button to main menu   Ford's Description of the Lakes, 1839/1843

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Page 120:-
  Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
return, there is a romantic peep across the water, through an opening in the trees, of the cells of St. Constantine, excavated in the front of the precipice, forty feet above the raving flood below, and overhung by steep towering crags, overshadowed with trees, amid which the gnarled branches and roots of aged oaks are seen fantastically twisting forward. From the Templetto, a small Grecian edifice, neatly fitted up, and the wall painted in fresco with Swiss scenery, is a rich view of the house at the extremity of a green vista, whose sward, shaven close and smooth, sweeps upward between ivy-clasped oaks, sycamores, noble pines, and majestic Scotch firs. Advancing by this mossy carpet, which stretches along the margin of the river, the magnificent bridge for the Railway greatly enriches the prospect, extending from cliff to cliff; the river rolls away under five lofty arches, eighty feet in span, and ninety feet above its surface. The walks that extend along the banks to the north of the Castle present superior views of Wetheral, but they are reserved for the private use of the family. The interior of the Castle is elegantly fitted up, and contains a collection of paintings. The grounds are open to strangers on Wednesdays only.
At the foot of the village of Corby, another noble bridge of seven arches crosses a narrow glen. The late Mr. Howard formed a new approach to his residence, which passes through beneath the centre arch of this viaduct.
gazetteer links
button -- Corby Bridge
button -- "Corby Castle" -- Corby Castle
button -- "Cells of st Constantine" -- St Constantine's Cells
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