Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-17
LAST OF THE R|DDS
LEAVES DARE HILLS
Bulletin Describes Setting of
BIackmore's Famous
lorna Doone."

The last of the Ridds has left Dare
Parish, picturesque setting for the fa-
nous English romance of Lorna
Doone." The Ridd femily, supposed to
be descended from John Ridd, seven
! tenth century hero of Blackmores
novel, kas farmed the rolling fields and
haunted moorS of Dare for centuries.
The Lorna Doone country. often
called the fairest in England is set
which rises abruptly from the busy
Bristol Channel" says a bulletin from
the National Geographic Society.
Thousands of visitors go annually to
see the haunts of the Doone clan of
highwaymen, England'S early edition of
the racketeer.
Roads Narrow, Hedges High.
Hunting OF all kinds abcunds. Red
deer, fox and otter are plentiful on the
moorS, and following the hounds is
not SO expensive there as in other parts
Of England. Visitors who arrive by
motor or chao-a-banc often wonder
why the roads are SO narrow and the
hedges so high. In olden days the deer
could eat peasants crops. but if he
should eat the Kings deer he would
hang in chains. Hence stone and hedge
fortresSes were erected around each
field to keep out the deer.
Lanes were built many years ago
for coach and carriage. with no thought
for future motor traffic. Today STAN
peding sheep often brush and bump
against cars which have stopped to let
them pass.
Chance to Ride a Pony.
'Doone Valley, stronghold of the
'DooneS OF Badgworthy Forest is easily
reached from Lynmouth, at the foot Of
Devon'S towering coastal cliffs, and
from LINTON, her sister village, hang
ing overhead on the brink narrow
road winds up the East Lyn Valley,
encircles mountain knobs like a neck
lace. and passes on to MalmSmead.
Here, in the heart of Lorna's lovely
country, the visitor dismounts from
noisy char-a-banc or motor car and
either trusts his own legs or rides a
shaggy Exmoor pony to the site of the
DooneS' last stand.
lined banks of the Badgworthy water
to the bottle-neck entrance of Doone
valley, so well described by grit Jan
Rid. But. the visitor must not ex-
pect natural fortress, because Black
more allowed a certain degree of liter
airy license in his descriptions to make
Lorna Doone" what it is. After all, the
book is not so much historical novel
as 1t Is a colorful picture Of the GUS
toms and peculiar mannerisrns of the
people OF Devon in that day.
Cream and Strawberries.
All that remains of the Doones in
this pleasant little valley are a few
moss and turf covered mounds which
are thought to be the foundations of
the village OF IL stone cottages. A
TiFiofnd CD
farm house still stand Visitors often
leave the valley damp and wet from
the frequent transforms. They welcome
the hospitality of the little stone inn.
where they are served thick Deyonshire
cream and strawberries.
Nearby Is Dare, a small hamlet of
a few matched cottages clustered about
an old stone church. This church. With
its large square tower and stall-ike
pews, Is where Lorna was shot by the
Infamous Carver Doone at the climax
OF her marriage to John Ridd. A long
gun, still belonging TO the Ridd family,
is said to be the one Carver used.
No farm has been found which
resembles Plover Barrows, the an
cestral home of the Ridds. At Yen
worthy Farm, from which Tom Rid.
the last OF the family has just moved,
lived brave Widow Fisher 1t was she
wiz oAOAiC A4OFC Oll a IdIIlllB party DL
Dcones by firing into their midst her
seven-foot gun, its butt backed by a
chest of oaken drawers
Ancient "Gangsters" Executed.
From their valley fortress the
Doones made raids upon unwary trav-
elers crossing wild and lonely Exmoor
Forest. This gorse and heath-covered
expanse of rolling hills and hollows,
like choppy sea. was the scene of
highwaymens plumbers only so years
ago. Gibbet hills are pointed out where
these ancient gangsters were executed
and their bodies quartered and exposed
TO public gaze.
"Hikers and campers-and the moors
are dotted with them in Summer-do
we'll to keep on the high ridges where
the roads are built 1t Is easy TO be-
come lost in the dark holloWs between
where green turf camouflaged boys and
quicksand mires lie in wait for the
careless 1t was in the clutching,
merciless grip Of one Of these boys that
Carver Doone met his end when he
fought John Ridd.'