6 JUNE 1908, Page 24

The Charm of the English Village. By P. H. Ditchfield,

M.A. Illustrated by Sydney R. Jones. (B. T. Botsford. 75. 6d. net.)— Mr. Ditchfield has rendered the "charm" very successfully, Mr. Jones contributing not a little to the result by his very attractive drawings. The plan adopted has been to give a chapter to each of the chief features of a village. Accordingly we have the "Church," the "Manors, Farms, and Rectories," "Alinshouses and Grammar Schools," "Cottages," "Architecture," "Barns and Dovecotes," "Roads and Bridges," &c. Under each of these headings characteristic examples are grouped together. So we have the almshouses at Audley End and at Corsham, and parts of two old grammar schools (both now disused), one at Eardisland, in Herefordshire, the other at Weobly, in the same county. Weobly, we see, is styled a village on p. 3, and more correctly a "small town" on p. 118. It returned two Members to Parliament up to 1832, and, small as it is, has all the look of a town. This is a very pleasing book.