THE HEART OF THE WEST - A BOOK OF THE WEST COUNTRY FROM BRISTOL TO LANDS END - BY ARTHUR L. SALMON - PREFACE - THIS book is not intended to be a guifle-book, no is it a choice of travel. As I guide-book it has many omissions, the more glaring of which I may as well point out myself, and thus forestall criticisni. To neglect almost the whole of south Somerset, including Ycovil, llchester, Ilminster, the Cadbury that may be Camelot and the Montacutc that has so fine a manor-house-to omit Scaton and Sidmouth and Ottery from a treatment of Devon would be shortcomings, were it not for the fact that these districts are dealt with in another volume of the series of vllich this book forms a part. But my aim has been to give a presentment of the West Country as a whole, within moderate compass, in a series of central pictures rather than in full detail I have wislled to be true in the spirit while not false, though certainly inconiplete, in thc letter. For convenience of treatment 1 have chosen to proceed from cast to west, starting from Bristol to St. Ives on the north, froin Excter to Lands End on the south. Therc are thus two main itineraries, with one necessary digression a digression that takes in Dartmoor and thus includes the most interesting district of mid- Devon. Some readers will be ready to complain that niy book lacks many things to be found in the ordinary guide-books. I shall be less troubled by this censure if they find wiihin these covers a few things that are not found in the ordinary guide-books......... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.