CHAPTER III 



EARLY CASTING PRACTICE 



COMING down the steep, old coach road from the 

 south into the village you see, facing you, on a 

 high, rocky and wooded bank, the fine old Norman 

 castle with its square tower. 



The Eden flows at the foot of this declivity. If 

 you look over the wall of the ancient churchyard, 

 where " Bob's " and my forefathers sleep, you can 

 just see it away down below. When you stand at the 

 bed of the river you are in a deep and romantic dell. 

 Looking down stream you see on each side red 

 sandstone cliffs, which, in ages past, before the 

 dammed-up river broke through, must have had 

 more than a nodding acquaintance with each other. 



Opposite the castle and across the river, runs a 

 narrow strip of green land still called " the butts." 

 As lads we used to vie with one another in recount- 

 ing the hearsay romance that was associated with 

 this old-world spot. There it was that we played, 



waded, bathed, and caught minnows and bullheads. 



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