When our ancient visitor arrived at this spot, he would find a narrow raised “causey,” as he would call it, (or as we still more erroneously call it “causeway”) and a bridge, {57} the first bridge built over the little gap which used to be known as the “mud ford,” and from which the bridge took its name. Taking a survey from this point, he would see on his left Oulton Fen, as it was then called, a watery wilderness of reeds and bogs, much valued by the sportsman and poachers of the period for fish and wildfowl, and undisturbed by wherries or any craft beyond the fisherman’s punt. On the right would be Lake Lothing—the “fresh water,” as the Lowestoft people then called it, a long, river-like piece of water, with deep margins of reeds and rushes, and as full of fish as Oulton Fen, with which it was connected. Turning off the main road, into the road leading to Lowestoft, he would soon come to Normanston—very much then, I expect, what it is now. The gentleman living in it then was apparently Mr. Mason, Churchwarden in 1575. Several persons appear in the register as servants of Mr. Mason buried during our period. Further on he would see the farm by the church, much the same as now, except in the character of the buildings, and then the church—very much, indeed, the same, except that it was then in very bad repair. It probably had not been restored since it was built some 100 years or more before. In 1592, in the latter part of our period, the inhabitants undertook the task of repairing it, at the expense of some £200. The churchyard would be much the same—quite full of graves—but with few headstones. Close to the churchyard our ancient visitor would see the old vicarage, which was burned down in 1606. It was occupied during the first part of our period by Mr. Nayshe, the minister of the parish, and afterwards by Mr. Bentley, the Vicar of whom I shall tell you more soon. Close to the Vicarage our visitor would see Annott’s School house, in which Mr. Philip—“Mr. Annott, his schoolmaster,” as he was always to be called according to the deed of endowment, was then living, of whom also more soon. This house has also long since disappeared. He would then reach the town, passing from Church Road into what was then Swan Lane (now Mariners’ Street). Arriving at the High Street he would dismount at the Swan Inn, on the opposite side, next Swan Score (now Mariners’ Score), and now represented by two houses, Mr. Abel’s and Mr. Shipley’s. The Swan Inn was a very interesting old house. It had been built on the foundations of a much older house, which had one of those cellars with groined roofs already noticed, which still remains. When this old house was converted into an inn, an opening was made from the cellar into the street for beer barrels to be let down, with brick steps, still remaining. THE TRADES OF THE TOWN.