136 Congress of British Archceological Association at Devizes. 



then Mrs. Kenrick^s beautiful old timber-house^ having a central 

 hall^ as in the Potterne example. There was scarcely time for a 

 glance at the gabled manor-house ; and the archaeologists halted but 

 once more on their homeward route, to visit the unpretending little 

 Church at Poulshot, where the Rector (Rev. H. A. Olivier) read a 

 short paper, pointing out its principal features, and showing how 

 the Early English Church was re-modelled in the sixteenth century. 

 In the evening a meeting was held at the Town Hall, when 

 papers were read by Mr. J. A. Picton, on the " Ethnology of 

 Wiltshire, as illustrated in its Place-Names," and by Dr. Stevens, 

 on " Discoveries of Palaeolithic Flint Implements, with Mammalian 

 Remains, in the Reading Drift." Both papers called forth a very 

 interesting discussion, in which the President (Lord Nelson), Mr. 

 CuNNiNGTON, Mr. Wright, Mr. Myers, and others took part. 



WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18th. 



Leaving Devizes at 9, a.m., a large party drove first to Bishops 

 Cannings Church, where the Vicar (Rev. C. W. Hony) received 

 and conducted them over that fine specimen of Early English 

 architecture, and Mr. Brock made some very interesting remarks 

 on the building, calling attention to the simple character and 

 deep mouldings of the Early English work, and showing that 

 in the chancel the lancets and string-course were insertions in 

 an older — probably a Saxon — wall. Then Mr. Brock completely 

 demolished the traditional story of the " meditation chair," by 

 pointing out that the framing was modern, that the painted 

 panel was formerly joined to others, inasmuch as one edge of the 

 back of the chair was rabbetted, showing that there had been a 

 continuation of the panelling, and giving it as his opinion that 

 it had probably been part of a rood-screen, until utilized for this 

 wooden stall or chair in comparatively modern times. From 

 Bishops Cannings the Rev. A. C. Smith acted as cicerone on the 

 downs, and led the party first to Wansdyke at Shepherd's shore, 

 conducting them some hundred yards along the bank, till a favourable 

 sample of that great earthwork could be inspected : here Lord 

 Nelson called a halt, and invited the archaeologists to recline on the 



