1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—­Single 34s. 6d. 21s. 6d. 17d. 3d. 
          Return 60s. 3d. 37s. 10d. ...

=Accommodation Obtainable.=—­“Royal Castle Hotel,” “Raleigh
  Hotel,” etc.
=Alternative Route.=—­None.

There is scarcely a more romantic spot in the whole of England than Dartmouth.  Spread out on one of the steep slopes of the Dart, it overlooks the deep-set river towards the sea and inland towards Totnes.  Steep wooded banks rising out of the water’s edge give the windings of the estuary the feeling of solemn mystery which is not obtainable from meadows or ploughlands.  In the midst of scenery of this character—­and it must have been richer still a few centuries back—­the inhabitants of Dartmouth made history.

Perhaps the earliest mention of Dartmouth is by Chaucer.  Among his Canterbury Pilgrims he says:—­

  A schipman was ther, wonyng fer by weste;
  For ought I wost, he was of Dertemouthe.

Whether this particular “schipman” was given over to piracy it is not possible to say, but the nature of their splendid harbour, which they protected with a great chain drawn across the narrow outlet to the sea, led the Dartmouth men into a trade which to-day goes by that name.  Thus in the days of Queen Elizabeth, and even in more recent times, these lusty sailors gained a livelihood by periodical harryings of the opposite coast of Brittany, suffering in the chances of such warfare the disadvantages of sudden incursions of the Bretons, which, despite the chain and the two little castles at the mouth of the inlet, were sometimes so successful that when the Frenchmen retired there were a good many heaps of smoking ashes where comfortable homes had stood.  Despite the varied turns of fortune’s wheel, there are still many fine old gabled houses in Dartmouth, with overhanging upper stories rich in carved oak.

The church of St. Saviour contains a finely carved pulpit, and is full of indications of the wealth and importance of Dartmouth in the past.

Though a chain is no longer used to close the entrance to the Dart, the remains of the two little towers are still to be seen.

[Illustration:  Photochrom Co., Ltd.

THE BUTTER MARKET AT DARTMOUTH.

Although the town possesses many fine old seventeenth-century houses, these in the Butter Market are the finest examples.]

RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE

=How to get there.=—­Train from King’s Cross.  Great Northern
  Railway.
=Nearest Station.=—­Richmond. =Distance from London.=—­237 miles. =Average Time.=—­Varies between 6-1/2 to 9-1/2 hours.

                     1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=—­Single 33s. 6d. ... 19s. 9d. 
          Return 67s. 0d. ... 39s. 6d.

=Accommodation Obtainable.=—­“Fleece Hotel,” etc. =Alternative Route.=—­Train from St. Pancras via Sheffield.  Midland
  Railway.