Holiday Haunts.

HOLIDAY HAUNTS .

— : u : — DUE NORTH AND THE EASTERN COAST

BATTLE Bridge , now known as King's Cross , is an historical site . Here , a thousand years ago , King Alfred defeated the Danes , hence its original name . A loyal bricklayer , in his enthnsiasm , erected an octagonal tower in hononr of George IV . and surmounted it with a statue of his majesty of so grotesque a character thafc tbo late George Cruikshank , the princo of caricaturists , sketched it

and handed ifc down to posterity as " Dusty Bob in a Blanket . " There is nothing "dusty" about the structure that forms the terminus of the Great Northern Railway , nor about the "Flying Scotsman , " which does the distance between London and Edinburgh ( close upon 400 miles ) , allowing hnlf-an-hour ' s stay at York , in nine hours . This is perfection of modern travelling and a great triumph

of enterprise . Like all other railways , tbe Great Northern has running powers over other lines and is thus enabled to book passengers through to most parts of the country . The great trunk begins afc King ' s Cross , and , strictly speaking , ends at Doncaster , but it continues on to Edinburgh and Glasgow . From the former place it branches ont

and covers a great part of Scotland . Oat of the trunk , limbs stretch forth in various directions , both right and left , taking in all the centres of commerce and covering many places of interest to the tourist . Wo propose traversing some of tho districts , especially those lying on the right of the line , which serve the east coast particularly . We have already dealt with thafc portion whioh embraces the coast

from Essex to the extreme of Norfolk at Lynn . Inland , however , between London and Grantham , there are many spots that deserve notice . On the very threshold of departure from the southern terminus there are Hampstead and Highgate , Hornsey , Edgware , and Barnet , all possessing charms of history , scenery and associations . These places are known to Londoners , bnt they are not so familiar as fchev

deserve to be to most visitors from the country . Further on there is Hatfield House , tbe ancestral home of the Earl of Salisbury . It was a royal residence in the time of Henry VIII ., the home prison of Elizabeth when Mary reigned . It was here that Elizabeth received the news of her sister's death while seated under the shade of an aged oak , and where she held her first council prior to going to London to

assume regal sway . James I . exchanged Hatfield for another palace , and Sir Robert Cecil became tbe owner . He was afterwards created an Earl and commenced building the present mansion which was finished in 1611 . Ever since thafc time it has descended from father to son . It is a grand place and contains much thafc wonld delight sightseers , one thing , especially , that would

excite their credulity . There is a pedigree of Queen Bess which purports to trace her to Adam . The discovery of the two strips of leather or parchment that are now exercising fche minds of tbe learned in ancient signs , is nothing to this pedigree . On a spur line is Hertford , the scene of a siege by tbe Danes , the danger of whioh was averted by the genius of Alfred the Great .

Light vessels belonging to the invaders were anchored where Ware now stands—the Ware of huge bed notoriety—and siege was laid to the town of Hertford . Alfred , with the skill of a great general , divided the stream into three channels , and left the Danish vessels high and dry , a prey to the enemy . About two miles from Hertford is Panshanger House , tbe family seat of Earl Cowper , and near

Watford is Cassiobury House , belonging to the Earl of Essex , whose family name is Capel . The Capels originally came from Suffolk , and one of thafc name was a flourishing citizen of London , and Lord Mayor . Capel Court , known throughout tbe commercial world , derives its title from him . In addition to the beauties of Cassiobury , there are some curious relics in the library . One is the handkerchief which

Lord Conningsby applied to tbe shoulder of William III . when he was wounded at the battle of the Boyne . There are also a piece of the velvet pall covering taken from fche tomb of Charles I . when it was opened at Windsor , in 1813 , and a fragment of the garter the King wore at bis execution . Two miles south of Stevenage is Knebworth , the seat of Earl Lytton . The late Earl has drawn a picture of this beautiful

place , and some idea of its charms may be gathered from his desscription , whioh is quoted in that admirable work , " Abbeys , Castles , and Ancient Halls of England and Wales , " published by Warne and Co ., Bedford Street , London . Elizabeth was a frequent visitor at Knebworth , where she slept at the time of tbe Spanish Armada fright . Wo might dwell upon the features to be seen in Herts and

in the adjoining counties of Bedford , Huntingdon and Northampton , but must hasten on fco Lincolnshire . Afc Peterborough the line branches off through Spalding , then skirting the coast opens up three watering places , two of them at least of comparatively recent growth . Skegness has become a town by the sea , and is handy for Boston ; Mabletborpe is growing in size and favour , and meets the demands of

South and Mid-Lincolnshire , while Cleethorpes is not far from Grimsby , one of the most important fishing towns in tbe kingdom . The line bears ronnd to Doncaster . The whole of the country of the " Yellow Bellies " is covered by a network between Peterborough and Doncaster , and as Lincolnshire is perhaps less frequented by tourists than almost any county in England , ifc offers a wide field of pleasure and interest .

Lincoln might form the centre , and from the ancient city some pleasant jaunts might be made . The antiquarian wonld find much to engage his attention in the city itself , from the ancient High Bridge that spans the Witham , the Stonebow , over which is the Guildhall , thence np the High Street , and the Strait , pasfc the Jew's House of historic renown , on np the Steep Hill—a realitv and not a fiction—to the

Castle at the top on the left and tbe magnificent Cathedral on tbe right , rearing its grand old hoary bead to tbe sky and dominating tbe valley below , afc the bottom of which are situated a great portion of tbe city and those numerous foundries for the manufacture of agricultural implements so justly celebrated all over the globe . Midway between the Castle and the Cathedral runs the old Roman

Holiday Haunts.

road , with Newport Arch spanning it , aud carrying on its foundations the work of over eighteen centuries ago . Parts of the architecture of the Cathedral are unrivalled in England , and we believe it ia Charles Knight who claims for it the first ; rank in the country . Its surroundings are pretty , and its position commanding . The river Witham runs tlirough the valley below , and opposite is another hill

forming part of a Common , and near whioh is Cauwick Hall , the home of the quondam Colonel Sibthorpe who sat in Parliament for the city , whose memory is still cherished for his noble-hearted generosity . We could linger at this fine old city , but other places claim attention . We have dwelt npon ifc somewhat at length becanse possibly it is less known than most other centres , except to a few

antiqnarians and art enthusiasts and those engaged ra trade . We have passed by Grantham , and yet it possesses much of interest . The Town Hall is a handsome structure , and the church is a noble building with a spire 273 feefc in height . Isaac Newton went to school at Grantham ; and here one of Queen Eleanor ' s Crosses was erected . The Angel Hotel is a quaint old house , and has

especial attraction for members of the Craft . The hotel was once a Preceptory of the Knights Templar , and still bears marks of its ancient use . Newark we have already dealt with ; Retford has no particular claim to notice ; but there is a village beyond called Scrooby , once noted as the place where the Archbishop of York had a palaceand will be remembered as tbe gathering place " of a

, little Christian community of Independents , who went from Scrooby to Boston , from Boston fco Holland , from Holland , in the Mayflower , to the New World , and there founded the ' Pilgrim Father' Church of America . " Doncaster is famed for its beautiful church and its races . The town and neighbourhood are worth a visit . Branching out on fche left are Wakefield , Pontefraot , and Ilkley , among a host of other

places of interest . Shakespeare has immortalised the Battle of Wakefield in his Henry VI . third part , in which he describes the defeat of York , the cruelty of Margaret , and the vengeance of Clifford . Among other things there is a sepulchre in the chapel on Wakefield Bridge worth inspecting . " It has a flgnre of tbe Savionr rising from the tomb , with an angel kneeling on each

side , their hands clasped in fervent adoration , whilst three soldiers beneath are gazing upwards in fearful astonishment . " These sepulchres are found in many churches , especially in Lincolnshire , and were the outcome of the belief that the second coming of oar Lord would be on Easter Eve . Pontefraot Castle was an ornament and a terror for six hundred years , much that was terrible and romantio is recorded of this fortress . Little remains to tell of its

former greatness , and liquorice root grows now where deeds of crime and valour were done centuries ago . Ilkley is a lovely spot in the valley of the Wharfe . About five miles from the village are tbe remains of Bolton Abbey , serenely and beautifully secluded . The river Wharfe reaches Ilkley through long lines of barren moorland , lofty crags , and by tbe margins of rioh meadows , villages embowered in trees ,

and churches clad with ivy . At Bolton Stnd the rocks almost meet and tbe water rushes violently down . At this spot a catastrophe took place more than seven hundred years ago which was the origin of the Abbey . The story goes that William de Mesohines and Cecilia his wife founded a priory in 1121 at Embsay . At their death they left ; a daughter , who adopted her mother ' s name of Romilla . She

married William Fitz Duncan , nephew of David , King of Scotland , by whom she had two sons . The elder one died , and so did the husband , leaving the younger son the joy and hope of the widow ' s heart . The " Boy of Egremond , " as he waa called , was fond of sports , and on one occasion he was " bounding over the chasm" of the Strid

" with a greyhound in his leash , " when " the animal hung back , and drew his unfortunate master into the foaming torrent . " To per . petuate the memory of this event the priory was removed from Embsay to Bolton . Part of fche ruins are used as a parish church , and the other portions are very interesting . Wordsworth has told the story of the Strid , from whioh we extract the two following

verses : — '' He sprang in glee , for what cared he Thafc the river was strong , and the rocks were steep ? Bnt the greyhound in the leash hung back , And checked him in his leap .

" The boy is in the arms of the Wharfe , And strangled by a merciless force ; For never more was young Rorailly seen , Till he rose a lifeless corpse . " The poet has- also dealt with another incident of a romantic character in connection -with the priory nnder the title of the

" White Doe of Rhylstone . " Both should be read by visitors to the Abbey . On tbe right of the line are Selby , Hnll , and Beverley . The Minster at fche latter place is the chief source of attraction , and is well worthy of a visit . Beverley was one of the three religious centres of Yorkshire , and at the present time its Minster ranks next to the grand pile at York . Ifc seems

almost superfluous to dwell npon York and its stately Cathedral . We cannot do justice to City and Minster in the space at our command . Suffice it to say that on no account shonld a visit to tbe ancient capital of the north be omitted by tourists . The Minsterfor that is the name Yorkshiremen delight to call the Metropolitan Church of the Northern Province by—was founded as early as the

seventh century , assumed its present form in 1171 , and was completed some three hundred years afterwards . Constantine the Great was proclaimed Emperor at York , and some say he was born there . In addition to the Minster there are the Castle , the old City walls , the latter being almost perfect throughout their extent , and the fine old gates . York is full of interest , a glorious memento of the time

when the Romans flourished in this country . From York it is easy to get to Bridlington , Scarborough , and Whitby . The former is situated on an acclivity in the recess of a beautiful bay . It has fine dry sands , and beyond safe anchorage from storms . A sea fight by moonlight took place here in 1779 , between a squadron under an American pirate named Paul Jones and