COMMONS & OPEN SPACES 195 
of their outrages, they made a bonfire in the square of 
the invaluable books collected by Lord Mansfield. Their 
temper may be imagined as they marched by Hampstead 
to commit the same violence at Caen Wood, Lord Mans¬ 
field’s country house. The proprietor of the “ Spaniards ” 
invited them in, and threw open his cellars to the mob. 
Fresh barrels of drink were sent down from Caen Wood, 
and meanwhile messengers were despatched for soldiers ; 
so that by the time all the liquor had been consumed, and 
the drunken rioters began to proceed, they were confronted 
by a troop of Horse Guards, who, in their addled con¬ 
dition, soon put them all to flight. The name of the 
other inn on Hampstead Heath, which stands con¬ 
spicuously on the highest point, 443 feet above the sea, 
is Jack Straw’s Castle, and has also some connection with 
a riot. Jack Straw was one of the leaders in the Wat 
Tyler rebellion, and after burning the Priory of St. John 
of Jerusalem, he came up to Hampstead and Highgate, 
though there is no direct evidence to connect him, in 
1381, with any tavern on the spot on which the inn 
stands. The addition of Castle to the name is from 
the fact, that there was some sort of fortress or earth¬ 
works on this commanding point. The inn on the 
site was known as the Castle Inn, and not until 1822 
is there any mention of it as Jack Straw’s Castle. The 
wood of the gallows on which a famous highwayman 
was hung behind the house in 1673 was built into 
the wall. Jack Straw’s Castle is now quite modernised, 
but the view from it, on all sides, is still as lovely as 
ever. The Whitest one Pond in front is really a 
reservoir, and to the south of that lies the Grove, with 
fine trees and some old-fashioned houses. The most 
picturesque walk is that known as the Judges’ or 
