3 oo KINGSCLERE 



reflective expression, whom you might be excused 

 for putting down, if you met him casually without 

 introduction, as a physician with a slightly horsey 

 turn and important consultation in his mind, a 

 hunting family-solicitor, or a gentleman-farmer of 

 scientific bent. For anyone who lives in an 

 atmosphere of " horse," who has been engaged in the 

 training business for a moderately long lifetime, 

 and is a prominent figure amongst trainers, Mr. 

 Porter is about the least horsey-looking of our 

 racing men of mark.' Passing from the Albert 

 Hall, one of the newest, to ' The Swan,' one of the 

 oldest, buildings in Kingsclere, we are impelled to 

 pause for a moment at that tavern. A local anti- 

 quary thus couples two interesting facts : ' Win- 

 chester College had property at Kingsclere, some of 

 which it still retains, notably that famous hostelry, 

 yclept " The Swan," and hence we find several 

 names in the register of natives of this parish ; and 

 let the fact be held in perpetual honour that the 

 name of the first scholar on the roll of the College 

 is that of a Kingsclere boy, Andrew Goolde.' One 

 of the many observers who surveyed the place from 

 the windows of ' The Swan ' has given it as his 

 impression that ' Kingsclere is an ideal village. 

 To the right is the old church, and facing it is the 

 blacksmith's forge. In that little forge all the 

 plates for the many horses from Park House that 

 have won our great classic races have been welded. 

 Old Mr. Russell, the blacksmith, now rests in the 

 churchyard opposite, where " Tiny " Wells, the 



