In Unfamiliar England: A Record of a Seven Thousand Mile Tour by Motor of the Unfrequented Nooks and Corners, and the Shrines of Especial Interest, in England; With Incursions into Scotland and Ireland.Murphy, Thos. D. (Thomas Dowler)
History
In Unfamiliar England: A Record of a Seven Thousand Mile Tour by Motor of the Unfrequented Nooks and Corners, and the Shrines of Especial Interest, in England; With Incursions into Scotland and Ireland.
Murphy, Thos. D. (Thomas Dowler)
Great Britain -- Description and travel
Eastward from Mundesley we ran directly along the ocean, which
is visible most of the time; the road is stony and steep in
places--altogether the worst we had yet traversed. The coast country
is decidedly different from the fertile and pleasant fields of the
interior. It is bleak and drab-colored; there are vast stretches of
sand dunes bordered with stony hills whose dull colorings are relieved
by patches of yellow gorse and groups of stunted trees. The villages
are in keeping with the country. The houses are of gray stone and
broken flints and roofed with slate or dull-red tiles; the lines
are square and harsh and there are no touches of ornament. Even the
numerous churches partake of these characteristics; they are huge in
bulk, with little or no attempt at artistic effect, often crowning some
hilltop and looking as if they had defied the wild sea winds for ages.
One we especially noted, standing quite apart on a hill overlooking the
ocean--a vast weather-worn church with a square-topped tower in front
and a queer little minaret to the rear--altogether an imposing and
unusual structure. It completely dominates the poverty-stricken country
and the mean little villages, the nearest of which is a half-mile away.
The principal resource of the towns of the north Norfolk coast is
resort hotels and boarding-houses. We saw them without number at
Mundesley, Hunstanton, Cromer, Well-Next-the-Sea, and at solitary
points along the road. The fine beach in many places, the rough but
picturesque country and the unusual quiet of the surroundings no doubt
prove attractive to many seeking rest. At Wells-Next-the-Sea we were
glad indeed to forsake the wretched coast road for the broad white
highway that leads by the way of Fakenham to Norwich.
A few miles out of Norwich on the Newmarket road is Wymondham,
noted for its odd timber cross and its ancient priory church with
octagonal towers, which give it, from a distance, a rather unchurchlike
appearance. The extent of the ruins still remaining is sufficient
evidence that at one time Wymondham Priory was of no little importance.
Most remarkable is the open roof, the oaken timbers of which were
removed at the Dissolution, and after being stored away for ages, were
again put in place at the recent restoration. The caretaker showed us
about with the pride so common to his calling; but he heaved a sigh as
he pointed out many costly features of restoration, such as the great
screen, the massive bronze chandeliers and many elaborate carvings and
furnishings.
"Ah, sir," he said, "these were all donated by the late vicar; he
carried out and paid for a large part of the restoration--but he's gone
now!"
"Dead?" we sympathetically asked.
"No, indeed! It was all the fault of his landlady, who became
displeased with him somehow and gave him notice."
"Trouble about the rent?" we suggested.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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