136 ROBERT POCOCK. 



Allington Castle, on which old fabric his head seems to 

 have run wild. Took our leave and walked by Alling- 

 ton Castle to Mr. Milner's, where we saw the largest 

 barn in England, fifty-five paces long and about sixty 

 feet high, having a date at the end, over a window, of 

 1102, and the initials T. C., which are those of Thomas 

 Colepepper, and his arms quartered with a chevron. 

 A similar date is on a building on the opposite side of 

 the road, but those buildings do not agree with the 

 date, as the figures made use of there are said to be 

 much more modern. An old woman who had lived 

 above forty years in the parish had never' heard of 

 these curious buildings. Passed over Aylesford 

 Bridge, on which grows wall rue (Ruta muraria). 

 Visited the churchyard, where there is an old yew- 

 tree. Visited the Friars, once the seat of the Carmelites. 

 Here we met with a very civil (wished to be polite), 

 ignorant young man as gardener; treated him, and 

 walked to Boxley Hill, and then rode to Chatham in a 

 caravan which goes weekly to Rotherfield in Sussex. 

 Proceeded to Strood to the turnpike, where at the 

 Angel Inn we could get no refreshment because the 

 landlord would not change a Wellington note, and 

 so obliged to walk to Gravesend, very much fatigued, 

 and to our mortification obliged to sleep at the Nelson 

 Inn, having been shut out either by accident or design, 

 not having ever been treated so before as I always 

 have the key in my pocket. 



" Wednesday, 29th. Fine. Eeceived a fine present 

 from Edinburgh of dried Alpine plants, and engaged 

 all day with Mr. Peen in putting them away. Mrs. 

 Jones brought to bed yesterday of a boy, being my first 

 grandchild. 



