"The village was built sheer up the face of a steep and lofty cliff. There was no road in it, there was no wheeled vehicle in it, there was not a level yard in it.
From the sea-beach to the cliff-top two irregular rows of white houses, placed opposite to one another, and twisting here and there, and there and here, rose, like the sides of a long succession of stages of crooked ladders, and you climbed up the village or you climbed down the village by the staves between, some six feet wide or so, and made of sharp irregular stones."
Charles Dickens ~ A Message from the Sea
If you don't have Dickens' way with words, you can always use postcards instead. For the privately owned village of
Clovelly there are dozens to choose from, but essentially they all show the same scene.
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| High Street, Clovelly. Artist signed |
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| Valentin's "Art Colour" Postcard. High Street, Clovelly |
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| Valentine's Art Colour Postcard A103. High Street, Clovelly |
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| Salmon Series Postcard. Down-A-Long, Clovelly |
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| Frith's Series Postcard. Clovelly, High Street |
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| Charles Worcester Postcard. Artist Elmer Keene. High Street looking down, Clovelly. |
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| Photochrom Postcard. Clovelly, High Street. |
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| Cotman Color Series Postcard 1975. |
I do have about half a dozen more but I think you'll agree that there isn't much variation. The High Street is called Up Along or Down Along, depending on your point of view at the time.
You can see equally that it was, and still is, impossible for a motor vehicle to go into the village, hence the donkeys. The donkeys are still there but give rides to children. These days goods are transported on sledges.
"And a mighty sing'lar and pretty place it is, as ever I saw in all the
days of my life!"
UPDATE: The
obituary for Mary Rous, one time guardian of Clovelly. The link kindly sent to me by Linda of
Arizona Skies.
This is a post for Postcard Friday, which is hosted by Beth Niquette at
The Best Hearts are Crunchy.
What a wonderful name, 'up along, down along' is but the donkeys are the stars. Love the moonlit scene, the donkeys still toiling away. Nice selection on a theme, I can see why you would have more.
ReplyDeleteHow fun to see so many versions of the same street at the same angle interpreted in so many ways. The variety is very cool.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to travel by way of the donkey, though it would have been mighty hard work for them! Beautiful setting ... so very interesting that the interpretations are all so close in nature ... no one straying from the true beauty.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!!
A wonderful set of postcards. I like the ones with the flowers. Happy PFF.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the same view in different ways. What a neat town.
ReplyDeleteJudy
Beautiful variations on a "thematic" street! The artists must have viewed it from exactly the same spot! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting place with interesting names.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post, well done. I liked how you mixed the photo postcards with the painted ones, and included Dickens and Wikipedia. I wondered how it can be privately owned? Is Clovelly not part of Great-Britain? Happy PFF.
ReplyDeleteSledges?
ReplyDeleteWe once stopped for lunch at Clovelly without realising it cost £5 each to visit the village!
ReplyDeleteFoarte interesant = Very interesting, in Romanian. :)
ReplyDeleteSo the motor vehicles cannot come there. It's not asphalt, it's ass-fault.
Great post! :)
In my old age, I don't think I would want to live at the top of the hill ( give me a donkey to ride - or a mule since I'd probably kill a donkey ). It's a beautiful little town, though!
ReplyDelete