THE VALLEYS OF THE LYN 
123 
Away on tlie right, and slightly below ns, the stream falls, 
as its course for a moment broadens, in a foaming cascade. 
The next moment, as our path descends, we creep under the 
shelter of great and glorious masses of trees, losing sight of 
the sky, and seeming to penetrate into the inner recesses of 
the glorious woodland, where the very sounds of bird and 
insect life are hushed, as if soothed by the dimness of the 
leafy shade ; where the river itself, which erewhile was 
foaming in eager fury over the hold obstructions in its bed, 
now rolls, with subdued force, along, whilst its roar is 
changed into a murmur, as if in graceful recognition of the 
presence of the ferny forms which droop over the sloping, 
grassy, and sheltered bank. 
But the charms of this woodland walk along the glen of 
the Brendon Water are not yet exhausted. From the quiet 
of the woodland shade we emerge again into the sunlight. 
And now a gentle stream trickles across our path ; now a 
small rapid, hurrying swiftly down from the hill on our left, 
hisses along through the narrow channel which is carried 
under our path to meet the river below us on the right ; 
now gently sloping ferny banks run down and kiss the 
water’s edge, whilst ferny hill-sides rise above us. Anon the 
glen widens, and on our left a whole hill-side is covered with 
clustering Brake, whilst from the right of our path to the 
river’s surface a ferny bank slopes down to the stream, above 
which rises a lofty, wood-crowned hill. 
We leave the valley of the Brendon Water at Ashford; 
cross the stream to the Bockford Inn, and thence follow on 
through lanes for about a mile and a half, until we meet the 
East Lyn. From this point the distance is about four miles 
to Lynmouth ; and during the tvdiole of the way the scenery 
is enchanting. Our road at first winds along the bottom of 
the glen. On our left rises a wood-covered hill, at the foot 
of which runs the road to Lynmouth. On our extreme right 
