Section the Seventh.
The Cottage at Northrepps or as it is some times called the Hermitage, the country residence of Bartlett Gurney, Esq. might have been included in the excursion to Mundesley, but as it is within a walk of Cromer, being only distant about a mile and half, it will be doing no more than justice to the beauties of the place to give it a section by itself.
The house which is flinted and thatched, with a gothic porch also thatched, is fitted up with the greatest neatness and simplicity, and the stained-glass which occupies the upper parts of the arches of the windows throws a very pleasing light into the apartments. The parlour which commands an elegant view of the sea, is decorated with coloured prints, extremely appropriate to the situation; such as the sailor-boy’s return, the ship-wrecked sailor-boy telling his tale at a cottage door, &c. on the chimney-piece are shells and pieces of polished lava.
The situation is very romantic in a deep narrow valley, through which is seen the little Church of Overstrand, partly in ruins, and beyond it the sea. The views from different parts of the estate are many of them beautiful and even in the present barren state of the hills are well adapted to the pencil. Overstrand Church and the sea, as seen from the Northrepps road, is a view which comes into excellent composition; fortunately there are in that spot a few trees of sufficient consequence to divest it of nakedness and give it beauty. Indeed, time only is wanting to make this estate as elegant a situation as can be desired.
Planting has been done with a liberal hand and the healthy appearance of the young trees, when the situation so near the sea is considered, promises, hereafter, amply to reward the owner for his perseverance.
The difficulty of raising trees where there two such enemies as the cutting winds from the sea and a numerous breed of rabbits, deters the proprietors of estates from planning the number of hills which at present lay waste; there is, also, another unfortunate circumstance that attends planting, which is the slow growth of timber. The first expence is considerable and there is certainly some hazard, particularly where there are such enemies as before-mentioned, but if it was attended to with care, there is no doubt, but in time, it would much more than repay the cost.
It is true, that the profits to the present possessor of an estate are not very great. He seldom begins to plant till half his life is spent, but admitting that he begins at the age of thirty or forty, and chuses to sell his estate at fifty or sixty, the growth of twenty or thirty thirty years, even if it was little better than underwood, would certainly considerably augment its value, betides the improvement on the score of picturesque beauty, which is by no means inconsiderable and not to be overlooked.
On a hill called Toll’s-Hill, not far from the house, is a very fine echo. This spot, literally speaking, is only a small portion of a range of hills running towards Syderstrand; they command at all points a good view of the sea, and in particular parts come into very decent composition. By descending into the vallies, the hills are brought to fold over each other, and the land between them and the sea, which forms the second distance, being interspersed with cottages and a few trees, (though the latter are scarce articles so near the sea) renders the situation in many parts very picturesque.
These hills are situated a small distance out of the beaten track, but the lover of nature in order to see her to the greatest advantage must often deviate from the high road, where indeed he will seldom see her to his taste; not but a high road, under some circumstances, has the power of affording much amusement and of making an excellent picture, but, generally speaking, beautiful nature like humble modesty, retires from the general gaze and must be sought for in seclusion.