CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE. | |
| A Short Chapter to begin with | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Estuary of the Humber—Sunk Island—Land versus Water—DutchPhenomena—Cleathorpes—Grimsby—Paul—River Freaks—Mud—Stukeleyand Drayton—Fluvial Parliament—Hull—The Thieves’Litany—Docks and Drainage—More Dutch Phenomena—The HighChurch—Thousands of Piles—The Citadel—The Cemetery—A Countryman’sVoyage to China—An Aid to Macadam | [5] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| A Railway Trip—More Land Reclamation—Hedon—HistoricalRecollections—Burstwick—The Earls of Albemarle—Keyingham—The Dukeof York—Winestead—Andrew Marvell’s Birthplace—A Glimpse ofthe Patriot—Patrington—A Church to be proud of—The HildyardArms—Feminine Paper-hangers—Walk to Spurn—Talk with a Painter—Welwick—YellowOchre and Cleanliness—Skeffling—Humber Bank—Milesof Mud—Kilnsea—Burstall Garth—The Greedy Sea—TheSandbank—A Lost Town, Ravenser Odd—A Reminiscence fromShakspeare—The Spurn Lighthouse—Withernsea—Owthorne—SisterChurches—The Ghastly Churchyard—A Retort for a Fool—A Wordfor Philologists | [14] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Northern Manners—Cottingham—The Romance of Baynard Castle—Beverley—YorkshireDialect—The Farmers’ Breakfast—Glimpses ofthe Town—Antiquities and Constables—The Minster—Yellow Ochre—ThePercy Shrine—The Murdered Earl—The Costly Funeral—TheSisters’ Tomb—Rhyming Legend—The Fridstool—The Belfry | [27] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| A Scotchman’s Observations—The Prospect—The Anatomy of Beverley—HistoricalAssociations—The Brigantes—The Druids—Austin’s Stone—TheSaxons—Coifi and Paulinus—Down with Paganism—A GreatBaptism—St. John of Beverley—Athelstan and Brunanburgh—TheSanctuary—The Conqueror—Archbishop Thurstan’s Privileges—TheSacrilegious Mayor—Battle of the Standard—St. John’s Miracles—BrigandBurgesses—Annual Football—Surrounding Sites—Wattonand Meaux—Etymologies—King Athelstan’s Charter | [33] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| The Great Drain—The Carrs—Submerged Forest—River Hull—Tickton—Routh—TipplingRustics—A Cooler for Combatants—The BlindFiddler—The Improvised Song—The Donkey Races—Specimens ofYorkshiremen—Good Wages—A Peep at Cottage Life—Ways andMeans—A Paragraph for Bachelors—Hornsea Mere—The Abbots’Duel—Hornsea Church—The Marine Hotel | [40] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Coast Scenery—A waning Mere, and wasting Cliffs—The Rain and theSea—Encroachment prevented—Economy of the Hotel—A Start on theSands—Pleasure of Walking—Cure for a bad Conscience—Phenomenaof the Shore—Curious Forms in the Cliffs—Fossil Remains—StrangeBoulders—A Villager’s Etymology—Reminiscences of “Bonypart”and Paul Jones—The last House—Chalk and Clay—Bridlington—Oneof the Gipseys—Paul Jones again—The Sea-Fight—A Reminiscence ofMontgomery | [48] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| What the Boarding-House thought—Landslips—Yarborough House—TheDane’s Dike—Higher Cliffs—The South Landing—The FlamboroughFleet—Ida, the Flamebearer—A Storm—A talk in a Limekiln—FlamboroughFishermen—Coffee before Rum—No Drunkards—ALandlord’s Experiences—Old-fashioned Honesty | [56] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Men’s and Women’s Wages—The Signal Tower—The passing Fleet—TheLighthouse—The Inland View—Cliff Scenery—Outstretching Reefs—Selwick’sBay—Down to the Beach—Aspect of the Cliffs—TheMatron—Lessons in Pools—Caverns—The King and Queen—ArchedPromontories—The North Landing—The Herring-Fishers—PleasureParties—Robin Lyth’s Hole—Kirk Hole—View across little Denmark—Speeton—Endof the Chalk—Walk to Filey | [60] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Old and New Filey—The Ravine—Filey Brig—Breaking Waves—RuggedCliffs—Prochronic Gravel—Gristhorp Bay—Insulated Column—LoftyCliffs—Fossil Plants—Red Cliff—Cayton Bay—Up to the Road—BareProspect—Cromwell Hotel and Oliver’s Mount—Scarborough—TheEsplanade—Watering-Place Phenomena—The Cliff Bridge—TheMuseum—The Spa—The Old Town—The Harbour—The CastleRock—The Ancient Keep—The Prospect—Reminiscences: of HaroldHardrada; of Pembroke’s Siege; of the Papists’ Surprise; of GeorgeFox; of Robin Hood—The One Artilleryman—Scarborough Newspapers—Cloughton—TheVillage Inn, and its Guests—Tudds andPooads | [66] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| From Cloughton to Haiburn Wyke—The embowered Path—Approach tothe Sea—Rock, Water, and Foliage—Heavy Walking—StaintondaleCliffs—The Undercliff—The Peak—Raven Hall—Robin Hood’s Bay—ATrespass—Alum Works—Waterfalls—Bay Town—Manners andCustoms of the Natives—Coal Trade—The Churchyard—Epitaphs—Black-a-moor—Hawsker—Valeof Pickering—Robin Hood and LittleJohn’s Archery—Whitby Abbey—Beautiful Ruin—St. Hilda, Wilfrid,and Cœdmon—Legends—A Fallen Tower—St. Mary’s Church—Whitby—TheVale of Esk—Specimens of Popular Hymns | [78] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Whitby’s Attractions—The Pier—The River-Mouth—The Museum—Sauriansand Ammonites—An enthusiastic Botanist—Jet in the Cliffs,and in the Workshop—Jet Carvers and Polishers—Jet Ornaments—TheQuakers’ Meeting—A Mechanics’ Institute—Memorable Names—AMooky Miner—Trip to Grosmont—The Basaltic Dike—Quarriesand Ironstone—Thrifty Cottagers—Abbeys and Hovels—A StingyLandlord—Egton Bridge—Eskdale Woods—The Beggar’s Bridge | [89] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| To Upgang—Enter Cleveland—East Row—The first Alum-Maker—Sandsend—Alum-Works—Thehuge Gap—Hewing the Alum Shale—LimestoneNodules: Mulgrave Cement—Swarms of Fossils—Burningthe Shale—Volcanic Phenomena—From Fire to Water—The Cisterns—Soakingand Pumping—The evaporating Pans—The CrystallizingProcess—The Roching Casks—Brilliant Crystals—A Chemical Triumph—RoughEpsoms | [97] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Mulgrave Park—Giant Wade—Ubba’s Landing-place—The Boggle-boggarts—TheFairy’s Chase—Superstitions—The Knight of the Evil Lake—Lythe—St.Oswald’s Church—Goldsborough—Kettleness—RuggedCliffs and Beach—Runswick Bay—Hob-Hole—Cure for Whooping-cough—JetDiggers—Runswick—Hinderwell—Horticultural Ravine—Staithes—Acurious Fishing-town—The Black Minstrels—A close-neavedCrowd—The Cod and Lobster—Houses washed away—Queerback Premises—The Termagants’ Duel—Fisherman’s Talk—Cobles andYawls—Dutch and French Poachers—Tap-room Talk—Reminiscencesof Captain Cook | [104] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| Last Day by the Sea—Boulby—Magnificent Cliffs—Lofthouse andZachary Moore—The Snake-killer—The Wyvern—Eh! Packman—Skinningrave—Smugglersand Privateers—The Bruce’s Privileges—Whatthe old Chronicler says—Story about a Sea-Man—The GroaningCreek—Huntcliff Nab—Rosebury Topping—Saltburn—CormorantShooters—Cunning Seals—Miles of Sands—Marske—A memorableGrave—Redcar—The Estuary of Tees—Asylum Harbour—Recreationsfor Visitors—William Hutton’s Description—Farewell to the Sea | [115] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| Leave Redcar—A Cricket-Match—Coatham—Kirkleatham—The OldHospital—The Library—Sir William Turner’s Tomb—Cook, Omai,and Banks—The Hero of Dettingen—Yearby Bank—Upleatham—Guisborough—Pastand Present—Tomb of Robert Bruce—PrioryRuins—Hemingford, Pursglove, and Sir Thomas Chaloner—PrettyScenery—The Spa—More Money, Less Morals—What George Fox’sProselytes did—John Wesley’s Preaching—Hutton Lowcross—Rusticsof Taste—Rosebury Topping—Lazy Enjoyment—The Prospect: fromBlack-a-moor to Northumberland—Cook’s Monument—Canny Yatton—TheQuakers’ School—A Legend—Skelton—Sterne and Eugenius—Visitorsfrom Middlesbro’—A Fatal Town—Newton—Digger’s Talk—Marton,Cook’s Birthplace—Stockton—Darlington | [123] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| Locomotive, Number One—Barnard Castle—Buying a Calf on Sunday—Baliol’sTower—From Canute to the Duke of Cleveland—HistoricScenery—A surprised Northumbrian—The bearded Hermit—Beauty ofTeesdale—Egliston Abbey—The Artist and his Wife—Dotheboys Hall—Rokeby—GretaBridge—Mortham Tower—Brignall Banks—A Pilgrimageto Wycliffe—Fate of the Inns—The Felon Sow—A Journeyby Omnibus—Lartington—Cotherstone—Scandinavian Traces—Romaldkirk—Middleton-in-Teesdale—WildScenery—High Force Inn—Thevoice of the Fall | [136] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| Early Morn—High Force—Rock and Water—A Talk with the Waitress—Hillsand Cottages—Cronkley Scar—The Weel—Caldron Snout—SoothingSound—Scrap from an Album—View into Birkdale—A Questfor Dinner—A Westmoreland Farm—Household Matters—High CopeNick—Mickle Fell—The Boys’ Talk—The Hill-top—Glorious Prospect—ADescent—Solitude and Silence—A Moss—Stainmore—Brough—TheCastle Ruin—Reminiscences | [146] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| Return into Yorkshire—The Old Pedlar—Oh! for the Olden Time—“TheBible, indeed!”—An Emissary—Wild Boar Fell—ShunnorFell—Mallerstang—The Eden—A Mountain Walk—Tan Hill—BrownLandscape—A School wanted—Swaledale—From Ling to Grass—ATalk with Lead Miners—Stonesdale—Work for a Missionary—Thwaite—AJolly Landlord—A Ruined Town—The School at Muker—ANickname—Buttertubs Pass—View into Wensleydale—LordWharncliffe’s Lodge—Simonstone—Hardraw Scar—Geological Phenomenon—AFrozen Cone—Hawes | [157] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| Bainbridge—“If you had wanted a wife”—A Ramble—Millgill Force—WhitfellForce—A Lovely Dell—The Roman Camp—The Forest Horn,and the old Hornblower—Haymaking—A Cockney Raker—WensleydaleScythemen—A Friend indeed—Addleborough—Curlews and Grouse—TheFirst Teapot—Nasty Greens—The Prospect—Askrigg—BoltonCastle—Penhill—Middleham—Miles Coverdale’s Birthplace—JervauxAbbey—Moses’s Principia—Nappa Hall—The Metcalfes—The Knightand the King—The Springs—Spoliation of the Druids—The greatCromlech—Legend—An ancient Village—Simmer Water—An advicefor Anglers—More Legends—Counterside—Money-Grubbers—Widdale—NewbyHead | [165] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| About Gimmer Hogs—Gearstones—Source of the Ribble—WeathercoteCave—An Underground Waterfall—A Gem of a Cave—Jingle Pot—TheSilly Ducks—Hurtle Pool—The Boggart—A Reminiscence of theDoctor—Chapel-le-Dale—Remarkable Scenery—Ingleborough—Ingleton—Craven—YoungDaniel Dove, and Long Miles—Clapham—IngleboroughCave—Stalactite and Stalagmite—Marvellous Spectacle—PillarHall—Weird Music—Treacherous Pools—The Abyss—HowStalactite forms—The Jockey Cap—Cross Arches—The Long Gallery—TheGiant’s Hall—Mysterious Waterfall—A Trouty Beck—The Bar-Parlour—ABradford Spinner | [177] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| By Rail to Skipton—A Stony Town—Church and Castle—The Cliffords—Wharfedale—BoltonAbbey—Picturesque Ruins—A Foot-Bath—Scrapsfrom Wordsworth—Bolton Park—The Strid—Barden Tower—TheWharfe—The Shepherd Lord—Reading to Grandfather—A Cup ofTea—Cheerful Hospitality—Trout Fishing—Gale Beck—Symon Seat—AReal Entertainer—Burnsall—A Drink of Porter—Immoralities—Threshfield—Kilnsey—TheCrag—Kettlewell—A Primitive Village—GreatWhernside—Starbottom—Buckden—Last View of Wharfedale—Cray—Bishopdale—APleasant Lane—Bolton Castle—Penhill—Aysgarth—DeadPastimes—Decrease of Quakers—Failure of a Mission—Whyand Wherefore—Aysgarth Force—Drunken Barnaby—Inroad ofFashion | [191] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
| A Walk—Carperby—Despotic Hay-time—Bolton Castle—The Village—QueenMary’s Prison—Redmire—Scarthe Nick—Pleasing Landscape—HalfpennyHouse—Hart-Leap Well—View into Swaledale—Richmond—TheCastle—Historic Names—The Keep—St. Martin’s Cell—EasbyAbbey—Beautiful Ruins—King Arthur and Sleeping Warriors—Ripon—Viewfrom the Minster Tower—Archbishop Wilfrid—TheCrypt—The Nightly Horn—To Studley—Surprising Trick—RobinHood’s Well—Fountains Abbey—Pop goes the Weasel—The Ruins—RobinHood and the Curtall Friar—To Thirsk—The Ancient Elm—Epitaphs | [206] |
| CHAPTER XXIV. | |
| Sutton: a pretty Village—The Hambleton Hills—Gormire Lake—Zigzags—ATable-Land—Boy and Bull Pup—Skawton—Ryedale—RievaulxAbbey—Walter L’Espec—A Charming Ruin—The Terrace—ThePavilion—Helmsley—T’ Boos—Kirkby Moorside—Helmsley Castle—ARiver swallowed—Howardian Hills—Oswaldkirk—Gilling—FairfaxHall—Coxwold—Sterne’s Residence—York—The Minster Tower—Yorke,Yorke, for my monie—The Four Bars—The City Walls—TheOuse Legend—Yorkshire Philosophical Society—Ruins andAntiquities—St. Mary’s Lodge | [217] |
| CHAPTER XXV. | |
| By Rail to Leeds—Kirkstall Abbey—Valley of the Aire—Flight to Settle—Giggleswick—DrunkenBarnaby again—Nymph and Satyr—Theastonished Bagman—What do they Addle?—View from Castleber—GeorgeFox’s Vision on Pendle Hill—Walk to Maum—Companions—Horseversus Scenery—Talk by the Way—Little Wit, muckle Work—MalhamTarn—Ale for Recompense—Malham—Hospitality—GordaleScar—Scenery versus Horse—Trap for Trout—A Brookside Musing—MalhamGrove—Source of the Aire—To Keighley | [226] |
| CHAPTER XXVI. | |
| Keighley—Men in Pinafores—Walk to Haworth—Charlotte Brontë’sBirthplace—The Church—The Pew—The Tombstone—The MarriageRegister—Shipley—Saltaire—A Model Town—Household Arrangements—Iisn’t the Gaffer—A Model Factory—Acres of Floors—Milesof Shafting—Weaving Shed—Thirty Thousand Yards a Day—Cunningmachinery—First Fleeces—Shipley Feast—Scraps of Dialect—To Bradford—RivalTowns—Yorkshire Sleuth-hounds—Die like a Britoner | [235] |
| CHAPTER XXVII. | |
| Bradford’s Fame—Visit to Warehouses—A Smoky Prospect—Ways andMeans of Trade—What John Bull likes—What Brother Jonathan likes—Vulcan’sHead-quarters—Cleckheaton—Heckmondwike—BusyTraffic—Mirfield—Robin Hood’s Grave—Batley the Shoddyopolis—Allthe World’s Tatters—Aspects of Batley—A Boy capt—The Devil’s Den—GrindingRags—Mixing and Oiling—Shoddy and Shoddy—Trickswith Rags—The Scribbling Machine—Short Flocks, Long Threads—Spinnersand Weavers—Dyeing, Dressing, and Pressing—A Moral inShoddy—A surprise of Real Cloth—Iron, Lead, and Coal—To Wakefield—ADisappointment—The Old Chapel—The Battle-field—ToBarnsley—Bairnsla Dialect—Sheffield | [245] |
| CHAPTER XXVIII. | |
| Clouds of Blacks—What Sheffield was and is—A detestable Town—Razorsand Knives—Perfect Work, Imperfect Workmen—Foul Talk—HowFiles are made—Good Iron, Good Steel—Breaking-up andMelting—Making the Crucibles—Casting—Ingots—File Forgers—MachineryBaffled—Cutting the Teeth—Hardening—Cleaning andTesting—Elliott’s Statue—A Ramble to the Corn-Law Rhymer’sHaunt—Rivelin—Bilberry gatherers—Ribbledin—The Port’s Words—ADesecration—To Manchester—A few Words on the Exhibition | [256] |
| CHAPTER XXIX. | |
| A Short Chapter to end with | [266] |
A MONTH IN YORKSHIRE.
CHAPTER I.
A SHORT CHAPTER TO BEGIN WITH.
I had cheerful recollections of Yorkshire. My first lessons in self-reliance and long walks were learned in that county. I could not forget how, fresh from the south, I had been as much astonished at the tall, stalwart forms of the men, their strange rustic dialect and rough manners, as by their hearty hospitality. Nor could I fail to remember the contrast between the bleak outside of certain farm-houses and the rude homely comfort inside, where a ruddy turf fire glowed on the hearth, and mutton hams, and oaten bread, and store of victual burdened the racks of the kitchen ceiling. Nor the generous entertainment of more than one old hostess in little roadside public-houses, who, when I arrived at nightfall, weary with travel, would have me sit at the end of the high-backed settle nearest the fire, or in the ‘neukin’ under the great chimney, and bustle about with motherly kindness to get tea ready; who, before I had eaten the first pile of cakes, would bring a second, with earnest assurance that a “growing lad” could never eat too much; who talked so sympathisingly during the evening—I being at times the only guest—wondering much that I should be so far away from home: had I no friends? where was I going? and the like; who charged me only eighteenpence for tea, bed, and breakfast, and once slily thrust into my pocket, at parting, a couple of cakes, which I did not discover till half way across a snow-drifted moor, where no house was in sight for many miles. All this, and much more which one does not willingly forget, haunted my memory.
The wild scenery of the fells, the tame agricultural region, and the smoky wapentakes, where commerce erects more steeples than religion, were traversed during my rambles. While wandering in the neighbourhood of Keighley, I had seen Charlotte Brontë’s birthplace, long before any one dreamed that she would one day flash as a meteor upon the gaze of the “reading public.” Rosebury Topping had become familiar to me in the landscapes of Cleveland, and now a desire possessed me to get on the top of that magnificent cone. In the villages round about its base I had shared the pepper-cake of Christmas-tide; and falling in with the ancient custom prevalent along the eastern coast from Humber to Tyne, had eaten fried peas on Carlin Sunday—Mid-Lent of the calendar—ere the discovery of that mineral wealth, now known to exist in such astonishing abundance, that whether the British coal-fields will last long enough or not to smelt all the ironstone of Cleveland, is no longer a question with a chief of geologists. I had mused in the ruin where Richard the Second was cruelly murdered, at Pontefract; had looked with proper surprise at the Dropping Well, at Knaresborough, and into St. Robert’s Cave, the depository of Eugene Aram’s terrible secret; had walked into Wakefield, having scarcely outlived the fond belief that there the Vicar once dwelt with his family; and when the guard pointed out the summits as the coach rolled past on the way from Skipton to Kirkby Lonsdale, had no misgivings as to the truth of the saying:
“Penigent, Whernside, and Ingleborough,
Are the three highest hills all England thorough.”
Unawares, in some instances, I had walked across battlefields, memorable alike in the history of the county, and of the kingdom; where marauding Scots, dissolute Hainaulters, Plantagenets and Tudors, Cavalier and Roundhead had rushed to the onslaught. Marston Moor awoke the proudest emotions, notwithstanding my schoolboy recollections of what David Hume had written thereupon; while Towton was something to wonder at, as imagination flew back to the time when