A Curious Sign

Potterspury, succeeding to Old Stratford, is a kind of brother village, as it were, to Paulerspury, a mile away. Potterspury, really owing its name to an ancient pottery trade in common ware of the kitchen utensil and flower-pot sort, stands partly facing the old coach road and partly down a bye-lane, and is wholly old-world and delightful. One comes into it under the thickly interlacing branches of tall hedgerow elms that conspire to cheer the traveller with a perpetual triumphal arch of welcome. Through this leafy bower one perceives the roadside cottages dwindling away in perspective along a gentle rise. Graceless the village looks awhile, for no church meets the gaze. That, however, is a long distance down the bye-lane, and in the neighbourhood of a little inn with the odd name of the "Blue Ball"," and a still more odd sign pictured in the accompanying sketch. The blue ball, apparently representing the world, is placed below a brown heart, the whole mystical composition semi-circled by the motto "Cor supra mundum" It is representation of the triumph of sentiment that would have caused the Rev. Laurence Sterne to shed tears. "Heart above the world." How idyllic!

It would be as vain to seek the old potteries that gave its name to Potterspury as it would to enquire for any living representative of the Pavleys who provided Paulerspury with style and title. The potteries vanished in times beyond memory of man, and the sole relics of the Paveleys are the thirteenth-century wooden effigies of Sir Laurence de Paveley and his dame in Paulerspury church.

At some distance beyond Potterspury, Potterspury Lodge and its lime avenue come in sight, on the right side of the road. A wonderfully picturesque old mansion it is, recently restored by the retired tradesman who purchased the property. At the rear of the house stands the historic "Queen's Oak," whose story has already been told.

The remaining four miles into Towcester, though hilly much of their difficulties disposed of when Telford came this way with theodolite, chain, and spirit level. Plumb Park Hill is not what it was, thanks to this fifteen-foot cutting and the forty-four foot high embankment in the hollow of Cuttle Mill, where the road is nowadays on a level with the chimney-pots of old roadside cottages.