A TRIP ABROAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 41, 13 February 1912, Page 2

A TRIP ABROAD.

(Bi’ ;i Traveller.^ Edeuson Village is an ideal one. TJiere arc 3G houses and not two alike —little villas, with flower gardens, etc., .kept in splendid order. The church is a very fine one <and in the top corner of the churchyard the grave of "Lord .Cavendish, who was done to death in Phoenix Park, Ireland, in 1882, .was pointed out to us. It is close to that of the sixth Duke of Devonshire. Wo drove through the old villages of Beeley and Ilowsley on the Derwent. At the latter va.'lage there is a notable old inn, the Peacock (crest of the Manners), built in 1652. On the return to Bakewcll our Jehu pointed out, a workhouse, the best I have seen for neatness,' etc. The inmates 'evidently take a pride in keeping it so, This “Day in the Peak” was one to be .remembered. There is a village in this . vicinity called Ouornford now,, but formerly known as Plash. It was so called on account of the “flash” gentry who coined 'counterfeit or “flash” coin in the olden days and 1 was told that •the slang word “flash” in use now for spurious or Brummagem jewellery got its origin from the above circumstances. Buxton is noted for its extensive lime-stone quarries and works. The ancient city of Chester was next visited and) right here I would take the opportunity , of .advising travellers of taking as little impedimenta ns convenient so as to minimise as much as possible the unpleasantness .of train changing. Changes were made at Stockport and Crewe, very busy stations, the latter especially; before arriving at Chester. The favourite promenade .in this “fare old City” is upon the old walls, distance around about two miles. They contain or encircle the old city. It is best to ascend the walls by the steps' at the East Gate, lining most convenient for visitors. Passing the cathedral on the left King Charles’ Tower is reached. It is ,so called because from the top of it he saw the defeat of his troops on September 24th, 1645, at Ilowton Moor, about three miles away, passing the North Gate the Water Tower is the next object of interest. It is 72 feet high, is circylar, and was built in 1322. The name was given to it because years ago the tide washed against its sides. In a garden just below this tower ‘is ’a collection of concrete or stone piles' about two feet high. They are 1 f)he’remains of a Roman Bath discovered in 1863. The ißoodce racecourse where' the Chester Cup is run for ‘in May lies between the city walls and the River Dee, and is 64 acres in oxteAt. Passing the bkstle on the left the l old Dee Mill, famous in song, is seen or what .remains of it, as it was lieittg demolished, and now most likely is a thing 1 of thb'jba'st. ' I expected to see a picturesquphold mill, I instead''of which it 1 was a large brick building several stories high. The Avails of Chester Avere built by the Romans in A. D. 61 and rebuilt by the daughter of Alfred the Great. The cathedral stands -on , the. site.iof an..abbey-church-built in--660, and is an imposing edifice, and has a beautiful and interesting interior. The recumbent ..monument of . the late Duke of Westminfetor in V south , Irpnsept is a, splendid', piece'rtf work. God’s Providence‘ House in Watergate Street is said to''have'been so called on account of its being the only house in the street that escaped 1 ■ the,plague in the 17th century. Close ' to it is Bishop Lloyd’s House, or. Palace, like the former a curioiri old place. The Prelate occupied it from ’ 1604 to 1615. The present occupant pointed out the peculiar quaint old ceiling, which is 400 years old.- Round the corner in Bridge Street there are the remains of a Roman Bath situated in the hack of a shop the proI pricin' - of AA-'hich charges a small fee 1 tor s'hoAving the interesting remains of antiquity to visitors. Chester is no- ! ted for its “i’oavs” in Watergate and Bridge Streets, Avhich aie a great convenience during Avet av Gather. ’ These roAvs are covered AA r ays approached by steps from the street and are like loav balconies along the 1 fronts of shops. ‘A very interesting > relic >of olden days is the church of vSt. John the Baptist, one of the fin- , ost stone churches erected after the departure of the Romans. It Avas formerly a cathedral. Part, of the original building is. in ruins. ‘Among the memorials in the church is= one to William Falconer, .; author of “The SliipAvreck.” Adjoining this church is the Grbsvenor Park. One .of its , attractions is a splendid ■ avenue of hollies and at the end of. the long walk is a marble, statue of-the second Marquis of Westminster, aa ; lio gave the 1 park to the city. By taking .the tram to Saltney, a manufacturing suburb a good vioAV of the Barracks, Castle, Rooclee, and surrounding districts is obtained. Near the church in Broughton, a suburb, there is an 'obelisk to the memory of George Marsh, .the Chester martyr, aa'lio after being tortured Avas burned to death -on that spot on April 24th,. 1555! . The Dec is a beautiful river,, upon Avhich there is a great deal '-of boating during the summer months. Eccloton Ferry is about 3i miles Aip the river and the trip on the s.s. Ormonde avas very enjoyable. On arrival the passengers loft the boat and those avlio wished to get a vicAv of Eaton Hall, the palatial residence of the .Duke of Westminster, Avalked on'through the beautiful grounds to the iron bridge about tA\o miles. The . boat in her next trip came up there to bring us back to the “Groves,” the steamer’s landing place at the city. The hall is Avell described as “a magnificent pile.” Near the chapel is a lir.r clock tower 175 feet high, Avhich has a peal of tAventy-eigh't bells, and the Carillon plays tAventy-one melodies. On the return ,avg got another fine vioAv of the hall from the landing 'stops. Whilst in Chester I asked

a stationer what piece was being played at the theatre; he said he could not tell and when asked for the morning’s paper he informed me that there was a,weekly but no daily paper published! On being questioned supposing a serious lire or accident happened or some great function took pla.ee in the early part of the week, what then? “Oh,” he replied, “we’ve grit beyond that little tattle.” I questioned if they ever had arrived at it. , In fact they get any information of that sort from the Liverpool or Manchester dailies. I met many persons from the colonies and they all felt the loss of the daily paper. A lady in Leek had received a copy of the Wellington “Evening Post” in mourning for the late King, and left it .with a stationer who showed it to mo. T told him that there were two other dailies published in that city, and explained that the people in New Zealand are aware of what is going on in the world through the medium of the well-conducted papers out there. The man was astonished, and said, “Why, you seem to he ahead of ns in those matters.” Chester has a happily chosen motto: “Let the ancient people worship the ancient of days.” Livcrpol, the third city in the United Kingdom, has a population of 746,500. The terminus at Birkenhead is called Woodside, not much wood there now. Fine steamers ply to and fro across the Mersey to the city every few minutes for one penny. We got a good view of the Mauritania, which was anchored in the river. Wo received a permit from the management of the Canard S.S. Company and proceeded by the overhead railway to the Hnskisson Docks and was shown over their fine steamer the Caronia, which is beautifully appointed, the decorations, etc., in the first saloon being splendid. After spending a pleasant and- instructive half-hour lithe Town Hall trams were taken to West Derby, returning by another route. We were advised to do this so as to get a good idea of the magnitude of this groat commercial city. Llanduno, the famous watering place in Wales, is a great health resort. The splendid promenade is said to be tlie finest in Great Britain, and the great pavilion in which an excellent band performs regularly during the season will sealt four thousand per sous. There are also two opera anc play houses, so lovers of music anc the drama- are ..well catered for. A tram runs up to the summit of Grew Ormes’ Head, from where there is i

charming view. Char a bancs mi regularly round the hb'ad s which is r very nice drive. Penmaenmawr. “Great Stone Head,” ,150 feet big’ was ijlso visited. It was the favour ito "Welsh resort, of thfe'late Mr Glad (tone and'the drivey pointed, out t< ns' the mansion, . Abput roidkvay he fweeri Conway and Penmaenmawr there is an hiStel on the old Rom nr Road and at the foot of the Sychnan Pass named the Dwygyfylchi. Mud. amusement was caused by the pas gangers’ attempts at the pronounci iition of '.this word. The guard win was (appealed to called it “Dul shywcl'shy”! At a spot ,on this roac the 'word “echo” is painted and tin driver pulled up and blow several chib on a trumpet, which produced .porfeci echoes from the high rocky emincnci across the pass. In some parts (tin scenery was very beautiful, the hill sides being covered with dwarf gors< and heather both in bloom, and tin marbled effects, of the purple, green and gold was very hue. When near ing town the driver pointed to a small aperture in Him concrete wall on the sea side, where, lie said, Misf Charles-worth didn’t go over. He referred to an incident that caused a sensation’ at the time, when the above young person was supposed tc have met with a motor accident there. Bettws-y-Coed, “The Chapel in the Wood,” population 1070. The word Bottws is not Welsh, but a Wclshifi pillion of the English word “Bead* house,” or “House of Prayer.” It if a very pretty little town and a great resort for artists on account of tin “choice bits” of scenery. Some of the views of foliage, rocky streams, etc., arc very much like that in New, Zealand, which means they are beautiful. A diar-a-banc leaves the railway station here for the old “much sketched” Roman bridge, water mill, etc., and crosses a fine bridge with an inscription to the effect tlmlt it was built the year Waterloo was fought, and is therefore known as the Waterloo Bridge. The char-a-banc halts whilst Itho passengers visit the Fairy •Stream, Conway Falls, and the Roman Bridge and Paddy Mill. All very pretty and interesting. The two latter are (close together and are about 3.( miles from Be’Htws. The bridge is of a single arch and of course not used fori any kind of traffic. The mill is very ancient and stands in a. romantic spot close to the falls. It is now used for supplying the necessary power to a separator close by. After lunch at ithe hotel at Pcnmacbus, ,a return was made to Befttws, where the train was taken to Llanduno Junction, which is close to Conway. From there we walked to the famous old Castle. Walking is preferable to going by train as it enables one to see much more of ’the places of interest. When the tide is in the Conway is like a great lake. Tim town is reached by a fine suspension bridge with a spun of 927, feet. The railway bridge close by is tubular and the necessary masonry work is built nn 'the style of the old castle, to the walls of which both bridged are in close proximity. This famous okf structure is a splendi specimen! of the dismantled castle. Deganwy Castle was demolished in 1284, and it is said the stone, etc., was u'sed in the construction of Conway, which was also dismantled by the person to whom it was given for the .sake of 'the timber and lead, which he 'shipped away, but history says the ves-

sels wore wrecked, so ho did not relap •the harvest he expected to. Phis iM'awr, “Great Mansion,” in High Street, is one of the show places of Conway. It is now the home of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, being leased to them by Lord Mostyn, the owner. It was built by Robert Wynne in 1576. In the banqueting hall there is a magnificent fetwork ceiling, and the chief ornamentation of the freize is the oak leaf, symbolical of hospitality. Bishop Williams is said to have resided - at Plas Mawr. There are 3G5 windows, 52 doors and 52 steps to the tower. Like many such ancient buildings with histories, it has its haunted room, where in the dead of night a, “ghost doth take its walk.” The grave mentioned in Wordsworth's famous poem, “Wo are Seven,” is in the old churchyard in the, town. It is protected by a low iron grating which has seven gilt flours delis / along the top. There is another notable .place that the good folks of Conway will tell visitors to be sure .and see. The smallest house in Wales, yes indeed! The smallest house whatever. There is no doubt about its being small, and for contrast a portly dame stands in the doorway selling postcards of it. Loft for the Emerald Isle via Bangor, Holy Head, etc, En route a view of tho'-Mcnai suspension bridge is obtained, and the trail* passes through .Stephenson’s famous tubular bridge. Sailed by the s.'s.’ Connaught and after a lino ‘and quick passage (arrived at Kingstown, and from thence by train to Westland Row station, Dublin.