Holiday Haunts.

HOLIDAY HAUNTS .

WALESTHE LAKESAND SCOTLAND .

UPON arriving at tbe head-quarters of tbe London and North Western Railway , in London , the traveller might well pause in the courtyard and admire the magnificent Doric Archway , which spaas the entrance to it , and whioh is without a oompeor . He might too , contemplate the name the station bears , aud cast his mind back for a while to the house bnilt by Lord Arlington , at Enston , in Suffolk ,

during the reigu of Charles II . This grand estate , which came into the family of the present holder , the Duke of Grafton , through marriage of the first Duke into the Arlington family , comprises 15 , 000 acres , and is not less than forty miles in circuit . Robert Bloomfield , the " Parmer ' s Boy , " writing of Easton ,

says" Where noble Grafton spread its rich domains Bound Euston ' s watered vales and sloping plains j Where woods and groves in solemn grandeur rise , Where the kite brooding uumolested flies j The woodcock and the painted pheasant race , And skulking foxes destined for the chace . "

We need not dwell npon the contrast between the Easton in Suffolk , and the Station bearing the same name . It is suggestive of thought , and the stndy might well engage attention for a passing honr or two . Commercial men need no advice as to how they shall travel . Ifc is part of their business to learn all about routes and charges , times and

distances . The pleasure-seeker is differently circumstanced , and has to gather his information as best he can . Fortunately Railway Companies give maps with their time tables , and these should always be consulted . They appear to be , and sometimes are , very intricate , and require no little patience to master them , bnt the trouble would be repaid in the knowledge gained of tho geography of the country , and

especially of that part of it intended to be visited . The map accompanying the London and North Western time table is perhaps one of the most difficult to understand , taking a first glance at it , bnt the figures attached to every branoh make the references comparatively easy to those who take a little trouble . The railway line from Enston to Bletchley is tolerably free from tentacles ; on passing that

Junction , however , they spread out , interlace and curve in a manner suggestive of an inky fly ' s trail over a sheet of white paper . We shall not attempt to give a guide to the iron maze , but we shall direct attention to the salient features . Before arriving at Bletchley , jnst past Harrow , a spur on the right goes to St . Albans , and another on the left to Eickmansworth . Farther on

a branch spreads out to Aylesbnry , and another on the opposite side to Dunstable and Luton , the seats of the straw-plaiting trade . At Bletchley tbe line goes left to Oxford and right to Cambridge . At Blisworth the branches become more intricate . On the left one long spnr goes to Stratford-upon-Avon , and on tbe right lie Northampton , Peterborough , Market Harborough , Stamford , Leicester , Newark ,

Nottingham , and a host of other towns . Again at Rugby do the lines branch out , one loop taking in Leamington , Warwick , Kenilworth and Coventry , and thence on to Birmingham , Wolverhampton and Stafford . Between these loops and the main line are numerous small lines embracing what is termed the black country , to see which the journey shonld be taken on a dark night . The church and

the village of Kenilworth are worth seeing , but the remains of the castle are the chief attraction . Here imagination must build up the picture that this place presented when Queen Elizabeth was the guest of Leicester . It is a romantic spot even now ; but what must it have been when , npon the visit of the Virgin Queen , it was " gorgeously hung for her reception with the richest silken tapestry ,

misty with perfumes , and sounding to strains of sort and delicious music . " To conjure np the figures that once graced this charming spot , to fill np the canvas with tbe moving spirits of tbe time when Kenilworth was gay , when the walls of the Castle covered seven acres , would be an interesting study , especially with the aid of Sir Walter Scott , who has done so much in investing : the ruins with

enchantment . A walk to Coventry would be worth the time and exertion . The country is delightful , and the distance is only about five miles . Coventry is a place of great antiquity , and the story of Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom is well known . The pageant was revived only a few days ago , when an equestrienne personated the character of Lady Godiva , wife of Leofric , to the immense delight of thousands

of spectators . The people for centuries past have been fond of processions and displays , and although the shows of the present day are but tinsel compared with those of former times , the old spirit remains . The town was renowned for the costly way in which religious dramas , called Mysteries , nsed to be mounted and played in the days of Corpus Cbristi . The times have changed , the manners

are altered , bnt the Coventry people remain true to their traditions . According to the " Abbeys , Castles , and Ancient Halls of England and Wales , " a splendid work , published by Warne and Co ., " one of the richest and most interesting vestiges of tbe domestic architecture of the fifteenth century in Coventry , and perhaps in England , is St . Mary ' s Hall , erected in the reign of Henry VI . " It has a

grotesquely carved roof of oak , a gallery for minstrels , an armoury , and chair of state , which , with the great painted window , furnish a vivid idea of the manners of the age in which Coventry was the favourite resort of princes . A tapestry , made in 1450 , measuring 30 feet by 10 , and containing 80 figures , is a curious and beautiful specimen of the " drawing , dyeing , and embroidering of that period . " We must leave

Coventry and just take a peep at Lichfield , which is on the main line before leaving Stafford . As the birthplace of Samuel Johnson the town will always be memorable ; but it possesses an attraction in its Cathedral which is irresistible . It is said to be " the most perfect in form of any ecclesiastical edifice in England , " It h > is been the scene of strange tragedies and stirring events ; heretics went

Holiday Haunts.

from the prisons in its precincts to the stake , and around the walls " Chevalier and Roundhead fought with passionate intensity . " Notwithstanding tbe damage that waa done to the structure , the munificence of the present generation , and the geniuB of Sir Gilbert Scott have revived its claims to admiration and reverence . From Stafford the main line continues to Crewe , whioh we

shall reach by another route . From Stafford the line branches off to the left to Shrewsbury , thence sonthwards , dividing at Craven Arms , one long spur going south-west to Landilo , where it once more forms a fork leading on the left to Llanelly and Swansea , and on the right to Pembroke . The other branoh from Craven Arms goes to " Hereford , debouohing on . the right for Abergavenny ,

Merthyr , Cardiff , and Newport . All these places have an interest of their own , and none greater than that of Shrewsbury . It is a fine old town , rich in timbered , gabled , and overhanging houses , whioh are preserved with a care worthy of their age and tbe times and manners they in no small degree represent . Shrewsbury might be fixed upon by those who desire to see Wales ; indeed , it is admirably the

situated for the purpose . Llandilo is also a centre of attraction , scenery is pretty , and some good angling is to be had in the locality . Llanelly is a thriving place , but it lacks the flavour of its near neighbour . Swansea . Tbis town is beautifully situated between two lofty hills , and notwithstanding belching chimneys and the clang of metals , there is something about Swansea whioh pleases the

stranger and excites pride in the natives . It is an ancient town , it has a splendid maritime position , and it affords good bathing . The last feature is not likely to induce visitors to go to Swansea for the simple reason that from a village it has become a large emporium of trade , and that of a character not conducive to pleasant sights and sounds . With all its drawbacks on the score of trade , the bay of Swansea and

the surroundings possess attractions worth seeing . Carmarthen is situated on the other fork of the line and is a place of great interest and importance . It is finely placed on an elevation , commanding the river Towy , whioh here is wide and flowing , and adds a charm to the scene around . Tenby and Pembroke are on the same line . The former town is remarkably beautiful and is a very fashionable

watering place . The water is clear , the sand firm and extensive , the air pure , and the whole country around abounds in obarms for the artist and the antiquarian . Pembroke is an ancient town and has a remarkable past . It has a good dockyard , where some of the finest modern ships of the British navy have been built . But the ruins of what was once a grand castle , and the country ronnd about , are the main features of Pembroke . Then there are Milford and Milford

Haven , the former a comparatively new town , which has seen many vicissitudes in its short career . The Haven is considered one of the finest in Europe , and although the shores are not particularly picturesque , there is a grandeur about the vast expanse of water whioh delights the eye . On the fork from Craven Arms southward we may mention Ludlow and Hereford in the first instance . The

beanty of the scenery abont the former is well kuown , some portions are unsurpassed in the country , hills , forest , river , and valleys forming a magnificent whole . The ruins of the Castle stand boldly out on their rooky foundation , and it is from them that the view we have mentioned can be obtained . We cannot dwell upon the associations whioh cling around Ludlow , but we may mention that it was the

home of the son of Edward IV ., who held mimio court there when only twelve years of age . Young Philip Sidney was a frequent visitor at the Castle ; it was there that Milton's Masque of Comus was represented for the first time , in 1634 . •The idea prevails that it was written at Ludlow Castle , but we incline to the belief that Milton wrote it at his father ' s residence in Buckinghamshire .

Hereford is an old city on the border of Wales , and is surrounded by rioh garden scenery , a distinguishing feature of the county . The Cathedral has a very old foundation , and the present struoture is chiefly Norman and early English . There are some quaint things to be seen at Hereford , and some old memories to be recalled . The . theatre , for instance , was the nursery of such distinguished performers on

the English stage as Olive , Siddons , and Kemble . David Garriok was born there , and Nell Gwynne , the favourite of Charles II ., first saw the light in Pipe-lane , in tbe old oity . Abergavenny , situated in an amphitheatre , and surrounded by mountains , is a few miles further south . Then there are Merthyr , Newport , and Cardiff , allso well known as centres of commerce . Around Abergavenny and the

locality are many scenes of interest which we cannot even pause to catalogue . Leaving South Wales , and going back to Shrewsbury , the line goes west to Pontypool , thence by diversions to Aberysiwith , situated about the middle of Cardigan Bay . It is a very popular watering place , and has many and varied attractions , including walks and drives ; amongst the latter may be

mentioned that to the Devil ' s Bridge , one of the sights of this part of Wales that ought not to be missed . It is a double arched bridge , one built above tbe other ; tbe lower one is said to be the work of the Evil Onej the other , no doubt , had a less canny origin . They are both perched high up in the rocks , and through a fissure beneath , 114 feet above the ravine below , rushes a stream of water from its

narrow confines with a roar scarcely to be expected from so small a throat . The trees and verdant growth , and the hidden pools , which from a certain point of view , become a large lake , make up a grand picture . In the same direction , bnt farther on , are other attractions , amongst the noblest of which are the Plinlimmon Mountains-Returning from Aberystwith northward , the line goes to Aberdovey ,

Towyn , and Barmouth Junction . Here a spur juts out to Dolgelly , a point from which tourists can start in search of many charming scenes , including Cader Idris—the dale of the . hazels . The whole locality is full of mountain scenery , rioh and varied . Along the coast is Barmouth , a flourishing , pretty seaside Tesovt , and beyond Harlech with its rained castle on an elevated rock , its historic and warlike

associations . It was here that Margaret of Anjou took refuge after the defeat of her husband at Northampton in 1460 , and during the Wars of the Roses it was held by a mighty Welchman in the interest of the house of Lancaster , and sustained a siege whioh gave occasion to the spirited air entitled " The March of the Men of Harlech , '