The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-02-21
ENGLAND'S HIGH TABLELAND.
Picturesque Minchfnhampton Com
mons, Its Historic and Lit
ernry AsSOcintions, Etc.

Through the valley the bells OF a
dominican monastery are ringing. At
intervals by night and by day they
break
The silence that is IN the starry sky;
The sleep that is among the lonely hills.
Monks come and go. The tintinnabul-
alton resounds through the vale and
rises high up to great green eXpanse
Of tableland, where the most perfect
atmosphere may be inhaled; air strong
and bracing, gracious and balmy, and
at times family dashed with brine
from the distant ocean. For pictur-
esqueness the scene might be laid in
certain cantons of Switzerland, or
along one of the kline tributaries,
such as the Abr Thai; but, despite the
monastery bells and nunnery close
by the dominican retreat, the valley
is typical English one.
IL is not the valley, however, with its
idyllic charm, that interests so much
as the tableland. This strangely UNI
expected tract of flat country-an
oasis of rest in n land of hill and dale
is in the heart of the Cotswolds, far
from the life and hustle associated
with the haunts of men. Engpnds
highest tablcland, MinchinhaniPton
common. "a broad, green sweep, moth
ing but sky and common, common and
sky" is, indeed, exceedingly inacces-
sible, and on this account it remains to-
day practically undiscovered holiday
resort
Minchinhampton common is no or
binary one. IL is not mere waste
land, an unbrolIen stretch Of unpictur-
esque greenness or broken wilderness
Of furzc and heath. IL stands almost
roo feet above sea level; il covers fully
GOO acres and there is abundant space
! for the playing of golf, cricket, tennis,
hockey, and simple walking room for
the mere pedestrian.
The common has long history.
There are many traces on it's surface
Of Roman, Danish, and British camps.
In more modern times il was the scene
of some lively religious ongoings when,
the eloquent Whitfield lifted his voice
on his "tump," which remains a land
mark Of interest in days when the
strife OF sect is not thing OF the past.
The common also afforded royal hunt
ing quarters for one of the Henrys
and the building reputed TO have,
housed a king now serves as "A golf
house. and this not at all iuappropri-
atcly, MS the royal and ancient game"
is, TO many, facile princcps among the
attractions OF the common. II is, Of
course. claimed for these Cotswold
links that they are the finest Gnland)
in England. They have "A prominence
at least i'm one respcct--there are six
quarries, some of them ugly, yawning
chasms, 20 be negotiated i'm the round
Of rs holes, and the course generally
is the mettle Of % out OF every 100
golfers, and the player who holes out
i'm so, even with the aid OF Haskell or
Kempshall is no mean wielder Of the
clubs.
But this commonland has wider
claims TO attention than those Of golf
Lying high mp amid the peaks and spurs
of the Cotswolds, there is no disap-
pointment for the eye east or west or
north or south. Every prospect
pleases. bringing the broad acres Of
the plateau, and depending into the
valleys, there are dotted here and
there, and almost everywhere, tiny
yillages-Amberley, Box, Burleigh, and
Brimscombc are some of them mere
higglypggedly little clusters Of rose
deckcd iyy-smothered cottages, and
quantity gablcd Villas with now and
again q spire lifting itself above the
rich foliage Of the beechcs and clms
fertile shire Of Glouchester. The val
leys which run along two sides ~ the
tableland ofer scenes as dainty as they