fete! 
THE OLD SHAMBLES, CHESTERFIELD, 133 
buildings now standing, any further attempt at ornamentation ; 
but, on referring to Ford’s ‘* History of Chesterfield,” we find the 
following statement. Speaking of the Shambles, he says :—‘ East 
of Irongate, and parallel to it, is a passage, near the upper end of 
which stands a very ancient building, said to have formerly 
belonged to the Knights Templars. This, as well as the older 
parts of the Shambles, is composed principally of oak, some of 
which is curiously carved, and thought to be of Saxon origin.” 
On visiting Chesterfield, for the purpose of making sketches, and 
examining the buildings, one of the ‘“ Knights of the Cleaver” 
pointed out the building figured (fig. 1) on Plate VII., as being the 
one formerly possessed by the ‘‘ Knights Templars,” and, on 
_ ‘comparing notes,” we found it to be quite correct so far as that 
_ it is the identical building mentioned in the above extract. It is 
situate exactly in the position therein stated; but our disappoint- 
ment was great, to find no traces of the ‘‘ curious carving,” and 
not the slightest appearance of there ever having been any on any 
part of the buildings now left. This particular one is in an 
extremely dilapidated condition, the timber framework being all 
that remains; the lath and plaster, which formerly filled the space 
between the timber, has fallen away; so have most, if not all, the 
roofing slabs. It will be observed, on referring to the plate, that 
there is, in the centre of the upper story, a very pretty oriel 
window, having four lights, and that there is an embattled 
moulding at the head, and also at the base; the whole being 
supported on four plain brackets. 
It is not at all unlikely that these old timbers have been 
Standing in their present form as long since as the r4th century. 
The length of time oak beams will last is very surprising; those of 
which the little church at Greensted, in Essex, was built being, 
undoubtedly, 870 years old, and there is very good reason to 
_ Suppose they may continue for hundreds of years longer. Allowing 
this, still we see no reason whatever to suppose that these 
Shambles are of ‘‘Saxon origin;” there is nothing in the construc- 
_ tion of any of them to support such a supposition. We have been 
e very desirous to find out whether there had ever been any house 
