John Bunyan's Arrest (1660)
In November 1660 Bunyan was asked to preach on a farm near Harlington and on his arrival he was told that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. His host wanted to cancel the meeting but Bunyan said, ‘No, by no means, I will not stir, neither will I have the meeting dismissed for this. Come, be of good cheer; let us not be daunted; our cause is good, we need not be ashamed of it; to preach God’s word…even if we suffer for it.’ At the start of the meeting two men entered and arrested him.
Additional Information
Go down Sampshill Road until you get to the crossroads. You will pass a house and a business premises on the left and soon after that the road will turn into a lane; turn right at the crossroads. Carry on about 150 yards until you see a gate on your right that enters a field where horses are kept. On your left you will see a hedgerow that marks the end of the field. Climb up onto the field and walk along the hedgerow (about 50 yards) until you reach a copse. Follow the copse around to the left and then to the right. Along there you will find an entrance to the copse, walk in and a little way ahead you will find a depression that was the moat that surrounded the farmhouse in Bunyan's time. Most remote farmhouses would have defences like this.