460 LONDON TO LYNN THROUGH EPPING, NEWMARKET, &c.—Continued.

CLXIX. LONDON TO WELLS BY NEWMARKET, BRANDON, SWAFFHAM,

AND FAKENHAM, 118 Miles.

221 Castle Acre, Guide Post. 951 To Castle Acre, 13 m.

FAKENHAM is situated near the river Wensom,

on a pleasant declivity.

It has B handsome

church, and one of the largest corn-markets in the county.

To Foulsham, 8 m.; to Holt, 12 miles.

To Norwich, 27 miles.
Walsingham

H. Lee Warner, Esq.

Newton.

97

Narford Hall, A. Fountaine, Esq. Near the above is Narburgh Hall,

161 Weasanbam, St Peter's. 102 and, at West Acre, the

remains of the Abbey, and beyond West Acre, High House, A. Hamond, Esq.

Rainham Ha. (Marquis 106 of Townshend,) erected in 1636, contains among 1084 other paintings the fam1114 ous one of Belisarius, by

105

112

Salvator Rosa.

To Lynn, 21 miles.

5

5 NEW OR LITTLE WAL-113)

To Docking, 11 miles; Burnham Thorpe, 63 m.;

to

Burnham Westgate, 14 miles.

Abbey,

115 thence

SWAFFHAM is situated on an eminence, and consists of four principal streets. It is a railway station, and noted for its butter-market. The church, which is the finest parish church in the neighbourhood, is large and cruciform, and consists of a nave with two aisles, a chancel, and two transept chapels. It contains several monuments, a roof of finely carved oak, and a library. Here are also several meeting-houses, assembly rooms, theatre, house of correction, &c. Races are held annually on an extensive heath to the south of the town, and coursingmatches are also frequent on the same ground. Pop. 1851, 3858.

CASTLE ACRE is supposed to have been a Roman station, as several coins and a tesselated pavement have been dug up here. A castle was erected at this place by William, Earl of Warren and Surrey, to whom the lordship had been granted by his father-in-law, William the Conqueror. Some fragments of the building still remain, and the principal street of the present village passes through one of the main entrances of the castle. There are also considerable remains of a priory of Cluniac monks, founded by Earl Warren, near the castle. The parish church is ancient.

NEW or LITTLE Walsingham is situated near the river Stiffkey. A monastery for Black Canons was founded here in the reign of William the Conqueror; and pilgrimages, by foreigners of all nations, were made to the chapel or shrine of an idol called "Our Lady of Walsingham." belonging to this foundation.

462

LONDON TO NORWICH BY EPPING, NEWMARKET, &c.

Several kings and queens of England (among them Henry VIII., in the commencement of his reign), paid their devotions here. Erasmus, who visited it, has described the riches of the chapel. There are some fine remains of the convent, the principal part of which are included in the pleasure-grounds of Walsingham Abbey, the seat of H. Lee Warner, Esq. New Walsingham has a spacious church, containing an ancient font, richly sculptured. The bridewell was formerly a lazar-house for lepers. Pop. 1155.

CLXX. LONDON TO NORWICH BY EPPING, NEWMARKET, THETFORD,
AND WYMONDHAM, 108 Miles.

Woodford contains nu- 101

merous country residences of the London citizens. In the churchyard is a yew tree of extraor dinary size, and an ele- 994 gant monument erected in memory of the descendants of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, who formerly lived here. 981 Cromwell and Milton are

said to have resided in 97 this village.

Loughton Hall, a fine old mansion with beautiful grounds.

To Chipping Ongar, 7 miles. 1 m. distant Coppersale Hall, and 3 miles distant Hill Hall, Sir W.

The Bald-faced Stag.
Loughton.

91

EPPING (see p. 464).

10

From

London.

1

21

85

བ

ON LEFT FROM LOND.

Walthamstow House.
Higham House.

Woodford Wells were formerlymuch celebrated for their medicinal properties, but have now fallen into disuse.

11 Gilwell House.

164 Copped Hall, one of the finest seats in the county (late H. J. Couyers, Esq.) Warleys.

A new road has lately been made to Epping to the left of the old one.

To Ware, 94 m., theuce to Hertford, 2 miles. Mark Hall, Parndon House, and beyond, Gilston Park and Hunsdon

House.

81

Spelbrook.

27

Thorley Hall

Bourn Bridge,
bridgeshire.

Cam

Stanfield Hall (late J. 8 WYMONDHAM (p. 465.) 100

Jermy, Esq., the victim
of Rush), and near it,
Ketteringham Hall, Sir
J. P. Boileau, Bart.

Intwood Hall, J. S.
Muskett, Esq.

Hemsworth, Esq.

Attleborough Hall, Sir W. B Smijth, Bart.

To Watton, 10 miles; to Hingham, 5 miles. Burfield Hall; Cavick House.

2 m. distant Kimberley Hall, Lord Wodehouse, containing a fine portrait of Vandyke by 103 himself, and surrounded

by beautiful grounds. Melton Hall, and Colney

Hall.

106

Cringleford Hall, Kes

wick Hall, H. Gurney,

cross river Yare.

Esq., and Keswick Ho.,

R. H. Gurney, Esq.

EPPING is situated in a district formerly very woody, and preserved by our ancient monarchs for the enjoyment of the sports of the field. It was then called Waltham Forest, and extended almost to the capital. In the same neighbourhood also was Hainault Forest, lately disafforested, where a fair was held for many centuries, under a remarkable tree, well known by the name of Fairlop Oak, which existed till recently, and was of prodigious size. A stag was annually turned out in the forest for the amusement of the public on Easter Monday. The town of Epping is singularly irregular in its appearance. It preserves the fame it has long enjoyed for its cream, butter, sausages, and pork. About a mile from Epping in the forest, is Queen Elizabeth's hunting lodge.