
The Eleventh General Meeting. 27 
of his fathers. He was of opinion that the west window was of 
the same date as the rest of the building. The vault of the chancel 
was late Decorated or early Perpendicular. He thought that some 
wealthy family built the church by degrees. 
Before the party left the Rectory, Earl Netson proposed a vote 
of thanks to the Rey. Precentor Lear, for providing such an 
agreeable repast for the members. 
This proposition was unanimously agreed to, and was acknow- 
ledged by the Rev. gentleman. 
The party then left Bishopston and drove to Broad Chalk, where 
they were received by the Rey. Dr. Rowland Williams, who in- 
vited the archeologists into his schodlroom, and gave a very 
interesting lecture on the most striking objects they would meet 
with in the valley of the Chalk. He observed that he considered 
it to be a great honour to be permitted to address so learned a 
body. The oldest thing which they would meet with in this parish was 
that wonderful production of nature, the chalk; while in Bower 
Chalk they wonld meet with something older still, viz., the green 
sand. He touched upon the natural productions of the chalk 
valley, and then noticed the little river which flowed through it, 
the Ebele, tracing its progress through the vale. It rises in Ber- 
wick, takes its course by Norrington through Ebblesbourne, or Eb- 
besbourne, and proceeds through the vale of Stratford Tony, Coombe 
Bissett, Homington, and Odstock, until it falls into the Avon 
near Harnham. There is a spring rising at Knoyle Farm, in the 
parish of Broad Chalk, which shortly afterwards assumes the 
character of a rivulet, and then falls into the Chalk, or Ebele, water. 
But for this tributary stream the Chalk water would, in a dry sea- 
son cease to flow. The structure of the valley was in favour of 
those geologists who hold what are called the water theories, as it 
appears to have been gradually hollowed out by the action of water. 
The Roman road from Old Sarum, or Sorbiodunum, passed through 
the vale of the Chalk to Dorchester. He thought it highly proba- 
ble that part of this road was originally an old British trackway. 
And while on this subject he pointed out the singular fact that 
most of the great trunk railways of this kingdom took the direction 
