What to See in England Part 38

For Stonehenge and other prehistoric remains, see Index.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _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,"

"Metropole Hotel," etc.

Whitby is renowned for its ancient abbey and its beautiful situation on the high and rocky coast of Yorks.h.i.+re, 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 h.o.a.ry abbey and quaint parish church on its summit, towering over the old fis.h.i.+ng hamlet which cl.u.s.ters so picturesquely at its base. West Cliff is on the other side, a modern, fas.h.i.+onable 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 s.h.i.+p in which Captain Cook sailed round the world. The house where he served his apprentices.h.i.+p to a s.h.i.+pbuilder 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _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 princ.i.p.ality. 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _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 s.h.i.+ps 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 a.s.sistance they had sought; they thereupon declared their intention to "plant this colony for the glory of G.o.d 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 a.s.sociations 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 Edgc.u.mbe 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BARBICAN AT PLYMOUTH.

From this quay the _Mayflower_ finally left England for her long voyage across the Atlantic.]