12 FRESH WOODS. 



pleasant meadows of the Croft Castle Estate, 

 past the wooded banks and copses of the 

 Tarrs, onwards, leaving the pleasant village 

 of Kingsland to the right. 



On reaching "The Wegnalls" the . river 

 loses much of its beauty. Here ittertainly be- 

 comes sluggish and unpicturesque ; but here, 

 also, in certain seasons, is to be found some 

 of its best trout-fishing. Of this extenuating 

 circumstance I have, however, no present 

 experience. 



The meadows on the south of the river, 

 below Mortimer's Cross, have a celebrity of 

 their own. On these fields a bloody battle 

 once did rage, in the Wars of the Roses, 

 between the forces of Edward, Duke of York, 

 and Henry of Lancaster, in which the Lan- 

 castrians were severely defeated. This battle 

 was fought February 2, 1461, and proved to be 

 the turning-point in the tide in favour of the 

 young Duke of York, who was shortly after- 

 wards proclaimed king under the title of Ed- 

 ward IV. . 



A brief account of the battle is recorded 

 on a handsome monument which stands in 

 the turnpike road at the entrance of the 

 village of Kingsland. The inhabitants are 

 proud of this monument. I have not seen 

 it for many, many years. It used to be kept 



