The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-09-17
THE HIGHER
THE FEWER
There's Always Plenty of Room
At The Top
By
NANCY ]. MIDGETT

think that the "old" in my days
does not go very far back as his
tory and the makings of this old
earth go, I come to the conclu-
sion that the peace and quiet is
largely where you make it and
find it. I have just been giving
my books clean up while fin
ishing painting my room and
generally putting it in order and
naturally ! open at least every
other one and have a browse
through the pages, retarding the
progress of the paint smearing
somewhat but still not a waste
of time in my estimation.
One of the books 1 looked into
was on that region of England of
which ! lately spoke when talk
ing of my walks with friends in
the vicinity of and on the North
Downs. The title is walks and
talks about Shere" by R. ].
Askew and gives much of the
early history and geography of
this little community in the
county of Surrey which to me
has always been a quiet, dreamy
little village at the end of the
walk. 1t was there in the year
900 and before apparently but
not as it is now of course and
saw times that were anything
but peaceful, very much appar-
emily like the cowboy and In
dian" period here, and even
rawer in manners and habits, for
after all, thirteen hundred years
should do something to purify
anything, even mankind.
I will give you one section un-
der the sub-heading of Snug
glers". "The writer remembers
the names of some of the defunct
sheep stealers, smugglers, poach-
ers, ETC., who frequented the
white Horse, go years ago. One
character, BILLY Hicks" who cut
off his donkey's ears and tail,
also his goats, and died by hang
ing himself, was contemporary
with "Black jack, the Bristows,
one at least who was transported
to Australia for sheep stealing.
The Superintendent of Police at
Godalming named Biddlecombe
was responsible for the breaking
up of the gang" (the white
Horse" is an inn where they still
serve excellent food.)
"There is no doubt the Lion
don Lane" that leads from Shere
to Netley Heath was the one road
to London in the early days; and
as reported by older men of the
village, was used as the road to
London, hence the name of Gal
lows Gate, where the mail man
was hung ad the coach robbed"
"The road or track from the
Windmill through the Huntwood
(not the main roaO but the track
on the left from the Windmill
was used by the smugglers in
conveying the illicit spirits to
Shere and places further on; the
way by Lockhurst Hatch, Dillon,
over Shere Heath, Dark Lane, to
the houses in Shere, who were in
league with the smugglers."
And from the same book
Extract from the. Victoria His
tory of Surrey" I quote.
''This neighbourhood was for
merly the widest in Surrey,
sheep stealers, smugglers, and
poachers found a refuge in these
remote hills"
can imagine, if in the future
I write of the peace and quiet of
the country side, you will smirk
and say Oh Yes; but one must
remember that as you no longer
expect an arrow to- pop out of
the woods at the end of your
yard, so the English no longer
expect to hear the "horses pass
in the night" with French wine,
foreign silks and what have you
in the packs.
Of course smuggling still goes
on as it does here but the small
folk of the villages do not get
involved as they did. Times
change and earth changes. Rud-
yard Kipling in his "Just so
Stories" wrote of this same part
of England;
'There runs road by Morrow
Down.
A grassy track today it is
An hour out of Guildford town,
Above the river Wey it is"
'Here when they heard the
households ring,
The ancient Britons dressed
and rode
To watch the dark Phoenicians
bring
Their goods along the Western
Road"
Fine beavers built in Broad
stone Brook
And made swamp where