128 Congress of British Archaological Association at Devizes. 



probably of tbe same date. He would call attention to the exact 

 resemblance between the earthwork at Devizes and at Old Sarum, 

 for it was said that the ditches at the latter place were deeper than 

 they were here. But he might inform them that the engineer who 

 constructed the railway said he had found that the ditches had extended 

 no less than 45 feet below their present level ; and when they con- 

 sidered the extreme depth of the ditches now, they would realise how 

 enormous they had been. It might be asked then, how was it there 

 was no reference to the castle before the time of the Normans ? and 

 he was ready to agree that there was no mention of it. But they 

 might suppose the old British earthwork to have remained on that 

 hill in a similar manner to the earthwork at Maiden Castle, in 

 Dorsetshire, till the time of the great Bishop Roger Poore, who, 

 like many another Norman, was attracted by the value of those 

 earlier earthworks for the erection of a castle, and who was wise 

 enough to erect the castle upon them. He was glad to be able to say 

 the foundations which existed showed clearly workmanship of the time 

 of Roger Poore. If, therefore, he had said anything which went 

 to show that Bishop Poore was not the founder of the two Churches, 

 he was glad to be able to point out how history and archaeological 

 evidence went hand in hand in pointing to the builders of the castle. 

 Having spoken of some of the remains of the earliest portions of 

 the castle, Mr. Brock said that all archaeologists must feel indebted 

 to the present owner for the most careful way in which he had 

 preserved every little fragment. They ought not to leave these 

 pretty grounds without rendering their thanks to Mr. Leach for 

 permitting them to see them. His remarks with respect to the 

 ancient British date of the foundations were illustrated, he said, by 

 some of the pottery preserved inside the castle, and which was cer- 

 tainly a thousand years older than anything they had seen of Norman 

 style. 



Mr. Leach expressed his obligations to Mr. Brock for his address, 

 and said he hoped the Members of the Society would walk through 

 the grounds whenever they pleased during their stay in Devizes. 



The archaeologists next visited the Museum, but assembled again 

 at the Town Hall, at 7, p.m., to listen to the President's address. 



