42 MY LIFE [Chap. 



It was in a rather out-of-the-way spot, and quite concealed 

 from ordinary passers-by, and during all the time that we 

 frequented it, we were never disturbed by visitors. 



Among the interesting places in the town itself were the 

 castle and the Bluecoat School. The castle was a modern 

 building in the castellated style, but it stood in spacious 

 grounds of about four acres near the middle of the town, 

 with the river flowing through a part of it, and with 

 about two hundred yards of the old defensive wall still 

 remaining in a very complete state. During a short period 

 the family of some of our schoolfellows lived in the castle, 

 and we occasionally went there to play with them, and en- 

 joyed scrambling along the top of the old wall, which, having 

 a parapet still left, was quite practicable and safe. The moat 

 which formerly surrounded it, and was connected with the 

 river, had been long filled up and formed into gardens, which 

 sloped down from the outside of the wall. The original 

 castle was built by Edward the Elder to protect the town 

 against the Danes. 



The Bluecoat School was a branch of the celebrated 

 school of the same name, or more properly, Christ's Hospital, 

 in London. It stood at the upper end of Fore Street, 

 opposite where the London Road branched off. Enclosed by 

 lofty iron railings and gates was an oblong playground, about 

 four hundred feet long by a hundred feet wide, bounded on 

 each side by low buildings, forming offices, schoolrooms, and 

 dormitories, while at the end were the large dining-hall and 

 schoolrooms, and in front, near the great gates, the master's 

 residence. On the gate pillars stood two nearly life-size figures 

 of boys in the costume of the school — long blue coat and 

 yellow petticoat, with breeches and yellow stockings, a dress 

 which was quite familiar to us. Occasionally we went to see 

 the boys dine in the grand dining-hall, where the old-world 

 style of everything was of great interest. At the ringing of 

 an outside bell the boys, 250 in all, came in, and seated them- 

 selves at the long rows of tables. Then one of the older boys 

 mounted a sort of pulpit and read a long grace, followed by a 

 hymn, in which the boys joined. Then the serving began, 



