Sunday August 29th.
My dear Henry
I hope you have enjoyed the three lovely days that are just past – Lady Elisabeth <1> & I have had a very pleasant trip, to Cleveden first on Friday & on to Portshead yesterday – We could not manage Cheddar also – so that remains for another excursion – Wright <2> met Mr Paley <3> taking a walk at Cleveden & reports Mr P’s opinion that it is the healthiest place he ever met with. It is prettier than Weston Lady E says – but has no sands & a very short bit of beach walk – however to make up for this deficiency there is plenty of pleasant walking on the high downs all around, where the air is fine & the view beautiful – Some of the houses are very pretty but the accommodation’s poor at the hotel. The drive from Cleveden to Portshead (at the mouth of the Avon) is lovely the whole way – bold hills in some parts resembling those about Cheddar – isn’t there beautiful woods – and vallies [sic] enlivened by rural villages with the simplest little churches possible. Portshead is about 8 miles from Cleveden, has baths & lodging houses quite as good as those at C. all built by the Corporation of Bristol & situated in the most lovely woods, which cover the high ground on which the houses are built, & descend the steep bank down to the water’s edge. They reminded me of Lord Lovelace’s <4> grounds on the borders of Somersetshire, <5> where we once took a charming walk which I dare say you remember. I forwarded a letter for you (on Thursday I think) & tucked a wee note from Cousin Mary <6> inside. – Lady Elisabeth heard from Caroline <7> on Wednesday & from Horatia <8> yesterday. – Hor. had waited till the 22d without receiving Lady E’s letter which she ought to have done & expected in answer to one of hers (proposing to give up Caroline & to join the Gallways)<9> And being obliged to come to a decision, – they were going to move onwards the following day – not to Teplitz but to Carlsbad, if Caroline agreed to meet Hor. there – I think Lady Elisabeth is vexed that my Brother & Harriet <10> did not take her at once to Caroline as they ought to have done – but I hope it may all come right at last & at any rate as far as they have proceeded hitherto, they seem to have enjoyed everything as much as possible.
We are quite disappointed at not hearing from you – why don’t you write! –
Your affectionate
Constance
Notes:
1. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
2. James Wright, footman to the Talbots & Constable for Lacock.
3. Rev James Paley (1790–1863), Vicar at Lacock.
4. William King-Noel, Earl of Lovelace and Viscount Ockham (1805–1893). He married Lord Byron’s only daughter, Augusta Ada Byron, in 1835.
5. Ashley Combe, Porlock, Somersetshire.
6. Mary Thereza Talbot (1795–1861), WHFT’s cousin.
7. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
8. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
9. Sir William Payne Gallwey (1807-1881), 2nd Bart, and his wife, Emily Anne, née Frankland-Russell (b. 1822).
10. William Mundy (1801-1877), politician, WHFT’s brother-in-law and his wife, Harriot Georgiana Mundy, née Frampton (1806-1886), WHFT’s cousin & sister-in-law.