113 



EXCURSIONS. 



EIBCHESTEE. JUNE 5th, 1886. 



Seven years previously the Club had visited this interesting 

 place, under the guidance of Mr. W. A. Abram, F.E.H.S., J.P., 

 author of " A History of Blackburn," and one of the Club's Hon- 

 orary Members. The party on this occasion had the privilege 

 of being under the same leadership. Most of the members di-ove 

 through Whalley, visiting on the way, the Jacobean mansion of 

 " many gables "—Hacking Hall, situate near the confluence of 

 the Calder and Eibble. It was observed that many alterations 

 in the interior of the building had been made since the last visit ; 

 though the exterior remained as built by Sir Thomas Walmesley, 

 Judge, in the year 1607. From here a pleasant drive brought 

 the party to that romantic piece of river sceneiy known as Sale 

 Wheel ; and the remains of Salesbury Hall, which stand close by 

 were noticed. There are left but meagre fragments of the fine half- 

 timbered mansion formerly occupied by the Talbots. Half-a-mile 

 from here is the handsome bridge which crosses the Eibble, and 

 conducts to the village of Eibchester. Proceeding througli the 

 churchyard the topogi-aphy of Eoman B,ihGhe&ter—{Ri(fochmum) 

 was pointed out. At the west end of the enclosure there are still 

 apparent the remains of the fosse and vallum, close by what is 

 known as Anchor Hill. Much of the site of the Eoman Camp 

 is now occupied by the river, which has shifted its bed dming 

 the centuries which have intervened. The encampment was in 

 the form of a parallelogram measuring 900 by 450 feet. Mr. 

 Abram indicated the spots where the chief discoveries of Eoman 

 remams had been made ; the place where the beautiful bronze 

 helmet (now in the British Museum) was revealed in 1790, the 

 point where the Eomano-British sepulchral slab (now in the 

 Blackburn Museum) was taken out in 1876, and the site of the 

 great temple dedicated to Minerva. The hues of route h-om differ- 

 ent directions were also pointed out. Next the party visited the 

 interior of the Church of St. Wilfrid, the sahent points of interest 

 bemg described by the Eev. F. J. Dickson, the Vicar. The recent 

 restoration of the edifice had revealed several noteworthy 

 features. The elaborately carved pulpit, an old tombstone cmi- 

 ously appropriated, the design of the roof of the nave, and other 

 featm-es were noticed, and the party proceeded to see the vene- 

 rable Church of Stydd, one of the most ancient structm-es in the 

 county. The building is small and consists simply of a nave. 

 The chief points of interest are the North Doorway of Norman 

 architectm-e, the font with ancient sculptured work, and the tomb- 



