HORNING TO THE SOURCE OF THE BURE 173 



Needless to add, they scramble wildly for them wherever 

 they may fall, whether in the puddles of dirty water on the 

 quay heading, or on stone heaps, or in the crevasses of piles of 

 timber, or in the river itself ; whilst their ranks are frequently 

 augmented by grown-ups, both male and female, with here 

 and there an aged dame. 



Thrown from the various passing craft the halfpence 

 fly in all directions, and the eager penny hunters dig their 

 arms into the pools and puddles as if gold and not copper was 

 the object of their search. 



The picturesque quaintness of this village is charming. 

 Rambling amongst the old houses one can study at leisure 

 a typical Broadland village, where the rustic maidens 

 blush with shame when notice is drawn to their sunburnt 

 faces peeping out from under the large Norfolk hoods, 

 which adds an almost irresistible attraction to their 

 charms. 



If the leafy lanes wending away from the back of the 

 village are explored on all sides will be seen an abundance of 

 game. Pheasants and partridges alike sit near to the road- 

 ways, and are seen picking about on the stubbles. Hares hop 

 across the path with perfect confidence in their security. But 

 the shooting is most strictly preserved. A mile or so away 

 is Beeston Old Hall, the ancient family seat of the Preston 

 family, who distinguished themselves as Royalists during the 

 Civil Wars. The house is a gloomy stone structure standing 

 in an extensive park, well ornamented with magnificent old 

 oak trees. Round it runs a lake, said to be full of large 

 pike, some of them supposed to be as old as the house 

 itself. The shooting is exceptionally good, and consider- 

 ably over one thousand pheasants are shot on best days. 

 Once when shooting a covert adjoining Barton Broad of 

 this estate, the author shot at what he, in the shades 

 of evening, supposed to be a rat running along the top 

 of the bank, but which, subsequently, proved to be a 

 woodcock. 



Closer to the village lies Oliver's Broad, a small water 



