What to See in England. Gordon Home
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was looked upon in much the same light as a witch, and this bridle was applied to those women who obtained for themselves the undesirable reputation.
[Illustration: THE GARDEN FRONT OF HAM HOUSE.]
[Illustration: THE SCOLD'S BRIDLE IN WALTON-ON-THAMES CHURCH.
"Chester presents Walton with a bridle
To curb women's tongues when they are idle."]
HARROW
=How to get there.=—Train from Euston. L. and N.W. Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Harrow.
=Distance from London.=—11–½ miles.
=Average Time.=—½ hour.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 1s. 6d. 1s. 0d. 0s. 9d.
Return 2s. 3d. 1s. 6d. 1s. 0d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"King's Head," etc.
=Alternative Routes.=—Train from Baker Street, Metropolitan Railway.
Train from Broad Street, L. and N.W. Railway. Train from
Marylebone, Great Central Railway.
Harrow, from its high position, 200 feet above the sea, was selected by the Romans as an important military station. By the Saxons it was called Hereways, and was purchased in 822 by Wilfred, Archbishop of Canterbury. The ancient manor-house, of which no traces now remain, was formerly the residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury, and it was here that Thomas à Becket resided during his banishment from Court. Cardinal Wolsey, who was once Rector of Harrow, resided at Pinner, and is said to have entertained Henry VIII. during his visit to Harrow. The manor was exchanged by Archbishop Cranmer with the king for other lands, and was subsequently given to Sir Edmund Dudley, afterwards Lord North.
At the bottom of the hill, and spreading rapidly in all directions, are quantities of modern houses and villas, but the point of greatest interest in Harrow is the celebrated school, wonderfully situated on the very summit of the hill, with views extending over thirteen counties. Founded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth by John Lyon, a yeoman of the parish, the school has now grown enormously, the oldest portion being that near the church, which was erected three years after the founder's death. In the wainscotting of the famous schoolroom are the carvings cut by many generations of Harrovians, among them being the names of Peel, Byron, Sheridan, the Marquess of Hastings, Lord Normanby, and many others.
The church stands on the extreme summit of the hill, and from the churchyard the view is simply magnificent. In the building are some interesting tombs and brasses, and a monument to John Lyon, the founder of the school.
The grave shown on the opposite page is known as "Byron's tomb," on account of his fondness for the particular spot it occupied in the churchyard, from whence the fascinating view just mentioned can be seen, from the shade of the trees growing on either side.
[Illustration: Photochrom Co., Ltd.
"BYRON'S TOMB" IN HARROW CHURCHYARD.]
HOLWOOD HOUSE, KESTON
THE HOME OF WILLIAM PITT
=How to get there.=—Train from Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and
London Bridge. South-Eastern and Chatham Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Hayes (2 miles from Keston village). About 3
miles from Holwood House.
=Distance from London.=—12 miles.
=Average Time.=—35 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 2s. 0d. 1s. 3d. 1s. 0–½d.
Return 3s. 3d. 2s. 4d. 1s. 10d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"The Fox Inn," "The George."
=Alternative Route.=—To Orpington Station by the South-Eastern and
Chatham Railway, about 4 miles distant.
Visitors are able to pass through the park on a public footpath.
About 3 miles' walk from Hayes Station by a pleasant road over Hayes Common is Holwood House, a stately, classic building, for many years the home of William Pitt, the famous statesman and son of the Earl of Chatham. He owned the estate between 1785 and 1802, and it was during this period that the British camp in the park suffered so severely. The earth-works were occupied by some early British tribe before Caesar crossed the Channel, and the place probably owed its strength to its well-chosen position. Pitt, however, caused these fascinating remains to be levelled to a considerable extent, in order to carry out some of his ideas of landscape gardening. A magnificent tree growing near the house is known as "Pitt's Oak," from the tradition that Pitt was specially fond of spending long periods of quiet reading beneath its overshadowing boughs. Another tree of more interest still stands quite near the public footpath through the park. This is known as "Wilberforce's Oak," and is easily distinguished from the surrounding trees by the stone seat constructed in its shade. The momentous decision which makes this tree so interesting is given in Wilberforce's diary for the year 1788. He writes, "At length, I well remember after a conversation with Mr. Pitt in the open air at the root of an old tree at Holwood, just above the steep descent into the vale of Keston, I resolved to give notice on a fit occasion in the House of Commons of my intention to bring forward the abolition of the slave-trade."
With the exception of Knole Park, Holwood boasts some of the finest beeches in the country. The present house took the place of the one occupied by Pitt in 1825; the architect was Decimus Burton.
[Illustration: WILBERFORCE'S OR "EMANCIPATION OAK" IN HOLWOOD PARK,
KESTON.]
CHIGWELL, ESSEX
=How to get there.=—Train from Liverpool Street or Fenchurch Street.
Great Eastern Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—Chigwell.
=Distance from London.=—12–¾ miles.
=Average Time.=—55 minutes. Quickest train, 31 minutes.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—Single 1s. 10d. 1s. 4d. 0s. 11d.
Return 2s. 6d. 1s. 10d. 1s. 4d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.=—"The King's Head."
In 1844 Charles Dickens wrote to Forster: "Chigwell, my dear fellow, is the greatest place in the world. Name your day for going. Such a delicious old inn facing the church—such a lovely ride—such forest scenery—such an out-of-the-way rural place—such a sexton! I say again, Name your day." This is surely sufficient recommendation for any place; and when one knows that the "delicious old inn" is still standing, and that the village is as rural and as pretty as when Dickens wrote over sixty years ago, one cannot fail to have a keen desire to see the place. "The King's Head" illustrated here is the inn Dickens had in his mind when describing the "Maypole" in Barnaby Rudge, and the whole of the plot of that work is so wrapped up in Chigwell and its immediate surroundings that one should not visit the village until one has read the story. One may see the panelled "great room" upstairs where Mr. Chester met Mr. Geoffrey Haredale. This room has a fine mantelpiece, great carved beams, and beautiful leaded windows. On the ground floor is the cosy bar where the village cronies gathered with Mr. Willett, and one may also see the