New-York tribune., 1896-08-30
KINGSLEY'S COUNTRY.
AN ARTISTS PARADISE TRANSFORMED
INTO A TRIPPERS SHOW PLACE
NORTH DEVON AND "WEsT-
WARD HOr

WARD HOr'
Clovelly, August 1S
Lynmouth may be described the literary
realm Of Blackmore. where Lorna Doone' finds
its place on top Of the Bible; but the remainder
Of the circuit of the North Devon coast Is
kingsey's country Bideford. where the noble
Brotherhood of the Rose founded Is the
capital of this kingdom Of Elzabethan ro-
nance. It's ancient bridge and quaint pier are
objects Of interest which do not escape observa-
ticn, and the Kingsley House. now transformed
into hotel, is or exhibition with "A special
tariff for the privilege Of sleeping In the room
where westward Ho,' written Close at
hand is Northam BurrOugh. where Sir Amyas
Leigh lived and where Salvation Yeo was bur
led; and north Of Appledore and the Pebble Ridge
are Braunton Burrows. Wooacombc Sands.
Morte Point and Ilfracombe. to which passing
references are made in The story; while far out
at sea, gray blue or black as it may be col
ored by the transitory conditions Of sky or mist.
is Lundy Island. where the Vengeance pursued
the Spanish foe In the storm and Sir Amyas
threw away his sword under the lightning $
binding glare Ilfracombe is now popular re-
sort. and every coast village southwark is ten
anted during the summer by holiday birds Of
passage; but "Westward How is read for its
, local color by every intelligent visitor and ex
cursions planned from week to week to
Lundy. Bidcford and Clovelly In order that the
scenes described In the story may be visited II
is Kngsleys country all the way from Morte
Point to Marsand Mouth and his genius has
made every mile OF the coast interesting to
those who come every year to North Devon.
CHANGES IN CLOvELLY
Indeed. the sensitive visitor who journeys by
road from Bdeford TO Clovey making final
detour the beautiful Hobby Drive. is in
cned to wish, when he reaches his destination.
that Kingsley had not done his work well.
AS he descends the single staircase street he
finds what once q simple fishing village
and cherished resort Of artists excursion
goal for hundreds Of Eoisy trippers from Ilfra-
combe AS he hats at the halfway inn he
learns that two steamers ere expected during
the day and that many as 800 hungry trav-
ellers are to be fed there at luncheon. Then as
he resumes his stroll 70 the bottom OF the mar
row ravne. he meets the advance guard OF the
invading host and observes all the arrange
ments which have been made by hucksters
and souvenir mongers TO turn an honest penny
at the expense Of visitors Vanished is the
primitive simplicity Of Clovey Men no longer
work weep. while the harbor bar IS
trawling in storm-tossed waters have disap-
peared Clovelly now makes an easier. II more
prosaic living by fishing in less troubled wa
ters and by traficking in fruit. sweets. photo
graphs and china the nower-decked winding
staircase. The men have more profitable
ployment in ferrying trippers from the steam
ers to the beach than their fathers ever found
I'm the herring AMI mackercl catch; and their
wives are either cooking and serving cold meats
for the visitors luncheon or peddling fruit.
candy and souvenirs at very turn Of the preCipi-
tons flight Of rocky steps leading up the ravine
to Clovelly Cross. kingsey himself would not
only have missed in the once quaint but now till
tapping village the inspiration Of the Three
Fishers" hut he would hardly have found it a
restfu nest for a c)nvalescent eager to renew
his youth.
The blue ocean is still there. changeless and
majestic. though trlppers may come and 60
As one descends from the crest OF the heavily
wooded cliffs it to rise like n vertical
wall high into the sky. Kingsley himself de-
scr cd it in Of his letters: while from the
stone wall at the bottom it stretches an endless
field Of darkling waters beyond gray Lundy to
the outermost reaches of the Atlantic The
giant cliffs also there. red purple and gray.
and crowned with forest verdure. and the
winding street scales the bluff like a rope lad
der is picturesque ever in its surprises
of color and tumble of soping roofs and vine
clad attices. 1t is now a mimic fleet of trawl-
ing boats and sloops that is stranded at 'ow
tide n gravelly bottom inside the circular
pier with its stone parapet. for the fortunes
of ClOvelly as a fishing haven have ebbed; but
high above the shingle of beach where the pleas
ure-seekers are landing from the steamer and
swarming through the archway Of an old stone
house. IS the background Of oak. walnut. ASH
and larch. in which the village is embowered
and that is fresh in tinting and as ertranc-
ing in its sylvan beauty as ever it was No
whore on the rugged coast of Devon with
its lichen covered rocks and rich verdure. can
a finer combination of woodland and cliff
scenery be found. Clovelly may have ceased
to be either the fshermen's Arcadia or the
artists paradise. but it still retains its pict
uresque beauty and semi-tropIcal charm 1t is
a sudden glimpse of Spain on a stern majestic
coast.
VULGARIZED BY EXCURSIONS
The excursion traffic undoubtedly has tended A.,
to vulgarize Clovelly and to impair the effect
Of its original simplicity. When it was fishing
village visited only by artists and naturalists
the stone cottages built on the rock were white |
washed and furnished with green blinds and |
lattces With ivy growing on the walls and |
iessamne and fuchsa running up the windows !
with the forest verdurc above the gray and !
purple cliffs and with the glorious vista Of blue
sea underneath. there was color enough and TO
spare That the ClOvelly which Charles
Kingsley loved. and which his brother, Henry
Kingsley used I'm the scenic setting of Raven
shoe" a strong story which the world has for
gotten too quickly. That was also the Covelly
which Dickens painted i'm his Message from the
Sea" As one ascends the paved staircase from
he pier he Is now distracted with evidences Of
excess Of zeal in producing bizarre and unex-
pected effects. Simplicity has been replaced by
business The green blinds have disappeared
and the shutters are painted brown. yellow red