England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel

IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.

INTRODUCTION.

No land possesses greater attractions for the American tourist than England. It was the home of his forefathers; its history is to a great extent the history of his own country; and he is bound to it by the powerful ties of consanguinity, language, laws, and customs. When the American treads the busy London streets, threads the intricacies of the Liverpool docks and shipping, wanders along the green lanes of Devonshire, climbs Alnwick's castellated walls, or floats upon the placid bosom of the picturesque Wye, he seems almost as much at home as in his native land. But, apart from these considerations of common Anglo-Saxon paternity, no country in the world is more interesting to the intelligent traveller than England. The British system of entail, whatever may be our opinion of its political and economic merits, has built up vast estates and preserved the stately homes, renowned castles, and ivy-clad ruins of ancient and celebrated structures, to an extent and variety that no other land can show. The remains of the abbeys, castles, churches, and ancient fortresses in England and Wales that war and time together have crumbled and scarred tell the history of centuries, while countless legends of the olden time are revived as the tourist passes them in review. England, too, has other charms than these. British scenery, though not always equal in sublimity and grandeur to that displayed in many parts of our own country, is exceedingly beautiful, and has always been a fruitful theme of song and story.

"The splendor falls on castle-walls And snowy summits old in story: The long light shakes across the lakes. And the wild cataract leaps in glory."

Yet there are few satisfactory and comprehensive books about this land that is so full of renowned memorials of the past and so generously gifted by Nature. Such books as there are either cover a few counties or are devoted only to local description, or else are merely guide-books. The present work is believed to be the first attempt to give in attractive form a book which will serve not only as a guide to those about visiting England and Wales, but also as an agreeable reminiscence to others, who will find that its pages treat of familiar scenes. It would be impossible to describe everything within the brief compass of a single book, but it is believed that nearly all the more prominent places in England and Wales are included, with enough of their history and legend to make the description interesting. The artist's pencil has also been called into requisition, and the four hundred and eighty-seven illustrations will give an idea, such as no words can convey, of the attractions England presents to the tourist.

The work has been arranged in eight tours, with Liverpool and London as the two starting-points, and each route following the lines upon which the sightseer generally advances in the respective directions taken. Such is probably the most convenient form for the travelling reader, as the author has found from experience, while a comprehensive index will make reference easy to different localities and persons. Without further introduction it is presented to the public, in the confident belief that the interest developed in its subject will excuse any shortcomings that may be found in its pages.

PHILADELPHIA, July, 1882.

CONTENTS.

I.

LIVERPOOL, WESTWARD TO THE WELSH COAST. PAGE

Liverpool--Birkenhead--Knowsley Hall--Chester--Cheshire--Eaton Hall--Hawarden Castle--Bidston--Congleton--Beeston Castle--The river Dee--Llangollen--Valle-Crucis Abbey--Dinas Bran--Wynnstay--Pont Cysylltau--Chirk Castle--Bangor-ys-Coed--Holt--Wrexham--The Sands o' Dee--North Wales--Flint Castle--Rhuddlan Castle--Mold--Denbigh--St. Asaph--Holywell--Powys Castle--The Menai Strait--Anglesea--Beaumaris Castle--Bangor--Penrhyn Castle--Plas Newydd--Caernarvon Castle--Ancient Segontium--Conway Castle--Bettws-y-Coed--Mount Snowdon--Port Madoc--Coast of Merioneth--Barmouth--St. Patrick's Causeway--Mawddach Vale--Cader Idris--Dolgelly--Bala Lake--Aberystwith--Harlech Castle--Holyhead 17

II.

LIVERPOOL, NORTHWARD TO THE SCOTTISH BORDER.

Lancashire--Warrington--Manchester--Furness Abbey--The Ribble--Stonyhurst--Lancaster Castle--Isle of Man--Castletown--Rusben Castle--Peele Castle--The Lake Country--Windermere--Lodore Fall--Derwentwater--Keswick--Greta Hall--Southey, Wordsworth, and Coleridge--Skiddaw---The Border Castles--Kendal Castle--Brougham Hall--The Solway--Carlisle Castle--Scaleby Castle--Naworth--Lord William Howard. 51

III.

LIVERPOOL, THROUGH THE MIDLAND COUNTIES, TO LONDON.

The Peak of Derbyshire--Castleton--Bess of Hardwicke--Hardwicke Hall--Bolsover Castle--The Wye and the Derwent--Buxton--Bakewell--Haddon Hall--The King of the Peak--Dorothy Vernon--Rowsley--The Peacock Inn--Chatsworth--The Victoria Regia--Matlock--Dovedale--Beauchief Abbey--Stafford Castle--Trentham Hall--Tamworth--Tutbury Castle--Chartley Castle--Alton Towers--Shrewsbury Castle--Bridgenorth--Wenlock Abbey--Ludlow Castle--The Feathers Inn--Lichfield Cathedral--Dr. Samuel Johnson--Coventry--Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom--Belvoir Castle--Charnwood Forest--Groby and Bradgate--Elizabeth Widvile and Lady Jane Grey--Ulverscroft Priory--Grace Dien Abbey--Ashby de la Zouche--Langley Priory--Leicester Abbey and Castle--Bosworth Field--Edgehill--Naseby--The Land of Shakespeare--Stratford-on-Avon--Warwick--Kenilworth--Birmingham --Boulton and Watt--Fotheringhay Castle--Holmby House--Bedford Castle --John Bunyan--Woburn Abbey and the Russells--Stowe--Whaddon Hall --Great Hampden--Creslow House 70

IV.

THE RIVER THAMES AND LONDON.

The Thames Head--Cotswold Hills--Seven Springs--Cirencester--Cheltenham--Sudeley Castle--Chavenage--Shifford--Lechlade--Stanton Harcourt--Cumnor Hall--Fair Rosamond--Godstow Nunnery--Oxford--Oxford Colleges--Christ Church--Corpus Christi--Merton--Oriel--All Souls--University--Queen's--Magdalen--Brasenose--New College--Radcliffe Library--Bodleian Library--Lincoln--Exeter--Wadham--Keble--Trinity--Balliol--St. John's--Pembroke--Oxford Churches--Oxford Castle--Carfax Conduit--Banbury--Broughton Castle--Woodstock--Marlborough--Blenheim--Minster Lovel--Bicester--Eynsham--Abingdon--Radley--Bacon, Rich, and Holt--Clifton-Hampden--Caversham--Reading--Maidenhead--Bisham Abbey--Vicar of Bray--Eton College--Windsor Castle--Magna Charta Island--Cowey Stakes--Ditton--Twickenham--London--Fire Monument--St. Paul's Cathedral--Westminster Abbey--The Tower--Lollards and Lambeth--Bow Church--St. Bride's--Whitehall--Horse Guards--St. James Palace--Buckingham Palace--Kensington Palace--Houses of Parliament--Hyde Park--Marble Arch--Albert Memorial--South Kensington Museum--Royal Exchange--Bank of England--Mansion House--Inns of Court--British Museum--Some London Scenes--The Underground Railway--Holland House--Greenwich--Tilbury Fort--The Thames Mouth 137

V.

LONDON, NORTHWARD TO THE TWEED.

Harrow--St. Albans--Verulam--Hatfield House--Lord Burleigh--Cassiobury--Knebworth--Great Bed of Ware--The River Cam--Audley End--Saffron Walden--Newport--Nell Gwynne--Littlebury--Winstanley--Harwich--Cambridge--Trinity and St. John's Colleges--Caius College--Trinity Hall--The Senate House--University Library--Clare College--Great St. Mary's Church--King's College--Corpus Christi College--St. Catharine's College--Queens' College--The Pitt Press--Pembroke College--Peterhouse--Fitzwilliam Museum--Hobson's Conduit--Downing College--Emmanuel College--Christ's College--Sidney-Sussex College--The Round Church--Magdalene College--Jesus College--Trumpington--The Fenland--Bury St. Edmunds--Hengrave Hall--Ely--Peterborough--Crowland Abbey--Guthlac--Norwich Castle and Cathedral--Stamford--Burghley House--George Inn--Grantham--Lincoln--Nottingham--Southwell--Sherwood Forest--Robin Hood--The Dukeries--Thoresby Hall--Clumber Park--Welbeck Abbey--Newstead Abbey--Newark--Hull--Wilberforce--Beverley--Sheffield--Wakefield--Leeds --Bolton Abbey--The Strid--Ripon Cathedral--Fountains Abbey--Studley Royal--Fountains Hall--York--Eboracum--York Minster--Clifford's Tower--Castle Howard--Kirkham Priory--Flamborough Head--Scarborough--Whitby Abbey--Durham Cathedral and Castle--St. Cuthbert--The Venerable Bede--Battle of Neville's Cross--Chester-le-Street--Lumley Castle--Newcastle-upon-Tyne--Hexham--Alnwick Castle--Hotspur and the Percies--St. Michael's Church--Hulne Priory--Ford Castle--Flodden Field--The Tweed--Berwick--Holy Isle--Lindisfarne--Bamborough--Grace Darling 224

VI.

LONDON, WESTWARD TO MILFORD HAVEN.

The Cotswolds--The River Severn--Gloucester--Berkeley Castle--New Inn--Gloucester Cathedral--Lampreys--Tewkesbury; its Mustard, Abbey, and Battle--Worcester; its Battle--Charles II.'s Escape--Worcester Cathedral--The Malvern Hills--Worcestershire Beacon--Herefordshire Beacon--Great Malvern--St. Anne's Well--The River Wye--Clifford Castle--Hereford--Old Butcher's Row--Nell Gwynne's Birthplace--Ross--The Man of Ross--Ross Church and its Trees--Walton Castle--Goodrich Castle--Forest of Dean--Coldwell--Symond's Vat--The Dowards--Monmouth--Kymin Hill--Raglan Castle--Redbrook--St. Briard Castle--Tintern Abbey--The Wyncliff--Wyntour's Leap--Chepstow Castle--The River Monnow--The Golden Valley--The Black Mountains--Pontrilas Court--Ewias Harold--Abbey Dore--The Scyrrid Vawr--Wormridge--Kilpeck--Oldcastle--Kentchurch--Grosmont--The Vale of Usk--Abergavenny--Llanthony Priory--Walter Savage Landor--Capel-y-Ffyn--Newport--Penarth Roads--Cardiff--The Rocking-Stone--Llandaff--Caerphilly Castle and its Leaning Tower--Swansea--The Mumbles--Oystermouth Castle--Neath Abbey--Caermarthen--Tenby--Manorbeer Castle--Golden Grove--Pembroke--Milford--Haverfordwest--Milford Haven--Pictou Castle--Carew Castle 337

VII.

LONDON, SOUTH-WEST TO LAND'S END.

Virginia Water--Sunninghill--Ascot--Wokingham--Bearwood--The London Times--White Horse Hill--Box Tunnel--Salisbury--Salisbury Plain--Old Sarum--Stonehenge--Amesbury--Wilton House--The Earls of Pembroke--Carpet-making--Bath--William Beckford--Fonthill--Bristol--William Canynge--Chatterton--Clifton--Brandon Hill--Well--The Mendips--Jocelyn--Beckington--Ralph of Shrewsbury--Thomas Ken--The Cheddar Cliffs--The Wookey Hole--The Black Down--The Isle of Avelon--Glastonbury--Weary-all Hill--Sedgemoor--The Isle of Athelney--Bridgewater--Oldmixon--Monmouth's Rebellion--Weston Zoyland--King Alfred--Sherborne--Sir Walter Raleigh--The Coast of Dorset--Poole--Wareham--Isle of Purbeck--Corfe Castle--The Foreland--Swanage--St. Aldhelm's Head--Weymouth--Portland Isle and Bill--The Channel Islands--Jersey--Corbiere Promontory--Mount Orgueil--Alderney--Guernsey--Castle Comet--The Southern Coast of Devon--Abbotsbury--Lyme Regis--Axminster--Sidmouth--Exmouth--Exeter--William, Prince of Orange--Exeter Cathedral--Bishop Trelawney--Dawlish--Teignmouth--Hope's Nose--Babbicombe Bay--Anstis Cove--Torbay--Torquay--Brixham--Dartmoor--The River Dart--Totnes--Berry Pomeroy Castle--Dartmouth--The River Plym--The Dewerstone--Plympton Priory--Sir Joshua Reynolds--Catwater Haven--Plymouth--Stonehouse--Devonport--Eddystone Lighthouse--Tavistock Abbey--Buckland Abbey--Lydford Castle--The Northern Coast of Devon--Exmoor--Minehead--Dunster--Dunkery Beacon--Porlock Bay--The River Lyn--Oare--Lorna Doone--Jan Ridd--Lynton--Lynmouth--Castle Rock--The Devil's Cheese-Ring--Combe Martin--Ilfracombe--Norte Point--Morthoe--Barnstable--Bideford--Clovelly--Lundy Island--Cornwall--Tintagel--Launceston--Liskeard--Fowey--Lizard Peninsula--Falmouth--Pendennis Castle--Helston--Mullyon Cove--Smuggling--Kynance Cove--The Post-Office--Old Lizard Head--Polpeor--St. Michael's Mount--Penzance--Pilchard Fishery--Penwith--Land's End 384