A book of the west. Volume 1, Devon : $b being an introduction to Devon and CornwallBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
A book of the west. Volume 1, Devon : $b being an introduction to Devon and Cornwall
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England)
The aspect of the landslip on the farms of Bindon, Dowlands,
Rousdon, and Pinhay at present is full of interest and of
picturesque beauty. Ivy has grown luxuriantly and mantles the crags,
elder bushes have found the sunk masses of rock suitable to their
requirements, and in early summer the air is strong with the scent
of their trusses of flowers, and in autumn the whole subsidence is
hung with thousands on ten thousands of shining black clusters of
berries. Above a sea of foliage the white cliffs shoot out in the
boldest fashion, and out of the gorge start horns, pinnacles of
chalk of the most fantastic description. The whole is a labyrinth of
chasms, not to be ventured into with good clothing, as the brambles
grow in the wildest luxuriance and are clawed like the paws of a
panther. But, oh! what blackberries may be gathered there--large,
sweet, luscious as mulberries. Moreover, the whole sunk region is
a paradise for birds of every description, and not a step can be
taken that does not disturb jackdaws, magpies, warblers of every
kind. One of the cottages that went down has been rebuilt with the
old material. As already said, it descended at least a hundred feet
with its well. The well still flows with water; that, however, is
not now marvellous--how it was that it held water previously is the
extraordinary fact.
At the extremity of the landslip the visitor will see that there
is still movement going on, but on a small scale--cracks are still
forming and extending through the turf. It may be safely said that
the landslip between the mouth of the Axe and Lyme Regis is one of
the most interesting and picturesque scenes to be found in England.
There is a good deal more in the neighbourhood to be seen than the
landslip at Rousdon and Pinhay. If the cliffs be explored to the
west of the mouth of the Axe, they will be found to well repay the
visit. The splendid crag of the White Cliff towers above the sea,
showing the slanting beds of the cherty matter below the dazzling
white of the chalk, and from their inclination giving to the whole
cliff an appearance of lurching into the waves. Beyond this is Beer,
a narrow cleft in the hills, in which are fishermen's cottages, many
of them very picturesque, and above them rises a really excellently
designed modern church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account