e. Wandering at its own
sweet will, the river here goes freely on its way, bubbling and brawling
at the fords, gathering itself up into deep, dark lakes carved out of the
softer rocks over which it flows, or dividing to embrace some
willow-covered island in its course. Between Arley and Bewdley it is
well stocked with grayling, dace, and that king of Severn fish, the
salmon which is often taken hero; also with that "queen of fresh-water
fish" the carp, speaking of which an old distich says:--

"Hops and turkeys, carps and beer,
Came into England all in one year."

Like pike, they are long-lived; referring to which, Ben Jonson says:--

"Fat, _aged carps_, that run into thy net,
And pikes, now weary their own kind to eat."

During the winter months carp are caught in broad, quiet parts of the
river; in summer, in holes and reaches, under hollow banks, and near beds
of weeds or flags. All kinds of bait are recommended, but a well-scoured
worm is often best.

[Crap: 16.jpg]

HIGHLEY,

Or Higley, as it is commonly called, is two and a half miles from Arley.
The village is situated high upon the hill, and consists of scattered
cottages, with a sprinkling of goodly houses, some half timbered, after
the quaint fashion of former times. The church has an ancient chancel
window, and in the graveyard is an old cross, elaborately carved in
freestone, a material found very extensively in the neighbourhood.
Highley was an old Saxon manor, which, with Chetton, belonged to the
widow of Leofric--Godiva, of Coventry celebrity. Kinlet, four miles
distant, occupies a picturesque eminence of a horse-shoe form; the church
is an ancient structure, containing noble altar tombs, one of which has a
rich canopy, with the figure of a knight and lady kneeling.

HAMPTON'S LOADE.

Lode was a Saxon term for ford, and the name here, as elsewhere, denotes
an ancient passage of the Severn. In this case, it was one by which the
inhabitants of Highley, Billingsley, and Chelmarsh formerly passed to
Quatt and Alveley. A ferry has long been substituted, but the old load
still winds along the hillside, past an old stone cross, in the direction
of Alveley, an old Saxon manor. The tall grey tower of the old church is
seen from the line, occupying a high position on the right. The building
is an ancient and interesting structure, with many Norman features, and
is greatly admired by antiquarians. Judging from the materia