VOL. XVII. (3) 



EXCURSION— CHARLTON KINGS 



287 



always fought on this wing. There can be no credence to the Dugdale story 

 that Cromwell watched the battle from Burton Dassett Church tower, and 

 .slid down one of the bell ropes to escape from some Royalist scouts. He 

 was on the opposite side of the field — if he was there at all. [G.W.W.] 



Mr Webb was heartily thanked for his friendly services, and in reply, 

 that gentleman expressed the hope that on a future occasion, Members 

 would spend more time in this interesting locality. 



The return journey to Stratford was much enjoyed. The prefix " leafy " 

 has been applied to Warwickshire, and certainly not without reason. The 

 views obtained, if not extensive, were delightfully picturesque, and it was 

 very evident that farming was being carried on under good conditions, and 

 in all probability with the amount of success which intelligent and energetic 

 husbandry deserves. A few miles from Stratford, Charlecote House was 

 passed. It is a large red brick Elizabethan mansion, standing in a magni- 

 ficent park, well timbered, and through which passes the River Avon. As is 

 well known, the name of Shakespeare has been associated with this place, 

 and its first owner Sir Thomas Lucy, but the deer-stealing incident is possibly 

 only legendary, although the satire on Mr Justice Shallow will no doubt continue 

 to perpetuate it. At all events, there were fine dappled deer in the park this 

 bright May afternoon, and it was easy to think of the melancholy Jaques, of 

 Rosalind and Orlando, not to mention other rural characters which for 

 generations have made " As You Like It " a play of abiding interest and 

 enjoyment. Here, too, near the entrance gates with their heads of the wild 

 boar carved in stone, is the tumble-down stile which has long proved amusing 

 to unsuspicious and innocent people. Several children, fresh from school, 

 were moving the bars up and down as if to show the occupants of the motor 

 how easy it is to come to grief when taking a seat on the unusual stile. The 

 road to Stratford skirts the park for a considerable distance, and soon after 

 leaving the lordly demesne behind, the pleasure party travelled over the 

 Clopton Bridge, with its view of Trinity Church, the Memorial Theatre, the 

 boats and punts on the river, and people seated in the pleasure gardens. 

 It was a fitting termination to a ride through country which to a greater 

 portion of those present was new. [W.T.I 



HALF-DAY EXCURSION 



TO 



CHARLTON KINGS, CHELTENHAM 



Saturday, May 27th, 191 1 



Directors : L. RiCH.'iRDSON, Johx S.\wyer and 

 G. D. Wadh.\m 



(Report by L. Richardson) 



From the G.W.R. station the party drove to the Cotswold Potteries, 

 where they were met by the Manager, Mr G. D. Wadham. Saturday after- 

 noon is a holiday, but the engineer and foreman very kindly came back, so 

 that the complete manufacturing process could be shown to the Members. 

 There arc only two potteries in work now in this part of Gloucestershire — 

 here at Leckhampton and at Greet, near Winchcombe. That at Cranham, 

 Mr Wadham stated, was closed. 



Two kinds of pottery are manufactured at Leckhampton : the ordinary 

 red ware and the " Chelt " ware, which is green. The former is made from 

 clay dug on the spot, but mixed with some more loamy material from Leck- 

 hampton Hill, the glaze being obtained by coating the article with red lead 



