Sheldon in 1400.

'563 years ago'. Cockshutt Field under wheat, stripped, but not all strips in use. To west changed skyline - timber post-mill, sails turning slowly, on hill, Yardley church (small tower, no spire) seen where trees had been, and nearer a large timbered house. Children went to it, found wide moat, stone-footed timber wall, Hall, and other buildings within. Gatehouse, drawbridge. This was West Hall, site now Kents Moat, until lately home of the de Peyto family; a large hall with first floor and dormer windows built in later, space divided into rooms, service wing added. Outbuildings round walls. Not many people - Black Death had killed many tenants, and population now not much greater than 1086.

Boy takes children to East Hall, now Sheldon Hall - not present house but timbered one like West Hall, in large moated enclosure. It lay in Demesne Park, with mill on Cole arm nearby. Meet miller - unpopular, always suspected of cheating : tenants have to have corn ground there - de Sheldons owned it, made profit from corn and eels, caught in weir traps. Hall built by first Norman lord, who didn't want to live among Saxon tenants : demesne not arable now - more profit in sheep, and too few villeins to farm it. Manor in two parts, based on halls, sometimes owned by same noble family.

Inn at Tile Cross, few cottages - tile kilns behind. Down rutted, hollowed Tile Cross Lane to Mackinton : small open village, several cots in ruins. Hear from old man that Sheldon is now largest settlement, but more people are living on own land. 250 people in whole parish. Closes in former waste made by licence from lord, cottage built on it : or strips exchanged and vacant ones taken up to make compact holding, freedom from villeinage bought.

South to Sheldon, group of cottages round small green, sandstone church, no tower. Side chapel built recently by de Peyto. Smithy, inn, pound. Moated rectory by brook. No school, but Rector who showed children round said he taught a few yeomen's sons to read and write. A moated house on the lane leading from the highway between Coventry and Birmingham was the manor house of Lyndon, Sheldon's neighbour on the west. On hill to south was post-mill. Village has own open fields, Sheldon, Hatchford, Greatock, meadows on Kingshurst and Hatchford Brooks, common land to west. Walk back past Outwoods, shrinking each year, up track past Ashole to Cockshutt. Notable that more of small fields were given to sheep and cattle than to corn.