179 
After collecting specimens of the coal flora, Old Sodbury 
Church was visited. The Vicar, the Rev. Canon Nash, read a 
paper of which the following is an abstract :— 
“The parish Church of Old Sodbury, dedicated to St. John 
“the Baptist, consists of a Nave with North and South Aisles, 
“North and South Transepts, a tower at the West end, and a 
“porch at the South side. The Church, with the exception of 
“the tower, was re-built in the year 1858 on the same found- 
“ation and exactly the same as the old Church, with the 
“exception of the two Transept Arches, and the position of the 
“Chancel Arch, the same Columns, Arches, and Windows being 
“used. When first built, the Church only consisted of the 
“Norman Nave, and probably ended with an apse. The early 
English tower and the two Transepts were afterwards added, 
and later on the Chancel.” 
In the North Transept there are two effigies cross-legged, 
and the Rev. W. Bazeley pointed out that the heraldic bearings 
are obliterated, and no tradition remains as to the names of 
these heroes. Crusaders were so depicted, and indeed any 
founders or patrons of the Church, were permitted by custom 
to thus commemorate for themselves their piety. The date of 
the armour is about the reign of Henry II, or Richard I. 
After luncheon at the Cross Hands Inn, a section, close by, 
of the Upper Beds of the Inferior Oolite was examined, and 
about half a mile distant an underground quarry in the Great 
Oolite was shewn by the owner, Mr Isles, with the aid of lamps. 
Thence on to Horton quarry where the Trigonia bed is 
well developed with Trigonia Costata in great abundance. Mr 
Witchell, at the request of the President, explained the section 
which he correlated with that of Rodborough. The Clypeus 
beds at Horton were 18 ft. 6 in., and at Rodborough, 14 ft. 6 in., 
the difference being in the white limestones which are 5 feet 
thicker at Horton than at Rodborough. The Trigonia grit upon 
which the Clypeus beds rest, is about the same at both places, 
but the Gryphite grit at Rodborough is not met with at Horton, 
while the Freestone series which follow, occur at both places. 
Mr Witchell regarded the Upper Beds of the Inferior Oolite as 
the most persistent of all in the Cotteswold area. 
