[Clevedon—Friday, 9 July 1869]
Friday. Wonderful town, waterplace built on cliffs overlooking the Severn wide as a sea. Breezy & cool; drove to Clevedon Church in early morning & Clevedon Court seat of Sir Arthur Elton. A perfectly poetic place and scene of much in In Memoriam.
Came by train to Tiverton; a queer little Inn where we dined called the Angel. Formerly a post-house in the stage coach days. Found another old fashioned garden with roses, gooseberries, currants black & red in abundance, cherries too &c—all at our service. The landlady was most kind and gave Mabel a beautiful bouquet. Capital dinner. Devonshire Cream & tart. We are beginning to find queer names about—Innocent Witherstone—Ezekiel Hear, Elizabeth Bobby, Selmir Skipwith, surely names for a novel. Took post horses and carriage for Dunster. A most horsey specimen was the groom. Mabel & J. had different opinions about his manner of driving. J. liked it much M. thought it too fast and if the horses had been his he would have driven less fast.
Wonderful old place, Dunster—quaint garden behind the hotel on a terrace and overlooking the sea. The Luttrell Arms. At the Castle an old Gardener proud of his family and position which he has held for sixty years.
Evidently the scene of the Princess. A perfect sleeping palace, an unrivalled place, about being restored but strangely beautiful in decay. Came into the village at dusk; saw remains of all kinds of birds and animals inimical to the farmers’ good nailed up outside an old stone barn. A singer in the streets, a peasant dancing as he sang and shouting to the children to “get off the carpet, get off the forum,” the old church doors open and choir preparing for Sunday Service, fresh girls’ voices.
