THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



217 



soldiers, statesmen, conspirators, coachmen, and liigh- 

 waymen, who must have passed the portals of so vener- 

 able a place of entertainment as this, in the lapse of six- 

 centuries. A tradition however which associates one 

 royalty with the White Hart is noticeable ; not only 

 from the sini^ularitv of the association, but because the 





--.■3 REiD Jr/'R"* >t 'i '-isr' 







my;, 



» ,'j -^^ 



7"/ii; Clayton .Irins, Godstoiie. 



particular association in question is to me a distinctive 

 feature in the history of the Brighton Road. 



It is said then that in 18 15 the Regent, the Czar of 

 Russia, and many royal visitors stayed at the inn on 

 their way to Blindley Heath, to be present at the fight 

 for the championship of England. Having lost my 



