No person of taste will willingly leave Cromer without having visited the
beautiful ruins of Beckham church, which are the most picturesque of any
in the neighbourhood.
Having proceeded four miles on the Holt-road, we turn to the left, and at
the distance of a mile the ruins present themselves, standing in a vale,
where the waving of the corn, the song of the birds, or the sighing of
the trees alone disturb their loneliness, and silence. The walls of the
middle aisle and the chancel are remaining, as is also the south porch,
which is luxuriantly bound with ivy. We ourselves saw them to great
advantage. It was evening; a shower of rain had just fallen, and the
heavy clouds yet cast a dark shade upon them. The large drops fell
occasionally from the boughs of the fine ash which extends itself over
them, shielding them from the roughness of the east blast in this their
day of the north blast, seeming in fancy’s eye as if weeping for the
decay of that which it protected; while the ivy, like a faithful friend,
sheds its tears unseen in the bosom of one whom all had deserted. In a
few moments, however, a brilliant rainbow threw its arch in the east, and
the subdued rays of the setting sun burst forth, casting a bright gleam
over them. There was beauty in the scene: there were reflections to be
drawn from it, and an application to be made which could not be mistaken;
and the ancient church of the valley, with all its accompaniments, spoke
of a season of distress indeed, but of support and heavenly countenance,
of cheerfulness and hope.
The drive from hence to Gresham is very pleasing, and a fine view of the
surrounding country is obtained from an elevated part of the road which
leads to that place, which having reached, two roads offer themselves,
one direct to Cromer through Stustead, and the other, which is a mile
further round, through Metton, and Felbrigg, making the whole extent of
the drive about twelve miles; a consideration for which the beauty of the
country will fully compensate.
NORTH WALSHAM.
As North Walsham and Holt are both within a morning’s drive from Cromer,
a brief notice of each may not be unacceptable;—the principal places
lying on the road, or near it, have already been mentioned.
North Walsham stands on an eminence with a declivity northward to the
river Ant, and is distant fifteen miles from Norwich, and nine from
Cromer, and is a pleasant and handsome, though irregularly built
market-town, consisting chiefly of three streets. It has a neat cross,
built by Bishop Thurlby, in the reign of Edward VI., and repaired in 1600
by Bishop Redman, whose arms, with those of the see, are impaled upon it.
The river Ant, which passes within a mile north of the town, is navigable
to Yarmouth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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