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PART III

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"MY GREAT JOURNEY TO NEWCASTLE AND
4TO CORNWALL" (1698)

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1. FROM LONDON THROUGH EAST ANGLIA
7TO ELY

8
9    My Great Journey to Newcastle and to Cornwall, the account
10of many journeys into most parts of England what
11observation and distance of one place to another in my
12travels.
13    From London to Albins Albyns in Essex 17 mile, Sir
14Robert Abdys, whose house stands very pleasantly in a
15park full of deer; the house on an advanced ground appeares
16to view at the entrance, but its old building large roomes,
17some rows of trees lead up to it; thence I return'd home 17
18mile more; from London to Bednal-green Bethnal Green
19twice and back again 16 mile, from London to Highgate
204 miles to Mr. Thomas's house, where is a most exact
21garden, with all sorts of greens and flowers and fishponds
22its all but little; there my Nephew Fiennes Harrison with
23Mr. Showers went to fish with me, thence we went to Hampstead
24so made it 5 mile home againe; I went from London

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25twice and back againe from Kensingston, in all 8 mile - this
26I put in only to know the number of miles that I went in one
27yeare.
28    From London to Amwell bery Amwell Bury which is in
29Hartfordshire 19 mile, where I staid a day or two, thence to
30Bishopstafford Bishops Stortford in Essex 13 mile, thence to
31Dunmew Dunmow 8 long miles thro' severall little villages,
32its very deep way especially after raines; this is a little Market
33town, they are altogether taken up about the spinning and
34prepareing for the Bayes baize : all along between that and
35Colchester you pass but halfe a mile ere one comes to two
36or 3 houses all along the road, its from Dunmow to Collchester
3722 miles, and mostly clay deep way.
38    Colchester is a large town in the compass of ground,
39formerly there was 16 Churches tho' now much of it is
40ruinated; a mile before you come to the new town one enters
41a little village which still is in the limits of the Citty and
42Majors Mayor's jurisdiction, there is a pretty good house
43of the Lord Lucas: you enter the town by a gate there are
444 in all, there is a large streete which runs a great length
45down to the bridge near a mile long, about the middle of it
46runs another broad streete and near its length, in which is
47the Market Cross and Town Hall and a long building like
48stalls on purpose to lay their Bayes baize when exposed to
49saile, great quantetyes are made here and sent in Bales to
50London that is 44 miles distant, the whole town is employ'd
51in spinning weaveing washing drying and dressing their
52Bayes, in which they seeme very industrious; there I saw the
53Card they use to comb and dress the Bayes, which they call
54them testles teasels which are a kind of rush tops or
55something like them which they put in frames or laths of
56wood; the town looks like a thriveing place by the substantiall
57houses, well pitched streetes which are broad enough
58for two Coaches to go a breast, besides a pitch'd walke on
59either side by the houses, secured by stumps of wood and is

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60convenient for 3 to walke together; their buildings are of
61timber of loame and lathes and much tileing, the fashion of
62the Country runs much in long roofes and great cantilivers
63and peakes; out of these great streetes runs many little streetes
64but not very narrow, mostly old buildings except a few
65houses builded by some Quakers that are brick and of the
66London mode; the town did extend it self to the sea but now
67its ruines sets it 3 mile off; the low grounds all about the
68town are used for the whitening their Bayes for which this
69town is remarkable, and also for exceeding good oysters,
70but its a dear place and to grattifye my curiosity to eate them
71on the place I paid dear; its a town full of Dessenters 2
72meeteings very full besides Anabaptists and Quakers, formerly
73the famous Mr. Stockton was minister there till he dyed.
74    From Colchester to Ipswitch is 18 mile and thence to
75Dedom Dedham 9 miles, the way pretty good except 4 or
765 miles they call the Severalls, a sort of deep moore ground
77and woody; at this place I passed over a wooden bridge
78pretty large with timber railes of which make they build
79their bridges in these parts; and now I go into Suffolk which
80is not so rich land as that part of Essex I passed through
81which was meadows and grounds with great burdens of
82grass and corn.
83    So I went to Ipswitch 9 mile more, this is a very clean town
84and much bigger than Colchester is now, Ipswitch has 12
85Churches, their streetes of a good size well pitch'd with small
86stones, a good Market Cross railed in, I was there on Satturday
87which is their market day and saw they sold their butter
88by the pinte, 20 ounces for 6 pence, and often for 5d. or 4d.
89they make it up in a mold just in the shape of a pinte pot and
90so sell it; their Market Cross has good carving, the figure of
91Justice carv'd and gilt, there is but 3 or 4 good houses in
92the town, the rest is much like the Colchester buildings but
93it seems more shatter'd and indeed the town looks a little
94disregarded, and by enquiry found it to be thro' pride and
95sloth, for tro' the sea would bear a ship of 300 tun up quite

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96to the key and the ships of the first rate can ride within two
97mile of the town, yet they make no advantage thereof by any
98sort of manufacture, which they might do as well as Colchester
99and Norwitch, so that the shipps that brings their
100coales goes light away; neither do they adress themselves to
101victual or provide for shipps, they have a little dock where
102formerly they built ships of 2 or 300 tun but now little or
103nothing is minded save a little fishing for the supply of the
104town.
105    There is one pretty good house Christ Church Manor of
106the Earle of Herriford Hereford that marry'd one of Mr.
107Norborns Daughters that was killed by Sir Thomas Montgomery;
108you enter thro' two Courts walled and divided by
109a breast wall on which are iron spikes pallasadoes, the middle
110is a broad gravell walke fenced in with stone balls on each
111side, 3 or 4 steps up into the other Court, and so many steps
112more thro' an arch into a third Court, this arch joyns a low
113building which are the offices and leaded on the top and
114rail'd round, and each end enters into chambers joyning to
115the house that is built round this last Court, from whence
116you enter the porch; the house is handsome all brick worke
117and brick pillars, a good hall parlour and drawing roome
118and large closet, 2 or 3 other roomes left answereing it and a
119Billyard Roome above with as many roomes of State all
120furnish'd with good old things; a pretty staircase but its all
121little; there are 3 gardens on the one side with grass and
122gravell walks all kept neate and good fruite; on the other
123side is one large garden with a sum~er house in which stands
124a large statue, black of a gigantick form and proportion, this
125answeres the fine green house on the other side; this town
126has many Dessenters in it.
127    Thence I went to Woodbridge 7 mile, mostly lanes enclosed
128countrys; this is a little Market town but has a great
129meeting for the Dessenters; thence to Wickham 5 mile more
130- but these are all very Long miles.

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131    Thence to Saxmunday Saxmundham 8 miles more, this
132is a pretty bigg market town, the wayes are pretty deep,
133mostly lanes very little commons; I pass'd by severall Gentlemens
134seates - one Mr. Dormers which stands in a fine parke
135the entrance from the Road thro' rows of trees discovered
136the front and building very finely to view, being built with
137stone and brick and many sashes lookes like a new house,
138with the open iron barr gates between pillars of stone the
139breadth of the house; so to Bathfort Blyford 8 miles where
140is the remaines of the walls of an Abby and there is still a
141very fine Church, all carv'd in stone hollow work one tire
142tier above another to the tower that ascends not very high
143but finely carv'd also; hence I descended into lower grounds
144banck'd on each side with a brick wall but low, and so a walk
145on it for foote people and severall arches here and there to
146draine off the water, so that those bancks are to secure the
147Road from the marshy fenny water that oft a great extent on
148both sides is subject to; thence I passed by some woods and
149little villages of a few scattered houses, and generally the
150people here are able to give so bad a direction that passengers
151are at a loss what aime to take, they know scarce 3 mile from
152their home, and meete them where you will, enquire how
153farre to such a place, they mind not where they are then but
154tell you so farre which is the distance from their own houses
155to that place; I saw at a distance as I descended some of their
156hills a large place that look'd nobly and stood very high like
157a large town; they told me it was called either Stowle Southwold
158or Nole I cannot tell which.
159    I rode in sight of St. Georges Channell in the way from
160Colchester and Ipswitch and so to Norwich, sometymes it
161was in view then lost againe; to Beckle Beccles is 8 mile
162more which in all was 36 miles from Ipswitch - but exceeding
163long miles - they do own they are 41 measured miles; this
164is a little market town but its the third biggest town in the
165County of Suffolke, Ipswitch, Berry Bury St. Edmunds and
166this; here was a good big Meeting place at least 400 hearers
167and they have a very good Minister one Mr. Killinghall, he
168is but a young man but seemed very serious, I was there the

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169Lords day; Sir Robert Rich is a great supporter of them and
170contributed to the building the Meeting place, which is very
171neate, he has a good house Roos Hall at the end of the
172town with fine gardens; there are no good buildings the
173town being old timber and plaister-work except his and one
174or two more, there is a pretty bigg Market Cross and a great
175market kept, there is a handsome stone built Church
176and a very good publick Minister whose name Armstrong
177he preaches very well; they say notwithstanding the
178town is a sad Jacobitish town; this chooses no parliament
179men.
180    At the towns end one passes over the River Waveny
181Waveney on a wooden bridg railed with timber and so you
182enter into Norfolk, its a low flatt ground all here about so
183that the least raines they are overflowed by the River and
184lye under water, as they did when I was there, so that the
185roade lay under water which is very unsafe for strangers to
186pass, by reason of the holes and quick sands and loose
187bottom; the ordinary people both in Suffolk and Norfolk
188knitt much and spin, some with the rock and fusoe as the
189French does, others at their wheeles out in the streete and
190lanes as one passes; its from this town to Norwitch 12 miles
191and its 10 to Yarmouth, where they built some small shipps
192and is a harbour for them, and where they victual them,
193also Harwitch about 12 or 14 miles also, but the miles are
194here as long again as about London, and pretty deep way
195especially after raines, these miles are much longer than most
196miles in Yorkshire.
197    Norwitch opens to view a mile distance by the help of a
198hill whereon is a little village, as I observe most of the great
199towns and cittys have about them little villages as attendants
200or appendix's to them which are a sort of subburbs, there
201being stragling houses for the most part all the way between
202that and the gates; you pass over a high bridge that leads on

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203over a high Causey of a pretty length which lookes somewhat
204dangerous, being with fenced with trenches from its bancks
205pretty deep thats on both sides to secure it from the water,
206and these trenches runns in many places round the low
207grounds to drain them, which are employ'd to whiten and
208bleach their woollen stuff the manufacture of the place; this
209long Causey brings you to the large stone bridge over the
210river into which those trenches empty themselves.
211    Then you proceed to the Citty which is walled round full
212of towers, except on the river side which serves for the wall;
213they seeme the best in repaire of any walled citty I know,
214tho' in some places there are little breaches, but the carving
215and battlements and towers looks well; I enter'd the West
216gate, there are 12 gates in all and 36 Churches which is to
217be seen in a clear day altogether, on the Castle walls I told
21830 myself; there they are built all of flints well headed or cut
219which makes them look blackish and shineing; the streetes
220are all well pitch'd with small stones and very clean and many
221very broad streetes; that I entred in first was very broad for
2222 Coaches or Carts to pass on either side and in the middle
223was a great Well house with a wheele to wind up the water
224for the good of the publick; a little farther is a large pond
225walled up with brick a mans height with an entrance on one
226end, a little farther was a building on which they were at
227work design'd for a Water house to supply the town by
228pipes into their houses with water, at a little distance was
229another such a pond walled in, as I described before; these
230things fill up the middle of this spacious streete which is for
231use and also ornament, the spaces each side being so broad;
232this brings you into a broad space called the Hay market
233which is on a hill a very steep descent all well pitch'd as
234before, this comes to another space for a market to sell hoggs
235in and opens farther into divisions of buildings that begins
236severall streetes that runs off good lengths and are of a
237tollerable size; one runs along behind, which is all for
238stalls for the Country butchers that bring their meate for
239the supply of the town, which pay such a rent for them to the
240town, on the other side are houses of the Town butchers the

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241Inhabitants, by it is a large market for fish which are all
242at a little distance from the heart of the Citty so is not
243annoy'd with them, there is a very large Market place and
244Hall and Cross for fruite and little things every day, and also
245a place under pillars for the Corn market.
246    The building round here is esteemed the best and here is
247the Town Hall but all their buildings are of an old form,
248mostly in deep poynts and much tileing as has been observ'd
249before, and their building timber and they playster on laths
250which they strike out into squares like broad free stone on
251the outside, which makes their fronts look pretty well, and
252some they build high and contract the roofes resembling
253the London houses, but none of brick except some few
254beyond the river which are built of some of the rich factors
255like the London buildings; there is in the middle of the town
256the Duke of Norfolks house of brick and stone with severall
257towers and turrets and balls that looks well, with large gardens
258but the inside is all demolish'd, only the walls stand
259and a few roomes for offices, but nothing of state or tollerable
260for use.
261    On the Castle hill you see the whole Citty at once, being
262built round it, its a vast place and takes up a large tract of
263ground its 6 miles in compass; here is the County hall and
264Goale where the asizes are held and the sessions; nothing of
265the Castle remaines but a green space and under it is also a
266large space for the beast market and 3 tymes in the year is
267there very great faires kept, to which resort a vaste concourse
268of people and wares a full trade; the whole Citty lookes like
269what it is, a rich thriveing industrious place; Satturday is their
270great market day; they have beside the Town hall a hall distinct
271which is the Sealeing hall where their stuffs are all
272measured, and if they hold their breadth and lengths they
273are sealed, but if they are deffective there is a fine layd on the
274owner and a private marke on the stuff which shews its
275defficiency.

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276    Here was also the Mint which they coyn'd at, but since
277the old money is all new coyn'd into mill'd money, that
278ceases: here there is a fine large Cathedrall and very lofty but
279nothing remarkable of monuments or else; by it is 3 Hospitalls
280for boys girls and old people who spinn yarne, as
281does all the town besides for the Crapes Callimanco Calico
282and Damaskes which is the whole business of the place;
283indeed they are arrived to a great perfection in their worke so
284fine and thinn and glossy their pieces are 27 yards in length
285and their price is from 30 shillings to 3 pound as they are in
286fineness; a man can weave 13 yards a day, I saw some weaveing;
287they are all employ'd in spinning knitting weaveing
288drying scouring fulling or bleaching their stuffs; their hospitalls
289are well provided for there are 32 women in one as
290many men in the other, there is also a good free schoole;
291there is a great many Cerimonyes in the choice and swearing
292their major mayor they elect him the first of May and then
293prepare for his being sworne on Holly Holy Thursday;
294they new washe and plaister their houses within and without
295which they strike out in squares like free stone; all the streete
296in which this major elects house is very exact in beautifying
297themselves and hanging up flaggs the coullours of their
298Companyes and dress up pageants and there are playes and
299all sorts of shows that day, in little what is done at the Lord
300Major of London show; then they have a great feast with
301fine flaggs and scenes hung out, musick and danceing; I was
302in the hall they keep their feast in and saw some of their
303preparations for that day being about a fortnight to it.
304    The town is a mile and a halfe from the North to the South
305gate, just by one of the Churches there is a wall made of
306flints that are headed very finely and cut so exactly square
307and even, to shutt in one to another, that the whole wall is
308made without cement at all they say, but it appears to be very
309little if any morter, it looks well very smooth shineing and
310black; a great many Descenters are in this Citty; the
311Gentlewoman that was my acquaintance there dyed 10
312dayes before I came thither so I made no great stay there but

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313to see about the town; there are besides severall common
314cunduits.
315    Thence I went to Windham Wymondham a little market
316town 5 miles, mostly on a Causey the country being low and
317moorish and the road on the Causey was in many places full
318of holes, tho' its secured by a barr at which passengers pay
319a penny a horse in order to the mending the way, for all about
320is not to be rode on unless its a very dry summer; thence we
321went mostly through lanes where you meete the ordinary
322people knitting 4 or 5 in company under the hedges; to
323Attleborough 5 mile more which is such another little market
324town, then over an open down like Salisbery Plaine 4 mile
325more to a little village, still finding the country full of spinners
326and knitters; thence to Thetford 6 miles more, which
327was formerly a large place but now much decay'd and the
328ruines only shews its dimentions; there is a very high hill
329quite round stands up on one side of it and can scarcely be
330ascended so steepe; here I lay which is still in Norfolk.
331    Next day I went to Euston Hall which was the Lord
332Arlingtons and by his only daughters marriage with the
333Duke of Grafton is his sons by her, its two mile from Thetford;
334it stands in a large parke 6 miles about, the house is a
335Roman H of brick, 4 towers with balls on them, the windows
336are low and not sarshes else the roomes are of a good size
337and height; a good staircase full of good pictures, a long
338gallery hung with pictures at length - on the one side the
339Royal family from K. Henry the 7th by the Scottish race his
340eldest daughter down to the present King William and his
341Queen Mary, the other side are forreign princes from the
342Emperour of Moroccoe the Northern and Southern princes
343and Emperour of Germany; there is a square in the middle
344where stands a billiard table hung with outlandish pictures
345of Heroes, there is Count Egminton Horn Counts Egmont
346and Hoorn etc., at the end of the roome is the Duke and
347Dutchess of Graftons pictures at length also; thence I enterd
348into dineing and drawing roome and bed chambers of a
349very good size and good fretwork on the cieling, in one of
350the roomes was the Dutchess of Cleavelands picture in a

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351Sultaness dress - the Duke of Grafton being King Charles
352the Seconds base son by her - there was also another picture
353of the Royal family King Charles the Firsts 5 Children altogether,
354I have often seen 3 which was King Charles the
355Second King James and the Princess of Orange, but here
356was also the Lady Elizabeth and the Duke of Glocester a
357little Infant on a pillow; in another place there is the Queen
358Mothers picture and Lady Heneretta drawn large; there
359is a fine hall and parlour below pav'd with free stone, there
360are good gardens with fountaines and some stone statues,
361a Cannall by the side, a large Court at the entrance with 3
362iron barr gates which open to the front divided with stone
363pillars and balls; the Court without is walled round and the
364wall is carry'd a great length round the back yards, within
365this is another Court with iron spike pallasadoes divided
366every 2 or 3 yards by little stone pillars with balls; there are
367severall rows of trees runs of a great length thro' the parke a
368visto to the front of the house, which lookes nobly tho' not
369just of the new modell'd way of building; at the back gate I
370crossed over the river Waveny which is the division of the
371two County's and enter'd Suffolk, and pass'd over perfect
372downs champion country just like Salisbery Plaine, and the
373winds have a pretty power here and blows strongly in the
374winter not well to be endured.
375    So to St. Edmunds-bury Bury St. Edmunds 8 mile - but
376as has been often observ'd before the miles are very long - I
377pass'd by two or 3 little villages and about 2 mile off there is
378the town of St. Edmunds Bury which appeares standing on a
379great hill; the towers and buildings look so compact and well
380together with the trees and gardens thick about it the prospect
381was wonderfully pleasant; a mile off by a little village I
382descended a hill which made the prospect of the town still
383in view and much to advantage; its but two parishes; the
384Market Cross has a dyal and lanthorn on the top, and there
385being another house pretty close to it high built with such a
386tower and lanthorn also, with the two churches towers and
387some other buildings pretty good made it appear nobly at a

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388distance; this high house is an apothecarys, at least 60
389stepps up from the ground and gives a pleaseing prospect
390of the whole town, that is compact severall streetes but no
391good buildings; except this the rest are great old houses of
392timber and mostly in the old forme of the country which are
393long peaked roofes of tileing; this house is the new mode of
394building, 4 roomes of a floore pretty sizeable and high, well
395furnish'd, a drawing roome and chamber full of China and
396a Damaske bed embroyder'd, 2 other roomes, Camlet and
397Mohaire beds, a pretty deale of plaite in his wives chamber,
398parlours below and a large shop; he is esteem'd a very rich
399man; he shewed me a Curiosity of an Herball all written out
400with every sort of tree and herb dryed and cut out and pasted
401on the leaves - it was a Doctor of Physicks work that left
402it him as Legacy at his death, it was a fine thing and would
403have delighted me severall dayes but I was passant; there
404was two streets were broad and very long out of which run
405a cross 5 or 6 streetes more, which are as good as in most
406country towns, they were well pitch'd with small stones;
407there are many Descenters in the town 4 Meeting places
408with the Quakers and Anabaptists, there is only the ruines
409of the Abby walls and the fine gate at the entrance that remaines
410stone well carv'd; it seemes to be a thriveing industrious
411town 4 gates in it.
412    There are a great deale of Gentry which lives in town
413tho' there are no good houses but what are old rambling
414ones, there are in that they call the Green, a space by the
415Churches St. Mary's and St. James' which are pretty near
416together, they are pretty large but nothing curious in them,
417stone buildings no monuments worth notice; they keep them
418very clean and neate and have a moveable scaffold to clean
419the roofe and windows and walls; its a very dear place so
420much Company living in the town makes provision scarce
421and dear, however its a good excuse to raise the reckoning
422on strangers.

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423    Thence I went to Admiral Russells who is now Lord Orford,
424a long 10 mile and loseing my way made it 12 mile,
425its pretty good way; I passed by a village or two and in a
426mile of Lord Orffords house Chippenham Park I enter
427Cambridgeshire; it stands 3 mile from New Market you ride
428in sight of New Market Heath where the races are, its good
429road; here are severall good gardens well kept good gravell
430and green walks with fine greens and flowers walled in and
431all the outhouses very handsome; a coach yard and stables
432in the middle of which is large gate into the ground and
433built over with a high lanthorn where hangs the clock and
434bell, this stands higher than the house like a tower, the house
435being a flat roofe leaded and railed round full of chimneys,
436but this tower I saw 10 mile off; all the out offices built round
437a court very handsome; the hall is very noble paved with
438freestone a squaire of black marble at each corner of the
439freestone; there are two fine white marble tables veined with
440blew, its wanscoated with Wallnut tree the pannells and
441rims round with Mulbery tree that is a lemon coullour and
442the moldings beyond it round are of a sweete outlandish
443wood not much differing from Cedar but of a finer graine,
444the chaires are all the same; its hung with pictures att full
445proportion of the Royal family; all in their coronation robes
446from Charles the First to his Majesty with the Queen also,
447and at the end is Prince George and Princess Ann, in their
448robes of crimson velvet and Dukel coronet as Duke and
449Dutchess of Cumberland; the whole house is finely furnish'd
450with differing coulloured damask and velvets some figured
451and others plaine, at least 6 or 7 in all richly made up after
452a new mode; in the best drawing roome was a very rich
453hanging gold and silver and a little scarlet, mostly tissue and
454brocade of gold and silver and border of green damaske
455round it; the window curtain the same green damaske and
456doore curtaines; there was no looking-glass but on the

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457chimney-piece and just opposite in the place a looking glass
458used to be was 4 pannells of glass in length and 3 in breadth
459set together in the wanscoate; the same was in another drawing
460roome which was for my Lord; the dineing roome had
461this looking glass on the two peers between the three windows
462it was from the top to the bottom 2 pannells in breadth
463and 7 in length, so it shews one from top to toe; the roomes
464were all well wanscoated and hung and there was the finest
465carv'd wood in fruitages herbages gemms beasts fowles, etc.,
466very thinn and fine all in white wood without paint or varnish,
467the severall sorts of things thus carv'd were exceeding
468naturall all round; the chimney pieces and the sconces stand
469on each side the chimneys and the the glasses in those chambers
470where were loose looking-glasses, which were with fine
471carv'd head and frames some of the naturall wood others
472gilt, but they were the largest looking-glasses I ever saw;
473there was a great flower pott gilt each side the chimney in
474the dineing roome for to sett trees in; the great curiosity
475of this wood carving about the doores chimneys and sconces
476together with the great looking glass pannells is much talked
477off and is the finest and most in quantety and numbers thats
478to be seen any where; there is very fine China and silver things
479andirons and jarrs and perfume pots of silver; the common
480roomes are all new convenient and neate with double doores
481lined to prevent noises; the staircase is wanscoated, very
482noble fine pictures, there is the battle at La Hogue a large sea
483piece with an inscription of the Admiralls valour when the
484great ship the Gunn was burnt, mightily valued by the French
485King.