HISTORICAL GARDENS 
3°3 
the spot where the Crimean monument now stands. 
Beyond the abbot’s house, just west of the cloister, was 
the abbot’s little garden. The northern part of Dean’s 
Yard was from very early times known as “The Elms,” 
from the grove of fine trees, some of which remain. It 
is said that when Elizabeth ascended the throne and 
summoned Abbot Feckenham, who had been reinstated 
by Mary, he was planting some, perhaps these identical, 
elm trees. Among them formerly stood a huge oak, 
which was blown down in 1791. The horse pool was 
on the west of the Elms, and beyond both to the south 
lay the numerous adjuncts of the monastery, the brew- 
house, bakehouse, and granaries. Skirting this enclosure 
was the “ Long Ditch,” which flowed by the line of the 
present Delahay Street and Prince’s Streets, and passed 
along outside of the wall of the Infirmary Garden, in what 
is now Great College Street, and fell into the Thames. 
This stream turned the mill from which “ Millbank ” 
took its name. In it, to the south of the granary, was 
a small island osier bed. The sale of the osiers on it 
used to bring in 10s. annually in the fourteenth century. 
Beyond the stream were more gardens. The “ Hostry 
Garden” was a large one on the site of the church 
of St. John, and next to it the “ Bowling Alley,” where 
Bowling Street ran in later times, and to the west of that 
was a kitchen-garden. Somewhere also on the west of 
the “ Long Ditch,” before it turned towards the Thames 
near the osier island, must have been the “ Precentor’s 
Mede,” or, as it was sometimes called, the “ Chaunter’s- 
hull,” and also the “Almoner’s Mede” or “ Almery 
Garden.” On the other side of the “ Hostry Garden,” 
southwards on the site of “ Vine Street ” and “ Market 
Street,” was situated the vineyard, without which no 
