THE DERBYSHIRE WYE. 23 



gliding along gently, there swirling and foaming, the Wye twists 

 and twines through the " Garden of the Peak," watering the vale of 

 Haddon and ultimately swelling the volume of the Derwent. 



The construction of the railway that has opened up this 

 charming district greatly incited Ruskin's wrath. In his opinion, 

 the intrusion of the iron horse into these sacred solitudes meant 

 irreparable ruin to the loveliness of the valley and banishment for all 

 time of its glamour of romance. Concerning Monsal Dale, now 

 spanned by a huge viaduct, he wrote : " There was a rocky valley 

 between Buxton and Bakewell, once upon a time divine as the Vale 

 of Tempe ; you might have seen the Gods there morning and 

 evening Apollo and all the sweet Muses of the light walking in 

 fair procession on the lawns of it, and to and fro among the pinn- 

 acles of its crags." Without a doubt, certain parts are disfigured by 

 the presence of the railroad, and also by the invasion of the manu- 

 facturer ; but the glory of the Wye valley has not departed entirely ; 

 and here and there an elegant archway even enhances rather than 

 detracts from the beauty of the scene. 



The other day the writer chanced upon a booklet entitled 

 " The Buxton Visitor's Guide and Annual for 1876 " (published for 

 gratuitous distribution), in which appears the following interesting 

 announcement : " Fishing. The river Wye, for five miles below 

 Buxton, is well preserved, and, for its length, is perhaps, the most 

 romantic and beautiful river in England. Trout abound, but do 

 not attain any great size. Grayling, too, are occasionally taken. 

 Tickets are issued at a moderate price for the day, week, month or 

 season, and may be procured from the water-keeper." 



For many years the length in question afforded excellent sport, 

 but, unfortunately, polution has robbed the angling visitor of a 

 privilege that nowadays would be highly appreciated, especially in 

 view of the fact that the portions of the river wherein fish thrive are 

 totally inaccessible to the vagrant fisherman. There is, however, a 

 solitary exception ; and this a notable one. Through the kindness 

 of the Duke of Rutland, a delightful length of the Wye, between 

 Bakewell and Rowsley, is open to guests at the Rutland Arms and 



