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As well as gaining popularity thanks to a book, Westward Ho! is also mentioned in a song by Half Man Half Biscuit reminiscing about holidaying in the town and is also included in a set of short stories by Rudyard Kipling. The poet and author, best known for the Jungle Book, grew up in Westward Ho! attending school there, his collection of stories, Stalky and Co, is based on his experiences while at school in the village, to commemorate this, you’ll find the first stanza of his poem, If, set into the pavement on the promenade. After a time, Amyas fits out a ship and prepares to go with Drake to Virginia, but before they sail, the Spanish Armada arrives off English shores. Amyas, with his ship, joins the rest of the fleet in that famous battle. After twelve terrible days, the Armada is defeated and almost every Spanish ship destroyed. Amyas, however, is not satisfied. Don Guzman is aboard one of the Spanish ships, and although Amyas pursues him relentlessly, he has to sit by and watch a storm tear the Spaniard’s ship apart. Amyas curses that he himself was not able to kill Don Guzman and thus avenge his brother’s death.
Westward Ho! is one of the most welcoming places in the south west when it comes to dogs. Dogs are allowed on the beachall year round, with restrictions in place during the summer. Signs around the beach provide handy maps so dog owners will know where they can go and alternative routes for those exploring with their dogs by foot. Seaside traditions Although originally a political radical, Kingsley had by the 1850s become increasingly conservative and a strong supporter of overseas expansion. [4] The novel consistently emphasises the superiority of English values over those of the "decadent Spanish". [1] Although originally written for adults, its mixture of patriotism, sentiment and romance deemed it suitable for children, and it became a firm favourite of children's literature. [5] The novel's virulent anti-Catholicism, as well as its racially insensitive depictions of the South Americans, has made the novel less appealing to a modern audience, although it is still regarded by some as Kingsley's "liveliest, and most interesting novel." [6] Adaptations [ edit ] 1920 edition illustrated with paintings by N.C. Wyeth. After more than three years, the little band reaches the shore of New Granada. There, after a furious fight, they capture a Spanish galleon. After they secure her and set sail, they go into the hold and release the prisoners the Spaniards have aboard. One of them is Lucy the witch, who tells them of the horrible fate of Rose and Frank. Before Eustace disappeared from La Guayra, he reported to the Inquisition that Rose kept her Protestant faith. She and Lucy were taken before the terrible tribunal, where Frank was also turned over to the torturers. Lucy confessed that she accepted the Catholic faith, but Frank and Rose, refusing to yield to the Inquisitors, were tortured for many days before they were burned at the stake. When Amyas hears this story, he is like a madman, vowing never to rest until he kills every Spaniard he sees. Two Spanish dignitaries on the ship witnessed the burning of Frank and Rose, and Amyas has them hanged immediately.
In popular culture…
Published in 1855, the novel Westward Ho! was an almost immediate success. Written by native Devonian, Charles Kingsley, the book follows the adventures of English Corsair Amyas Preston. When the ship is damaged in a later encounter with the Spaniards, the crew beaches her and begins a march toward the fabled city of Manoa. It is a long and hazardous journey over high mountains and through a land of hostile Indians. They find no El Dorado, but a young priest of one of the tribes falls in love with Amyas and follows him the rest of the journey. She is called Ayacanora, and, although she is of an Indian tribe, she seems to have the look of a white woman. The seafront and the part of the village leading down to the water are part of a Natural Landscape(AONB) which covers the majority of Devon’s north coast. We’d never intended to visit Westward Ho! But sometimes it’s best to just follow the signs and follow wherever they might lead to. (And besides, did curiosity really kill the cat?) Driving through the North Devonian countryside following a visit tonearby Clovelly (which is supposedly the prettiest village in the UK), we couldn’t help but notice the signposts for a name with an actual exclamation mark in it.
Kingsley dedicated the novel to Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, and Bishop George Selwyn, whom he saw as modern representatives of the heroic values of the privateers who were active during the Elizabethan era. In fact, Charles Kingsley’s novel proved so popular that there was a renewed interest in North Devon among wealthy Victorians. Rich businessmen in nearby Bideford saw the tourism potential almost immediately. The book is the inspiration behind the unusual name of the village of Westward Ho! in Devon, the only place name in the United Kingdom that contains an exclamation mark. [10] In comparison with other Devonian towns (even the nearby large town of Bideford), Westward Ho! is a fairly new addition to the landscape, meaning that there aren’t too many historicbuildings of interest about. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t interesting things to do (and spots to eat at). The Pig on the Hill Don Guzman remained a constant presence throughout the story, but his conflict with Amyas was bought to an end in a way that I definitely had not expected.
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The Natural Landscape (AONB) includes the beachwhich is one of a number of Blue Flag rated beaches in this region. During the summer life guards are stationed making it one of the safest in Devon for swimming and water sports. Like much of the coastline in this area of Devon, the current makes conditions perfect for a number of water based activities and the village is popular with those that like surfing, as such you’ll find a host of organisations renting equipment and offering lessons in a wide range of sports including paddle boarding and kayaking. There are also a number of businesses based in the village who offer training sessions and tours of the coastline by boat or board, so those of you interested in a sightseeing tour with a difference can really learn more about this fascinating village from the water. In fact, it turns out that the town of Westward Ho! is the only one in the UK to include punctuation marks (pretty cool fact!) Located just over a mile down the coastline from ever popular Bideford, you’ll find Westward Ho! Samuel Schoenbaum (1987). William Shakespeare: A Compact Documentary Life. Oxford University Press. p.120. ISBN 978-0-19-505161-2.
A little outside of the village, you’ll find the quaint little pub of The Pig on the Hill. As the name suggests, the eatery is located at the very summit of a hill and provides amazing views over the surrounding countryside. Holy Trinity Church Hodges, C. Walter (1979). The Battlement Garden: Britain from the Wars of the Roses to the Age of Shakespeare (1st Americaned.). New York: Houghton. p. 116. ISBN 9780816430048.In April 1925, the book was the first novel to be adapted for radio by the BBC. [7] The first movie adaptation of the novel was a 1919 silent film, Westward Ho!, directed by Percy Nash. [8] A 1988 children's animated film, Westward Ho!, produced by Burbank Films Australia, was loosely based on Kingsley's novel. [9] Legacy [ edit ] Construction of the town began in 1865 during the Victorian era and was built in a style typical of resort towns in the 19th-Century. The house façades are high and palm trees are everywhere. Should you opt to visit the seaside resort today, you’ll find a town which is much like many other former Victorian seaside resorts in the UK (a little weathered in places and otherwise very popular). Westward Ho! The Novel by Charles Kingsley This little church was built in 1870. Fairly modern as churches go, it was built in a much older style and overlooks the sandy beach the town is so famous for. The church is free to visit (though donations for its upkeep are always welcome) and is open throughout the week. A weekly service is held on Sundays at 11 AM. Westward Ho Pier
At last, the ship reaches Devon, and Amyas takes Ayacanora to his home, where his mother welcomes her and treats her as a daughter. During the voyage, Yeo discovers that she is the little maid he promised Oxenham to protect, and he becomes a father to her. Amyas treats her as he might a sister, but Ayacanora is not happy at this treatment. Set in the 16th-Century, the story follows theCorsair’s (fancy word for pirate) journey to sea with Francis Drake (a famous confidant toQueen Elizabeth I). The book includes fights with the Spanish in the Americas, searches for gold and life in Devon. Set initially in Bideford in North Devon during the reign of Elizabeth I, Westward Ho! follows the adventures of Amyas Leigh, an unruly child who as a young man follows Francis Drake to sea. Amyas loves local beauty Rose Salterne, as does nearly everyone else; much of the novel involves Rose's elopement with a Spaniard.
Things to do…
And the Earl of Portsmouth founded a hotel named ‘Westward Ho!’ Soon enough, other villas started to pop up nearby. And thus, the town of Westward Ho! was born. Find the Westward Ho! book for sale here. Westward Ho! Beach
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