42 MY LIFE 



a rather out-of-the-way spot, and quite concealed from ordi- 

 nary 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 occa- 

 sionally went there to play with them, and enjoyed scrambling 

 along the top of the old wall, which, having a parapet still 

 left, was quite practicable and safe. The moat which for- 

 merly 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 dormi- 

 tories, while at the end were the large dining-hall and school- 

 rooms, and in front, near the gates, the master's resi- 

 dence. 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. 



