Excerpt from Shakespeare's Land: Being a Description of Central and Southern Warwickshire In the following pages i have endeavoured to set out a description, not only of those sites and scenes in Warwickshire which have already excited public interest, but also of many which have hitherto remained almost undescribed and unknown, and which will, I venture to think, be found to possess unsuspected claims for examination and appreciation. My great aim has been to describe the various points of interest in as clear and succinct a manner as possible; that I have never fallen into error is more than I can hope for, but I can, at any rate, honestly plead that I have spared no pains to make my descriptions accurate, and that everything of an historical character is based upon researches among original records and authorities. In addition to this, I have to acknowledge, with the deepest sense of gratitude, the very great aid I have received from those best qualified to further me in my work - an aid which has been enhanced in value by the courtesy by which it has been accompanied. The descriptions of Warwick Castle and of Stoneleigh owe much to the courteous kindness of the Earl and Countess of Warwick, Lord Leigh, and Major Fosbery. The Marquis of Hertford, Lord Dormer, and the late Major Fetherston Dilke have favoured me with information regarding Ragley, Grove Park, and Maxstoke Castle. At Compton Verney, Offchurch Bury, Walton Hall, Charlecote, and Arbury Hall, I have benefitted by the kindness of Lord and Lady Willoughisy de Broke, Jane, Countess of Aylesford, Sir Charles Mordaunt, Mrs. Spencer Lucy, and General and Mrs. Newdegate. At Coughton, Guy's (Cliff, Baddesley Clinton, Wroxall Abbey, and Bilton Hall, I have received much kind help from Miss Throckmorton and Mr. E. Cope, the late Miss Percy, Lord Algernon Percy, Mr. R. C. Heath, Mrs. Dering, and the late Mr. Dering, Mr. and Mrs. Broughton Dugdale, and the Misses Bridgeman-Simpson. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.