terior of the "priest's hole" proves
it to be of later construction than the rest of the house (which
dates from the early part of the sixteenth century), so in all
likelihood "Little John" was the manufacturer.

[Footnote 1: At Moorcroft House, near Hillingdon, Middlesex,
now modernised and occupied as a private lunatic asylum, ten
priests were once concealed for four days in a hiding-place,
the floor of which was covered some inches in water. This was
one of the many comforts of a "priest's hole"!]

Standing in the same position as when first opened, and supported
by two blocks of oak, is an old chest or packing-case made of
yew, covered with leather, and bound with bands of iron, wherein
formerly the vestments, utensils, etc., for the Mass were kept.
Upon it, in faded and antiquated writing, was the following
direction: "For the Right Hon. the Lady Petre at Ingatestone
Hall, in Essex." The Petres had quitted the old mansion as a
residence for considerably over a century when the discovery was
made.

[Illustration: PRIEST'S HOLE, SAWSTON HALL]

CHAPTER VI

COMPTON WINYATES, SALFORD PRIOR, SAWSTON, OXBURGH, PARHAM, PAXHILL,
ETC.

Of all the ancient mansions in the United Kingdom, and there is
still, happily, a large selection, none perhaps is so picturesque and
quaintly original in its architecture as the secluded Warwickshire
house Compton Winyates. The general impression of its vast
complication of gable ends and twisted chimneys is that some
enchanted palace has found its way out of one of the fairy-tale
books of our early youth and concealed itself deep down in a
sequestered hollow among the woods and hills. We say concealed
itself, for indeed it is no easy matter to find it, for anything
in the shape of a road seems rather to lead _away from_,
than _to_ it; indeed, there is no direct road from anywhere,
and if we are fortunate enough to alight upon a footpath, that
also in a very short time fades away into oblivion! So solitary
also is the valley in which the mansion lies and so shut in with
thick clustering trees, that one unacquainted with the locality
might pass within fifty yards of it over and over again without
observing a trace of it. When, however, we do discover the beautiful
old structure, we are well repaid for what trouble we may have
encountered. To locate the spot within a couple of miles, we
may state that Brailes is its nearest village; the nearest town
is Banbury, some nine miles