TEENY COMBES. 
15 
the side that seems most promising. Now and then 
you pass under farms picturesquely perched on the 
heights overhanging the Barle, while all around fine 
trees and moist upland meadows delight the eye. 
The resemblance between this valley and several 
of the valleys running up from the Rhine is very 
decided; indeed, all through this part of Somer¬ 
setshire, as well as in parts of Devon, one is in¬ 
cessantly reminded of the much vaunted scenes of 
Rhineland, and hugs oneself in the belief that if 
people only knew our native beauties they would 
be as much admired as their foreign counterparts. 
But the sight of this part of the world is yet to be 
described. About four or five miles below Withy- 
pool the valley widens, while the hills rise in height, 
on one side bare and stony, on the other delight¬ 
fully wooded. Drom this spot the windings of the 
river can he seen for some distance. In the fore¬ 
ground is the Barle, shallow, hut broad: here there 
is a ferry, a road descending one hillside, running 
through the stream, and ascending the opposite 
bank. There is a bridge too; and this bridge is 
well worth a visit, either to the antiquary or the 
lover of the ancient and curious. It is an old Bri¬ 
tish structure, though popular superstition gives it 
a far more mysterious and diabolical origin: it is 
considerably longer than any bridges of similar con- 
