FARRINGDON VILLAGE 217 



ated for over a quarter of a century, during all the 

 best years of his life, in fact; for when he resigned 

 the curacy at Farringdon to take that of Selborne, 

 for which he had waited so long, he was within two 

 years of bidding a formal farewell to natural history, 

 and within eight of his death. The church register 

 from 1760 to 1785 is written in his clear, beautiful 

 hand, and in the rectory garden there is a large 

 Spanish chestnut-tree planted by him. Although not 

 so fortunate in its surroundings as Selborne, with 

 its Lyth and flowery Bourne and wooded Hanger, 

 Farringdon village with its noble church and fine 

 old farm - buildings and old cottages, is the better 

 village of the two. At the side of the churchyard 

 there is an old oast-house, now used as a barn, which 

 for quaintness and beauty has hardly its match in 

 England. The churchyard itself is a pretty, peaceful 

 wilderness, deep in grass, with ivy and bramble hang- 

 ing to the trees, and spreading over tombs and mounds. 

 Long may it be kept sacred from the gardener, with 

 his abhorred pruning-hook, his basket of geranium 

 cuttings inharmonious flower ! and his brushwood 

 broom to make it all tidy. Finally, there is the 

 wonderful old yew. 



A great deal has been written first and last about 

 the Selborne yew, which appears to rank as one of 

 the half-dozen biggest yew trees in the country. Its 

 age is doubtless very great, and may greatly exceed 

 the " thousand years " usually given to a very large 



