Monday 26 May 1834

Fine but dullish - Fahrenheit 58 1/2 at 6 55/60 goodish kiss last night

Comfortable enough at the Queen's Head Staindrop - not so cheap and good as at Greta bridge - off for Raby Castle at 9 26/60 and there in 1/4 hour - drove into the hall - by much the most imposing part of the Story - the Castle well worth seeing, but too much modernized within generally and without as to the windows - no pictures worth seeing but six good views of Venice by Canaletti - Castle and terraces stand on 2 acres - the old baronial hall seemed smaller than when I saw it from Croft 10 or 12 years ago, because perhaps now converted into a museum of natural history - some pretty good birds stuffed, and shells and minerals - the housekeeper very civil - clean's [sic] the marble slabs and chimney pieces (the red porphyry columns of the entrance hall and the imitation verd antiqua excellent of the dining room only scagliuola) with a mixture of soft soap and Spanish whitening and pearl ash smeared on to the marble should remain on a fortnight at least and then be washed off with hot water and a fine soft brush to take all out of the carved work - the breadth of flat grass terrace round the castle to the parapet wall surrounding it, not much wider in the widest part than 20 yards - flagged way close up to the windows some 8, some 5 feet broad

Off from Raby at 10 47/60, and nice drive to Bishop Auckland at 11 3/4 a neat little town - alighted at the goodish Inn, and walked across the great square to the castle (bishop's palace) a handsome modern castle-like house - went over it in 25 minutes - in the dining room Jacob and his 12 sons by Ribera Spagnoletti (all but one by Pond) in as many of the large pannels - Louis Cornaro heirs, son, grandson, and 4 or 5 great grandsons by Titian and 1 or 2 more pictures - none but a few bishops elsewhere, and the whole house looked very bare of furniture - a picture in the fine large handsome chapel (roof very fine oak-carving in square compartments (armorial) over the altar by Sir Joshua Reynolds - Christ ascending from the Cross in 1 compartment of window and in one ditto on each side, a Roman soldier falling or fallen from to the Earth in astonishment and terror - not a pleasing picture to me - the 2 soldiers heavy and clumsy - the Christ not handsome and seeming faded as to colouring - an hour strolling about the park - very picturesque good castle like deer sheds looking like handsome arcaded stables from the East - the little river Gaunless (pronounced Ganless) enlarged and deepened and weared and paved with stones and spoiled opposite the house - it flows in a rocky picturesque ravine - the country around beautiful - 5/8 of an octagon battlemented old looking temple on seat on the opposite side the river well situated near the top of the hill and commanding nice views of the castle - 5 open archways, rather pointed like old fashioned doorways - a small buttress from bottom to top between each archway - about 4 feet wide and 6 feet 6 inches high to the span of the arch - this might do at the top of the Conery wood

Off from Bishop Auckland at 1 40/60 - pretty about the picturesque village (large village green or square) of Pierce bridge - handsome 3 arched stone bridge over the picturesque rock-bedded Tees, but a small river just now - so little water in its bed Colonel Pulleyn house a goodish 3 story house on entering the village

No posthorses - went forward (21 miles) to Cattericke bridge, off from there at 4 50/60 and at Masham at 6 55/60 - beautiful country about Masham for the last half hour had grubbled her well just done before driving into the town

Ordered tea at 8 and strolled into neat good the church - handsome monument (about 1613) to a Sir Marmaduke Wyville and his wife - 3 or 4 Danby monuments but recent and not handsome the church in mourning for the last of his house William Danby of Swinton, who died about 5 months ago  then walked to the house to the about a mile+, very pretty drive, - walked up to the house as near as we could for high-iron-railed-off flower garden in front - modern castellated joined on to a common sort of plain house and offices - not in particularly good architectural keeping but looking very pretty - the park struck us as far more beautiful than that at Rokeby - tho' the entrance lodges not castle-like, and not at all suited to the house

Back in about 1/2 hour at 9 - tea - wrote all the above of today till 11 25/60 p.m. at which hour Fahrenheit 58 in sitting room - fine day - coolish in the evening but very fine - on leaving Bishops Auckland found cousin gently come not afterwards incommoded

[In margin] Picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds £70 given by Mr. Danby, over the arch separating the chancel from the body of the church - an angel on a cloud contemplating a cross. Greek motto[?] at his feet which things the angels desire to look into. Good picture.

WYAS: SH:7/ML/E/17/0037