What to See in England Part 30

Return 43s. 4d. 27s. 2d. 24s. 9d.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"The Feathers Hotel," "Angel Hotel," etc.

=Alternative Route.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.

Beautifully situated in a lovely valley surrounded by wooded hills, Ludlow presents a picture of an ancient but prosperous city. The town is placed at the meeting of two small rivers, the Teme and Corve, which flow into the Severn. On the top of a hill in the western part of the town is the old castle, which was a royal residence from early times. It was built at the time of the Conquest, and was the most important of all the castles that guarded the Welsh border. The eldest son of Edward IV.

lived in the castle under the guardians.h.i.+p of his uncle, Lord Rivers, and he was proclaimed king there when only twelve years old. Prince Arthur, the first husband of Katharine of Aragon, and the eldest son of Henry VII., was also brought up and educated in the castle. In the Civil War the Parliamentary troops partially destroyed the castle, but it was not until the reign of George I. that the buildings were unroofed for the sake of their lead.

Sir Henry Sidney, the father of the famous Sir Philip Sidney, resided at Ludlow, being President of the Council of Wales. In the Great Hall, now roofless, Milton's masque _Comus_ was performed for the first time, and Samuel Butler is said to have written part of _Hudibras_ in a little room over the entrance gateway.

The Parish Church, also situated at the top of the hill, is mainly a fifteenth-century building, although it contains some earlier work. The fine east window, occupying the whole breadth of the chancel, is filled with very old stained gla.s.s, depicting the life of St. Lawrence. There is a round church in the castle, said to be one of the earliest circular churches in England. The streets are full of picturesque old houses, the most celebrated being the "Feathers Inn," a beautiful Jacobean house containing a coffee-room which has a most elaborately decorated plaster ceiling and fine oak-panelled walls. The appearance of the room is exceedingly rich. The Grammar School, founded by the Guild of Palmers, claims to be the oldest in England.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._

LUDLOW, SHOWING THE PARISH CHURCH.]

SHREWSBURY

=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.

=Nearest Station.=--Shrewsbury.

=Distance from London.=--162-3/4 miles.

=Average Time.=--Varies between 3-1/4 to 5 hours.

1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 24s. 4d. 16s. 3d. 13s.

Return 45s. 6d. 28s. 6d. 26s.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Raven Hotel," "George Inn,"

"Lion Inn," etc.

=Alternative Route.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.

The ancient city of Shrewsbury, surrounded on three sides by the river Severn, is most beautifully situated on a lofty peninsula. It was a British stronghold before the Conquest, when it was given by William the Conqueror to Roger de Montgomery, who built the castle which stands on the narrow isthmus leading to the town. Henry IV. stayed in the castle in 1403, before the battle with Harry Hotspur, which was fought at Battlefield, about 3 miles from the town. Only the keep of the old Norman castle remains, and that is now used as a modern residence. The quaint streets of Shrewsbury not only retain their old names, such as Wyle Cop and Dogpole, but are filled with half-timbered houses of the fifteenth century.

At the old Grammar School, built in 1630, and now converted into a free library and museum, many distinguished scholars have been educated, among them Sir Philip Sidney and Judge Jeffreys. Outside this school is erected a statue to Charles Darwin, a former scholar, who was born in the old suburb of Frankwell. (For Darwin's home at Downe, see Index).

The Elizabethan Market House and the Council House, which was visited by both Charles I. and James II. on different occasions, are two of the numerous fascinating old buildings to be seen in Shrewsbury.

The Church of St. Mary, founded in Saxon times, is the most important of the many churches of Salop, by which name Shrewsbury is still known. The present building contains examples of almost every period of English architecture. Dr. Burney, the father of f.a.n.n.y Burney, was baptized in this church. Of Shrewsbury Abbey, which once occupied 10 acres, very little remains, with the exception of the Abbey Church, of which only the nave is left. The west end has a great tower with a beautiful Gothic window. Along the banks of the river is a public park known as the Quarry, which has a wonderful avenue of lime trees, planted in 1719 by one Wright of Bicton, who, with the help of two men, planted them all in one night.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._

SHREWSBURY.

A group of fine old half-timbered houses.]

BUXTON AND THE PEAK DISTRICT

=How to get there.=--Train from St. Pancras. Midland Railway.

=Nearest Station.=--Buxton; then by train to Castleton, by Dore and Chinley Railway.

=Distance from London.=--164-3/4 miles.

=Average Time.=--Varies between 3-3/4 to 4-3/4 hours.

1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 21s. 8d. ... 13s. 7d. } To Return 43s. 4d. ... 27s. 2d. } Buxton.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Empire Hotel," "Crescent Hotel,"

Buxton. "Castle Hotel," "Bull's Head," Castleton.

=Alternative Route.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.

The town of Buxton, which is one of the best points from which to visit the beautiful Peak Country, ranks among the best of English inland watering-places, and is the highest town of any importance in the kingdom.

The town is divided into two portions, the higher and lower, or old and new, the latter 80 feet lower than the former, being the fas.h.i.+onable modern resort. Here are the celebrated baths, reputed to be a sovereign cure for all rheumatic complaints, and celebrated since the time of the Roman occupation of Britain. The spring which supplies the baths may be considered one of the wonders of the Peak district, for, by means of a cleverly-arranged pump, hot and cold water are obtained within a few inches of each other.

The neighbourhood of Buxton abounds in the most wild and romantic scenery--steep rocks, dark chasms, and wooded hills, mixed in delightful confusion. Among the favourite places of resort are Ashwood Dale, with its famous Lover's Leap rock; s.h.i.+rbrook Dale, with its fissure and cascade; Diamond Hill, so called from the quartz crystals or "Buxton diamonds" found there; Chee Tor, a huge limestone rock 350 feet high, which rises sheer from the bed of the Wye, was.h.i.+ng its base; and Axe Edge, 2-1/2 miles from Buxton, rising to a height of 1800 feet above the level of the sea. From this point, in clear weather, a marvellous view is obtained, embracing the mountains of North Wales to the westward and Lincoln Cathedral to the eastward. From the sides of this rock issue four rivers in opposite directions--the Dove and the Wye, ultimately falling into the Humber, and the Dane and the Goyle, tributaries of the Mersey. The view north from Axe Edge extends over countless heights and ridges to The Peak itself, the highest point of all.

Another famous resort on account of its remarkable view is the Cat and Fiddle Inn, on the Macclesfield Road, 5 miles from Buxton.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._

CASTLETON PEAK CAVERN.]

TEWKESBURY

=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.

=Nearest Station.=--Tewkesbury.

=Distance from London.=--171 miles.

=Average Time.=--Varies between 4-1/2 to 6 hours.

1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 19s. 3d. ... 9s. 6d.

Return 33s. 9d. ... 19s. 0d.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Swan Hotel," etc.

=Alternative Routes.=--Train from Paddington _via_ Gloucester, Great Western Railway. Train from St. Pancras, Midland Railway.

Tewkesbury is famous for its magnificent conventual church, for the historic battle fought close to the town, and for the ancient timbered and pargetted houses in the centre of the town and down by the riverside, which rival even Chester. The population of the town is decreasing; it is no longer famous for the mustard which made Shakespeare say, "His wit is thick as Tewkesbury mustard" (_Henry IV._), but it has a considerable local trade in agricultural produce. Situated on the banks of the Avon, near its junction with the Severn, it is almost insulated by these rivers and two tributaries. The old many-arched bridge over the Avon is extremely picturesque. In a county famed for its rich monasteries, Tewkesbury was among the most important.

The name is believed to come from Theoc, a Saxon missionary monk, who founded a hermitage here. The abbey was originally a dependency of Cranbourne Abbey in Dorsets.h.i.+re, but being richly endowed, Tewkesbury became the leading monastic establishment. Fitz-Hamon, Earl of Gloucester, began the rebuilding of the church. The choir was reconstructed in 1350 in Gothic style, but the nave and ma.s.sive central tower are Norman. The whole building is cruciform, and the choir, having an hexagonal end, is surrounded by an ambulatory and numerous beautiful chapels as in Westminster. The nave is extraordinarily long, and the height of its columns has led to a squat appearance in the triforium, but the choir has short columns and plenty of height in the triforium.

The colossal arch over the perpendicular window of the west front forcibly reminds one of Peterborough. The Duke of Clarence and Isabel his d.u.c.h.ess, the king-maker's daughter; the Duke of Somerset, executed after the battle of Tewkesbury; Abbot Alear, Becket's friend, are all buried here. There is a fine gatehouse near the west end of the church.

At the battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, which proved so disastrous to the Lancastrian cause, Prince Edward, Henry III.'s son, was slain while fleeing from the field.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._

TEWKESBURY ABBEY.

Its chief feature is the huge arch over the west window, just appearing above the trees in the picture.]