In closing this desultory record of a summer’s motoring in Britain, I can easily see that a great deal was missed, much of which might have been included with little or no loss of time had we been well enough informed in advance.  There were cases where we actually passed through places of real interest only to learn later that we had overlooked something that might well have engaged our attention.  There were other points, readily accessible from our route, which we omitted because previously visited by rail; and though many of these places we should have been glad to see again, our limited time forbade.  In order to get all that should be gotten out of a five-thousand-mile tour by motor car, one would have to be familiar indeed with England’s history and traditions, as well as conversant with her literature.  There is little opportunity for studying hand-books as one goes along.  A few weeks of preparation, of well selected reading and the study of road-books and maps would make such a tour doubly valuable in saving time and in an intelligent understanding of the country and the places worth seeing.  What one should have done he will know far better after the trip is over, and the main excuse for this modest record is that it may supply in popular form some data from the experience of one who has been over part of the ground, while the superb illustrations of the volume will give a far better idea of what awaits the tourist than the mere written words.

Among the places in which our time was too short is Canterbury.  Another day would have given us a chance to see more of that ancient town, and a side trip of thirty miles would have taken us to Sandwich, Margate and Reculvers.  We had expected to come a second time to Canterbury and to visit these three points then, but were unable to carry out our plan.  Sandwich was at one time an important seaport, but lost its position from the same cause that affected so many of the south coast towns—­the receding of the sea.  It contains many of the richest bits of mediaeval architecture in England, and a few hours in its quaint streets would have been well repaid.  Reculvers, or ancient Regulbium, was a Roman city that was destroyed by the encroachments of the sea.  Here is one of the oldest and strangest of the ruined churches in England, now standing on the verge of the ocean, which still continues to advance with a prospect of ultimately wiping out the little village.

[Illustration:  A bit of old England.

From Water Color by Anderson.]

On our trip to Manchester we passed within two or three miles of Knutsford, the delightful old town selected by Mrs. Gaskell as the scene of her story, “Granford.”  Had we known of this at the time, a short detour would have taken us through its quaint streets.

The Isle of Wight is immediately across the strait from Southampton, and while a motor car could be transported by steamer to traverse its fifty or sixty miles of main road, this is not very often done.  It would require one or two days to visit the interesting points in the island, among which are Carisbrooke Castle, where King Charles I was confined as a prisoner; Osborne House, formerly a royal residence but presented to the nation by King Edward; and Freshwater, the home where the poet Tennyson lived for many years.