years it was a royal residence. The Keep was built about 1170, and is a splendid example of military architecture of the late Norman period. It is square, with a projecting rectangle, and turrets at the corners. The walls at the base are 14 feet thick. The Garden, celebrated in Scott's novel, lay upon the north side of the keep. South of the keep occur Leicester's Buildings, with fourteenth-century kitchens and other offices between. By the side of the Great Hall was the Strong Tower, called Mervyn's Tower by Scott. Mortimer's Tower is isolated to the south-east; the cutting through the great dam which restrained the waters of the lake occurred here. The tilt-yard lay upon the top of the dam. Beyond the Great Lake was the Chase, and the circuit of the castle, manor, parks and other lands, was about twenty miles. Many historical names are associated with Kenilworth—the Clintons, Simon de Montfort, John of Gaunt, and Robert Dudley, who entertained Queen Elizabeth for seventeen days, and spent a fortune in doing so. The castle was dismantled and the lake drained in the time of the Commonwealth.
The Church lies east of the castle. The tower and nave are of Decorated work, but a Norman doorway has been inserted in the west side of the tower, taken, probably, from the Priory.
The Priory stood close to the church; it was founded about 1122 by Geoffrey de Clinton, and richly endowed. The remains of a gatehouse may be seen, and also some exposed foundations of the walls of the church.
On leaving Kenilworth for Coventry a stretch of moorland extends upon the right hand, on which are two mounds with the usual fosses around the summits, denoting British hill-forts. Beyond this the road begins to assume that characteristic which has made the way from Kenilworth to Coventry renowned as 'one of the two finest roads in England'—needless to say, the other road is from Coventry to Kenilworth—a magnificent avenue with broad strips of greensward lying on either side, and glimpses of splendid Warwickshire scenery between the boles, justify the foregoing descriptions.
Two miles from Kenilworth is Gibbet Hill, the erection upon which has now gone, but was used last in 1765 for the execution of two murderers. Crossing Stivichall Common, with its triple array of oak-trees on either side the road, the Coventry Grammar School buildings are passed upon the left, and the 'City of the Three Spires' is entered.
COVENTRY
The city derives its name from Conventre, or Convent Town, in recognition of the Benedictine monastery erected by Leofric and Godiva in 1043. The well-known legend connected with these famous personages need only be referred to here. Gosford Green, outside the town, was the scene of the historical encounter between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk in the reign of Richard II., which had such momentous results. Many Parliaments have been held in the town, and it was famous for the great number of religious communities which during the medieval period were lodged in the town. The ancient fortifications were dismantled in the time of Charles II. as a punishment for the Commonwealth tendencies of the citizens.
St. Michael's Church, a 'masterpiece of art,' and one of the finest parish churches in England, stands in the centre of the city. It is in the Perpendicular style, and has been recently restored. The spire is 303 feet high, and was begun in 1372; flying buttresses of great elegance support the tower. The oldest part of the church is the south porch, with a parvise over it. The chapels belonging to the various guilds in the town still retain their old names. There are many effigies, but none of great antiquity.
Holy Trinity Church is adjacent to St. Michael's. The date of foundation is unknown; the style is late Early English, and the work by the north porch dates from c. 1259. The porch has a domus, or priest's chamber, over it. There are several chapels in the church devoted to the city guilds. The foundations and remains noticed on the north side of the church are those of the west front of the cathedral, built about 1260 upon a preceding Norman foundation. It was the Priory Church of the monastery founded by Leofric, and was demolished at the Reformation.
St. Mary's Hall, near St. Michael's, was begun in 1394, and belonged to three guilds. It is of very great interest, and should on no account be passed by. The great hall, crypt, tapestry, ancient glass windows, and knaves' post, are all objects worthy of attention, while the building generally is a vivid reminder of medieval life and feeling.
Bablake Hospital, founded in 1560, is close to St. John's Church, and presents some picturesque examples of half-timber construction with quaint gables.
Peeping Tom is a prominent feature of the King's Head Hotel in Smithford Street, and Ford's Hospital, down Greyfriar's Lane, possesses an extremely fine façade and a charming timbered court rich in carved oak and diamond-paned windows.
The road to Southam and Banbury leaves Coventry as the London Road, and about two miles to the south Whitley Abbey is reached, formerly the seat of Lord Hood, son of the famous Admiral. In Whitley Abbey Charles I. resided while conducting operations against Coventry in 1622. On Whitley Common are traces of earthworks thrown up by the Royalists. Baginton, lying about two miles to the right, contains the remains of an ancient castle. Shortly after Whitley the road divides, the one going to Southam being that upon the right. A turning shortly afterwards at the cross-roads leads to the well-known Stoneleigh Abbey, lying five miles to the west, the site of a former castle and of a subsequent foundation for Cistercian monks, which was dispossessed at the Reformation. Some remains of the castle exist, but the present building is an imposing range of buildings in the classic style, and forms, with the grounds, one of the most splendid country homes in the kingdom. It is the seat of Lord Leigh.
Long Itchington has some fine half-timbered houses, and is a picturesque village. The Church was rebuilt in the fourteenth century by the Priors of Maxstoke. In the eighteenth century the spire was damaged by lightning; hence its present truncated appearance. The aisle is part of the original church, and is Early English except the doorway, which dates from the Norman period. There are some very interesting details to be found in the interior, notably the chancel screen, which is an extremely rare example of early fourteenth-century woodwork. St. Wolstan, the last of the Saxon Bishops, was a native of this place. Long Itchington was honoured by two visits from Queen Elizabeth during her progresses to Kenilworth. Two miles farther on is Southam, of no particular interest, although the church may perhaps repay a casual inspection. The road lies through a pleasant district, essentially Midland in its general aspects, but near the road turning off to Fenny Compton higher ground is reached. Cropredy, where the battle was fought in 1644, is one and a half miles to the east by the turning close to Mollington.
BANBURY
Banbury is chiefly known by reason of its cross and its cakes. The former has been destroyed, but a replica exists upon the site. It is a small borough of about 4,000 inhabitants, and was formerly a notable place for the manufacture of plush, but now produces agricultural implements and portable engines. A castle was built here in 1125, but it was entirely destroyed in the Civil War. The moat, however, may still be traced. In 1469 the common men of Yorkshire, to the number of about 16,000, marched to Banbury under the leadership of 'Robin of Redesdale,' and captured the Earl of Pembroke, after inflicting a defeat upon him on the borders of Oxford. A college and hospital formerly existed in the town. The church is of comparatively modern construction, having been thoroughly rebuilt about a century ago.
Leaving Banbury, the little village of Adderbury possesses a church the chancel of which was built by William of Wykeham. Passing the Astons, North, Mid, and Steeple, we come to the junction of roads leading respectively to Woodstock and Oxford, and at this point a Roman road—the Akeman Street—crosses the route, running between Cirencester and Bicester. In the course of a few miles the outlying portions of Oxford appear in view.
| Miles. | ||
| Oxford to Dorchester | 9 | ¼ |
| Dorchester to Nettlebed | 9 | ½ |
| Nettlebed to Henley | 4 | ½ |
| Henley to Maidenhead | 9 | ¼ |
| Maidenhead to Windsor | 6 | ½ |
| Windsor to Staines | 6 | ¼ |
| Staines to Hampton | 7 | |
| Hampton to Hampton Court | 1 | |
| Hampton Court to Kingston | 1 | ¾ |
| Kingston to the G.P.O., London | 12 | ½ |
Between Oxford and Maidenhead the road is somewhat hilly, but the surface is generally good; there is a steep hill (1 in 13) after leaving Henley.
From Maidenhead to London the road is level, with an excellent surface, except between Maidenhead and Windsor, where the road is sometimes flooded.
Sandford-on-Thames.—Small village; church not interesting; remains of preceptory of Knights Templars.
Nuneham Courtney.—Eighteenth-century village, very unusual; Manor-house of Harcourts.
Dorchester.—Old village, with many picturesque cottages; Abbey Church of considerable interest.
Henley.—Picturesque little town; the church, Early English and Tudor; splendid river views; the Town Hall.
Maidenhead.—Large modern town; fine boating centre.
Eton.—The college and War Memorial Hall.
Windsor.—The castle, dating from the Norman period, with many subsequent additions; Town Hall, finished by Wren; a few old houses.
Hampton.—Hampton Court, magnificent palace of Henry VIII.
Kingston.—The church and Coronation Stone; almshouses and Lovekyn Chapel.
OXFORD
The entrance to the 'city of palaces' is through suburbs of a commonplace, uninteresting, or even ugly character, the builders having apparently gained no inspiration from the magnificent examples of architecture which they are gradually hemming in. That such squalid, or, at the best, perky and meretricious streets of houses should have been allowed to encompass the architectural splendours of the great University is a public scandal, and it is to be hoped that before many years have passed some steps will be taken to wipe out the worst of these new abominations. To adequately describe Oxford within the limits of this work is impossible, and it will be sufficient to indicate the salient features which should not be passed over. The city lies upon a low ridge between the Thames and the Cherwell, and is surrounded by a fine range of hills. The imposing array of towers and spires, the many colleges with their historic quadrangles, the avenues and groves and secluded college gardens, the marvellous profusion of carved stonework, all combine to render the nucleus of this ancient seat of learning one of the most beautiful in the British Empire. The Bodleian Library is the hub round which the colleges cluster, and after it has been seen the church of St. Mary the Virgin should be visited, from its long connection with the seat of learning. Near it are the New Schools, the Botanic Garden, and the Clarendon Press, while the Taylor building contains many interesting pictures. Of the colleges, All Souls, Balliol, Brasenose, Christ Church, Magdalen, Merton, and New College, are among the most interesting.
The Cathedral belonging to Christ Church dates from 1160, and is a noble example of Norman architecture. The nave is pure Norman, the chancel Transitional, the chapter-house Early English. The shrine of St. Frideswide, the Bishop's throne, and the grand modern reredos, are particularly notable.
The first village passed after leaving Oxford is Sandford-on-Thames, but the flatness of the country and the presence of a paper-mill with a tall chimney deprive the place of any particular charm beyond what is found in the quietest reaches of the Upper Thames. Sandford Church is not interesting, but there are remains of a preceptory of Knights Templars at the farm by the brook a little to the north-west.
The road continues parallel with the river, and soon passes through the curiously uniform village of Nuneham Courtney. The two lines of picturesque cottages facing one another across the road were built by the first Earl Harcourt, who, disliking the proximity of the village to the manor-house, razed the cottages to the ground after constructing the new ones, which have now been sufficiently toned down by the weather to give a pleasing effect. This same building Earl demolished the old church and erected another near the house, now abandoned for a new one lately put up near the village. He also rebuilt the house (not shown to visitors) in the severely classic style in vogue at the close of the eighteenth century. The grounds and gardens were laid out in part by the popular 'Capability' Brown, and these may be seen on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the summer. It is advisable, however, if one particularly wishes to see them, to write in advance to Mr. H. Gale, Nuneham Courtney.
About a mile beyond the village, at the cross-roads, there formerly stood a little hostelry called the Golden Ball. It acquired a bad reputation through the murder of a guest by his servant. The landlord, having been found with a knife in his hand in the dead man's bedroom, was condemned to death and hanged, but later on the servant confessed that he had committed the murder which the landlord had intended.
DORCHESTER
is a dreamy old village, beautifully placed upon the River Thames. It contains many quaint timbered houses, some with thatched roofs, and nearly all with some attractive features which make it hard to tear oneself away from the place. The chief object of interest, apart from the cottage architecture, is the huge church, so strangely out of place in such a hamlet. Dorchester, however, has a history stretching right back to the British period. During the Roman occupation the camp here was supposed to be called Dourcastrum, altered into Dorchester in the Saxon period, but this Roman name is uncertain. When Dorchester was the seat of the Saxon bishopric of Wessex, the see included about twenty English counties, but Remigius, the first Norman Bishop, transferred it to Lincoln in 1085. The Saxon church, built in 1036, was occupied as a monastic church in 1140, when a monastery of the Augustinians was founded. In 1200, and also in 1350, extensive additions were made. In the church the Jesse window on the north side is unique, for the figures are carved in stone. The east window is a remarkable example of Decorated work; there is a massive buttress in the centre, and the whole of the spaces are occupied by reticulated tracery. The recumbent effigies, dating from 1200 to 1410, are very interesting, while a brass of the Henry V. period lies in the floor. The furnishing of the interior savours so much of the Roman church that one might easily imagine oneself on the other side of the Channel. One notices a bell conspicuous on the altar steps, and 'sacred' pictures, with candles and half-withered floral offerings in front of them, are placed on the pillars and elsewhere! Is the Bishop of Oxford aware of these strange reversions to the practices condemned by the Protestant Church of England for the last four centuries? The leaden font is of Norman workmanship, and is a comparatively rare object. In the churchyard stands a cross with a restored head.
The ascent of the Chilterns is very gradual, becoming steeper, however, in places, and delightful views are obtained over the surrounding country. The quaint little village of Nettlebed stands upon the summit (1,650 feet above sea-level), and thence the descent to Henley commences. Near Nettlebed many cultivated downs are to be seen, their rounded summits crowned as a rule with plantations—a contrast in this respect with the bare South Downs. These rounded knolls are all that denudation has left of the tertiary sand deposits on the chalk. In many parts beeches flourish, and occasionally brick and timber cottages of quaint aspect are passed.
HENLEY-ON-THAMES
is a charming old town, apart altogether from the prominent position it holds in the boating world, owing to the magnificent reach of the Thames which occurs here. There are many picturesque old houses in the wide, sunny street, and, as at Dorchester, the artist and architect will find much to attract their attention. The Church, standing out boldly near the bridge, possesses an Early English chancel, and the oldest part of the nave is of the same date. Nearly everything else, including the flint tower, is Tudor. A monument to Lady Elizabeth Periam, a sister of Lord Bacon and the mistress of Greenlands (died 1621), is under the tower. There are two hagioscopes and a priest's entrance to the vanished rood-loft. The bridge, with open stone parapets, was built in 1786, after the old one had been carried away by a flood. It is, therefore, much older than the regatta, which was first held in 1839.
The road between Henley-on-Thames and Maidenhead crosses the ground lying in a loop of the Thames, gradually rising from Henley and falling towards Maidenhead. The numerous turnings should be taken with care. About two miles before reaching Maidenhead the Bath road is joined.
MAIDENHEAD
is more a centre for river excursions and boating-parties than a place of any attractiveness in itself. It might easily be mistaken for one of the better suburbs of London, and contains practically nothing of interest. The great railway-bridge, with spans of 128 feet, was designed by Brunel.
ETON
On the left of the High Street, leading to the bridge facing Windsor, are the picturesque Tudor buildings and the huge chapel of Eton College. The great courtyard, surrounded by beautifully mellowed ranges of red-brick buildings on three sides and the chapel on the south, is delightfully picturesque; and the chapel itself, with its enormous buttresses and lovely Perpendicular details, is a noble work within and without. A statue of Henry VI., the founder, stands in the centre of the large courtyard. The famous playing-fields, where it is generally understood that those qualities which won the Battle of Waterloo were developed, extend down to the Thames.
WINDSOR
As one crosses the bridge, the long, imposing line of the castle walls and towers frowns above the red roofs of the little town, generally described as the Royal Borough of Windsor. A steep street winds up to the castle gateway, and as one approaches nearer, the work of Wyatville on the huge pile becomes painfully apparent. In vain does one look for the slightest indication that the whole of the great fortress, including the conspicuous Round Tower, was not built yesterday. This is the tragedy of Windsor, and after the first general glance one learns to expect nothing that tells its age by its masonry or its weathering. Everything, except the timber and brick Horseshoe Cloisters, is encased in harsh grey stone of a drearily uniform grey.