Great Britain -- Description and travel; Great Britain -- Rural conditions
Looking back over the road that I have come to-day, and perceiving the
direction of the road going from this village in another direction, I
perceive that this is a very direct road from Winchester to Farnham. The
road, too, appears to have been, from ancient times, sufficiently wide;
and when the Bishop of Winchester selected this beautiful spot whereon
to erect a monastery, I dare say the roads along here were some of the
best in the country.
_Thursley (Surrey), Thursday, 7th August._
I got a boy at Selborne to show me along the lanes out into Woolmer
forest on my way to Headley. The lanes were very deep; the wet _malme_
just about the colour of rye-meal mixed up with water, and just about as
clammy, came in many places very nearly up to my horse's belly. There
was this comfort, however, that I was sure that there was a bottom,
which is by no means the case when you are among clays or quick-sands.
After going through these lanes, and along between some fir-plantations,
I came out upon Woolmer Forest, and, to my great satisfaction, soon
found myself on the side of those identical plantations which have been
made under the orders of the smooth Mr. Huskisson, and which I noticed
last year in my ride from Hambledon to this place. These plantations are
of fir, or, at least, I could see nothing else, and they never can be of
any more use to the nation than the sprigs of heath which cover the rest
of the forest. Is there nobody to inquire what becomes of the income of
the Crown lands? No, and there never will be, until the whole system be
changed. I have seldom ridden on pleasanter ground than that which I
found between Woolmer Forest and this beautiful village of Thursley. The
day has been fine, too; notwithstanding I saw the Judges' terrific wigs
as I came up upon the turnpike road from the village of Itchen. I had
but one little scud during the day: just enough for St. Swithin to swear
by; but when I was upon the hills I saw some showers going about the
country. From Selborne, I had first to come to Headley, about five
miles. I came to the identical public-house where I took my blind guide
last year, who took me such a dance to the southward, and led me up to
the top of Hindhead at last. I had no business there. My route was
through a sort of hamlet called Churt, which lies along on the side and
towards the foot of the north of Hindhead, on which side, also, lies the
village of Thursley. A line is hardly more straight than is the road
from Headley to Thursley; and a prettier ride I never had in the course
of my life. It was not the less interesting from the circumstance of its
giving me all the way a full view of Crooksbury Hill, the grand scene of
my exploits when I was a taker of the nests of crows and magpies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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