House and Garden 
and is seclusive in it to a degree almost me¬ 
dieval. Something of the castle sentiment is 
apparent even in the outward aspect of the 
home ; for not only is the building itself in¬ 
variably of either brick or stone, but the en¬ 
tire grounds are shut in by stout walls. Often 
the street walls of a gentleman’s place are 
from eight to twelve feet high, so that both 
access and view are pretty effectively cur¬ 
tailed. 
An interesting feature of the village is its 
inns. The hamlet must be very small not 
to have more than one. Ordinarily they are 
merely loafing and drinking resorts and not 
very savory; but we have read so much 
about them that they possess a peculiar at¬ 
traction. The inn signs swing from the 
buildings or are erected on poles ; and the 
names are often very quaint, and suggestive 
of the rude illiterate days of centuries ago, 
when so few could read that it was essential 
every place of business should have a sign 
picturing some object which all could recog¬ 
nize and remember. In this and many other 
respects glimpses of the old, or what is rem¬ 
iniscent of the old, meet one constantly. 
H ouses two or three hundred years of age 
are to be seen in every hamlet. Their roofs 
are usually of mossy tiles, though some of 
the cottages have still more beautiful roofs 
of thatch ; and they have windows with tiny 
leaded panes and chimneys capped with 
chimney-pots. 
Best of all in the English country is the 
ease with which you get into close compan¬ 
ionship with nature. The village trees and 
shrubbery, are alive with birds ; the sparrows 
build in the crevices of the roofs and in other 
nooks and crannies about the buildings ; the 
swallows dwell in the chimneys and Beneath 
the eaves ; the starlings find homes in the 
church tower; and the rooks have noisy col- 
THATCHED COTTAGES AT BALDON 
17 
