The Henson Journals

[110]

Wednesday, September 8th, 1920.

We left the Hotel at 10.45 a.m., and motored to Botton Hall (Danby, Grosmont R.S.O. Yorkshire) where we had accepted an invitation from the George Macmillans. [Our route lay through Easingwold, Thirsk, Stokesley, Guisborough, & Castleton. There were intervals of bad roads, and the last part of our journey was a steep climb on to the moors, which must have put a heavy strain on the car. At Thirsk we looked at the parish church ̶ a fine perpendicular building adorned with amazing gargoyles, a lofty tower supported by many–tiered buttresses to the top, & an elaborate battlement. There was an old screen, & some medieval glass in the southern aisle. Everywhere the harvest was in progress, but many fields were uncut, & some were yet green. From Guisborough the road lay through very beautiful scenery. The brilliant colouring of the heather was remarkable. After some false starts we arrived at the House, which is well set up on the moors. George Macmillan has "built up" a property of about 500 acres, & succeeded in creating a very charming country house.

[There came to tea the local parson, and ex–Wesleyan, named finely Sydney Smith, and Macdonald, the big parson from Hartlepool, whom, of course, we had met before. I had some talk with him about the diocese, of which he gave no good account. The root of the mischief is always the same ̶ the wretched quality, social and intellectual, of the clergy, especially of the younger men, whom my predecessor ordained.]

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