ippery as to be very dangerous to
travellers." The roads in fact were and are, little more than lanes
between the isolated woods across the low scrub of the old Weald.

The church of Bethersden is dedicated to St Margaret. It follows the
local type having a nave with north and south aisles and a chancel with
north and south chapels, vestry, south porch and western tower. The
place is not mentioned in Domesday Book, but about 1194 we find
Archbishop Herbert confirming the church of St Margaret of
Beatrichesdenne, with the chapel of Hecchisdenne (Etchden) to the
Priory of St Gregory in Canterbury. No sign of this Norman church
remains, the building we see in Bethersden being mainly Perpendicular;
but the double lighted windows at the west end of the north aisle are
Early English and there is a Decorated niche under the entrance to the
rood left. The tower is modern, but possesses a fourteenth century
bell.

It is curious that though the church is dedicated to St Margaret and
the fair, according to Hasted, was held upon July 20th, St Margaret's
day, the place should be spoken of as Beatrichesdenne as though there
were some local St Beatrice; but of her we know nothing.

Bethersden is connected with the Lovelaces for they owned it, Richard
Lovelace, the poet, having sold Lovelace Place to Richard Hulse, soon
after the death of Charles I. Three members of the Lovelace family
lie in the church, their tombs marked by brasses; William Lovelace
(1459) another William Lovelace, gentleman (1459), and Thomas Lovelace
(1591).

From Bethersden I went on to High Halden, which stands upon a ridge
out of the Weald, a very characteristic and beautiful place, with a
most interesting church dedicated to Our Lady. Indeed I do not know
where one could match the strange wooden tower and belfry and the
noble fourteenth century porch, masterpieces of carpentry, which close
on the west the little stone church of the fifteenth century. Within
the most interesting thing left to us is the glass in the east window
of the south chancel where we see the Blessed Virgin with her lily,
part of an Annunciation. There, too, in another window are the arms of
Castile and of Leon, a strange blazon to find in the Weald of Kent.

But characteristic as Great Chart, Bethersden and High Halden are of
this strange wealden county, they do not express it, sum it up and
dominate it as does Tenterden Town, some two or three miles to the
south of High Halden.

I