134 Congress of British Archceological Association at Devizes. 



in shape, were then described. It partook (he said) both of the 

 Decorated and Perpendicular styles, and appeared to be of the date 

 when Decorated architecture merged almost imperceptibly into the 

 Perpendicular. The windows — one of which was said to be in a very 

 dilapidated and dangerous condition — the monuments, and other 

 interesting interior parts of the Church were also explained. 



Lord Nelson then introduced Mr. Powell, who read a report of 

 the restoration he proposed. Mr. Beock and Mr. Picton also com- 

 mented on various architectural points, and then the archaeologists 

 wandered through Mr. Newman^'s house, where some old oak 

 panelling attracted them ; and by the old monastic fish-ponds, and 

 through the glorious monastery gardens, and by the curious double 

 conduit, where two parallel pipes lying close together discharge 

 hard and soft water to this day ; and then a stroll through a meadow 

 brought them to the little inn at Tinhead, where an excellent 

 luncheon awaited them, and to which they did ample justice. 



Luncheon over, Lokd Nelsok desired the archaeologists to assemble 

 beneath the wide-spreading branches of a huge lime-tree hard by, 

 and then called upon the Rev. A. C. Smith to give some account of 

 Bratton Castle or Camp and the white horse near it. Mr. Smith 

 described the camp as a good specimen of a British fortification, 

 subsequently occupied by the Saxons and Danes, He stoutly main- 

 tained that the battle of Ethandun was fought at Edington, hard 

 by, and that Bratton Camp was the fortification to which the Danes 

 retreated, and where they were eventually defeated by King Alfred. 

 The white horse now occupying the steep side of the adjoining 

 down, though not the original, was on the same site as that which 

 was cut to commemorate the victory at Ethandun. The query was 

 (he said) how those who occupied the camp obtained water on those 

 eminences, and he explained a theory which was entertained by 

 himself and other Wiltshire antiquaries that they were supplied by 

 means of dew ponds or cloud ponds. Mr. Brock expressed his 

 satisfaction at hearing a Wiltshire archaeologist describe the camp 

 as British : until recently such works had passed for Anglo-Saxon 

 and Norman, but they were now generally accepted as originally 

 British. He agreed with Mr. Smith as to the probability of the 



