was N.E. which
blew directly towards the opposite farm (Sewell's): although the
nearest part of it (tiled dwelling house) was 100 yards off or near
it, and the great barn (thatched roof) considerably further, yet both
were set on fire several times. All this while, the tail of my house
was growing very hot: and shortly after the buildings fell in burning
ruins, the wind changed to N.W., blowing directly to my house. If this
change had happened while the buildings were standing and burning,
there would have been no possibility of saving the house. As it was,
the solder is melted from the window next the farm-yard, and the roof
was set on fire in three or four places. One engine was kept working
on my house and one on the opposite farm. A large pond was pretty
nearly emptied. Mr Case's horses and bullocks were got out, not
without great difficulty, as the progress of the fire was fearfully
rapid. A sow and nine pigs were burnt, and a large hog ran out burnt
so much that the people killed it immediately.

* * * * *

GEORGE INN, WINCHESTER,
_1840, June 21_.

At Winchester we established ourselves at the George and then without
delay proceeded to St Cross. I did not know before the nature of its
hospital establishment, but I find that it is a veritable set of
alms-houses. The church is a most curious specimen of the latest
Norman. I never saw one so well marked before--Norman ornaments on
pointed arches, pilasters detached with cushion capitals, and various
signs: and it is clearly an instance of that state of the style when
people had been forced by the difficulties and inelegancies of the
round arch in groining to adopt pointed arches for groining but had
not learnt to use them for windows.......This morning after breakfast
went to the Cathedral (looking by the way at a curious old cross in
the street). I thought that its inside was wholly Norman, and was most
agreeably surprised by finding the whole inside groined in every part
with excellent late decorated or perpendicular work. Yet there are
several signs about it which lead me to think that the whole inside
has been Norman, and even that the pilasters now worked up into the
perpendicular are Norman. The transepts are most massive old Norman,
with side-aisles running round their ends (which I never saw
before). The groining of the side ai