THE INTRODUCTION OF RAILROADS, as the means of transit from one place to another, has rendered a different class of books necessary to the tourist, to the usual local guides, which, excellent as many of them are, are necessarily confined to the description of the towns, in which they are printed. The beautiful Southern Coast of England, rivalling Italy both in scenery and in climate, is now brought within the distance of a pleasant ride of a few hours from the metropolis. Plymouth, a distance of 244 miles, is no more than a seven hours' journey, thus placing the picturesque Tamer and Tavy, and their banks, with Devonport, Mount Edgcumbe, Dartmoor, St. Germans, and Tavistock, within the reach of the holder of an • Excursion Ticket,' that boon to those, whose duties confine them during the greater part of the year, to the close atmosphere of our overgrown city. The same line of rail passes through Exeter, Exmouth, and Teignmouth, within a few miles of Dartmouth; and, at Weston and Bridgwater, is met by roads branching off to the seductive shores of Somerset, North Devon, and Cornwall. Other lines of railway, with their tributaries, enable the tourist to reach any part of the Coast, almost in one extended line, from the mouth of the Thames to Weymouth Bay, Dorchester, the present termination, 141 miles from London, being only six hours distant. Weymouth, Poole, Lymington, and the New Forest; Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight; Bognor, Worthing, and Brighton; Eastbourne, St. Leonards', and Hastings; Dover, Folkstone, and Sandgate; Deal, Walmer, and the Isle of Thanet, besides the more quiet watering places of Anglesea, Southsea, Little Hampton, Lancing, Seaford, Pevensey, and Rye, with Herne Bay and Whitstable, in Kent, as its northern boundary, are all portions of this chain of communication.

To furnish all the information, that can be useful to those who visit any part of the Southern Coast, from the Thames to the Land's-end, is the object of the present Handbook, the first of a series, in which it will be attempted to connect the rail roads, and the high roads, and to point out the most facile way of reaching any part of England. The architecture of old Churches, Castles, and Mansions, has been noted; early Roman, British and Saxon Remains recorded; the various Seats of the Gentry pointed out; and the Towns, themselves, accurately described, with full particulars as to Churches, Chapels, and Public Buildings; Hotels, Inns, and Baths; Walks, Rides, and Railway Trips; and in order to render the series as complete as possible, the Editor respectfully solicits the assistance of gentlemen resident in the places described, who have necessarily the means of furnishing much useful additional information.

23, Bedford Street, May, 1849.

Similar Groins have been erected on various parts of the Coast, where the encroachments of the sea rendered such a breakwater necessary. Having fully described those at Brighton, at page 197, it is needless to speak again of their construction. PORLOCK is a decayed little town, having had its trade absorbed by Minehead in the reign of Queen Anne, the rise of which port was the ruin of the small harbours in its vicinity, and which was particularly felt by Porlock, Dunster, and Watchet. Minehead, itself, has ceased to be anything but a port for the coasting trade, its commerce having transferred itself principally to Bristol, Falmouth, and Southampton.