284 The Forty-Eighth Oeneral Meeting. 



The brakes then took the party down the hill to BEWLEY COUKT, 

 a farm-house of no great size, but contauiing most interesting work of 

 the 14th century and later times. Here Mr. Brakspear acted as 

 wuide and described the house. It is hoped that his account of it 

 may appear in a future number of the Magazine. Very few of the 

 Members were aware of the existence of this interesting bit of 

 domestic architecture. A short drive further brought the party 

 to Lacock, where the Church was the first item on the programme. 

 Mr. Talbot described its many features of interest exhaustively 

 and exhibited the drawings of the new chancel which it is proposed 

 to erect in place of the present mean 18th century structure, 

 as a memorial to W. H. Fox Talbot, the chief discoverer of 

 photography. The beautiful covered cup used as a chalice — 

 one of the finest remaining examples of mediteval plate (though 

 not originally intended in all probability for ecclesiastical pur- 

 poses), was exhibited and Members' attention was drawn to it 

 by Mr. W. He ward Bell. Mr. Talbot mentioned that it narrowly 

 escaped being sold for the value of the silver many years ago. 

 After lunch at the Red Lion Hotel, the party, numbering about 

 fifty, re-assembled on the lawn in front of the Abbey, and were 

 awain taken in hand by Mr. Talbot, who proceeded to conduct them 

 over every part of the buildings, inside and out, expounding the 

 whole architectural history of the structure in the most admirable 

 way. The Society, indeed, has seldom spent a more enjoyable or 

 instructive afternoon than that spent at Lacock Abbey under Mr. 

 Talbot's guidance. Mr. Talbot especially pointed out a large boss 

 now placed in the cloisters, which had been lately found built up in 

 a garden wall. This boss could only have come from the Church, 

 which must therefore — contrary to Mr. Brakspear 's original opinion 

 — have been vaulted in stone. After making the tour of the exterior 

 the party were most kindly and hospitably entertained at tea by Mr. 

 and Miss Talbot, and when everything in the house had been seen, 

 and the many uncommon trees in the garden noticed by those 

 who were interested in such matters, a move was made for the 

 village, and the remainder of the time at disposal was occupied in 

 visiting — still under Mr. Talbot's guidance — several of the houses 



