English Villages | Page 2

are
often repeated by the writers of modern guide books. Moreover patient
labour amid old records, rolls, and charters, has vastly increased our
knowledge of the history of manors; and the ancient parish registers
and churchwardens' account books have been made to yield their store
of information for the benefit of industrious students and scholars.
There has been much destruction and much construction; and this good
work will doubtless continue, until at length English archaeology may
be dignified with the title of an exact science. Destruction of another
kind is much to be deplored, which has left its mark on many an
English village. The so-called "restoration" of ancient parish churches,
frequently conducted by men ignorant of the best traditions of English

architecture, the obliteration of the old architectural features, the entire
destruction of many interesting buildings, have wrought deplorable ruin
in our villages, and severed the links with the past which now can never
be repaired. The progress of antiquarian knowledge will I trust arrest
the destroyer's hand and prevent any further spoliation of our
diminished inheritance. If this book should be found useful in
stimulating an intelligent interest in architectural studies, and in
protecting our ancient buildings from such acts of vandalism, its
purpose will have been abundantly achieved.
I am indebted to many friends and acquaintances for much information
which has been useful to me in writing this book; to Sir John Evans
whose works are invaluable to all students of ancient stone and bronze
implements; to Dr. Cox whose little book on How to Write the History
of a Parish is a sure and certain guide to local historians; to Mr. St.
John Hope and Mr. Fallow for much information contained in their
valuable monograph on _Old Church Plate_; to the late Dr. Stevens, of
Reading; to Mr. Shrubsole of the same town; to Mr. Gibbins, the author
of The Industrial History of England, for the use of an illustration from
his book; to Mr. Melville, Mr. P.J. Colson, and the Rev. W. Marshall
for their photographic aid; and to many other authors who are only
known to me by their valuable works. To all of these gentlemen I desire
to express my thanks, and also to Mr. Mackintosh for his artistic sketch
of a typical English village, which forms the frontispiece of my book.
P.H.D.
BARKHAM RECTORY May, 1901
CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION II. PREHISTORIC REMAINS III. TUMULI OR
BARROWS IV. PIT AND PILE DWELLINGS V. CROMLECHS,
CAMPS, AND EARTHWORKS VI. ROMAN RELICS VII.
ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGES VIII. SAXON RELICS IX. ENGLISH
ARCHITECTURE X. NORMAN VILLAGES AND THE
"DOMESDAY BOOK" XI. NORMAN CASTLES XII.
MONASTERIES XIII. THE MANOR-HOUSE XIV. PARISH
CHURCHES XV. CHURCH PLATE XVI. MONUMENTAL

EFFIGIES AND BRASSES XVII. THE PARISH CHEST XVIII.
STAINED GLASS, TILES, AND MURAL PAINTINGS XIX.
CHURCH BELLS XX. THE MEDIAEVAL VILLAGE XXI.
VILLAGE SPORTS AND PASTIMES XXII. THE VILLAGE INN
XXIII. VILLAGE SUPERSTITIONS AND FOLKLORE
APPENDIX--BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO
PAROCHIAL HISTORY
INDEX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FULL-PAGE
An English village Village street Palaeolithic implements Neolithic and
bronze implements Old market cross Broughton Castle Netley Abbey,
south transept Southcote Manor, showing moat and pigeon-house Old
Manor-house--Upton Court Stone Tithe Barn, Bradford-on-Avon
Village church in the Vale An ancient village Anne Hathaway's cottage
Old stocks and whipping-post Village inn, with old Tithe Barn of
Reading Abbey Old cottages
IN THE TEXT
Barbed and leaf-shaped arrow-heads Plan of a tumulus Plan of tumulus
called Wayland Smith's Cave, Berkshire Celtic cinerary urn Articles
found in pit dwellings Iron spear-head found at Hedsor Menhir
Rollright stones (from Camden's Britannia, 1607) Dolmen Plan and
section of Chun Castle The White Horse at Uffington Plan of Silchester
Capital of column Roman force-pump Tesselated pavement Beating
acorns for swine (from the Cotton MS., Nero, c. 4) House of Saxon
thane Wheel plough (from the Bayeux tapestry) Smithy (from the
Cotton MS., B 4) Saxon relics Consecration of a Saxon church Tower
of Barnack Church, Northamptonshire Doorway, Earl's Barton Church
Tower window, Monkwearmouth Church Sculptured head of doorway,
Fordington Church, Dorset Norman capitals Norman ornamental
mouldings Croyland Abbey Church, Lincolnshire Semi-Norman arch,

Church of St. Cross Early English piers and capitals Dog-tooth
ornament Brownsover Chapel, Warwickshire Ball-flower mouldings,
Tewkesbury Abbey Ogee arch Decorated capitals, Hanwell and
Chacombe Decorated windows, Merton College Chapel; Sandiacre,
Derbyshire Decorated mouldings, Elton, Huntingdonshire; Austrey,
Warwickshire Perpendicular window, Merton College Chapel, Oxford
Tudor arch, vestry door, Adderbury Church, Oxon Perpendicular
parapet, St. Erasmus' Chapel, Westminster Abbey Perpendicular
moulding, window, Christchurch, Oxford Diagram of a manor Ancient
plan of Old Sarum A Norman castle Tournament A monk transcribing
Ockwells manor-house Richmond Palace Doorway and staircase, Ufton
Court The porch, Ufton Court Window of south wing, Ufton Court
Ancient pew-work, Tysoe Church, Warwickshire Early English screen,
Thurcaston, Leicestershire Norman piscina, Romsey Church, Hants
Lowside window, Dallington Church, Northamptonshire Reading-pew,