Views in Spain

Views In Spain by Edward Hawke Locker offers a documentary travelogue and historical commentary. The author recounts a tour through Spain in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, describing landscapes, monuments, cities, and social life from Tarragona and Lerida to Valencia and Burgos. Interwoven with eyewitness accounts of sieges and battles—such as Zaragoza, Sorauren, and Vittoria—the narrative balances vivid scenery with reflections on governance, religion, and national character. The Preface explains Locker's hereditary attachment to Spain, his service as Secretary to the Mediterranean Fleet under Lord Exmouth, and the spirit of cordial British aid. The text also provides biographical glimpses of Locker's naval career and friendships with colleagues like Playfair. Rich in detail about muleteers, inns, dress, and regional customs, it offers a rare 19th-century British perspective on Spanish landscapes, architecture, and society, capturing both the aesthetic drama of the countryside and the tumultuous political climate of the era.