The houses all round the square are thatched, and the
gardens in the centre are a blaze of colour, full of old-fashioned
flowers. The King's Head Inn has a good courtyard. Banbury suffered
from a disastrous fire in 1628 which destroyed a great part of the
town, and called forth a vehement sermon from the Rev. William
Whateley, of two hours' duration, on the depravity of the town, which
merited such a severe judgment. In spite of the fire much old work
survived, and we give an illustration of a Tudor fire-place which you
cannot now discover, as it is walled up into the passage of an
ironmonger's shop.
[Illustration: The "Fish House," Littleport, Cambs]
The old ports and harbours are always attractive. The old fishermen
mending their nets delight to tell their stories of their adventures,
and retain their old customs and usages, which are profoundly
interesting to the lovers of folk-lore. Their houses are often
primitive and quaint. There is the curious Fish House at Littleport,
Cambridgeshire, with part of it built of stone, having a gable and
Tudor weather-moulding over the windows. The rest of the building was
added at a later date.
[Illustration: Sixteenth-century Cottage, formerly standing in Upper
Deal, Kent]
In Upper Deal there is an interesting house which shows Flemish
influence in the construction of its picturesque gable and octagonal
chimney, and contrasted with it an early sixteenth-century cottage
much the worse for wear.
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