International studio (25.1905)

A HUNT AFTER RELIQUES OF
/\ O^D LONDON. BY T. R. WAY.
^ ^ THE sporting instinct seems to be in-
grained in the English character, but most devotees
of the usually recognised forms of sports, whether
it be hunting, racing, or athletics, would be much
astonished, not to say amused, to be told that the
collector shares some of their joys when he makes
a real find, and that he will take infinite pains in
tracing out some fine specimen on the track of
which he has got, and finally achieve as great a
thrill of joy and more lasting too, in its acquisition,
than that of the regular sportsman however suc-
cessful his hunting may have proved. But it will
be asked what has this to do with the hunt after
reliques ? By " reliques" I mean to refer to
ancient and picturesque houses : their hunting out
has proved a source of great pleasure and interest
to me for many years past, and I know that there

are many others who enjoy the same sport, and
take no little pride in showing their finds to
appreciative friends.
For, notwithstanding the vast amount of build-
ing, and " improvements " involving the sweeping
away of old houses, the City and its near suburbs
still contain an immense number of buildings,
interesting by their age and character, unpre-
tentious it may be, but having a distinction which
shames the shoddiness of a more recent period ;
whilst here and there are to be found mansions,
the houses of prosperous City merchants, now en-
gulfed by the ceaseless growth of the giant's
boundary.
One goes to work in quite a methodical manner :
an old map of London is necessary as a guide, and
maps of quite sufficient accuracy are to be found
in most of those old histories of London published
about the beginning of last century, such as
Hughson, 1805, or the little " Picture of London,"