It
was from here, too, that he commenced his victorious march to London
with thirteen thousand men--Exeter, Bristol, and other towns throwing
open their gates to welcome the Prince of Orange. The French, on the
momentous occasion of the visit of Admiral Tourville to the English
coast during the reign of James II., found Tor Bay a safe place for
their fleet to anchor, and William of Orange, probably having heard of
this, chose the same portion of the Devonshire seaboard. The exact spot
on which the Dutch prince first placed his foot on shore is marked by a
brass footprint, and close by stands the statue of England's third
William, overlooking the quaint quay, the brown-sailed fishing-boats,
and the old-world village.
Brixham is just such another town as Newlyn or Port Isaac, for its
streets are narrow and winding, and there are flights of stone steps
here and there which add considerably to the picturesqueness of the
place.
Brixham can easily be visited at the same time as Dartmouth, which is
dealt with on another page. Totnes can also be reached by taking the
train to Paignton, whence run two omnibuses at various intervals
throughout the day. It is a delightful drive, occupying less than an
hour. Totnes has a very quaint little main street which rises steeply
from the bridge over the Dart. Near the highest portion the roadway is
crossed by one of the old gateways of the town. This feature and the
many quaint gabled houses give a charm to the place, making it
attractive to all who love old architecture.
Pages:
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225