The gamekeeper had one of the most important jobs on the estate of the Lord of the Manor, says David. It was also a highly responsible one, for "where there was land and game there were poachers." So his house would reflect something of the importance of his job. David sees it as the "meeting place for the beaters who, after a hard day, would feast on their share of the quarry." The old gamekeepers were the salt of the earth but, like salt, they were often taken for granted and under valued. Their knowledge of the countryside and its ways was astronomical, and their loyalty to their masters -- usually owners of large estates -- was unquestioning. Many of them remained on the same estate throughout their working lives and their regards were never measured in terms of money, but rather in the satisfaction of a job well done and in being able to live, like the true countrymen they were, close to the heart of the land they loved.