[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.]
THE ISLE OF MAN
=How to get there.=–Train from Euston, King’s Cross, St. Pancras, or Paddington _via_ Liverpool, and thence by steamer. =Nearest Station.=–Douglas, on Isle of Man. =Distance from London.=–205 miles to Liverpool (75 miles by sea from Liverpool to Douglas, 90 to Ramsey).
=Average Time.=–12 hours.
1st and 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and saloon saloon saloon fore cabin =Fares.=–Single 35s. 0d. 26s. 8d. 22s. 6d. … Return 68s. 0d. 46s. 3d. 39s. 6d. 35s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable=.–At Douglas–“Grand,” “Metropole,” “Regent,” “Central,” “Granville,” and many others. At Ramsey–“Mitre,” “Queen’s,” “Prince of Wales,” “Albert,” “Albion,” etc. At Castletown–“George,” “Union,” etc. At Peel–“Creg Melin,” “Marine,” “Peel Castle,” etc.
The Isle of Man is much visited because of its mild and equable climate, its scenery, and its quaint laws and customs. The island is 30 miles long, and is mountainous in the centre. From the highest point, Snaefell, one can see four countries. Picturesque wooded glens are to be found in many parts of the island, and these having become well known as attractive resorts, a small charge is made to enter each glen. At Glen Darragh there is a circle of stones, and at Laxey, famous for its gigantic wheel for pumping water from the mines, there is another small circle called the “Cloven Stones.” In many cases the churchyards possess old Runic crosses.
Douglas, on the east of the island, is the chief town. It is a modern seaside resort, much frequented by Lancashire folk in August. Ramsey, further north, is quieter, and pleasantly situated on the only river of importance in Man. It is an old town, with yellow sands and a harbour crowded with herring-boats. Castletown lies to the south, a quiet old place, with narrow, crooked streets. Castle Rushen, built in the thirteenth century, shows no signs of decay. It consists of a keep and massive outer wall. Here the kings and lords of Manxland lived, though until lately it was the prison of the island. Peel, on the west, is chiefly remarkable for its rocky island near the shore, on which there are the ruins of a castle and churches surrounded by a battlemented wall. St. Patrick probably landed here, and the ruined cathedral is the oldest see in Britain.
The most famous king of “Mona” was Orry, son of a Danish king of the tenth century. The island became subject to England in 1290. The National Assembly, or House of Keys, was founded by Orry.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
CASTLE RUSHEN, ISLE OF MAN.
Built in the thirteenth century, it was for a long period the residence of the kings and lords of Manxland.]
BRANTWOOD
THE HOME OF JOHN RUSKIN
=How to get there.=–Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. =Nearest Station.=–Coniston Lake (Brantwood is on the eastern side of Coniston Lake).
=Distance from London.=–279 miles. =Average Time.=–Varies between 8-1/4 to 9-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 41s. 1d. … 23s. 2-1/2d. Return 80s. 5d. … 46s. 5d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“Waterhead Hotel,” etc. =Alternative Route.=–Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
The road to Brantwood from Coniston runs under the shade of beautiful trees, at the head of Coniston Water. After leaving behind the village and the Thwaite, with its peacocks strutting in its old-world gardens, one skirts the grounds of Monk Coniston. Soon afterwards Tent Lodge, where Tennyson once lived, is passed. Afterwards comes Low Bank Ground, which is only a short distance from Brantwood. The situation, as one may see from the drawing given opposite, is one of great natural advantages, while the house is quite unassuming; its simple white walls, however, give one the sense of a comfortable if unpretending home. The interior has been described as giving an impression “of solid, old-fashioned furniture, of amber-coloured damask curtains and coverings.” There were Turner’s and other water-colours in curly frames upon the drawing-room walls.
Writing of his earliest recollections of Coniston, in _Praeterita_, Ruskin says: “The inn at Coniston was then actually at the upper end of the lake, the road from Ambleside to the village passing just between it and the water, and the view of the long reach of lake, with its softly-wooded, lateral hills, had for my father a tender charm, which excited the same feeling as that with which he afterward regarded the lakes of Italy.” Ruskin’s death in 1900 took place at Brantwood. George Eliot, in speaking of him, said, “I venerate Ruskin as one of the greatest teachers of the age. He teaches with the inspiration of a Hebrew prophet.”
Ruskin was the son of a wealthy wine merchant, and was born in London in 1819. He studied at Oxford, where he gained the Newdigate prize for English poetry in 1839. After taking his degree, in the following year appeared his first volume of _Modern Painters_, the design of which was to prove the great superiority of modern landscape-painters, particularly Turner, over the old masters.
[Illustration: RUSKIN’S HOUSE AT BRANTWOOD.
The room with the turret window was Ruskin’s bedroom.]
FOWEY
=How to get there.=–Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. =Nearest Station.=–Fowey.
=Distance from London.=–282 miles. =Average Time.=–Varies from 7 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 43s. 4d. 27s. 0d. 21s. 8d. Return 75s. 10d. 47s. 6d. …
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“The Fowey Hotel,” “St. Catherine’s Private Hotel,” “Cotswold House,” etc.
Fowey, now little more than a fishing village and holiday resort, was once the chief port in Cornwall, and the equal of Plymouth and Dartmouth, a position it owed to its fine harbour, formed by the mouth of the river Fowey, on which it stands. On the west side of the harbour stands St. Catherine’s Castle, dating from the reign of Henry VIII., and on the east the ruins of St. Saviour’s Chapel, an old church. There are also remains of two square stone towers, erected for the protection of the entrance to the harbour in the reign of Edward IV. Between these forts, in mediaeval days, the men of Fowey used to draw a chain as an additional security. The houses are built chiefly of stone, but the streets are so narrow and full of angles that it is difficult for a vehicle of any size to pass through them. In the reign of Edward III. it sent forty-seven vessels to assist in the siege of Calais.
A heavy blow was dealt to the town by Edward IV. After he had concluded peace with France, the men of Fowey continued to make prizes of whatever French ships they could capture, and refused to give up their piratical ways. This so incensed the king, that the ringleaders in the matter were summarily executed, a heavy fine was levied upon the town, and its vessels handed over to the port of Dartmouth, as a lesson against piracy. This treatment of Fowey seems a little hard in view of the fact that Dartmouth men were constantly raiding the coasts of Brittany.
The church, built in the reign of Edward IV. and restored in 1876, has one of the highest towers in Cornwall. The interior has a good timber roof, a carved oak pulpit, an old font, and several interesting monuments to the Treffry and Rashleigh families.
The finest and most interesting house in the town is Place House, the seat of the Treffrys, who have been connected with Fowey for many generations. Many of the apartments are exceedingly interesting, especially the hall, with its fine oak roof. The present owner allows the hall and other portions to be shown to visitors.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._
FOWEY.
Showing the two little forts at the mouth of the harbour, across which in mediaeval time a chain was drawn.]
HEXHAM AND HADRIAN’S WALL
=How to get there.=–Train from King’s Cross and St. Pancras _via_ Newcastle-on-Tyne. Great Northern Railway. =Nearest Station.=–Hexham.
=Distance from London.=–289 miles. =Average Time.=–Varies between 5-1/2 to 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 40s. 10d. … 24s. 4d. Return 81s. 8d. … 48s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“Tynedale Hydropathic Mansion,” etc. =Alternative Route.=–Train from Euston and St. Pancras _via_ Carlisle. London and North-Western Railway.
Hexham has a beautiful position, surrounded with woods and hills on three sides, while the broad Tyne flows past the historic town. Above the surrounding roofs the hoary Abbey Church rises, with its one low central tower and flat roofs.
The history of Hexham begins with the granting of some land to St. Wilfrid in 674, on which he built a monastery and church. A few years later Hexham was made a See, and the “Frithstool” still remains from the time when its cathedral received the right of sanctuary.
This early cathedral was destroyed by the Danes, and the building left a battered ruin. When monasticism rose to its height, after the Norman Conquest, a priory of Canons of St. Augustine was founded there. Its wealth and numbers gradually increased until, at the end of the thirteenth century, an entirely new building replaced the Saxon one, and Hexham became exceedingly powerful.
Hadrian’s Wall.–Three miles north of Hexham, at Chollerford, one may see the remains of the piers of a Roman bridge over the North Tyne, and close at hand is one of the best preserved forts of Hadrian’s Wall. It was about 124 A.D. that Hadrian started Aulus Plautorius Nepos on the building of the line of continuous fortifications running from the mouth of the Tyne to the Solway, a distance of over seventy miles. This was built on the chain of hills overlooking the valley which runs from Newcastle to Carlisle. The massive and astonishing ruins to be seen to-day fill one with surprise, for they suggest to a considerable extent the Great Wall of China. The remains of the wall proper are, as a rule, 8 feet thick, and are composed of hewn stone (the total height of the wall was probably about 18 feet). Turrets and small forts are built into the wall at frequent intervals. The object of the wall was undoubtedly to act as a military defence against the unconquerable tribes of the north.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
A PORTION OF HADRIAN’S WALL.
The continuous line of fortifications built across England by Aulus Plautorius Nepos about 124 A.D.]
THE LAKE DISTRICT
=How to get there.=–Train to Keswick from Euston. L. and N.W.R. =Nearest Station.=–Keswick (for visiting Derwentwater, Skiddaw, Bassenthwaite, Buttermere, Cockermouth, Wytheburn). =Distance from London.=–300 miles.
=Average Time.=–Varies between 6 to 10 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 42s. 0d. 26s. 7d. 24s. 1d. Return 81s. 0d. 47s. 6d. 43s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“Keswick Hotel,” “Royal Oak,” “Queen’s,” etc.
=Alternative Routes.=–Train from King’s Cross to Keswick, Great Northern Railway. Train from St. Pancras, Midland Railway.
Keswick, usually regarded as the capital of the north-western portion of the Lake District, is situated in the lovely vale of Derwentwater, on the river Greta, shut in on all sides by mountain walls, the highest summit being the lofty Skiddaw, which crowns the range to the north of the valley. The old portion of the town is picturesque and interesting, especially the quaint old town hall in the market-place, marking the centre of the town.
Foremost among the attractions in the vicinity of Keswick is Lake Derwentwater, within less than a mile of the town, and separated from it by rising ground. The lake is 3-1/2 miles in length and 1-1/2 wide, and is remarkable for the transparency of its waters, the shingle and rocks at the bottom being clearly visible at a depth of 15 or 20 feet. The scenery of the lake is beyond description beautiful. “Here is Derwentwater,” says De Quincey, “with its lovely islands in one direction, Bassenthwaite in another; the mountains of Newlands; the gorgeous confusion of Borrowdale revealing its sublime chaos through the narrow vista of its gorge; the sullen rear closed by the vast and towering masses of Skiddaw and Blencathra.” The valley of Borrowdale is to the south of the lake, and near the south-eastern extremity are the famous Falls of Lodore, so wonderfully described in Southey’s celebrated poem.
Bassenthwaite Water, connected with Derwentwater by the Derwent, is a smaller lake, but exceedingly beautiful, and Buttermere has a quaint little village which goes by the same name.
Among the many places within easy reach of Keswick are Cockermouth, the birthplace of Wordsworth; Wytheburn, the nearest village to Thirlmere; and Skiddaw, the ascent of which can be accomplished with comparative ease on pony-back. The summit is over 3000 feet above sea-level.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
CRUMMOCK WATER AND BUTTERMERE.]
KESWICK
AND THE HOME OF ROBERT SOUTHEY
=How to get there.=–Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway. =Nearest Station.=–Keswick.
=Distance from London.=–300 miles. =Average Time.=–Varies between 7 to 10-1/4 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares=.–Single 42s. 0d. 26s. 7d. 24s. 1d. Return 81s. 0d. 53s. 0d. 48s. 2d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“Keswick Hotel,” “Royal Oak,” “Queen’s,” etc.
=Alternative Routes.=–Train from King’s Cross, Great Northern Railway. Train from St. Pancras, Midland Railway.
Keswick is much resorted to by visitors, as it forms convenient headquarters for exploring the Cumberland part of the Lake District. It is a small and not very beautiful town, containing several large hotels. It is situated in a flat valley through which the Derwent and its tributaries flow, and lies near the north end of Derwentwater Lake. Hills surround it on every side, while the mountains of Skiddaw shield it on the north. Since the discovery of plumbago in the district, Keswick has been famed for its lead-pencils. A renowned week of religious services, known as the “Keswick Convention,” takes place here.
Crosthwaite, to the north-west of the town, is famous for its twelfth-century church dedicated to St. Kentigern. It has a long battlemented roof and massive square tower, and possesses many old brasses and monuments, besides a font of the time of Edward III. To most people the monument to Southey will be the chief object of interest. It is a recumbent figure, with an epitaph in verse by his life-long friend Wordsworth.
Robert Southey was the son of a Bristol linen-draper, and was educated at Westminster and Balliol. Southey and Coleridge were much associated with Lovell, a Bristol Quaker. These three friends made a plan–never carried out–of going to the wilds of America and returning to the patriarchal manner of living. They all married three sisters named Fricker. Unfortunately Southey’s wife died insane, and he then married a very talented lady named Catherine Bowles. In the beginning of the eighteenth century the Southeys and Coleridges settled in the same house at Greta, near Keswick, and Mrs. Lovell, widow of Robert Lovell, and her son joined the household. Here Southey lived till his death in 1843. In 1813 he was made Poet Laureate, and later was given a pension of L300 a year.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ASHNESS BRIDGE, DERWENTWATER.]
ALNWICK CASTLE
=How to get there.=–Train from King’s Cross. Great Northern Rly. =Nearest Station.=–Alnwick.
=Distance from London.=–309 miles. =Average Time.=–Varies between 7 and 8 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 43s. 1d. … 25s. 9d. Return 86s. 2d. … 51s. 6d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“Northumberland Arms,” “Star Hotel.”
=Alternative Route.=–Train from St. Pancras _via_ Sheffield and York. Midland Railway.
Standing in a magnificent position overlooking the town from which it takes its name, Alnwick Castle occupies the site of one of the oldest of the border points of defence. It is believed that a fort existed here during the Roman occupation, and that a castle was erected on its site by the Saxons, who named the place _Ealnwic_. Just before the Conquest the castle and barony were the property of one Gilbert Tyson, who was slain at the battle of Hastings. His possessions passed into the hands of the Norman lords De Vesci, who held them till about 1297, when the castle and barony were bequeathed by the licence of Edward I. to the Bishop of Durham. Shortly afterwards they were purchased by Lord Henry de Percy, from whom they have descended regularly to the present owner, the Duke of Northumberland. The castle is one of the finest examples of a feudal fortress in England, the walls enclosing an area of five acres, and the grounds, watered by the Alne, presenting scenes of the most varied and romantic beauty.
The two north-western round towers of the keep, together with the Armourer’s and Falconer’s towers, have recently been swept away in order to accommodate the new Prudhoe Tower. During the last six years 200 workmen have been employed in transforming the feudal interior of the castle into a Roman palazzo.
Alnwick, situated so near the border, was the scene of countless raids and conflicts during the Middle Ages, and with these fights the castle was always closely associated. It was besieged in 1093 by Malcolm III., King of Scotland, and defended by Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland. The Scottish king and his son Prince Edward both fell during the siege. King David gained possession of the town in 1135. William the Lion, who took part with young Richard, afterwards Coeur de Lion, against his father Henry II., entered Northumberland in 1174, with 80,000 men, and laid siege to Alnwick; but the attempt was a failure, and William was taken prisoner.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ALNWICK CASTLE.
One of the finest examples of a feudal fortress in England.]
LANERCOST PRIORY, CUMBERLAND
=How to get there.=–Train from Euston _via_ Carlisle. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=–Brampton (Lanercost Abbey is situated 2 miles north of Brampton).
=Distance from London.=–317 miles. =Average Time.=–Varies between 6 to 9 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 40s. 10d. … 24s. 4d. Return 81s. 8d. … 48s. 8d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–At Brampton–“Howard Arms,” “White Lion Hotel.”
=Alternative Route.=–Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.
Lanercost Priory is situated in a singularly beautiful sylvan valley watered by the river Irthing. Only the shell of the chancel remains, but the nave has been restored, and is now used as the church of the parish. The walls of the roofless transepts as well as the central tower are still standing. The pillars on the south side support a much decayed clerestory, but on the opposite side both the triforium and clerestory are in a fairly good state of preservation.
A side chapel in the choir contains some very finely carved but battered altar-tombs belonging to the Dacre family–one of them is believed to be that of Lord William Howard. Under what was the refectory of the conventual buildings, one may find the crypt in a very good state of preservation. In it are preserved some Roman altars and carvings discovered at various times in the locality. A number of Roman inscriptions having been discovered on the walls of the Priory Church; it is generally supposed that much of the building material was obtained from the Roman wall. The Rev. J. Maughan has argued for the existence of a Roman station at this point, and its name is believed to have been _Petriana_.
The monastery adjoining the Priory Church belonged to the order of St. Augustine, and its endowments consisted of all the land lying between the Picts’ wall and the river Irthing, upon which the buildings stood, and between Burgh and Poltross.
After the dissolution the monastic buildings were put into a proper state of repair, and were converted into a private residence by Lord Thomas Dacre, who built the castellated portion towards the south, which of course did not belong to the original structure. Half a mile distant from the priory is Naworth Castle, the historic seat of the Earl of Carlisle, and Brampton is famous for its _mote_, which was possibly a Danish fort.
[Illustration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd_.
LANERCOST PRIORY AND STEPPING-STONES.]
CHILLINGHAM CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND
=How to get there.=–Train from King’s Cross. Great Northern Rly. =Nearest Station.=–Belford (6 miles from Chillingham). =Distance from London.=–323 miles.
=Average Time.=–About 9 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 44s. 11d. … 26s. 11d. Return 89s. 10d. … 53s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–
=Alternative Route.=–Train from St. Pancras _via_ Newcastle-on-Tyne. Midland Railway.
The castle at Chillingham, the seat of the Earl of Tankerville, is a remarkably picturesque building, erected in the reign of Elizabeth, on the site of an older fortress. The castle, which is now in the occupation of Sir Andrew Noble, to whom it has been let by Lord Tankerville, contains many valuable portraits.
An ancestor of the Earl of Tankerville, Charles Lord Ossulston, came into the property in 1695 by marriage with the daughter and heiress of Lord Grey, Earl of Tankerville, a descendant of the Greys of Chillingham and Wark, who had much property in Glendale.
The herds of cattle at Chillingham are believed to be survivors of _Bos primigenius_, the wild ox of Europe, which is the supposed progenitor of our domestic cattle. This fact is of great scientific interest and is analogous to the preservation of the few remaining buffaloes in America, only in this case these wild cattle have been preserved through much changed conditions for a vastly longer period.
The King, when Prince of Wales, shot one of these animals, but in doing so had a rather narrow escape. The chief external appearances distinguishing the cattle from all others are as follows–“their colour is invariably white; muzzles black, the whole of the inside of the ear and about one-third of the outside, from the lips downwards, red; horns white with black tips, very fine and bent upwards; some of the bulls have a thin upright mane about an inch and a half or two inches long.”
It should be pointed out that there is some danger in encountering any of the herd in the absence of the park-keepers. The calves have been noticed to have the wild characteristic of dropping when suddenly surprised.
A reproduction is given opposite of Landseer’s picture of the wild cattle.
[Illustration: _Collection A. Rischgitz._
THE WILD CATTLE AT CHILLINGHAM.
From the painting by Landseer. The herd are survivors of the wild ox or _Bos primigenius_.]
ST. IVES, CORNWALL
=How to get there.=–Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly. =Nearest Station.=–St. Ives.
=Distance from London.=–325 miles. =Average Time.=–About 9 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 50s. 3d. 31s. 6d. 25s. 1-1/2d. Return 88s. 0d. 55s. 0d. 50s. 3d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–“Tregenna Castle,” “Porthminster,” “Western,” “Queen’s,” etc.
=Alternative Route.=–None.
St. Ives is a quiet, old-world fishing town on the northern coast of Cornwall. The town occupies the western limb of the wide bay of St. Ives. On the narrow neck of land joining the promontory known as The Island to the mainland, most of the houses of the fishing town are packed away in picturesque confusion, while the streets are tortuous in the extreme. On either side of this isthmus the land rises; behind it thunder the waves on Porthmeor beach; in front are the deep green waters of the harbour, protected by two piers. The beach is of firm, hard sand, upon which the boats are hauled up in safety. The fifteenth-century church, standing on the site of the former Norman chapel, is a large building near the harbour. It is said that the Norman structure was dedicated to St. Ivo, a Persian bishop, who is supposed to have Christianised the Britons in Cornwall in the ninth century, and to have erected six chapels. Others think that St. Ia was the daughter of an Irish chieftain, and was murdered at Hayle. The beautiful font is thought to be a relic from the former chapel. A fifteenth-century cross has been dug up in the churchyard and re-erected. On the island is a little building which is thought to be the remains of one of St. Ivo’s chapels. There is also a fort of Cornu-British origin, and a grass-covered battery on the hill, whose green slopes are covered with fishing-nets. Half-way across the bay the river Hayle enters the sea, and at the furthest extremity is Godrevy Point with its lighthouse.
St. Ives became an important town in the time of Edward III., and its present church was erected in Henry VI.’s reign. Perkin Warbeck from Ireland and the Duke of Monmouth from Holland each landed at St. Ives on their ill-fated ventures.
During recent years St. Ives and the neighbouring fishing villages have attracted numerous artists of considerably varying merit, and an exhibition of the Royal Academy is now almost certain to contain at least one picturesque glimpse of the place.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
ST. IVES.
A quaint little Cornish fishing village.]
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND
=How to get there.=–Train from King’s Cross. Great Northern Rly. =Nearest Station.=–Belford (4-1/2 miles from Bamborough). =Distance from London.=–393 miles.
=Average Time.=–About 9 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=–Single 43s. 11d. … 26s. 11d. Return 87s. 10d. … 33s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=–
=Alternative Route.=–Train from St. Pancras to Belford (Midland Railway) _via_ Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Standing on an almost perpendicular mass of basaltic rock, overlooking the sea at a height of 150 feet, is Bamborough Castle. The stately keep belongs to the original stronghold, which was built on the site of what was probably one of a chain of fortresses raised by the Romans for the protection of the coast. For many centuries the castle was possessed of great strength, and was frequently used as a place of refuge by the Kings and Earls of Northumberland. It was founded by Ida, king of the Angles, about A.D. 547, and suffered considerably at the hands of the Danes in 933. Earlier than this, however, in the seventh century, Bamborough was besieged by Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, who, although having recently gained several victories, made great efforts to burn down the castle. Having set his men to work to accumulate a great mass of brushwood, Penda had huge piles heaped up beneath the walls. As soon as the wind was in the right quarter he set alight the brushwood. Shortly afterwards, however, the wind veered round until it blew in the opposite direction, to the discomfiture of his own people, who were thus obliged to abandon their camp.
Afterwards the castle was repaired again, and was besieged by William II. when Robert Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, took refuge there. During the Wars of the Roses Bamborough was frequently captured and recaptured, and in the various sieges suffered very severely.
In 1720 Nathaniel, Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham, having purchased the castle, bequeathed it in his will for charitable purposes. The Bishop’s trustees carried out a considerable amount of repairs, and at the present time the residential portion is frequently let by the trustees to tenants for varying periods.
[Illustration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._
BAMBOROUGH CASTLE.]