THE OLD WALLS OF WINCHESTER 49 



when, after the Restoration, Charles II. loved to 

 frequent the ancient capital of England. 



These old walls, attractive as they are to the archae- 

 ologist and the historian, appeal no less strongly to the 

 botanist. Ancient walls may be said to carry a flora of 

 their own, and many a rare and interesting species has 

 made its home on the walls of Winchester. Perhaps 

 the oldest wall, which formerly formed part of the de- 

 fences of the city, is to be seen at the eastern side of the 

 grounds of Wolvesey Palace. It is made of flint and 

 concrete, and shows what is known as " long and short " 

 masonry, herringbone flint-work, with a large number 

 of Roman bricks built into it. This wall is a veritable 

 rock-garden in spring and summer-time. Numbers of 

 comparatively inconspicuous plants, such as the little 

 white whitlow-grass, the " darling blue " speedwell, the 

 tiny pearlwort, the rue-leaved saxifrage, are abund- 

 ant. Early in May the wallflower begins to open, and 

 by the middle of the month will be in full bloom. It 

 covers the broken walls, and the picturesque ruins 

 of Wolvesey hard by, in glorious profusion. Later 

 on the wild snapdragon will be in flower, and the 

 purple foxglove, and the ploughman's spikenard ; 

 while masses of the fragrant thyme will blossom 

 in the crumbling masonry, and tall spikes of the 

 great yellow mullein will stand sentinel over the quiet 

 scene. 



Nothing can exceed the beauty of the Close walls 

 when the familiar gillyflower gilds with its pale yellow 

 blossoms the grey masonry. But choicer species may 

 be seen. On one length of wall, which separates a pre- 

 bendal garden from the Cathedral graveyard, a colony 

 of the blue fleabane (Erigeron acre, L.) has established 



