More interesting are the remains of old Shute House, which lies inland
some six or seven miles. This was a far more extensive mansion, as will
be seen by the imposing embattled gateway and a remaining wing, which
rather remind one of a bit of Haddon. Here during the Monmouth Rebellion
the Royalist commander Christopher, second Duke of Albemarle, encamped
on June 18, 1685, the same day that the other duke, the boon companion
of his wilder days, entered Taunton. The house belonged then, as it does
still, to the De la Poles.
Most of the old houses hereabouts are associated in some sort of way
with the rebellion. Close upon the county border to the north-east
stands Coaxden, a much modernised old farm, where stories are told of
fugitives from Sedgemoor. How its occupant, Richard Cogan, being
suspected as a Monmouth adherent, fled from his house to Axminster,
where in the "Old Green Dragon Inn" the landlord's daughter secreted him
between a feather-bed and the sacking of a bedstead. Kirke's "lambs"
traced him to the house, but failed to hit upon his hiding-place. The
story ends as all such stories should, the girl who preserved his life
became his wife. The house is further interesting as the birthplace in
1602 of Sir Symonds D'Ewes the historian.
[Illustration: WYLDE COURT.]
A couple of miles or so to the west is Wylde Court, another interesting
old farmhouse, much less restored, dating from Elizabeth's reign, with
numerous pinnacled gable ends and characteristic entrance porch and oak
panelled rooms. This and Pilsdon, another Tudor house a few miles to the
west, at the foot of Pilsdon Pen, belonged to the Royalist Wyndhams, and
in the troublous times they were looked upon with suspicion, and
searched on one or two occasions by the Parliamentary soldiers.
"Hellyer's Close," near Wylde Court, is so named because a Royalist
commander, Colonel Hellyer, was taken prisoner and executed here by
Cromwell's soldiers. At the time that Charles II., in 1651, attempted to
get away to France from the coast of Dorset, Pilsdon was visited by a
party of Cromwellian soldiers, and Sir Hugh Wyndham and his family
secured in the hall while the house was thoroughly searched, suspicion
even falling upon one of the ladies that she was the king in
disguise.[26] Sir Hugh's monument may be seen at Silton in the extreme
north corner of the county.
Chideock is a charming old-world village in the valley between Charmouth
and Bridport, snugly perched between the cone-shaped eminence Colmer's
Hill and Golden Cap, the gorse-covered headland, said to be the highest
point between Dover and the Land's End. The castle of the De Chideocks
and Arundells, a famous stronghold built in Richard II.'s reign, long
since has disappeared, but its moat can be traced. The fine old church
exteriorly is one of the most picturesque in Dorsetshire, but the inside
has been much restored and modernised. A handsome tomb of Sir John
Arundell in armour is in the south aisle.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account