in the handsome manor house, by tradition also
connected with the wanderings of King Charles I., and a good house on the
south side of the green said to have been a prebendary manor. The town was
in the eighteenth century, with the adjoining village of Astrop, of resort
for the use of its mineral waters. The chalybeate spring (St. Rumbald's
well) is in Sir Wm. Brown's park at Astrop. The well basin and the carved
stone hood stand as in old time together with the Well House. The Well
House, by the work of the doorway and windows, would appear to be of
earlier date than the well hood, but the spring is at present conveyed
from its source to a replica of the well head by the road side. The
associated buildings have long since disappeared, but the pleasant walk up
the old road past the Well Close and the Long Spinney remain. Near the
railway station at King's Sutton is the other mineral spring charged with
sulphate of soda, yet in common use by the people of the homesteads near.
Celia Fiennes in her diary, "Through England on a side saddle," writes of
her journey: "Thence I went to Astrop where is a Steele water much
ffrequented by y{e} Gentry, it has some mixture of Allum so is not so
strong as Tunbridge. There is a ffine Gravell Walke that is between 2
high cutt hedges where is a Roome for the Musick and a Roome for y{e}
Company besides y{e} Private Walkes. The well runnes very quick, they are
not curious in keeping it, neither is there any bason for the spring to
run out off, only a dirty well full of moss's which is all changed yellow
by the water. There are Lodgings about for y{e} Company at a little place
called Sutton." Halliwell gives the following rhyme in his nursery series:

"King's Sutton is a pretty town,
And lies all in a valley:
There is a pretty ring of bells,
Besides a bowling-alley:
Wine and liquor in good store,
Pretty maidens plenty:
Can a man desire more?
There aint such a town in twenty."

[Illustration: KING'S SUTTON CHURCH.]

KING'S SUTTON CHURCH is dedicated to St. Peter. The chancel is principally
Norman work, and has along each side a continuous stone bench under an
arcade, exhibiting the characteristic zigzag moulding. The piers and
arches on the south side of the nave are also Norman; those on the north
side are early English. The rood loft turret and staircase remain in the
south abutment of the chancel arch. The appearance of the tower from the
north and south-