Page:Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire.djvu/435

 practised on the coast, the nets being stretched on poles at several feet above the ground, and the birds flying into them and getting entangled. Plover are taken in this way, and the smaller birds which fly low in companies along by the edge of the sea, or across the mud flats.

A decoy still exists near Croyland, and another at Ashby west of Brigg, in the lower reaches of the Trent; and formerly there were many in Deeping Fen and other parts of Holland. But wild-fowl were not the only birds the Fenmen had to rely on, and Cooper's "Tame Villatic Fowl," and the goose and turkey in particular, are a steady source of income, as the Christmas markets in the Fens testify.

From Friskney we run on about four miles to Wrangle. What the road used to be we may guess from the constable's accounts for the parish of Friskney, in which the expenses for a journey to Boston are charged for two days and a night "being in the winter time." The distance is thirteen miles. In the eighteenth century corn was still conveyed to market on the backs of horses tied in strings, head to tail, like the camels in eastern caravans. The name of Wrangle is Weranghe, or Werangle, in Domesday, said to mean the lake or mere of reeds, from "wear," a lake, and "hangel," a reed. A friend of mine passing Old Leake station (which was first called "Hobhole drain," but, at the request of the Wrangle parishioners, because the name deterred visitors, was altered afterwards to Leake-and-Wrangle), observed that this name reminded him of the words of Solomon that the beginning of strife is like the letting out of water. The place used to be a haven on a large sea creek, and furnished to Edward III. for the invasion of France, in 1359, one ship and eight men, Liverpool at that time being assessed at one ship and five men. The church is large, and the rectors have been for over a hundred years members of the family of Canon Wright of Coningsby, a nephew of Sir John Franklin. The outer doorway of the south porch has a beautiful trefoiled arch with tooth moulding, and curious carvings at the angles. Near this is a fine octagonal font with three steps and a raised stone, called a 'stall,' for the priest to stand on. This is not uncommon in all these lofty Early English fonts. The tower was once much higher, as is shown by the fine tower arch with its very singular moulding. The