Chapter I: Front Matter

THE SOMERSET COAST

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WORKS BY CHARLES G. HARPER

The Portsmouth Road, and its Tributaries: To-day and in Days of Old.

The Dover Road: Annals of an Ancient Turnpike.

The Bath Road: History, Fashion, and Frivolity on an Old Highway.

The Exeter Road: The Story of the West of England Highway.

The Great North Road: The Old Mail Road to Scotland. Two Vols.

The Norwich Road: An East Anglian Highway.

The Holyhead Road: The Mail-Coach Road to Dublin. Two Vols.

The Cambridge, Ely, and King’s Lynn Road: The Great Fenland Highway.

The Newmarket, Bury, Thetford, and Cromer Road: Sport and History on an
East Anglian Turnpike.

The Oxford, Gloucester, and Milford Haven Road: The Ready Way to South
Wales. Two Vols.

The Brighton Road: Speed, Sport, and History on the Classic Highway.

The Hastings Road and the “Happy Springs of Tunbridge.”

Cycle Rides Round London.

A Practical Handbook of Drawing for Modern Methods of Reproduction.

Stage Coach and Mail in Days of Yore. Two Vols.

The Ingoldsby Country: Literary Landmarks of “The Ingoldsby Legends.”

The Hardy Country: Literary Landmarks of the Wessex Novels.

The Dorset Coast.

The South Devon Coast.

The Old Inns of Old England. Two Vols.

Love in the Harbour: a Longshore Comedy.

Rural Nooks Round London (Middlesex and Surrey).

Haunted Houses: Tales of the Supernatural.

The Manchester and Glasgow Road: This way to Gretna Green. Two Vols.

The North Devon Coast.

Half Hours with the Highwaymen. Two Vols.

The Autocar Road Book.

The Tower Of London: Fortress, Palace, and Prison.

The Cornish Coast. North. [_In the Press._

The Cornish Coast. South. [_In the Press._

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THE SOMERSET
COAST

BY
CHARLES G. HARPER

“_Somerset, that pleasant londe which
rennith to the Severn Se._”—FULLER.

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LTD.
1909

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PRINTED AND BOUND BY
HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD.,
LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I INTRODUCTORY 1

II THE RIVER AVON—CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE 6

III ABBOT’S LEIGH TO CLEVEDON 17

IV CLEVEDON—LITERARY ASSOCIATIONS: 25
COLERIDGE

V CLEVEDON (_continued_)—LITERARY 32
ASSOCIATIONS: TENNYSON

VI YATTON—CONGRESBURY—WICK ST. LAWRENCE 45

VII WORSPRING PRIORY—KEWSTOKE 56

VIII WESTON-SUPER-MARE 67

IX WORLEBURY—WORLE 78

X STEEP HOLM—FLAT HOLM—UPHILL—BREAN DOWN 87

XI BLEADON—BREAN—BRENT KNOLL 98

XII BURNHAM—HIGHBRIDGE—BAWDRIP—“BATH 111
BRICKS”—THE RIVER PARRET

XIII BRIDGWATER—ADMIRAL BLAKE—THE MONMOUTH 126
REBELLION

XIV CANNINGTON—THE QUANTOCKS—NETHER STOWEY, 139
AND THE COLERIDGE CIRCLE

XV STEART—STOGURSEY—THE FOLK-SPEECH OF 158
ZUMMERZET—GLATT-HUNTING AT KILVE—ST.
AUDRIES

XVI WILLITON—ST. DECUMAN’S AND THE 179
WYNDHAMS—WATCHET

XVII CLEEVE ABBEY—OLD CLEEVE—BLUE ANCHOR 189

XVIII DUNSTER 206

XIX MINEHEAD, NEW AND OLD—SELWORTHY—THE 227
HORNER

XX PORLOCK—BOSSINGTON—PORLOCK WEIR 247

XXI CULBONE AND ITS REVELS—WHORTLEBERRIES 260

XXII THE “LORNA DOONE COUNTRY” 270

XXIII OARE—MALMSMEAD—THE BADGWORTHY VALLEY—THE 286
“DOONE VALLEY”—GLENTHORNE

INDEX 299

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Clifton Bridge Frontispiece

Map of The Somerset Coast 1

Avonmouth, from Pill 18

In Portishead Church 21

Coleridge’s Cottage, Clevedon 28

Clevedon 35

Clevedon Court 43

Kingston Seymour 46

Yatton Church 48

The Rectory, Congresbury 51

Woodspring Priory 58

Reliquary in Kewstoke Church (Front) 63

Reliquary in Kewstoke Church (Back) 65

Uphill 92

Bleadon Church 99

Berrow 102

Brent Knoll 107

Brent Knoll 109

Huntspill 117

Birthplace of Admiral Blake 128

Bridgwater: St. Mary’s Church, and Corn 132
Exchange

Westonzoyland 134

Cannington 140

Nether Stowey; Gazebo at Stowey Court 143

The Coleridge Cottage, Nether Stowey 153

Nether Stowey 155

The “Mud Horse” 161

Stolford 163

Stogursey Castle 165

Kilve Church 171

Kilve: The Chantry 173

St. Audries 176

Bench-end, Sampford Brett; supposed to 184
allude to the Legend of Lady Florence
Wyndham

Watchet; Old Town Hall and Lock-up 186

Watchet 187

Entrance to Cleeve Abbey 192

The Refectory, Cleeve Abbey 197

Mysterious Effigy at Old Cleeve 201

Blue Anchor 203

Coneygore Tower, and Road into Minehead 207

Dunster Castle 210

Dunster; Castle and Yarn Market 218

Dunster Church, from the South, showing 221
old Alcove in Churchyard Wall for the
Stocks

Curious Archway, Dunster Church 223

The “Nunnery,” or “High House,” Dunster 225

Minehead 228

Seventeenth-Century Mantel, “Luttrell 230
Arms” Inn

Quirke’s Almshouses 236

Doorway of the Manor Office 238

Minehead Church 238

The Manor Office, Minehead 239

Rood-Loft Turret, Minehead 241

The Clock Jack, Minehead Church 243

Lynch Chapel 244

Packhorse Bridge, Allerford 245

Bossington 250

Porlock Church 252

Inglenook, “Ship” Inn, Porlock 254

“The Ship” Inn, Porlock 254

Porlock Weir 258

The Lodge, Ashley Combe 261

Culbone Church 263

Oare Church 287

Near Robber’s Bridge 288

Interior of Oare Church 290

Malmsmead 293

Badgworthy Valley 295

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