THE HAMPSHIRE ANTIQUARY & NATURALIST. 



from the earliest times. Mr. L'Estrange has some- 

 thing to say of all periods, from " Druidical " times to 

 the murder of a poor lad under a hay rick by a sailor 

 a couple of years ago. He does not belong to the 

 severe school of destructive historians, and hardly 

 draws the line between legend and fact. The 

 numerous monoliths to be found here and there are to 

 him "Druidical" remains, associated with the 

 offerings of the long-haired, skin-clad Britons ; the 

 foundation of the cicy by Lud or Rous Hudibras 892 

 years before Christ is given as good history ; and the 

 tradition of the town first standing on " Old Win- 

 chester-hill " is mentioned without a hint as to its 

 doubtfulness. King Arthur is to him an undoubted 

 historic personage ; and the scene of the famous com- 

 bat between Guy, Earl of Warwick, and the gigantic 

 Dane, Colbrand, is unhesitatingly pointed out. And 

 if doubt is cast on these pleasing stories, " why," he 

 asks (p. 236), " should we try to dive into the mud 

 and gravel that lie beneath our fancies ? " 



The book shows considerable research, and it 

 would not be easy to point out a feature of any note 

 which has not been touched upon, from the plague 

 stone outside the western gate to the Winchester 

 bushel in the museum, from the pent house to the 

 stocks. If these mute stones have not tongues them- 

 selves to tell the many things they have seen, he 

 does the duty for them. From his old time pictures 

 much may be gleaned as to the manners and customs 

 of our predecessors. At the Penthouse, for instance, 

 he writes : 



The site of the " Penthouse " was originally occupied by 

 the " Draperie." Trade guilds existed here from Henry 

 I's time, and this became the Guildhall. Henry III 

 ordered that this Draperie Street should be the "Great 

 Street," as in the time of his father. In Henry VI I I's 

 reign we find the Penthouse mentioned as the " Pentisse." 



" Such shelters were very welcome a hundred years ago," 

 said Mr. Hertford, " before umbrellas were used. You 

 know that some have thought that 'under the rose' 

 should be ' under the rows.' " 



"Close to this," I continued, "beside the wall of St. 

 Lawrence's Church, a murder took place, in the twenty- 

 first year of Richard II, which brings before us the lawless 

 state of the times. One James D}-ngeley, a priest, struck 

 a man named Walter Pynchon through the back to the 

 heart with a baslard. This weapon was a large dagger 

 suspended to the girdle, and worn by laymen and some 

 priests, notwithstanding an ecclesiastical prohibition. 

 Roger, the parson of St. Lawrence, claimed the prisoner (as 

 an ecclesiastic) for the Bishop of Winchester, and he was 

 incarcerated in Wolvesey Castle. From this he broke out 

 with others on the sth of December, in the fifth year of 

 Henry IV, but was pardoned by the King for this and other 

 felonies a proof of the influence of the Church in those 

 days." 



The author does not limit his walks to the bounds 

 of the city, but takes us with him in pleasant country 

 rambles to Wyke, Lainston, and Sparsholt, to Head- 

 bourne Worthy and King's Worthy, to St. Cross and 

 St. Catherine's-hill, to Chilcombe, Twyford, Otter- 

 bourne, Compton, Hursley, and Tichborne, chatting 

 on the way about the churches and old houses, and 



not forgetting the beauties of nature. Let us follow 

 him in his search for the " Hampage Oak " : 



Bishop Walkelin found himself in want of timber (for 

 building the Cathedral), and applied to the Conqueror to 

 let him have as much timber as he could carry out of 

 Hanepmges Wood in four days and nights. William at 

 once granted the request. The astute bishop then 

 collected all the woodmen in the neighbourhood, and they 

 managed to cut and carry the whole wood within the 

 appointed time (much to the surprise and anger of the 

 king.) * * * There is a tradition that one tree was spared 

 in this general clearance an oak under which St. Augustine 

 had preached. I was anxious to see this venerable relic, 

 and inquired where Hanepinges Wood was. No one could 

 give me any information. At last I came to a man upon 

 whom the light seemed suddenly to break. 



" Hanepinges ? It must be ' Hampage.' There is the 

 Hampage oak to the south-east, near Itchen Abbas. It is 

 rather more than five miles off." * * * 



I came to a butcher's shop, and saw a pretty person 

 standing in the doorway with " Goodchild" inscribed in 

 large letters over her. This seemed promising, so I asked 

 her if she could tell me where to find St. Augustine's oak. 

 "Oh, you mean the Gospel Oak," she replied. "You 

 must go through the wicket-gate a few yards above this, 

 and keep along the Ime of the fence for about a mile." * * 

 Thus I tramped on, over turf sweet with thyme and starry 

 with cinquefoil. I felt so lonely that I was glad to see a 

 squirrel which ran along the top of the railing beside me, 

 and would stop now and then as if looking back to see if 

 I was following. Was it 



" Sent by some spirit to mortals good, 

 Or the unseen genius of the wood ? " 



I know not, but soon he reached a tree up which he ran, 

 and lo ! behind it stood the Hampage Oak. It was a mere 

 shell, about twelve feet high, and kept together with an 

 iron hoop, but duly honoured by having an iron fence 

 round it. Among the green luxuriant trees it looked like 

 an emblem of death. I observed that it stood in the centre 

 where two green alleys crossed. It may have been in this 

 state of decay for centuries, for oak is very durable, and 

 Augustine may actually have preached under it. I should 

 think, from its standing on the cross roads, that Saxon 

 " moots," or meetings, may have been held here, and the 

 chief man may have taken up his position under it. 



The visitor to Winchester can hardly do better 

 than place himself under Mr. L'Estrange's guidance. 

 His book is got up in an attractive form, and the many 

 illustrations by Mr. Harper are very effective in bring- 

 ing the familiar scenes before our eyes, proving a 

 very welcome aid to the text. 



ST. MARY'S ABBEY, WINCHESTER. 



A site in Winchester of some historic interest is in 

 the market, and will probably shortly be offered for 

 sale by auction. Between the Guildhall and the 

 Itchen, on the south side of the High-street, (is a com- 

 paratively modern house called " The Abbey," sur- 

 rounded by large gardens. This is all that now 

 represents the old Nunna Minster or Abbey of St. 

 Mary, except that the name is also preserved in 

 Abbey Passage. Of this nunnery the ordinary guide 



