rince Rupert. But as to the burning of the house, it is not clear whether
it was then partly destroyed or late in the year after. The Lord Spencer,
a King's man, though at first Parliamentarian, had little liking for Court
ways, and lost his life at the battle of Newbury. Whether the house at
Watergall, two miles to the North-west, of which the foundations only
remain, was of the Spencer holding, and of its fate there is no evidence.
The escallops of the field of the Spencer arms probably find their origin
in the fossil escallops of the Wormleighton stone.

ST. PETER'S CHURCH near by, though plain in all its external decoration,
retains in the interior some work typical of the district. The enamelled
tiles with figures and geometric ornament, the panelling of the chancel
and the carved grotesques of the bench ends are good early work. The
handsome chancel screen removed from the hall, though large for its place,
is of skilled later workmanship; especially rich are the spandrils and
ornament on the inner side of the screen. On the west chancel wall is a
mural tablet to Robert E. Spencer, of date 1610, and an empty tomb is in
an inlet in the north wall of the aisle. Arms of the Spencer family are on
the wall above the belfry arch. A south doorway in the tower and the
carved heads of the tower moulding are worth notice.

SHUTFORD.--Altitudes: high level, 485; low level, 400; population, 283; is
on the inner fringe of hills of the west Oxfordshire border. It rests
mainly on the red rock of the Middle Lias, there as much as 20 to 25 feet
thick. Though mainly of plain agricultural homesteads, it supports a small
community of plush weavers who settled there many generations since, and
who weave a fabric of good repute. The Manor House at the east entrance to
the village is by its height a conspicuous landmark. In the excellence and
strength of its masonry it stands amongst the best of our good houses. On
the south front are porch and square-headed doorway with plain good
moulding and a smaller (postern) door of similar type opening to one of
the south-west rooms. The house appears to be of the style of Broughton,
but of later date, and it is part of the Castle estate. It is not
crenellated, but has similar stone gabling and somewhat smaller windows.
The north front, with projecting wing and entrance, presents a solid wall
of stone covered with fine flint concrete. In its upper storey an angled
fire place and room point to the p