2 The Forty-Fourth General Meeting. 
deceased. Mr. Toone, of Devizes, was appointed Honorary Auditor 
in the place of Mr. Wilshin, resigned ; and Mr. N. Story Maskelyne 
was re-appointed as the Society’s representative on the Wootton 
Bassett Town Trust. This concluded the business of the Meeting, 
and the Members proceeded to visit the many objects of interest in 
the town under the guidance of Mr. C. 8. Apyz. 
The Saxon Church of St. Aldhelm of the 8th century (see 
vol. xiii., p. 274) was first visited, and Mr. Apyer described the 
measures that were taken for the rescue of the building from the 
degraded condition in which Canon Jones first discovered it. 
The Parish Church, just across the road, next claimed the 
attention of the Members. Internally, however, it is one of the 
many victims of over-restoration, during which process many of 
its original features were practically destroyed. The interesting 
Dole Stone in the churchyard claimed some attention as being 
remarkably similar to the example lately brought to light at 
Potterne. From this point the party strolled along the narrow 
and singularly picturesque streets of the town—no town in the 
county can vie with Bradford in the picturesqueness and quaintness 
of its streets as they cling to the steep hillside, reminding one in 
some ways more of France or Italy than England—across the 
ancient Bridge with narrow pointed arches to the magnificent 
Barton Barn, with its two great projecting arched gateways 
and grand timbered roof. Probably few finer examples of the 
tithe barn are to be seen in England. Some discussion took place 
as to the date of the building, Mr. Apye inclining to the 15th 
century, whilst Mr. Tarsor stood out for the latter part of the 
14th. The Farm House adjoining contains considerable remains 
of antiquity too—notably a remarkable room over the roadway— 
which seems to be of about the same date as the barn itself, #.e., 
either late 14th or early 15th century. 
The next move was by way of the Town Bridge, with its 
picturesque projecting lock-up, built on the corbelled out walls of 
the ancient Chapel, through the town, passing on the way the 
two half-timbered houses in The Shambles, with their beauti- 
fully-carved barge boards, to The Hall, formerly known as 
