CHAPTER XI.
OF DISTANCE SHOOTING, AND DIFFERENT ROUNDS

The attention may now be turned to the results obtained by the use of the bow and arrow.

The best notion of the old practice of archery may be gained from a review of the ancient butts or shooting-fields of our ancestors. These shooting-grounds were evidently attached to every town (if not also village) in the kingdom, as may be gathered from the universal survival of the local name of Butts. There is extant 'A plan of all the marks belonging to the Honourable Artillery Company in the fields near Finsbury, with the true distance as they stood, Anno 1737, for the use of long-bows, cross-bows, hand guns, and artillery.' These marks all have different appellations, and there is but one single instance of a repetition of the same distance between one of these marks and the other.

The ground on which these marks were situated appears to extend from a mark called Castle[6] to Islington Common, and there were two sets of actual butts at the Islington end. The distance between the one pair of these butts is given as six score and ten yards—i.e. 130 yards. The distance between the other pair is not given in the plan, but it appears to be less than half of the other, and is probably about sixty yards. The whole length of these shooting-fields appears to be about one mile on the plan; and this is about the actual distance between the Artillery Ground and the 'Angel,' Islington. The longest distance between any of the two marks is thirteen score and five yards—i.e. 265 yards—between Turk's Whale and Absoly. Here follow the names of the marks; and these may possibly be still traced in the neighbourhood in some instances. The distances are also given.

The start is made from 'Castle.'

Score yardsYards
From Castle to Gard stone9·5 185
From Gard stone to Arnold10·0 200
From Arnold to Turk's Whale8·4 164
From Turk's Whale to Lambeth3·1373
From Lambeth to Westminster Hall11·7 227
From Westminster Hall to White Hall11·2 222
From White Hall to Pitfield7·17157
From Pitfield[7] to Nevil's House or 'Rosemary Branch'9·17197
Total yards 1425

At 'Nevil's House' there appears to be a break in the marks, but they are taken up again at the 'Levant.'

Score yardsYards
From the Levant to Welch Hall8·18178
From Welch Hall to Butt (1)11·11231
From Butt(1) to Butt(2) on Islington Common6·18138
And, on going back to Welch Hall, from Welch Hall to Egg-Pye10·10210
Total yards 757

Here there is another break.

To continue the round of the marks on the return journey without going over the same distance twice, return to Pitfield.