_Clevedon Court_, "one of the most valuable relics of early domestic
architecture in England," dates from the reign of Edward II. It
underwent both restoration and extension in the days of Elizabeth, and
has been considerably modified since. The porch (containing a
portcullis groove), hall, and kitchen are part of the original fabric.
A room in the first floor, with a window of reticulated tracery, is
believed to have been the chapel. The place is, of course, closely
associated through the Hallams with Tennyson, and Thackeray worked at
"Esmond" whilst a visitor here. The grounds are open to the public on
Thursdays, _Walton Castle_, on the top of a hill E. of Clevedon, is an
old house, octagonal in shape, and surrounded by a low wall with round
towers at the angles. The hill offers a very picturesque view.
[Illustration: CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE]
_Clifton Suspension Bridge_, one of the famous sights of Bristol. It is
a structure of remarkable grace, thrown across the gorge of the Avon,
which affords a much-needed means of communication between the Somerset
and Gloucestershire banks of the river. The history of the bridge is a
strange record of commercial vicissitudes. It was originally projected
by a Mr Vick of Bristol (d. 1753), who, with an inadequate conception
of the cost, left £1000 for its construction, which was to be
undertaken when the accumulated earnings of the sum had multiplied it
tenfold. In 1830, the amount in the bank was £8000, and an Act of
Parliament was obtained sanctioning the raising of additional capital,
With £45,000 in hand, the work was commenced under the direction of
Brunel; but funds gave out long before the bridge was complete. For
thirty years the work was at a standstill, but in 1861 another start
was made, and in 1864 the bridge was opened for traffic. The supporting
chains, which were brought from old Hungerford Bridge, are thrown over
lofty turrets, resting in one case on a projecting bastion of rock, and
in the other on a solid pier of masonry. These slender suspenders carry
a roadway and two footpaths across a span of 700 feet. The bridge
stands 245 feet above high-water level, and its altitude seems to
furnish an irresistible temptation to people of a suicidal tendency.
The prospect from the footway is extraordinarily impressive. Looking
down the river, the spectator commands the romantic gorge of the Avon,
and turning round he can view the panorama of Bristol shut in on the
right by the lofty height of Dundry.
_Cloford_, a small village, 2 m. N.E. of Wanstrow. The church, rebuilt
in 1856, has a tiny side chapel, containing a monument to Maurice
Horner (d. 1621), and a tablet with some quaint-coloured busts to Sir
G. Horner and his wife (1676).
_Closworth_, a village 2 m, S.E. of Sutton Bingham (L. & S.W.). The
church is Perp. In the churchyard is the shaft of a cross. The rectory
bears date 1606.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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