34 AYLES HOLT. 



a vast lake for this part of the world, containing in its whole 

 circumference, 2649 yards, or very near a mile and a half. 

 The length of the north-west and opposite side is about 704 

 yards and the breadth of the south-west end about 456 yards. 

 This measurement, which I caused to be made with good 

 exactness, gives an area of about sixty-six acres, exclusive of 

 a large irregular arm at the north-east corner, which we did 

 not take into the reckoning. 



On the face of this expanse of waters, and perfectly secure 

 from fowlers, lie all day long, in the winter season, vast 

 flocks of ducks, teals, and widgeons, of various denominations; 

 where they preen, and solace, and rest themselves, till 

 towards sunset, when they issue forth in little parties for 

 in their natural state they are all birds of the night to feed 

 in the brooks and meadows : returning again with the dawn 

 of the morming ! Had this lake an arm or two more, and 

 were it planted round with thick covert (for now it is per- 

 fectly naked), it might make a valuable decoy. 



Yet neither its extent, nor the clearness of its water, nor 

 the resort of various and curious fowls, nor its picturesque 

 groups of cattle, can render this mere so remarkable, as the 

 great quantity of coins that were found in its bed about 

 forty years ago.* 



LETTEE IX. 



TO THE SAME. 



BY way of supplement, I shall trouble you once more on 

 this subject, to inform you that "Wolmer, with her sister 

 forest Ayles Holt, alias Alice Holt,t as it is called in old 

 records, is held by grant from the crown for a term of years. 



* Some of these coins came afterwards into the possession of the author. 

 They were all copper, part were of Marcus Aurelius, and the Empress 

 Faustina, his wife, the father and mother of Commodus. W. J. 



t " In Rot. Inquisit. de statu forest, in Scaccar. 36 Ed. III.," it is called 

 Aisholt, In the same, " Tit. Woolmer and Aisholt Hantisc. Dominus Rex 

 habet unam capellam in fafa su& de Kiugesle." Ifaia, sepes, scpimentum, 

 narcus : a Gall, haie and kaye." SPELMAN'S Glossary. 



