Read the article below and answer the questions at the end of the text. Clues to the answers can be found within the text:

I am reminded, as the train draws into the station, that a writer lived in this village (close to which is a fine Roman villa). Born in 1875, many remember him as a children’s author; for me, however, he will always be the person who penned a series of county guides. The train, meanwhile, resumes its journey south, halting, three stops later, at a curiously named station — apparently named after a pub. However, there is some logic to this — as I discover when I alight at a large town, the next station one mile further along the line. For this place is home to a cricket ground that, established in 1734, could be the country’s oldest.

One, six, seven, eight... numerically, things changed somewhat in the recent past. Others are, well, longer established — such as the town’s public school, founded in 1432. It has had its famous residents, too: a second author (born 1866, he knew the shape of things to come), took lodgings here; and an abandoned child, named after the town, who in 1418 became incumbent of a noted mayoralty not so far away. Meanwhile, I leave the station and strike out southeast, heading for a fine mansion. The entrance is a good mile distant, a pleasant walk nonetheless.

Much of it was built by an archbishop (born circa 1411), the 65th holder of an archbishopric to the east. In this building he spent his final days. More recently, in 1892, it was the birthplace of a third author; it subsequently became Chevron — the setting for one of her novels. Two years prior to that, it was also used as the setting for a biographic novel by a fourth author.

Back in the present, meanwhile, I find the mansion closed for winter, but am able to take a stroll in its 1,000 acres of parkland. There, I soon find my thoughts wandering as I playfully kick occasional drifts of crumpled leaves into the air. I pause to survey my surroundings. A low-slung sun highlighting bounteous aureate colours; a cluster of splendid deer, nonchalantly going about their business — quite oblivious to my presence. And peace: utter stillness. Surely Britain at its gilded finest.

The questions

1 What is the name of the curiously named station?

2 Who was the abandoned child?

ENTER THE COMPETITION

Enter by clicking on the link above by Wednesday. The winner will be announced in next week’s Directions. Only one entry per person. Normal Times Newspapers rules apply. No correspondence will be entered into

The prize: A luxurious long weekend in Paris. The winners will stay for three nights, B&B, in Le Méridien Etoile, which is set within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe. The hotel is home to the Jazz Club Etoile, a landmark on the Parisian jazz scene for 30 years, playing host to BB King, Cab Calloway, Fats Domino and Count Basie. Visit lemeridien.com/etoile, or call 00 33 140 68 34 34. The prize also includes return travel in Leisure Select class from St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International or Ashford International with Eurostar. Eurostar runs up to 19 trains a day to Paris, and return tickets start from £59 standard class or from £175 for Leisure Select. For more information or to book, visit www.eurostar.com or call 08705 186186. The prize must be taken between January 2 and May 31, 2010, excluding public holidays, and subject to availability.

LAST WEEK

The answers to last week’s competition are the Book of Deer, and Crombie, Kinnairdy, Huntly, Craigston, Delgatie, Towie Barclay, Fyvie and Slains castles. The winner is Mark Malone of Bristol, who wins a short break in Johannesburg, as a guest of Air France and the Hilton Sandton.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

This competition is open only to registered Times Online members.

If you are already a Times Online member, please ensure that you are logged in. If you are not logged in, then you will be required to enter your username and password before you can proceed through to the competition entry form. Click the "ENTER THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION" link above to proceed.

If you are not a member, and this is the first time you've entered the Where Was I? competition online, you will need to register your details with us. Online registration is free, should only take a few minutes to complete and you will not be required to register for future competitions. Click the "ENTER THE COMPETITION" link above to proceed.

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