I am indebted to many friends and acquaintances for much information which has been useful to me in writing this book; to Sir John Evans whose works are invaluable to all students of ancient stone and bronze implements; to Dr. Cox whose little book on _How to Write the History of a Parish_ is a sure and certain guide to local historians; to Mr. St. John Hope and Mr. Fallow for much information contained in their valuable monograph on _Old Church Plate_; to the late Dr. Stevens, of Reading; to Mr. Shrubsole of the same town; to Mr. Gibbins, the author of _The Industrial History of England_, for the use of an illustration from his book; to Mr. Melville, Mr. P.J. Colson, and the Rev. W. Marshall for their photographic aid; and to many other authors who are only known to me by their valuable works. To all of these gentlemen I desire to express my thanks, and also to Mr. Mackintosh for his artistic sketch of a typical English village, which forms the frontispiece of my book. P.H.D. BARKHAM RECTORY _May_, 1901 CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION II. PREHISTORIC REMAINS III. TUMULI OR BARROWS IV. PIT AND PILE DWELLINGS V. CROMLECHS, CAMPS, AND EARTHWORKS VI. ROMAN RELICS VII. ANGLO-SAXON VILLAGES VIII. SAXON RELICS IX. ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE X. NORMAN VILLAGES AND THE "DOMESDAY BOOK" XI. NORMAN CASTLES XII. MONASTERIES XIII. THE MANOR-HOUSE XIV. PARISH CHURCHES XV. CHURCH PLATE XVI. MONUMENTAL EFFIGIES AND BRASSES XVII. THE PARISH CHEST XVIII. STAINED GLASS, TILES, AND MURAL PAINTINGS XIX. CHURCH BELLS XX. THE MEDIAEVAL VILLAGE XXI. VILLAGE SPORTS AND PASTIMES XXII. THE VILLAGE INN XXIII. VILLAGE SUPERSTITIONS AND FOLKLORE APPENDIX--BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO PAROCHIAL HISTORY INDEX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FULL-PAGE An English village Village street Palaeolithic implements Neolithic and bronze implements Old market cross Broughton Castle Netley Abbey, south transept Southcote Manor, showing moat and pigeon-house Old Manor-house--Upton Court Stone Tithe Barn, Bradford-on-Avon Village church in the Vale An ancient village Anne Hathaway's cottage Old stocks and whipping-post Village inn, with old Tithe Barn of Reading Abbey Old cottages IN THE TEXT