red de Montfort was slain; and the
fight probably extended over a great part of the level plateau on both
sides of the present main road.

Unfortunately Battlewell lies in private grounds, but the position may
be seen from Clark's Hill. It lies a hundred yards to the left of the
road nearly opposite a pretty thatched lodge, but cannot be seen from
the highway.

Just beyond is a double cottage dividing the road into two, and on the
right is a shady lane. This is Blayney's Lane, and, as already
mentioned, it was once the London road; by pursuing it we come to the
river meadows and Offenham Ferry. The main road runs straight on, and
leads, through the village of Norton, to Alcester, Stratford,
Birmingham, &c. The way to the left is the old Worcester road, and
skirts the grounds of the Abbey Manor. If we take this lane and
descend the hill we may turn sharply to the left near the bottom and
return to the town by the "New Road"; or walk on a short distance with
Wood Norton--the Duke of Orleans' house--on its wooded slope, in full
view, and follow a lane on the left leading to Chadbury Mill.

The Abbey Manor, with its pretty grounds, is not open to the public.
In addition to the beautiful views obtained from its walks and lawns
it contains many treasures of local interest. Chief among these are
fragments of columns, window tracery, sculpture, and other relics
brought by an ancestor of the present owner, a noted antiquary, from
the site of the Monastery. Here are carefully preserved a splendid
abbatial chair richly carved and of great size, bearing the monastic
arms, and in remarkable preservation; also two quaint effigies of men
in plate armour fashioned in solid oak about three-quarters of the
size of life. These figures stood on the face of the belfry tower,
and, by turning on a pivot, struck the hours; they are in all
probability coeval with that building.

In one of the shrubberies, hidden from public view, is an obelisk
commemorating the fall of Simon de Montfort, and in the plantation
near the lower road is a tower, like the house denoting the period of
the late Georgian Gothic revival, and bearing the name of the Earl of
Leicester.

CHAPTER VII

THE BATTLE OF EVESHAM

_When the barons in armes did King Henrye oppose,_
_Sir Simon de Montfort their leader they chose;_
_A leader of courage undaunted was hee,_
_And oft-times he made their enemyes flee._

_At length in the battle on Eveshame plai