New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-15
ON THE AVON.
RIVER LIFE AT STRATFORD.
THE OLD LUCY MILL - HATToN RoCK-RIVER
scEyERY-A ROW PAST cHAELEcoTE
AND HAMPTON LUCY.
ryRoM STAFF coRREsoyDEyT or TIE TRiBuNE.l

The river life Of Strtford - one OF tlF chleI
delights OF this delightful town. The Avon.
according to law, is navigabe from IFS mouth, at
Tewksbury, where il empties into the Severn, as
far inward rs Warwick; but according to fact
in is passable only 20 the resOlute navigator who
can surmount obstacles. From Tewksbury mp 10
Evesham there is plain smiling. Above Evesham
there are occasional barriers. At Stratford there
is an abrupt pause, at the Lucy Mlll and your
boat must be taken ashore and dragged little
vov over the meadow. and so launched again.
The Incy Mil is just below the Shakespeare
C,hurcb and from this point up TO Clopton's
Bridge the river is quite broad Here the boat
races are rowed every year Here the stream
ripplcs against tho pleasure-ground known as the
Bancroft. skirts the gardens of the Shakespeare
Memorial. glides past the lovely lawns of Avon
bank-thc home OF that noble public benefactor
and fine Shalkcspearean scholar, Charles Edward
Flower-and breaks upon the sustaining wall Of
the churchyard, crowned with the high and thick
1eavcd elms that nod and whisper Shake
speare's dust The town lies on the left or west
bank of the AvOnbank, as you ascend the river,
looking northward. On tho right east bank
there is a wide stretch Of meadow. To 1oaa along
here. in the cleaning, when the bats are wingng
their cloistcred flight when the great foclss
of starings are flying rapidly over, when the
crow makes wing 10 the rocky wood" when the
wafer is as smooth as n mirror Of FURNISHED steel
and equally the graves and flowers upon the
banks and the stately trees and the gray and
solemn and beautiful church are reflected deep in
the lucid stream, is an experience of thoughtful
pleasure that sinks deeply into the heart and will
never be forgotten. You do not know Stratford
till you know the Avon.
From Cloptons Bridge upward the river winds
capriciously between banks that are sometimes
fringed with willows, and sometimes bordered
with grassy meadows, or patches Of woodland, or
cultivated lawns enclosing villas that seem the
chosen homes Of all this world can give Of lowell
ness and peace. The course is now entirely clear
for several miles Not till you pass the foot Of
Alveson village does any obstacle present itself:
but here as well little further on, by IIatton
Rock the stream runs shallow and the current be-
comes very swift. dashing over sandy banks and
great masses of tangled grass and weeds These
are the rapids and through these the mariner
must make his way by adrOit steering and Wig
orOuS and expert use of oars and boat-hook The
Avon now is powered by tall trees and upon the
height that it. skirts you the house of Rhyn-.
hill-cclebrated in one Of the novels of Miss Brad
don This part of the river. closed in from the
world, and showing in each direction twinllling
vistas Of sun and shadow, is especially lovely.
Here, in qliet hour the creatures that live
along these shores will freely show themselves
and their busy ways. The water-rat comes out
of his hole and nbbles at the reeds swms
sturdily across the stream. The moOr-hen hut-
tiers out of her nest among the long, green PUSHES
and skins from bank TO bank. The nmble little
wag-tail flashes through the foliage. The squirrel
leaps among the boughs. and the rabbit scampers
into the thiclct Sometimes llngfishcr, with
his shining azure shield, pauses for moment
among the gnared roots upon the brink. Some
times a heron, disturbed in her nest, rises sud
denly upon her great wings and scars grandy
away. Once, rowing down this river at nearly
/ surprised more than one otter, and
heard the splash of their precipitate retreat
The ghost of an old gypsy, who died by suicide
upon this wooded shore is said TO haunt the neigh
boring crag: but this like all other ghosts that
ever | came near eludcd equally my vision and
my desire. But it is weird spot at night.
Near Alveston Mill you must drag your boat
over a narrow strip Of land and launch her again
for Charlecote Now once more this delicious
waterway is broad and fine. as it sweeps past the
stately secluded homes upon the Warwick Road.
A great bed OF white watcr-lilieS hitherto they
have all been yellow presently adorns it, and soon
there are glinipSes Of the deer that browse or
prance slumber beneath the magnificent oaks ana
elms and lines and chestnuts of Charlotte Park.
A chain has been put across the river, by Lucy OF
Charlecoe. but this is an unauthorized lmpedl-
ment. and the bold navigator lifts it and passes
beneath il. No view of Charecote can compare
with the view of it that is obtained from the
river; and if its proprietor values It's reputation
for beauty he ought TO be glad that lovers of the
4 70
from this Notwithstanding his inhoSpitablc
chain. The older wing, with its oricl window and
quaint belfry, is of peculiar. mellow reddish
color relieved against bright green ivy, to which
only the brush Of an artist could do justice
Nothing more delicious in its way, is anywhere to
be found at least, the only piece of architecture
have seen that eXcels il in beauty Of color is the
ancient home Of Compton Wynyates but that is
the central gem Of Warwickshire. and surmsses
all its fellows. The towers of the main building
of CharecOte are octagon. and happy alienation
of thin and slender with stout and stunted turretS
much enhances the effect of quantness in this
grave and Opulent eSlihce. walled terrace
with urns and blazing with flowers of
gold and crimson. extends from the river front TO
the water side and terminates in broad fight of
stone steps. at the foot Of which are mOOred the
barges of the house Of Lucy. No spectacle could
suggest more of arStOcratic state and austcre
ma gniicence than this sequestered edfce does
standing there, silent, antique, venerable, gor-
geous, surrounded by its vast, thiclIwooded park
and musing, rs it has done for hundreds of years,
on the silver Avon that murmurs at its feet
Close by there is a lovely waterfall, over which
some little tributary Of the river desccnds in a
five-fold wave of shimmering crystal waiting a
music that is heard in every chamber Of the house
md in all the fields and woodlands round about.
II needs the sun 10 bring out the rich colors of
Charlecote but once when | saw IL from the river
a storm was coming on. and vast masses Of black
and smokc-colored cloud were driving over it in
,hapeless blocks and jagged streamcrs, while count
lpss frightened birds were whrling above il: and