armorial bearings are displayed, while the broad staircase leads
to a fine apartment panelled in oak, and having an elaborate plaster
ceiling. The mantelpiece is a good piece of work and bears the arms of
the Poltimores in its centre. There are one or two other good rooms and
some deep cupboards, and one very small apartment is said to be a
genuine eighteenth-century powdering closet. The beautiful old courtyard
at the back will no longer be recognized by those who knew it a few
years ago. It has been "restored".

The Church of St. Lawrence is situated on the north side of High Street,
and dates from 1202. It was sold during the Commonwealth, and bought by
the parishioners for L100. On the south side, and slightly farther up,
is St. John's Hospital, situated near to where the old East Gate
formerly stood. The hospital was founded circa 1225 by Gilbert and John
Long. Bishop Grandisson was a great benefactor to it, as, in addition to
increasing the number of inmates and clergy, he added "a master of
grammar and twelve scholars". The foundation was suppressed in 1540, but
in 1620 its restoration was planned by Hugh Crossing and carried out
after his death by his widow. The institution was refounded in
1629--when only the school was revived--and is now known as the "Blue
Boys' School". The playground is partly bounded by a piece of the old
city wall, whence one can look down on the Southernhay Gardens and
obtain a good impression of the strength of the ancient fortifications.

The seal of St. John's Hospital is an interesting one of
thirteenth-century date on which is depicted the exterior of St. John's
Chapel, which is shown as having a shingled roof and gable crosses; also
an external arcade of three semicircular arches. Another interesting
seal of the same century is that of the Hospital of St. Alexius, founded
in 1170. This foundation, and the hospital of the bishops, formerly on
the site of the present Vicars' College, were afterwards united with the
Hospital of St. John at the East Gate. The seal shows the hospital with
gable crosses, an arcaded clerestory, and three quatrefoil openings in
its wall; beneath is an arcade of six arches.

High Street merges into Sidwell Street. St. Sidwell's was one of the
nineteen old city parishes although without the walls. The site of St.
Sidwell's Church is said to be on the spot where a saint of this name
suffered martyrdom. She is one of those half-mythical British saints,
said