Through England on a side saddle in the time of William and Mary

by Celia Fiennes

Then I went from y^e wells to Rye 31 miles, by Ambursly 8 mile—this was good way being a drye summer, otherwise its deep being Clay for y^e most part. I passed much through Lanes and little villages and near Rye I went thro’ a Comon full of Bushes and ffurze and heath; its a pretty steep hill I ascended w^ch is Called beggars hill and being Bartholomew tide here was a faire w^ch was Rightly Called beggarhill faire being the saddest faire I ever saw—ragged tatter’d Booths and people—but the musick and danceing Could not be omitted. This hill on the top gave the view of y^e sea and a great tract of Land on Each side. That is Choak’d up w^th sand w^ch formerly was a good haven for shipps; the sea does still Come up to Rhye town as yet but its shallow, and y^e Castle w^ch stands a Little distance—a mile—is also left of the sea at least 4 mile. This is Winchelsea Castle but all between it and Winchelsea is nothing but Quagmire and marshes, drained in some places by ditches, and this is at Least 4 miles to the town. I did go to it but first fferry’d over a Little arm of the sea w^ch still finds a Current up to some of y^e Land between Rhye and Winchelsea, then I rode round y^e marshes on y^e side of a hill in narrow foote paths, and passed over a Bridge Cross another Little arme of y^e sea: near it is a gate on y^e Bridge and Enters you into the Libertys of y^e town w^ch stands on a pretty high hill. From it Lookes not of any great Circuite of ground by y^e first view, being high, but in y^e middle you see it has been a fine place for there were 36 Large Squares of building, the remaines of pieces of walls in most places you see, or else a hedge supplys that you see y^e streetes were very broad and long and divided these squares, ye Cross streetes y^e same. I rode up a middle streete and saw y^e others run aCross of Equal breadth. Remaines of Churches and halls are to be seen but Else grass grows now where Winchelsea was as was once said of Troy. There are but a very few houses now, but y^e Corporation still Continues and y^e major and aldermen w^ch 13 makes most of y^e Inhabitants. M^r Majors house Look’d neate as did y^e parsonage. They Elect two Burgesses to it in y^e parliament and its y^e ancientest Corporation in England, so y^t should Lord Major of London meete M^r Major of Winchelsea he must give him place: it was as flourishing place before the sea Left it that was in England, but now lost, as Rhye will be in a Little tyme if the sea Leaves it, w^ch is in a very faire way to do; and men now apply to quite Drane the marshes for Corn and grass Rather than Endeavour to Cleare y^e Channell of the sand w^ch if it were done would be y^e best harbour for shipps as formerly was. There are great vaults in Winchelsea w^ch was the merchants Cellars, and were houses.

There was some few brass and marble statues in the Church but much demolished as was y^e Church. Rhye town is not very bigg—a little Market place—this is famous for fish; from hence all the good turbutt, pearle and Dorea and all sort of sea fish Comes to supply y^e wells and London, but I could get little. Y^e faire took up y^e ffishermen. Indeed here I dranke Right french white wine and Exceeding good and then returned to y^e wells 38 miles. In the Road from thence to London you go either by Fair lane and so Come just by S^r Harry Vaines house (now Lord Barnett), w^ch Lookes very finely w^th y^e Rows of trees about it, or Else you go by Sevenoake a sad deep Clay way after wett. You Come in sight of a great house on a hill Called Summerly, looks like a Little town it runs on so much ground, it was the Lord Purbeckes.

You also Come in sight of Nonsuch w^ch was a great house of the Kings Built by Charles the Second. You pass on to the Riverhead as they Call it, a fine spring of Cleare water y^t runs thence in a Little River. is at the foote of a great hill Called Madam Scott hill so steepe as seldome is Either Rode down or up, and few Coaches but gaines the top of it by a Compass round it w^ch is steep Enough. This is 15 mile from the wells—thence to Ffarnburough: about 8 mile, thence to Brumley, and to London 15 more.

MY GREAT JOURNEY TO NEWCASTLE
AND TO CORNWALL,

the account of many journeys into most parts of England, what observation and distance of one place to another in my travels.

Ffrom London to Albins in Essex 17 mile S^r Robert abdys, Whose house stands very pleasantly in a parke full of deer. The house on an advanced ground appeares to view at y^e Entrance, but its old building: Large Roomes—some Rows of trees Lead up to it. Thence I returned home 17 mile more, from London to Bednal-green twice, and back againe 16 mile, from London to Highgate 4 miles to M^r Thomas’s house, where is a most exact garden w^th all sorts of greens and flowers and fish ponds. There my Nephew Ffiennes Harrison w^th M^r Showers went to fish w^th me. Thence we went to Hampstead, so made it 5 mile home againe. I went from London twice and back againe from Kensington, in all 8 mile—this I put in only to know the number of miles y^t I went in one yeare.

Ffrom London to Amwell bery w^ch is in Hartfordshire 19 mile, where I staid a day or two: thence to Bishopstafford in Essex 13 mile, thence to Dunmew 8 long miles thro’ severall Little villages; its very deep way Especially after raine. This is a Little Market town: they are altogether taken up about the spinning and prepareing for the Bayes. All along between that and Colchester you pass but halfe a mile Ere one Comes to two or 3 houses all along the road; its from Dunmow to Colchester 22 miles and mostly Clay deep way. Colchester is a Large town in the Compass of Ground. Fformerly there was 16 Churches tho’ now much of it is ruinated. A mile before you Come to the new town one Enters a little village which still is in the Limits of y^e Citty and Majors jurisdiction; there is a pretty good house of y^e Lord Lucas.

You Enter the town by a gate; there are 4 in all; there is a Large Streete w^ch runs a great Length down to the bridge, near a mile long: about the middle of it runs another broad streete and near its Length like stalls on purpose to Lay their Bayes when exposed to saile. Great quantetyes are made here and sent in Bales to London that is 44 miles distant. Y^e whole town is Employ’d in spinning weaveing, washing drying and dressing their Bayes in w^ch they seeme very Industrious. There I saw y^e Card they use to Comb and dress the Bayes, w^ch they Call y^m testles, w^ch are a kind of Rush tops or something Like them w^ch they put in frames or Laths of wood. The town Looks Like a thriveing place by the substantiall houses and well pitched streetes w^ch are broad Enough for two Coaches to go a breast, besides a pitch’d walke on Either side by y^e houses secured by stumps of wood, and is Convenient for 3 to walke together. Their buildings are of timber of Loame and Lathes and much tileing: the fashion of the Country runs much in Long Roofes and great Cantilivers and peakes. Out of these great streetes runs many Little streetes, but not very narrow—mostly old buildings Except a few houses builded by some Quakers, y^t are brick and of the London mode. The town did Extend itself to the sea but now its ruines sets it 3 mile off. Y^e low Grounds all about y^e town are used for y^e whitening their Bayes for w^ch this town is remarkable, and also for Exceeding good oysters, but its a dear place and to Grattifye my Curiosity to Eate them on y^e place I paid dear. Its a town full of Dessenters, 2 meeteings very full besides anabaptists and quakers. Formerly the famous M^r Stockton was minister there till he Dyed. From Colchester to jpswitch is 10 mile, and thence to Dedom 9 miles, the way pretty good Except 4 or 5 miles they Call y^e severalls, a sort of deep moore Ground and woody. At this place I passed over a wooden bridge, pretty Large, w^th timber railes of w^ch make they build their bridges in these parts; and now I go into Suffolk w^ch is not so rich Land as y^e part of Essex I passed through, w^ch was meadows and grounds w^th great burdens of grass and Corn. So I went to jpswitch 9 mile more; this is a very Clean town and much bigger than Colchester is now. Ipswitch has 12 Churches, their streetes of a good size well pitch’d w^th small stones; a good market Cross railed in. I was there on Satturday w^ch is their market day and saw they sold their Butter by y^e pinte 20 ounces for 6 pence and often for 5^d or 4^d; they make it up in a mold just in the shape of a pinte pot and so sell it. Their Market Cross has good Carving, y^e ffigure of justice Carv’d and Gilt. There is but 3 or 4 good houses in y^e town—y^e rest is much Like y^e Colchester buildings, but it seems more shatter’d, and Indeed the town Looks a Little disregarded, and by Enquiry found it to be thro’ pride and sloth, for tho’ the sea would bear a ship of 300 tun up quite to y^e Key, and y^e ships of y^e first Rate Can Ride w^th in two mile of the town, yet they make no advantage thereof by any sort of manufacture, w^ch they might do as well as Colchester and Norwitch, so that y^e shipps that brings their Coales goes Light away, neither do they address themselves to victual or provide for shipps. They have a Little dock where formerly they built ships of 2 or 3 tun, but now Little or Nothing is minded save a Little ffishing for y^e supply of y^e town. There is one pretty good house of y^e Earle of Herrifords that marry’d one of M^r Norborns Daughters, that was Killed by S^r Tho: Montgomery. You Enter thro’ two Courts walled and divided by a breast wall on w^ch are Iron spikes pallasadoes: the Middle is a broad gravell walk fenced in w^th stone walls; on Each side 3 or 4 steps up into the other Court, and so many steps more thro’ an arch into a third Court. This arch joyns a Low building w^ch are the offices Leaded on the top, and rail’d round, and Each End Enters into Chambers joyning to y^e house, that is built round this Last Court from whence you Enter y^e porch. The house is handsome all brick worke and brick pillars; a good hall, parlour, and drawing roome, and Large Closet, 2 or 3 other Roomes less, answereing it and a Billyard Roome above w^th as many roomes of state all ffurnish’d w^th good old things: a pretty staircase, but its all Little. There are 3 gardens on the one side w^th grass and gravell walkes all kept neate, and good fruite; on the other side is one Large garden w^th a sumer house in w^ch stands a Large statue, black, of a Gigantick form and proportion; this answeres the fine green house on y^e other side. This town has many dessenters in it. Thence I went to Woodbridge 7 miles mostly Lanes, Enclosed Countrys. This is a Little Market town but has a great meeting for y^e dessenters. Thence to Wickham 5 mile more but these are all very Long miles.

Thence to Saxmunday 8 miles more: this is a pretty bigg market town. The wayes are pretty deep, mostly Lanes very Little Commons. I pass’d by severall Gentlemens seates, one, M^r Dormers w^ch stands in a fine parke. Y^e Entrance from y^e Road thro’ rows of trees Discover’d the front and building very finely to view, being built w^th stone and Brick and many sashes: Lookes like a new house w^th y^e open jron barr gates between pillars of stone the breadth of y^e house. So to Bathfort 8 miles where is the remaines of y^e walls of an abby and there is still a very fine Church all Carv’d in stone hollow work one tire above another to y^e tower that ascends not very high but finely Carv’d: also hence I descended with Low^r grounds banck’d on Each side w^th a brick wall, but Low and so a walk on it for foote people, and severall arches here and there to draine off the water, so that those bancks are to secure the Road from the Marshy ffenny water that of a great Extent on both sides is subject to. Thence I passed by some woods and Little villages of a few scattered houses, and Generally y^e people here are able to give so bad a Direction that passengers are at a loss what aime to take: they know scarce 3 mile from their home, and meete them where you will and Enquire how farre to such a place they mind not where they are then, but tell you so farre, w^ch is the distance from their own houses to y^t place. I saw at a distance as I descended some of their hills a Large place that Look’d nobly and stood very high Like a Large town. They told me it was called Either Stowle or Nole I cannot tell w^ch. I Rode in sight of S^t Georges Channell In the way from Colchester and Ipswitch and so to Norwich. Sometymes it was in view then Lost againe. To Beckle is 8 mile more w^ch in all was 36 miles from Ipswitch, but Exceeding Long miles; they do own they are 41 measured miles. This is a Little market town but its the third biggest town in y^e County of Suffolke—Ipswitch Berry and this. Here was a good big meeteing place at Least 400 hearers and they have a very good minister one M^r Killinghall; he is but a young man but seemed very serious. I was there y^e Lords day. S^r Robert Rich is a great supporter of them and Contributed to y^e building the meeteing place w^ch is very neate. He has a good house at y^e End of the town w^th fine gardens. There are no good buildings the town, being old timber and plaister work Except his and one or two more. There is a pretty bigg market Cross, and a great Market kept. There is a handsome stone built Church and a very good publick minister whose name is Armstrong: he preaches very well they say notwithstanding the town is a sad Jacobitish town. This Chooses no parliam^t men. At y^e towns End one passes over the river Waveny on a wooden bridg railed w^th timber and so you Enter into Norfolk: its a Low flatt ground all here about, so that the Least raines they are overflowed by y^e River and Lye under water as they did when I was there, so that the roade Lay under water w^ch is very unsafe for strangers to pass by reason of y^e holes and quicksands and Loose bottom. The ordinary people both in Suffolk and Norfolk knitt much and spin, some w^th y^e Rock and fusoe as the French does, others at their wheeles out in the streete and Lanes as one passes. Its from this town to Norwitch 12 miles, and its 10 to Yarmouth where they build some small shipps, and is a harbour for them and where they victual them. Also Harwitch about 12 or 14 miles also, but the miles are here as long again as about London and pretty deep way, Especially after raines: these miles are much Longer than most miles in Yorkshire.

Norwitch opens to view a mile distance by the help of a hill whereon is a little village. As I observe most of y^e great towns and Cittys have about them Little villages as attendants or appendix’s to them w^ch are a sort of Subburbs, there being stragling houses for y^e most part all the way between y^t and y^e gates. You pass over a high bridge y^t leads on over a high Causey of a pretty Length w^ch Lookes somewhat dangerous being fenced with trenches from its bancks (pretty deep) that’s on both sides to secure it from the water, and these trenches runns in many places round the Low grounds to drain them, w^ch Employ’d to whiten and Bleach their woollen stuff the manufacture of the place. This Long Causey brings you to the Large stone bridge over the river into w^ch those trenches Empty themselves.