From Paddington to Penzance: The record of a summer tramp from London to the Land's EndHarper, Charles G. (Charles George)
General
From Paddington to Penzance: The record of a summer tramp from London to the Land's End
Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)
England -- Description and travel
But in the growth of new districts here, how comes it that Ford is
not a fifth town, nor Morice Town a sixth? These things are not for
solution. Let us hie upon the Hoe again, and, by that disestablished
tower of Smeaton’s, strain our eyes toward the newer lighthouse
anchored on its reef far out to sea.
It is needful to get all the breeze you can before setting out upon
any pilgrimage through the Three Towns; for, truly, slums are not
peculiar to London. Coming westward, over Laira Bridge, and so through
to Torpoint Ferry, they are plenty and noisome; explore the Citadel and
the scaly, fishy purlieus of the Barbican; but leave, oh! leave those
slums to stew undisturbed.
[Illustration: SALTASH STATION.]
Better is it to voyage across the Sound to the loveliness and fresh
air and altogether sub-tropical domain of Mount Edgcumbe, whence
this trinity of towns may be seen stretched out like a plan, with
the Hamoaze, the many creeks and pools and inlets running in every
direction.
The beauty of Plymouth’s site is, indeed, undeniable, whosoever may
disparage it; nor may the splendour of its admirably centralised
public buildings be gainsaid. Plymouth Guildhall is one of the most
magnificent of modern buildings in the west--Gothic, good in design
and execution; its windows, filled with stained glass, representing
celebrated scenes in local history, from ancient days until that year
in the ’70’s, when the Prince of Wales opened this building. This
last event is duly shown in gorgeously tinted glass, but the Prince’s
frock-coat is scarcely beautiful nor his silk hat an ideally fit
subject for treatment in a stained-glass window. Let us laugh!
L.
This morning we rambled down to Antony Passage, on the Lynher River,
and hailed the ferryman to put us across to Antony Park, on the
opposite shore. The Norman keep of Trematon Castle looks down from the
Saltash side on to a mud-creek spanned at its junction with the broad
Lynher by one of Brunel’s old wooden railway viaducts, its sturdy
timbers stalking across the ooze with curious effect.
Landed on the opposite shore, we walked through the beautifully wooded
park, passing Antony House, the seat of the Carews since the fifteenth
century. The house was rebuilt in 1721, but contains a fine collection
of old masters, among them a portrait of Richard Carew, who died in
1620.
Richard Carew, of Antony, was the author of the well-known “Survey of
Cornwall,” published in 1602. In the original edition the work is one
of great charm of manner, and the interspersed songs by the author are
instinct with grace and nicety of epithet. In a very much later edition
the editor has taken upon himself to modernise Carew’s orthography with
sorry results to his engaging style.
Not readily could one gather verses of such delightful conceits as
these, upon the Lynher River:--
_ITEM._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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