On the opposite side of the river is Cropthorne, surmounting a steep
bank. Here are many picturesque cottages of timber and thatch, and in
this village of orchards, the effect of the street is much heightened
if it be seen in the time of the apple-blossom. In this and the
neighbouring parishes we may still find much of that rustic beauty
which we have learned to associate with the names of Birket Foster and
Mrs. Allingham.

The church contains many points of interest. As we enter we cannot but
be impressed by the simple arches of the Norman nave, the carved pews
of mediæval date, and the Jacobean monuments--their once gaudy
colouring mellowed by age. Few churches have been treated with such
gentle consideration, and rarely do we find the true Gothic feeling so
carefully preserved. A beautiful Saxon cross, intricately carved, and
the ancient altar stone, lately discovered buried beneath the floor,
are two valued treasures.




CHAPTER X

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD


The town of Evesham is most conveniently situated as a centre from
which to visit the broad vale and the surrounding hills. Within a
comparatively short distance a great variety may be noticed in the
general aspect of the country, and this is due not only to the contour