PREFACE. THE volume of Ports and Harbours of Great Britain, now completed, comprises, in a series of fifty engravings, views of most of the principal ports, naval stations, watering-places, and fishing-towns, on the English coast, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Plymouth. In the delineation of each place, the chief object of the artists has been to give a faithful view to represent the place as it really is, and not to overstep the modesty of nature, for the sake of giving to their subjects the false ornaments of meretricious beauty. That the English coast abounds in picturesque scenery, which requires no aid from the imagination of the painter, many of the views in the present work will afford ample evidence; and even in views of places which are in a great measure devoid of the essentials of a beautiful picture, the sober delineation of truth is, in such a work as the present, infinitely preferable to the exaggerated representations of fancy. Among others will be found views of the ports of Berwick, Shields, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Sunderland, Whitby, Hull, Yarmouth, and Southampton; and among the views of the principal wateringplaces on the coast are those of Scarborough, Burlington, Ramsgate, Dover, Hastings, Brighton, and Weymouth. Among the smaller towns and villages which are visited for the sake of sea-bathing, the following may be enumerated: Tynemouth, Cromer, Folkstone, Cowes, Sidmouth, Exmouth, and Budleigh Salterton. The views of old castles that "crown the wave-worn steep" are those of Holy Island, Bambrough, Dunstanbrough, and Tintagel; of the smaller ports those of Blyth, Hartlepool, and Harwich; and of the fishing towns and villages, those of Cullercoats, Robin Hood's bay, and Brixham. The great naval stations of which views are given, are Chatham, Portsmouth, and Plymouth. In short, taking the whole line of coast illustrated, views are given of almost every important and interesting place. In the brief space allowed for the descriptions, the editor has endeavoured to unite the useful with the interesting. In the account of some of the more important places, he has attempted to give an outline of the principal events in their history, and to trace their progress, as places of trade, from the earliest period to the present time Could he persuade himself that he has performed his more humble task as ably as Harding Balmer, Cooke, and Creswick, have executed their portion of the work, he should congratulate himself on his success. London, 23rd November, 1837. W. A. C. LIST OF PLATES, ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THE LINE OF THE COAST, FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. HOLY ISLAND CASTLE AND LINDISFARN ABBEY HOLY ISLAND CASTLE, FROM THE WEST DUNSTANSBOROUGH CASTLE-MOONLIGHT BLYTH CULLERCOATS BERWICKSHIKE J. D. Harding 18 G. Balmer 20 G. Balmer 28 48 49 NORTHUMBERLAND G. Balmer NORTHUMBERLAND G. Bulmer TYNEMOUTH LIGHTHOUSE-VESSEL ON THE ROCKS NORTHUMBERLAND NORTHUMBERLAND G. Balmer 53 54 11 7 |