Surrey: Painted by Sutton Palmer; Described by A.R. Hope MoncrieffMoncrieff, A. R. Hope (Ascott Robert Hope)
History
Surrey: Painted by Sutton Palmer; Described by A.R. Hope Moncrieff
Moncrieff, A. R. Hope (Ascott Robert Hope)
Surrey (England) -- Description and travel
At Tadworth, where the Chipstead valley line to Tottenham Corner is
crossed, the high-road forks, its right branch going to Dorking, its
left to Reigate by the spire of Kingswood Church. The Dorking road runs
over Banstead Heath and Walton Heath, where, at the height of nearly 600
feet, stands up Walton-on-the-Hill, so called in distinction from Walton
low-lying on the Thames. Here there is a wide stretch of real stubbly
heath, such as Cobbett would abuse as "villainous," but the Romans had
not such bad taste, who left the remains of a considerable villa to be
unearthed on it. Walton Place is said to have been the retreat of Anne
of Cleves after her lucky separation from the royal Bluebeard. In our
day Walton is perhaps best famed for its excellent golf links. The whole
district is a charming jumble of fields and woods among pitted sandhills
and wrinkled chalk ridges, where a pedestrian will often be tempted to
stray from the open road. A mile or so to the west of Walton,
[Illustration: REIGATE HEATH, EVENING.]
over a wooded hollow, is reached the conspicuous Church of
Headley-on-the-Hill, already mentioned as goal of so many footpaths.
From this may soon be gained the Roman Road; and southwards, from Walton
or Headley, there are pleasant tracks leading to the edge of the Downs
to strike the Pilgrims' Way as it comes to pass above Reigate.
These heaths are skirted by our Brighton highway, which at Gatton Park,
about three miles beyond the fork at Tadworth, approaches its grandest
point. Through the cutting to lower its level, that gave such strange
offence to Cobbett, it suddenly emerges on the steep brow above Reigate,
passing under the Suspension Bridge of the Pilgrims' Way, whence on the
left a most leafy lane leads down to Redhill, the modern annexe of
Reigate. A footpath runs along the cutting to the end of the Suspension
Bridge, where are seats for enjoying the celebrated view from this brow;
but from the open turf by the roadside the prospect is hardly
diminished, embracing the whole south of the county. The Holmesdale
Valley lies at our feet, with Reigate spread out in the foreground,
backed by the sand ridge; far away to the east stretches the Weald of
Kent; and the towers of East Grinstead stand up to the south-east,
across the Sussex border, with Crowborough Beacon beyond. Chanctonbury
Ring and the Devil's Dyke on the Sussex Downs can sometimes be made out
to the south. To the west, the Holmesdale Valley is continued between
Leith Hill and the Chalk Downs on which we stand; then on that hand the
featureless ridge of Hindhead will close the view in fine weather.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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