Lakes of Westmoreland and Cumberland, having been so often described, by very able pens, I shall only offer directions for seeing many beauties and curiosities, seldom mentioned by, or known to, general Tourists. I shall notice also inns, and the distances from place to place; avoiding all particular descriptions.
Whoever has been in Lancashire, must be sensible of the bad roads in that county; those who have never travelled these roads, I caution sedulously to avoid them, for the sake of their bones, their carriage, and their purse; the latter will suffer by being taxed three-pence per mile, for post-horses, more than in any other county in the North. Certainly in the South of Lancashire, setting aside the charms of the Lancashire witches (beautiful women), there are fine manufacturing towns to be seen; and around Preston, the country is worth looking at.
In case a traveller, notwithstanding what I have premised of the Lancashire roads, should like to take a view of the beauties of Derbyshire, about Matlock, Buxton, &c. and proceed to the Lakes through Manchester, I will give a Guide for that route; and return through Yorkshire; which will make a complete Tour.
From Derby to Matlock, by Keddleston, 21 miles. Keddleston, Lord Scarsdale's, is well worth visiting.
From Matlock, go to see Hardwick Castle. The new house at Hardwick was built in Queen Elizabeth's time, by Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury, whose lord had the care of Mary Queen of Scotland for thirteen years; during that period of her confinement, she was indulged by being sometimes at Hardwick, at others at Chatsworth. No part of the old house at Chatsworth now remains, wherein Mary was confined; and at Hardwick, only a tottering staircase and two or three rooms. These remains of the old castle are close to the new house, built by Lady Shrewsbury, after the removal of Mary, and Lord Shrewsbury's death. The house is a huge square building, with six towers. All the floors are stucco. The great staircase is a very extraordinary one; it is of stone, very wide, winding in some parts, and detached in a very odd manner. Up two pair of stairs is a gallery of sixty yards long, being one side of the square. The park is seven miles round: the timber at Hardwick is very fine, particularly elms, beech, and ash trees; but no water to be seen.
Balsover Castle is not far from Hardwick; and the town of Mansfield only two miles.
The road to Hardwick from Matlock is through Chesterfield.
From Matlock to Chesterfield 11 miles.
From Chesterfield to Hardwick 9 miles.
From Matlock, may be seen Dovedale, by crossing the country to Ashburn, I believe about 15 miles. The country around Ashburn is beautiful. Sir Brook Boothby's, at the end of the town, is worth seeing. Take a chaise at Ashburn (where there are good inns), for which they will charge twelve shillings; also take a guide, who will expect six shillings for himself, besides the hire of his horse, and go to Okeover, to see the famous picture of the Madona and Child: then proceed to Ilam, a very romantic place. At Ilam, see the spot where two rivers rise within three yards of each other.—Dovedale is very near Ilam; pray walk entirely through it to the caves, for there are fine rocks near them. Do not suffer the guide to deter you from stepping from stone to stone, up a small part of the river, in order to get at the Caves; for, by the help of a stick, and a little attention not to slip off the stones, you will easily accomplish it; if you do not go so far, you will not see the most beautiful part of Dovedale.
The principal house at Matlock is the Old Bath. The ordinary there, in 1790, was one shilling and six-pence for dinner; one shilling for supper; eight-pence for tea; ditto for breakfast.
There are two roads from Matlock to Buxton; the one through Bakewell, the other by Chatsworth, and through Middleton dale; a very romantic spot.
From Matlock to Chatsworth, 11 miles.
If the imagination be raised to see fine things at Chatsworth, disappointment must ensue. The building is heavy; the river is spoiled by being shaven and shorn; the fountains are children's spouts; the cascade, which cost so many thousands of pounds, is an affront to the understanding: and, for the sight of these things, you must give the housekeeper and gardener at least five shillings each, or you will hear grumbling.—When noblemen have the goodness to permit their fine seats to be seen by travellers, what a pity it is they suffer them to pay their servants' wages.
From Chatsworth to Tidswell, 10 miles.
From Tidswell to Buxton, 7 miles.
The Crescent at Buxton is a very fine building. The assembly rooms are at the great hotel, which is one of the general eating-houses. There is also an ordinary at Saint Ann's hotel, and the Hall. At the Hall are the baths. In the year 1790 each person paid for dinner one shilling and six-pence, for supper one shilling, for breakfast ten-pence, for tea eight-pence. Both at Matlock and Buxton liquor of all kinds, at dinner and supper, must be paid for besides, and procured by your own servant at the eating-houses: this circumstance, and the comfort of having a footman to wait upon you at table, render a male-servant useful at Buxton and Matlock. A person comes round the dinner and supper table, as the cloth is taking off, to collect from each person for the meal. In the great hotel there are many sitting rooms, as well as bed-chambers; the former let for a guinea a week, the bed-rooms, according to their size, from fourteen shillings to a guinea a week. There are many private lodging houses in the Crescent, and in the town of Buxton; and you may join in the public ordinary, or have your meals sent to your lodgings from the hotels.
Within a short walk of Buxton is Pool's Hole; a cavern so called from a robber of that name, who made it his hiding-place.
From Buxton go to Castleton; the cavern there, and all the curiosities about it, should be seen. Those who dare to venture into the cave, should provide a change of dress, and they need not fear getting cold or rheumatism. If females, dry shoes, stockings, and petticoats will be requisite; carry also your night-caps, and a yard of coarse flannel, to pin on the head, so as to let it hang loose over the shoulders; it will prevent the dripping from the rocks in the cave from wetting and spoiling your habits, or gowns; also take an old pair of gloves, for the tallow candle, necessary to be carried in the hand, will make an end of all gloves worn in the cavern. Take some snuff and tobacco, which will be grateful offerings to the old witch-looking beings, spinning in the dark mouth of the cave. Go to the further end of the cavern, and if bold, climb to the chancel, where the singers stand. If you have a long nose, take care of it whilst you cross the Styx, or the pointed rocks over your face may take away a bit of it. The clear stream which runs through the middle of the cave, purifies the air, so that the candles burn as bright as in a room of a house. You will be absent from the light of the sun full two hours; for the length of the cavern is, at least, three quarters of a mile; and you will have much to see and observe. Pay attention to the glorious effect of daylight when, on the return, you approach the mouth of the cave. When you cross the rivulet in the cavern, on a man's back, take care you do not singe his beard, which a lady in our party did, and was thereby in danger of being dropped into the water. On your arrival at the inn at Castleton, a crowd of guides will offer to attend you: the present made to them must be in proportion to the number of persons in the party, and the number of guides, men, women, and singing children engaged. The candles must be paid for besides. If the party be numerous, the procession under some of the lowest shelves of the rocks in the cave is the most ludicrous scene imaginable:—a long string of uncouth figures, with each a candle in one hand, creeping knees and nose together, in the bowels of a mountain; a rivulet on one side, and prodigious masses of solid rocks closely impending over their heads on the other; with gloom and silence reigning, and every one taking heed of his steps.
I happened to be the foremost in our procession, and at the end of the pass turned my head, and beheld coming a tribe, like witches and wizards, creeping and slipping after me. Do not imagine you will see the sides of the cavern sparkling like diamonds: there may be
