CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
NOTES 
 
 HADE DURING i. 
 
 VISIT TO EXMOOR AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
 
 PAUL Q. KARKBEK. 
 
 Read at the Monthly/ Meeting of the Torquay Natural History 
 
 On October 29th, 1879. 
 
 JJeprintelJ from tfje "dorquag ffiitetttrrg." 
 
 DIRECTORY OFFICE, TORQUAY. 
 
p^ 
 
 Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031423696 
 
NOTES 
 
 MADE DURING A VISIT TO 
 
 The eighteenth meeting of the Devonshire Asso- 
 ciation had come to an end, the papers had been 
 read and discussed, and some of the members had 
 gone tp their respective homes. Those who remained 
 had fixed on one or the other of the many excursions 
 at their choice, and thus on Friday morning July 
 25th, a party of twenty were assembled outside the 
 Clarence Hotel, waiting for the appearance of the 
 special coach for Lynton. As we took our places 
 the Hon. Secretary gave us his paternal benediction, 
 which was very thoughtful of him, and then amid 
 the cheers of the small boys and the good wishes of 
 those who were bent on some other excursion, away 
 we went. Thecoachman was fresh, and the horses 
 were fresh, and consequently the coach rattled up 
 the street and hill at a pace, and with a motion, 
 which caused those perched on the ends of the seats 
 to cling tightly to aiiything in the way of iron 
 within their reach, to prevent being suddenly 
 deposited on the pavement. That sort of thing did 
 not last long, one may be sure ; the horses discovered 
 that they knew the way quite well, and recollected 
 the work which they had before them ; and the 
 coachman appeared to think that the horses were 
 probably quite right; and so for the rest of the 
 journey we went at a pace consistent with the hills 
 to be mounted and the propriety of the occasion. 
 
 Just below to the left, lay the pier and harbour of 
 Ilfracombe looking calm and quiet in the early 
 moruing. The sea, uncertain element, seemed to 
 suggest steamboat trips to Lundy and Clovelly, 
 but these were not for us. Soon Helesborough was 
 in the background, and then in their turnWatermouth 
 and Berrynarbor are left behind, and the Little and 
 
Big Hangman Hills appear on the coast. I en- 
 deavoured to ascertain why these hills should bear 
 names so far from complimentary to the honesty of 
 the neighbourhood, but in vain; and consequently 
 was forced to come to the conclusion, that one hill had 
 been the site of the execution of the gentleman who 
 stole a lamb, and the other was where the more am- 
 bitious individual, who confiscated the sheep, danced 
 on thin air. Of course the guide books give interest- 
 ing derivations from the Celtic for this name, as for 
 most others in Devon and Cornwall, — but it wont 
 always do to quietly acquiesce in all the derivations 
 offered by those more or less learned in that language. 
 Coombe Marty n, celebrated for "hunting the 
 Earl of Rone," whoever he might have been — is a 
 long, straggling village, very dirty and far from 
 pretty, and whose inhabitants appeared to have 
 little to do, if one may judge from the unanimous 
 way they rushed to their doors to watch the passing 
 of the coach. One of the hostleries of which 
 Coombe Martyn may be said to boast, is the Kings 
 Arms ; but if this establishment has a right to sport 
 the Arms of any one King in particular over its 
 door, it surely must be those of the King of 
 Diamonds, or of one of his confreres. Rumour 
 says, that the Kings Arms is more often called the 
 " Pack of Cards ;" and no wonder, for it very much 
 resembles in style, the class of building produced 
 from an old pack of cards, by juvenile architects in 
 the nursery. 
 
 The road here is a series of up hills and down 
 dales, and at times very pretty. After passing 
 through the village of Paracombe, with its new 
 looking little church, we went over some patches 
 of moorland, where we had extensive views of a 
 wild, but uninteresting country. Leaving the moor- 
 land we began to descend, and soon passed Barbrook 
 Mill, on the West Lynn. The slopes of this valley 
 are very pretty, though evidently we could see but 
 few of its many picturesque points as we drove 
 quickly by. 
 
 After a hasty lunch at the Castle Hotel at Lynton 
 our party of twenty divided. Some went to Waters 
 
Meet, others to the Valley of Rocks, but the more 
 ambitious, eight iu number, started for the Djone 
 Valley, under the command of a good-tempered, but 
 at the same time able guide. 
 
 A ride of an hour-and-a-half brought us to Oare, 
 the residence of Mr. Nicholas Snowe, of sporting 
 renown, and close by which is the church where 
 Johu Ridd married "Lorna Doone," according to 
 Mr. Richard Blackmore. And now just one word 
 with regard to that talented gentleman. He is, that 
 is to say his book, a charming companion by the 
 fire-side, but woe betide the traveller who would take 
 him as a guide on Exmoor. With a very liberal 
 allowance of poetic license and for the sake of dramatic 
 effect, he has so altered the various scenes of action 
 enumerated in " Lorna Doone," t^at it is utterly 
 impossible to recognise them from bis description. 
 Few people would think of going to see the 
 Doone encampment were it not for the interesting 
 account he gives of the site, but if they expect, on 
 reaching there, to find anything whatever bearing 
 the faintest resemblance to the spot so graphically 
 described in "Lorna Doone," grievous will be their 
 disappointment. There is, perhaps, one guide even 
 more misleading than Mr, Blackmore, and that is 
 the ordnance map of the district. Of all useless 
 articles to take on a walk on Exmoor, the ordnance 
 map is the most useless. The traveller might just 
 as well, for all practical purposes, take with him one 
 of Sam Weller's moral pocket handkerchiefs. 
 
 That there were such people as the Doones is 
 possible, and that they were wild and lawless seems 
 also probable ; but beyond that all is supposition — 
 just as in the case of the Gubbings on Brent Moor. 
 Who the Doones were ? and where they came from ? 
 has still to be found out. Mr. Blackmore is not the 
 only author who has tried his skill on this subject, 
 but he is the only one who has succeeded. In the 
 Leisure Hour of 1863 will be found a story entitled 
 " The Doones of Exmoor," and in which the time 
 of the drama is placed in the days of Charles the 
 First, instead of James the Second. Mr. Blackmore 
 has woven into his story legends which have existed 
 
on or abput Jixmoor for many generations : for 
 instance, the highwayman Tom Faggus, and the 
 great wrestler Jan Ridd, are still remembered by the 
 fireside. But what seems very strange is the fact 
 that, since " Lorna Doone " has immortalized these 
 worthies, individuals have appeared who claim 
 to have descended from them. 1 have heard that a 
 gentleman at Ilfracombe pretends to be related to 
 Faggus ; and another even happier mortal, residing 
 at Lynmouth, boasts of his descent from John Ridd. 
 The walk from Oare over the moor to Badgeworthy 
 water takes about an hour, and a few rough stepping 
 stones across the stream conduct the traveller to the 
 Doone encampment. The current was strong, the 
 stones wet and slippery, and some of us were in- 
 cautious, and, alas ! sad to say, one went in — I won't 
 say to what extent, because I thought I had better not 
 ask ; but the fact_remains that a lady did go in, and 
 came out m~iich wetter than when she started. The 
 Doone encampment is inside the hedge close to the 
 stream, and one can easily distinguish the outlines 
 of a few huts. Our guide pointed out the so-called 
 " Council Chamber," which might just as well have 
 been the chapel, or the banqueting hall, for any 
 evidence visible to the contrary. These remains are 
 from two to three feet high, and consist of stones 
 placed loosely one on the other, and which perhaps 
 at one time may have had mud or clay to keep them 
 together. The enclosures, six or seven in number, 
 are square or oblong in shape, and of various sizes, 
 the so-called council chamber being the largest. The 
 outlines of some are very indistinct, brambles and 
 nettles hiding the stones still left in situ ; and 
 in others the stones have quite disappeared, so that 
 one or two sides only remain. These ruins' and the 
 legends in vogue are all that now remain to testify 
 to the existence of the Doones in bygone days ; and 
 the only safe conclusion to draw from the few facts 
 in hand is, that if they were not outlaws and brigands, 
 who had chosen this lonesome spot the better to 
 enjoy their plunder, then they must indeed have 
 been eccentric in their tastes. Badgeworthy water 
 at this spot is a long and nearly straight stream, with 
 
. steep hills on each side. It was somewhere on the 
 banks of this stream that the Prince of Wales killed 
 a red deer lately. I am not an authority on horse 
 flesh, but I venture to say that hunters do not last 
 many seasons in this district. 
 
 After resting awhile we set our faces down stream, 
 through a beautifully wooded country to Malmsmead, 
 and from thence in about an hour to Brendon, where 
 a carriage had been sent to meet those of our party 
 who preferred to ride the rest of the journey back. 
 Joining the stream again at Ashford, the walk along 
 its slopes to Waters-Meet is one of extreme beauty. 
 My pen utterly fails to do justice to the charming 
 spots we rapidly passed in our hurried walk against 
 time. Suffice it to say that the wooded slopes from 
 the tops of the hills to the stream below, the 
 numerous waterfalls and bits of rock scenery, the 
 long vistas through the trees on the banks, with the 
 foaming, bustling, rushing stream winding to the 
 right and left, suggested to me that there was 
 ample work for students of the Eoyal Academy at 
 home, without going to Switzerland and Italy in 
 search of it. 
 
 When we reached Lynton, where we found the 
 other members of our party, it was time for dinner 
 in more senses than one. Each seemed immensely 
 pleased with that part of the district he had visited, 
 and a general impression prevailed that we had had 
 a most enjoyable outing. Soon after dinner the 
 coach was announced as ready, and started for Ilfra- 
 combe with all the party except myself, my plans 
 leading me in another direction. 
 
 After a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast, I 
 started on foot for Porlock. The Welsh coast line 
 could plainly be seen in the clear cold morning, and 
 with the numerous vessels slowly sailing up or down 
 the Bristol Channel together formed a picture of 
 busy life such as I have never seen before. The 
 road from Lynton to Lynmouth is down hill, and, as 
 usual, Facilis decensus Avemi; but Couutesbury 
 Hill is very long aud very steep, and up this you 
 must trudge if you would to Porlock. About a 
 mile from Lynmouth I left the road to visit an old 
 
camp of doubtful origin, on the right. I found it 
 garrisoned by a few sheep, but its original warders, 
 whether ancient British, Roman, Saxon, or Danes, 
 evidently knew what they were about when they 
 fixed on this site to make them a stronghold. It is 
 absolutely impregnable to every thing but goats, 
 except on the east side, where an outer vallum and 
 ditch have been constructed to rectify as it were 
 this omission on the part of nature. From its posi- 
 tion on the top of the hill, and yet so close to the 
 sea, one feels inclined to think that it may possibly 
 be Danish ; though from what little is known of 
 castramentation, any other guess may be correct. 
 
 Leaving the high road at Countesbury and turning 
 to the left by the weather-beaten church, I took the 
 path along the cliff. For a short distance this is 
 easy enough to find and keep; then suddenly the 
 marks on the turf disappear, and there is nothing to 
 show how to find it again. Some men in a field 
 directed me, to go down the hill a wild horror- 
 stricken place, just the exact spot for a, murder, 
 
 remorse of the culprit, and subsequent suicide and 
 
 then near a stream of water to go through a gate. 
 A more varied, a more beautiful walk than this from 
 Countesbury to Porlock I do not know. How many 
 miles it may be, it would be difficult to say ; for it 
 must be remembered that the whole coast line as far 
 as Culbone is a series of glens or coombea, and the 
 pathway generally follows one side of the coombe to 
 nearly the end, then crosses the tiny stream, and 
 then descends the other side, and so on for the 
 whole distance. In some places the cliff was covered 
 with short pollard oak, then a long stretch of barren 
 hill side, nothing but loose stones, and then again a 
 coppice of firs. The sea at the foot of the cliff seems 
 at times dangerously near, and the ships appear to 
 be within stone throw ; though really they are a 
 considerable distance from the coast. The turretted 
 arched entrance to the grounds of Glenthorne is a 
 curious structure, and to ray mind, perhaps bad 
 taste on my part, far from pretty. The house itself 
 is beautifully situated, though I frankly own it 
 looked somewhat lonely. From Glenthorne to 
 
Cnlbone the pathway goes through miles of planta- 
 tiou, still on the slope of the clifif. Culbone church, 
 which was exhibited to me l>y a deaf old woman, is 
 certainly the smallest I have ever seen. Here the 
 path enters the grounds of Ashley Combe, the owner 
 of which evidently has a weakness for tunnels. The 
 house at Ashley is very pretty, and has a kind of 
 "rest and be thankful " air about it. It is built on 
 the only level bit of ground between Lynmouth and 
 Porlock. from here to Porloclc Weir is a short 
 walk, but, on account of the variety of foliage, very 
 interesting. The houses at Porlock Weir seem to be 
 built for the most part of sea rounded stones, and if 
 it may be said that they possess an extravagance, it 
 is in the matter of chimneys, which certainly are 
 out of all proportion to the size of the houses. The 
 town of Porlock, about a mile and-a-half from the 
 weir, is a straggling but very clean little place. As 
 might be expected, after walking from eight in the 
 morning to about thi'ee in the afternoon, it was high 
 time for feeding, and finding my way to the "Ship," 
 the wants of the inner man were attended to. Had I 
 been wise I should have been content with the walking 
 I bad already accomplished, but unfortunately I 
 determined at once to make the ascent of Dunkery 
 Beacon, and this was more than should be attempted 
 by one not in regular training. 
 
 Passing by Porlock church with itsshingle covered 
 spire, I took the road to Doverhay, and followed 
 the banks of the Horner through the hamlet of the 
 same name, and then to Luckham, which was not 
 the nearest way, but I was amply repaid by the 
 sight of some splendidly wooded country. At Luck- 
 ham the ascent begins, and though short, is very 
 steep ; perhaps I found it more so, feeling 
 very tired. After a time the open moorland is 
 reached and which is certainly as wild as can 
 be reasonably desired. The day was clear and 
 the most extensive view was .obtained. The guide 
 book says "that the horizon is about 500 miles in 
 circuit, and the panorama includes portions of fifteen 
 counties.'' Be this as it may, the view is very fine, 
 and, provided the condition of the atmosphere is 
 
10 
 
 favourable, the ascent of Dunkery is well worth the 
 labour. For the want of a better road I descended 
 the Beacon to Bagley, and very hard walking I 
 found it ; and from there took the pathway to 
 Cloutsham, where the celebrated meet of the deer 
 hounds takes place — I was fortunate enough to see 
 some specimens of the wild deer. From Cloutsham 
 down to Horner Water through the short oaks, is very 
 pretty, and from here by the banks of the stream 
 back to Porlock. The timber along the valley is 
 remarkably fine. 
 
 After a night's rest, which I consider I had fairly 
 earned, I started for Dnnster. A good level road 
 most of the way with fine timber growing by the side, 
 and occasional glimpses of farmsteads and cottages, 
 made this part of my journey particularly enjoyable. 
 At Holnicot I saw some fine walnut and evergreen 
 oak trees. This is the property of Sir Thomas Dyke 
 Acland, who seems to own everything about here, and 
 as far as I could ascertain Sir Thomas is very popular. 
 One part of the road was beiug widened for about 
 five miles at what must have been a very consider- 
 able expense. This was beiug done by Sir Thomas in 
 order to give employment to the iron miners from 
 the Brendon Hills. The road goes through a valley 
 formed by the slope of North Hill on the one side 
 and Dunkery Beacon on the other. After a time 
 Heydon Down, a slope of the Grabbist Hill, takes 
 the place of that from Dunkery. About three miles 
 from Dunster, a view of the sea was obtained, with the 
 Holmes in the distance, beyond which lies Westou- 
 Super-Mare. A prominent object long before Dun- 
 ster is reached, is Conegar Tower, a species of beacon, 
 which looks down as it were into the main street of 
 Dunster. Anyone coming into this district should 
 certainly visit the Lnttrell Arms, a very old, but at 
 the same time very charming hostelry; at one time 
 it must have been the residence of some person of 
 importance, as the presence of coats of arms over the 
 old mantelpieces seems to signify. One room in par- 
 ticular with oak ceiling is very fine. Outside the 
 hotel, in the main street, is a curious structure which 
 in byegone days fulfilled the purpose of a market. 
 
11 
 
 At the other end of the street rises the hill on 
 which Dunster Castle is built, a splendid place 
 on which to build, and a splendid structure 
 has there been raised. I was unable to go 
 through the castle, so can say nothing of its 
 interior, but the views from the windows must 
 indeed be varied and lovely. From the front can 
 be seen the sea with the little town and church 
 of Minehead to the extreme left, and Watchet 
 to the right. The west side looks down on the old 
 street and old houses of Dunster, with the Conegar 
 Tower on the opposite hill ; whilst the east and south 
 side' must look into the park and toward Frankford 
 Bridge. Dunster church has been recently restored 
 and strange to say with excellent taste. The carved 
 oak seats will, when toned down by age, be very 
 fine. It contains an old screen in good preservation, 
 some fine monuments, and a curious old font. In 
 the churchyard I noticed the luins of an old cross, 
 and over the west window a stone with the words 
 carved " God save the King, 1624." 
 
 While at dinner at the Luttrell Arms, I looked 
 through the visitors book, and among others, of 
 lesser note, I found the following : — " Richard John 
 King, The Limes, Crediton, April 7th, 1877." 
 Knowing his tastes, I feel sure he must thoroughly 
 have enjoyed his visit to Dunster. 
 
 On the crest of a hill in the park I visited a camp, 
 which contained all the usual delights and doubts of 
 the modern antiquary. 
 
 This being Sunday I made an easy day of it, so 
 as to make up for my over exertions on Saturday. 
 >lote :— Hashed venison and whortle-berry tart very 
 good. 
 
 On Monday morning I started by an early train 
 for Washford Station. On the platform at Dunster 
 were several baskets of whortle-berries labelled 
 Manchester, and which the stationmaster informed 
 me, were used there in the dye manufactories. 
 
 Beyond a splendid view of Dunster Castle, there 
 is little to notice between Dunster and Washford. 
 About ten minutes walk from Washford Station 
 are the ruins of Cleeve Abbey, which certainly will 
 
12 
 
 repay a visit from anyone interested in ancient stone 
 and mortar. There are some fine walnut and 
 sycamore trees in the grounds. Extreme care has been 
 taken to preserve the numerous patches of tiled 
 flooring, which have from time to time been 
 discovered. These are protected by glass cases, 
 something like hot-bed frames, and from the extent 
 of ground they cover, it is very evident that 
 the church must have been of considerable propor- 
 tions. One large piece of tiled flooring only recently 
 brought to light, had been covered with about two feet 
 of soil, which had been used as a potato garden. Some 
 of the tiles were marked with three^eMr* de Us, some 
 with the Lion rampant, and others with the double- 
 headed Eagle. The principal parts of the building 
 form a quadrangle, around which were doubtless 
 the cloisters. At one end in the upper floor, is a 
 very fine hall, about sixty feet by twenty feet, and 
 which may have been the refectory. Underneath 
 this, are various offices. To the right of this, on the 
 ground floor, is what the small curator said was the 
 Abbot's parlour ; the roof of this is sustained by a 
 very broad stone arch. At distances of about a foot 
 in the whole length of this arch are holes, in which 
 gunpowder has been exploded in an attempt to bring 
 it down. I asked the custodian, a small boy of 12, 
 who had done this ? and he replied, with the greatest 
 gravity — Cromwell. What crimes that man has to 
 answer for ! The gateway and porch are worthy of 
 notice. 
 
 At Washford is a station of what is called the 
 Mineral Line, used for the purpose of conveying the 
 iron ore from the Brendon hills to the sea-port of 
 Watchet. This special work of the line is now 
 nearly at a standstill, but there are two passenger 
 trains a day from Watchet to Coombe Row, the end 
 of the line, and back again. At the latter place 
 there is an incline of nearly a mile in length, with a 
 gradient of about one in four. Passengers are 
 allowed to go up in an empty mineral waggon. 
 There are two lines of rails, on one of which a 
 waggon of iron ore descends, and pulls up an empty 
 waggon on the other line by means of a chain and 
 
13 
 
 windlass. The velocity with which the ascent is 
 made is very great, and was to me quite a novel 
 sensation. At the top was a small engine, ahout to 
 take some empty waggons to the mines, so I secured 
 a stand, I can't say a seat on it, with the driver. I 
 went to the extent of the line — Goose Moor — and 
 from here a most extensive view is ohtained, includ- 
 ing Dartmoor, in the south-west. Coming back to 
 the top of the incline, T left the railway, and started 
 for a walk to Watchet. I first passed through rows 
 of empty houses, formerly the homes of the iron 
 miners, and then turned to the left at Kaleigh's 
 Crofs. From this point to within about three miles 
 of Watchet is a very lovely walk ; a lane, shaded 
 by an excellent beech hedge, leads to Chidgley; and 
 then, with oak plantation on each side, to Huiah 
 Barton ; then through lines of stately elms to Fair- 
 cross, from which St. Decumau's tall tower could be 
 seen in the distance. Watchet is not worth a visit — 
 it is poor and dirty, and I should fancy unhealthy. 
 The water of the Bristol Channel on this coast, from 
 constantly stirring up the clay beaches, has a very 
 dirty appearance, and far from inviting to bathers. 
 By the earliest train I could take, I went to Mine- 
 head, which is a growing and improving place ; the 
 new portion is being well laid out, the streets broad, 
 and planted with trees. Minehead, however, will 
 never be a fashionable bathing place, for the water 
 has the same appearance as at Watchet. From 
 Minehead back to Dunster is a pleasant walk of 
 about three miles, and thus was finished this day's 
 work. 
 
 Tuesday. — It is a long march from Dunster to 
 Dulverton, so I gladly availed myself of the offer of 
 a lift as far as Exton, but the whole distance is one 
 of extreme beauty, quite beyond my descriptive 
 powers. The road first takes the course of Dunster 
 water, as far as Catcombe. Then, after crossing the 
 hill, descends by way of Quarum water to Bridge- 
 town, near which the Exe joins, and is the principal 
 stream. Soon after leaving Dunster and crossing 
 Frankford Bridge, one notices the peculiarly uneven 
 surface of Grabbist Hill. Knowle House, the 
 
14 
 
 property of Colonel , is seen on the right. I 
 
 is quite new, and very attractive in appearance, hut 
 the <;ate looks as if it helonged to a modern cemetery. 
 
 At Cutcombe the road takes two or three turns in 
 crossing the hill, which appears to slope from here 
 to Dunkery Beacon. On one side of this long hill 
 rises the Dunster water, which flows northward, and 
 on the other the Quarum water, which flows south- 
 ward. What I could see of the valley of Quarum 
 water was extremely beautiful, and I much regret 
 that I had not a day to follow it from pretty little 
 Bushel Bridge up to Godsend Moor and back again. 
 Soon after leaving Bridgetown, I noticed in a section 
 of rock by the side of the road the following inscrip- 
 tion, cut in letters about 15 or 18 inches in height : 
 "1824 Lawrence." What this alludes to, or who 
 Lawrence might have been, I have not the faintest 
 idea. On the right of the road, about two miles 
 from Dalverton, are the ruins of Bar Linch Abbey, 
 which, strange to say, is unnoticed in any guide 
 book I have had reference lo. The ground ouce 
 covered by the church is now a potato garden, and 
 most of the stones of the building have been used 
 in the erection of a cottage. There is a particularly 
 fine yew tree close by. 
 
 Dulverton is prettily situated, but beyond that 
 there little to say for it ; and as it was three o'clock 
 in the afternoon I determined to push on for 
 Simon's Bath at once, so ordered a carriage to 
 take me part of the way. My notes for this 
 part of the journey consist principally of steep hills 
 and beech hedges, which latter are particularly fine ; 
 and, as I was told, form a most perfect shelter for 
 those using these roads in winter. I made a mistake 
 in going by the road ; I should have kept by the 
 river bank. The valley of the Burle is very lovely ; 
 portions of it I saw here and there, but 1 have no 
 doubt it would pay well to follow the trne course of 
 the stream. The bridge at Torr Steps, about five 
 miles from Dulverton, is a primitive structure, but 
 somehow did not strike me as being of very ancient 
 date ; the abutment of the piers shewed considerable 
 engineering skill, meant to resist the force of the 
 
15 
 
 stream in winter. Withypool, also on the Barle, is 
 not quite so prettily situated, but attractive in its 
 way. 
 
 After ascending the steep hill from Withypool, 
 the road to Simon's Bath is perfectly straight, and 
 the views where they could be obtained through 
 gates very fine; Dunkery Beacon and Lucott Hill 
 on the north, and Hawkridge Hill and the valley of 
 the Barle to the south. The hedges are all very 
 high, and on the tops of these grow the beeches 
 before alluded to. They are planted in large 
 numbers, and at certain times cut and bent down 
 horizontally, and from these shoot up a great number 
 of smaller branches. After a few years the whole 
 hedge has to be cut very low and allowed to shoot 
 again ; and I could see in the farmyards enormous 
 stacks of beech prunings. However advantageous 
 these hedges may be for shelter in winter, 
 they terribly intercept the view. I noticed here 
 that the directing posts were labelled in one direction 
 Exmoor, and it was this line I was told to follow ; 
 and I found on enquiry that Exmoor is the name of 
 the parish in which the pretty village of Simon's 
 Bath is situated, where I arrived about seven 
 o'clock. The little inn is part of an unfinished 
 building, which evidently had been intended to be 
 a spacious structure. The owners of this district 
 apparently have a fancy for gigantic attempts and 
 signal failures, for within a hundred yards of the 
 inn is another mansion almost built to the upper 
 stories, but which has remained in that incomplete 
 condition for many years. I was somewhat in doubt 
 about my chances for supper, but fared much better 
 than I expected ; civilization has advanced so far 
 and so rapidly that I was able to obtain a bottle of 
 Is. 6d. claret with my meal. As a rule most of these 
 little inns can offer nothing but wretched malt 
 liquors or the alternative spirit. Early next morn- 
 ing, after breakfast, I started for Highbray ; on my 
 way I joined in conversation with an Exmoor farmer, 
 and endeavoured in course of correspondence kept 
 up for some miles, to ascertain what he knew of 
 
16 
 
 things gone by. In reply to my enquiries he told 
 me that the Doones were all dead long ago ; one 
 old man who died about twenty years ago was the 
 last who knew anything at all about them. He 
 had never heard of Jack Kidd, but had of Jack 
 Russell, who was a rare good fellow in his opinion. 
 That he preached capital sermons and worked 
 hard to raise funds for the hospital ; and if he 
 did go hunting at times, what did it matter ; 
 people should look at the light, not the lantern. 
 Tom Faggus he informed me was back in Turpin's 
 days. He was taking his two little boys to school at 
 North Molton, but he thought that education was 
 being carried a great deal too far. I left this some- 
 what conservative, but worthy individual, at the 
 Poltimore Arms where my road turned to the right ; 
 and which soon led me to Highbray. At Highbray 
 I found very hearty, but to me quite unexpected 
 hospitality, and under the conduct of a kindly 
 cicerone I went to see Lydcotl. This is the spot 
 celebrated by Sir Walter Scott as the birth place of 
 Amy Kobsart, the heroine of Kenilworth. I have 
 related elsewhere how little ground Sir Walter had 
 for adding this beauty to the list of Devonshire 
 worthies, which amounts to simply nil, and that she 
 belongs by right to Norfolk. Still, the subject was 
 one which had given me a good deal of interest, and 
 I had long made up my mind, that if ever 
 I found myself on the western slope of Exmoor, to 
 hunt up Lydcott Hall. There are two farms which 
 go by the name — one Lydcott, and the other Lydcott 
 Hall, though how long the latter has borne this 
 dignified appellation it would be difficult to say. An 
 imaginary description of the "Hall" is giveu in 
 Kenilworth, and according to that, there is a court- 
 yard. In the original there is also a courtyard, but 
 only such as nearly every farm in the vicinity 
 possesses and which is more commonly called the 
 farmyard. The residence is on one side, with cattle 
 sheds, stables, &c., on the other three. I failed to 
 distinguish a trace of any one style of architecture. 
 Exmoor is not a place likely to be influenced much 
 
17 
 
 by fashion in building, and Lydcott Hall appears to 
 have been simply a farm residence, built for such, 
 and never meant for anything else. 
 
 Lydcott, on the other hand, has some traces of 
 greater age, particularly a winding staircase of stone. 
 I was informed by the kind-hearted tenant, that 
 Lydcott was where the parson lived when the great 
 folks were down at the Hall. I asked what great 
 folks? and she replied, "Annie Kobsart and Queen 
 Elizabeth." I said, "Was Queen Elizabeth ever 
 here ? " She replied, " Oh dear, yes ; of course not 
 in my time, but long ago, and the great folks then 
 had their own 'passon' and he lived here." 
 
 It lias always been a puzzle to me to explain how 
 Sir Walter found out there was such a place as 
 Lydcot, because it is only on large ordnance maps 
 that it is marked. I have heard one story respect- 
 ing this difficulty, and that is as follows : — Sir 
 Walter Scott once paid a visit to Lord Fortescue, at 
 Castle Hill ; and he might, while there, have ridden 
 over to see, perhaps. Moles Chamber or Showls- 
 borough Castle, an ancient encampment close by. 
 This would be very reasonable were it not, that there 
 is no evidence whatever of his having visited 
 Devonshire. 
 
 In my walk this morning I overheard the conversa- 
 tion of my guide with the wife of a small farmer of 
 the parish; and made a mental note of two or three 
 trite expressions which she used. For instance, in 
 describing some matrimonial festivities, she said 
 "They had a terrible wedding, but no fortune." 
 Speaking of going to market herself to transact some 
 business she said somewhat apologetically, "It is no 
 good to go to market like a lady and come home 
 like a fool." With respect to a neighbour's illness 
 she said, " A good nurse is better than a bad 
 doctor." Of course the weather and the difficulty 
 of saving the hay harvest, formed part of the con- 
 versation, the badness of the times, and the scarcity 
 of money, and so on ; and she made a general 
 resum& of advice to those who want to get on in 
 these days, thus : "There are no two forenoons to 
 one afternoon." 
 
18 
 
 After a pleasant ride from Highbray to Castle Hill 
 Station, I took train to Dulverton, and put up at the 
 Carnarvon Arms, which I can strongly recommend 
 as being agreeable in every way. 
 
 Here ended my outing, and the conclusion I 
 arrived at was, that Kxmoor abounds with spots of 
 the most charming beauty, that each river might be 
 followed to its source, and each range of hills 
 deserved its own day's tramp, and that instead of 
 six days, twelve, or rather eighteen would be nearer 
 the mark, I have this consolation, that I have seen 
 just enough of the district to induce me when next I 
 get a holiday, to try my luck again on Exmoor. 
 
 P. Q. K. 
 
 ■ DIRECTOHY " OFFICE, TORQUAY. 
 
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 o.i„,an? 1924 031 423 696