IO4 Country Rambles. 



place, and there are few, perhaps, of our local artists who 

 have not sketched it. It would appear from the date of 

 Ormerod's work (1819), where the hall is described as 

 containing furniture and paintings, that it has been 

 deserted only since the death of George III. Until 

 recently one of its curiosities was a stone pulpit, in which 

 it is said Oliver Cromwell once preached. The rustic 

 legend of the place is that, once upon a time, long before 

 powder and shot were invented, there lived hereabouts a 

 doughty baron. On the opposite side of the valley was 

 a similar castle, held by a rival baron, who returned his 

 neighbour's jealousy with interest. These two worthies 

 used to spend their time in shooting at one another with 

 bows and arrows, till at last, tired of long range, and 

 such desultory warfare, the Baron of Arden collected his 

 dependents, dived down into the valley, scaled the 

 opposite heights, slaughtered his enemy, and so utterly 

 demolished his castle, that now not a vestige of it is 

 discoverable. 



There is generally some good foundation for such 

 legends. Upon the eastern side of the hall, some 

 distance from the moat, traces of ancient earthworks 

 are discoverable, extending towards the present "Castle- 

 hill," and which probably protected some simple fortifi- 

 cation. Flint arrow-heads and other relics of primitive 

 weapons found in the soil of the adjacent fields sustain 

 the conjecture, and in truth a better seat for a manorial 

 stronghold it would not be easy to select. The appellation 

 of the ancient fortress when superseded by a building of 



