Recent Wiltshire Books, Pamphlets, and Articles. 337 



and in connection with the recent very successful remodelline of the 

 chancel by Mr. Brakspear, as a memorial to William Henry Fox Talbot, 

 he notes the discovery of the jamb of a late 14th century window in the 

 S. wall of the chancel, close to the chancel arch, and probably originally 

 a low-side window. In the 15th century the lower part of the jamb 

 had been cut back and a doorway inserted leading obliquely to the south 

 transept. " It may perhaps have been used for some processional 

 purpose." There is a nice illustration of The Lady Chapel and Sir W. 

 Sharington's monument. 



The Moot and its Traditions, compiled by Elias 



Pitts Squarey. 1906. 8vo, cloth, pp. 35, with process 

 illustration of " The Witenagemot or The Moot," and folding plan. 



"The various papers and traditions set out in the following pages 

 seem to comprise all that at present has been written or is known about 

 these earthworks." This opening sentence describes the scope and 

 object of this little book. 



The earliest description of the place seems to be that by George 

 Matcham in Hoare's History of Modern Wiltshire. It is here reprinted. 

 It is there regarded as a " Burh," or Saxon fort, whilst the name of 

 "The Moot," which has always distinguished it, shows that one of the 

 mounds within the enclosure was "The Court of the Hundred, the 

 earliest seat of justice established by the Saxon polity within this 

 district." 



The next extract is from an article in The Archaological Journal, 

 Sept., 1875, on " The Earthworks of the Wiltshire Avon," by G. T. Clark. 

 " The works belong to the class of moated mounds but are unusually 

 complex in their arrangements and have been rendered still more so by 

 certain horticultural operations which were effected at heavy cost in the 

 last century which render their examination unsatisfactory." In 

 Domesday "there is no mention of the moot, which never was a Norman 

 seat, and very certainly was never defended by works of masonry." 



Jottings on Some Objects of Interest in the Moot Excursion, 1S76, by 

 E. T. Stevens, supplies a further description of the earthworks, and tells 

 us that " according to the popular belief prisoners were tried at the 

 ' Moot Hill,' and, if found guilty, were then taken to another of the 

 mounds, which passes by the name of ' Bevis' Mount,' where they were 

 executed." 



A extract from Proceedings at the Salishury Meeting of the Royal 

 Archaological Institute, 1887, gives Gen. Pitt-Eivers' opinion that the 

 earthworks are of the Saxon period, the residence of a feudal chief, " The 

 Moot " having probably been made after the fortificationswere abandoned. 



A description of the place believed to be from the pen of Sir Thomas 

 Phillips, Bart., comes next, which asserts that " enough remains to 

 indicate its original character, and to establish beyond a doubt the period 

 of its formation before the Norman Conquest." " It can hardly be a 

 matter of doubt that one of the elevations within this enclosure was 

 used as the Court of the Hundred." 



