The Hall
stood on an eminence overlooking the river, with great woods surrounding
it, and the windings of the river from this point looked like a number
of meres or lakes, while the gardens and woods of Sharpham were second
to none in the County of Devon. Near the woods we passed a small
cottage, which seemed to be at the end of everywhere, and was known
locally as the "World's End." The first watery obstruction we came to
was where the River Harbourne entered the River Dart, and here we turned
aside along what was known as the Bow Creek, walking in a
go-as-you-please way through lovely wooded and rocky scenery until we
reached a water-mill. We had seen several herons on our way, a rather
scarce bird, and we were told there was a breeding-place for them at
Sharpham, together with a very large rookery. We passed Cornworthy,
where there was an old church and a prehistoric camp, and some ruins of
a priory of Augustinian nuns which existed there in the fourteenth
century; but we had no time to explore them, and hastened on to
Dittisham, where we regained the bank of the River Dart. This was
another of the places we had arrived at either too late or too early,
for it was famous for its plums, which grew in abundance at both Higher
and Lower Dittisham, the bloom on the trees there forming a lovely sight
in spring.
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