CLARA BARTON DIARIES AND JOURNALS ca. 1869 (diary note)[*[ca. 1869]*] to Snaresend in Kent to Rochester by carriage 6 miles 10 S/ visited the old castle of the 10th century - a mere ruin - but most lovely - the flowers grow to the top -wall flowers Snap dragons, & wild larkspur - the style was before the gothic - the old Norman - it had portcullis - gates--moat & [?] wall , a portion of the moat had been converted into a cemetery - and it was here that Dickens wished to be buried - we were shown the spot under a weeping willow, in the tall grass among the daiseys - but the order being that no one can now be burried in the grounds, they having been closed, but only in a brick vault above the ground - he could not be laid here - It was decided that he be laid in the cathedral [but] and his grave was dug there - but this was not in order - and he was buried in Westminister Abbey - On the way from Snaresend to Rochester we passed God's Hill - his favourite residence now occupied by his son - a square built house - with projecting lower windows, looking out upon flowers & grass = a hedge of shorn yew divides the ground from the public mall under which a tunnel or archway leads to the gardens & grounds on the opposite sidethey have not the appearance of magnificence but comfort and taste near and quite over- hanging the trellis room, from the garden side stand the two largest cedars of Lebanon I have ever seen. They must have often give a quiet home of thoughtful repose to their illustrious master. We stopped a few minutes at the little inn a few rods beyond the house to give water to the horse and we walked back to the house and gathered ivy and flowers from the hedges and larks in front. We did not enter the yard. It is not permitted to strangers & we rode on to Rochester 6 miles from Gravesend - here was the old castle which we ascended to the top of the battlement and looked down upon one of the most lovely scenes one could ever view the "Clean silver Midway glides sweet through the vale"- from here to the cath- edral- for a little look- to the church yard to see the chosen spot of Dickens, to our carriage and look of the domain of Lord Darnley- miles of beautiful fields, parks, wood- filled with deer, pheasants- and game of various kinds, lovely cottages walks, drives, lanes- the way a hawthorn grows to tall trees the witch elm of immense size and really did loook bewitched in its curious growth - hay fields & grain - a land of gipseys - legging & dancing on the land- at length we came out at [Staeram?] - took tea - hurried to the boat and took seats for a ride up the Thames of 2 1/2 hours to London Bridge - from whence we had started by the Old Kent R R at 12 o clockKent - Gravesend England Sept 1869