Sunday, October 9, 1831 Travel Journal

 

1831

October

Sunday 9

Down at 8 1/2 – Fine morning – Out at 9 1/2 till 10 1/2 –

Off in the Steam packet Malmesbury at 10 3/4 – Cowes very pretty, but do not see up the river at all – East Cowes Castle and merely catch the top by and by of Norris Castle –

At 11 1/4, pass Calshot Castle and enter the river – The 1st little castle we saw before this was Eaglehurst – Landed at 12 5/.. and at the Inn at 12 10/..

Off at 1 3/4, 7 or 8 minutes 2 wooden bridges over the Southampton river, beautiful views on each side, like a lake on each side – Good gentlemen’s seat – shipping and Southton behind us right – Very beautiful – (1st bridge, 5 wooden arches – 2nd bridge one arch wood, too).  I think beautiful circle of view –

At 2 1/0/.. upon heathy moor (Netley Common), skirted by wood (right) through which beautiful peeps of the river – Poor land all about Southton, even along the beautiful banks of the river – Poor land all along the coast to Swanage I know – and probably no better far beyond.

At 2 1/2, fine view across the channel of Calshot Castle and Cowes – and can instantly see Ryde – Get into inclosures again at 2 1/2 –

At 2 38/.. Bursledon, wooden bridge over wide lake that goes to Botley, 2 miles left and to the Southton river right.  Very picturesque, pretty village, scattered round its margin chiefly straw thatched whitish or ivy covered houses –

At 2 50/.., Titchfield Common – fine views of the Isle of Wight from Titchfield Common, and afterwards distinguish St. Catherine’s Hill –

Titchfield at 3 1/4 – Apparently a neat little town – Fareham one long, neat, good street – Change at the far end of the town, Harris’s having passed the better looking Inn.  A large white hart – Just below the Inn, cross bridge over lake-like water with neat houses round its edge and boats and wood, very pretty as at Bursledon – Then rise little hill and fine view of the water and shipping and Gosport or Portsmouth or both –

Turned down at 4 the nice picturesque little village of Portchester.  At the castle in 5 minutes, 50 minutes there, and off again at 5 5/..  Fine view from the tower – Good prison – 7 stories and 103 feet high – Parish church in the castle yard – Very beautiful Saxon arched doorway (north ? end), the side towards the castle or towards Portsmouth very much covered with ivy and roof too – Lower water, or sea would have washed Portchester castle wall on the South –

Just out of the village, the road goes along the low narrow gravelly beach (and then all green beyond to the chalk down (Portsea down), close left.

At 5 1/2 turn left down through the neat good little village of Cosham – Did not see any stayable Inn –

Enter Portsmouth over 2 drawbridges or under 2 gateways – a regularly fortified town – the only one I have ever seen in England. 

Alight at the George Inn at 6 10/.. – Letter for me at the Crown from Miss Hobart.

 

Margin:

Windows of gable ended houses at Cowes might do for Shibden – 4 lights (2 of them in front)

 This morning’s globe Mr. Colvin mourning for the loss of the reform bill

 

WYAS Finding Numbers SH/ML/TR/11/0016 and SH/ML/TR/11/0017