What to See in England Part 20

Return 26s. 6d. 16s. 11d. ...

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--At Kineton--"Red Lion Hotel,"

"Swan Hotel."

=Alternative Route.=--None.

Compton Wynyates, the seat of the Marquess of Northampton, is one of the most beautiful Tudor houses in England, and although Warwicks.h.i.+re is exceedingly rich in castles and fine old houses, it can show nothing to surpa.s.s this time-worn pile of red brick and stone. Though the moat, which was the outer guard of the place, has been partly filled in and converted into smooth lawns, one of the most romantic aspects of the house is to be seen across an angle of the watery enclosure. The buildings surround a quadrangle, the entrance being made through a beautiful Tudor gateway. In the spandrils of its archway are carved the arms of Henry VIII., with the griffin and greyhound for supporters and the royal crown above.

The house was built by Sir William Compton during the reign of Henry VIII., with the exception of some additions, including the great parlour panelled with oak, which dates from the days of Queen Elizabeth.

To touch on half the glories of this perfect Tudor house would occupy many pages of this book--its beautiful chapel with its curious carvings with the seven deadly sins represented as knights in armour, the great hall in which Henry VIII. was welcomed by Sir William Compton, the drawing-room with its fine plaster ceiling--all are so full of beauty and interest that they can merely be referred to here.

The situation of the house in a richly timbered hollow adds infinitely to its charm. The gardens, too, are of the beautiful type that one learns to expect in conjunction with so lovely a dwelling, while flowering creepers on the towers and on the gabled walls complete an ideal picture of all that is loveliest in an old English mansion.

Permission to see Compton Wynyates can only be obtained by a written application.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Valentine & Sons, Ltd._

COMPTON WYNYATES.

The seat of the Marquess of Northampton, is one of the most beautiful mediaeval homes in England.]

KENILWORTH CASTLE

=How to get there.=--Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.

=Nearest Station.=--Kenilworth.

=Distance from London.=--99 miles.

=Average Time.=--Varies between 2-1/2 to 4 hours.

1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 15s. 3d. 10s. 2d. 8s. 1-1/2d.

Return 28s. 3d. 17s. 10d. 16s. 3d.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Abbey Hotel," "King's Arms,"

"Castle Hotel," etc.

=Alternative Route.=--None.

Kenilworth is a small town, situated midway between Coventry and Warwick, about 5 miles from either town. It is chiefly noted for the ruins of the famous castle, so celebrated from its a.s.sociation with Sir Walter Scott's romance. The castle was built in the reign of Henry I., the site having been granted to Geoffrey de Clinton, Lord Chief Justice of England. The fortress at one time belonged to Simon de Montfort, who imprisoned Henry III. and his son Edward during the War of the Barons.

Edward II. also was forced to sign his abdication there. Queen Elizabeth gave the castle as a present to her favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who spent large sums in making great alterations and additions, and entertained the Queen on four different occasions. The memorable visit that has been described by Scott took place in 1575, when Dudley not only lodged Queen Elizabeth, her court, and 400 servants for seventeen days, but provided a series of pageants and festivities to please his royal mistress. During the Civil War the castle was taken by Cromwell and given by him to Colonel Hawkesworth and some other officers belonging to his army. They destroyed the place very much, draining the lake, besides pulling down walls and towers. The estate now belongs to the Earl of Clarendon, to whose ancestor, Lawrence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, it was given by Charles II. The only building which has still preserved its roof is the gatehouse, built by Robert Dudley. It is now used as a dwelling-house, and contains some beautiful panelling and also a wonderful chimney-piece. The rest of the castle is very ruined, but the remains are of great interest, being sufficient to convey an impression of the castle as it originally stood. Close to the parish church are the ruins of the priory, which was founded at the same time as the castle, by Geoffrey de Clinton. At the Dissolution it was completely destroyed, and only the gatehouse remains.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Photochrom Co., Ltd._

KENILWORTH CASTLE.

Where Queen Elizabeth was entertained for seventeen days by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.]

BELVOIR CASTLE

THE SEAT OF THE DUKE OF RUTLAND

=How to get there.=--Train from King's Cross. Great Northern Rly.

=Nearest Station.=--Grantham (7 miles from Belvoir Castle).

=Distance from London.=--105-1/4 miles.

=Average Time.=--Varies between 2 and 2-3/4 hours.

1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 15s. 10d. ... 8s. 9d.

Return 31s. 8d. ... 17s. 6d.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Angel Hotel," etc., at Grantham.

=Alternative Route.=--None.

Belvoir Castle, the Leicesters.h.i.+re seat of the Duke of Rutland, stands on a lofty eminence, commanding a magnificent view over the rich vale of Belvoir. It was originally founded by Robert de Todeni, a Norman n.o.ble, and a standard-bearer to William the Conqueror. In the reign of Henry III. the property pa.s.sed to Robert de Roos, and in the time of Henry VIII. to the family of Manners, who have held it ever since. The building suffered much damage during the Wars of the Roses and the Parliamentary Civil War. James I. was entertained there in 1603, on his way from Scotland to London, by Roger, the fifth Earl. In 1814, George IV., then Prince Regent, visited the castle, in commemoration of which one of the towers was named Regent Tower. In 1816, alterations were being carried out in the interior, under the direction of James Wyatt, the architect, when a fire broke out and almost entirely destroyed the castle. The picture gallery and the grand staircase perished utterly, and the damage was reckoned at 120,000. The final restoration was completed by Matthew Wyatt, who succeeded in building one of the finest palaces in the length and breadth of England. One of the features of the mansion is a magnificent picture gallery in which hang priceless works by Nicolas Poussin, Claude, Murillo, Reynolds, Gainsborough, and other old masters. The name "Belvoir" is derived from the magnificent prospects lying around it in all directions, the view extending over the level country for 30 miles; more than 170 towns and villages are visible within its horizon. The castle is situated in the midst of a fine sporting country, the Belvoir hounds being one of the finest packs in the country.

Near the mansion, and below it, are some remains of a priory also founded by the Norman owner, Robert de Todeni, about 1076. This priory was dedicated to St. Mary, and was annexed to the Abbey of St. Albans.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _G.W. Wilson & Co._

BELVOIR CASTLE.

It was originally founded by Robert de Todeni, a standard-bearer to William the Conqueror.]

BATH

=How to get there.=--Train from Paddington. Great Western Rly.

=Nearest Station.=--Bath.

=Distance from London.=--107 miles.

=Average Time.=--2-1/2 hours.

1st 2nd 3rd =Fares.=--Single 17s. 10d. 11s. 2d. 8s. 11d.

Return 31s. 3d. 19s. 6d. 17s. 10d.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=--"Empire Hotel," "Pulteney Hotel,"

"York House Family Hotel," "Royal Station Hotel," "Railway Hotel," "Waldron's Private Hotel," etc.

=Alternative Route.=--Train from Waterloo. South-Western Railway.

Bath, one of the largest towns in Somersets.h.i.+re, is beautifully situated on the Avon in a wooded valley in the north-east of the county. The city is of great antiquity, and was one of the most powerful Roman stations, being at the intersection of two very important roads,--the Fosse Way, which extended from the coast of Devons.h.i.+re to the north-east coast of Lincolns.h.i.+re, and the Via Julia, the great road between London and Wales. The story of the British king Bladud and his connection with Bath is immortalised in the _Pickwick Papers_, but is more or less legendary; however, as to the greatness of the city during the Roman occupation there is ample evidence. Even in those times the great natural feature of the place was its mineral waters, and in the first century the Romans built some luxurious baths there, and now the extensive remains have made the place notable. The Saxons quaintly named the city _Akeman Ceaster_, or town of invalids.

In the original Abbey Church took place the coronation of King Edgar as King of England by the famous St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury.

This church stands on the site of the old conventual church, on the spot where once stood the Roman temple of Minerva. It was rebuilt in the fifteenth century by Bishop Oliver King, and completed by Bishop Montague at the beginning of the seventeenth century. On the west front are sculptures representing the angels upon Jacob's Ladder, and the whole building teems with interest; but the original purity of its architecture has been much marred by faulty and ignorant restoration.

Till the middle of the eighteenth century Bath covered no larger area than that contained within the Roman walls, but Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark having conceived a great partiality for the place, and the medicinal quality of the waters being much advocated, the city rapidly grew in favour and size, until it reached its heyday in the time of Beau Nash and the Prince Regent.