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[Page 43]
Thursday Aug 12. 1916
Yesterday evening after tea I went to see the "Spreading Chestnut Tree & made famous by Longfellow in the Village Blacksmiths. The name of the village is Figheldean and I was accompanied by C. Handcock. The tree is said to be a thousand years old. The old shop is still there in full working order. It does a small country trade shoeing & general. The name of the blacksmith is Sheppard and the shop has been in the family for generations, the old village Church and, the old village church and churchyard is not far away. and I saw graves of many of the present blacksmiths ancestors. Some of the tomb stones were so old that the names were barely describable. The old shop is very old and dilipated with a tile roof, There was a wagon and 3 or 4 days outside to be repaired. The shop is small also the [indecipherable]. Being after 6 when we approved the shop was closed. There was an M.P. from the Zealand forces on guard to protect the tree. Previous visitors having robbed it of a large amount of leaves.
Today I was cleaning out the bathrooms and in the evening filled in time by washing a few tins. [Short hand not transcribed]