455 



wandered round the exterior and through the town, and across 

 the bridge to the right bank of the Wye, whence a pretty view 

 of the tower is seen through the rich foliage of the Bishop's 

 Palace gardens. After service was over, a visit Avas paid to the 

 Red Coat, or Coningsby Hospital, in the outskirts to the N. 

 of the City, in Widemarsh Street. Formerly a Preceptory of 

 the Knights of S. John of Jerusalem, it is now supported 

 principally by the generosity of one individual as a place of 

 retirement for old army pensioners and their wives. It con- 

 sists of open quadrangle with rooms round it, the north side 

 being occupied by a plain and simple Chapel and an old Hall- 

 Some gardens at the back contain the remains of the Refectory 

 of the Black Friars Monastery, foimded in 1276; also an 

 hexagonal preaching cross, approached by steps and closed in on 

 all the six sides (how was it entered 1). A walk round the 

 Castle Green — home of children and perambulators — a courteous 

 invitation from an inhabitant to see some curiosities in the 

 garden of his house, facing the river (the said house having a 

 Norman pilaster on the north side, and the walls of which 

 were stated to be more than 6ft. thick, with a secret stairway 

 from the roof to the bed of the adjoining river), closed 

 a most instructive day. The Green Dragon provided a good 

 dinner and comfortable quarters for the night. 



Wednesday, June 20//i.— Leaving Hereford at 9 a.m., in a break 

 and pair, the members started for Kilpeck, about eight miles on 

 the Abergavenny road, crossed the Wye over the bridge to the 

 south of the City, left the flourishing Benedictine Monastery of 

 Belmont on the right, skirted the rich meadows of Allensmore 

 on the left, with its fine oak trees, and turned off" from the main 

 road to St. Devereux, whence the first view of the little Church 

 of Kilpeck was seen standing below on its woody knoll. Having 

 obtained the key from an adjoining cottage, they entered through 

 the south porch into one of the most perfect little Norman 

 churches that probably exists in England, and the Secretary at 



