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period, owing its origin doubtless to the combination on the 

 same spot of a suitable clay — that of the Upper Lias, — a spring 

 of water, aiid abundance of wood for fuel. The latter material 

 is now superseded by coal, but the manufacture is still main- 

 tained, though evidently upon a very limited scale. 



A walk through the shady woodland glades to Buckholt, 

 and thence down a steep hill brought them to the Eoman 

 Villa at Whitcomb, discovered in the last century, and reported 

 upon by the antiquary Daniel Lysons in an elaborate essay to 

 be found in the pages of the Archceologia. The beauty of the 

 situation must strike every beholder, shewing the taste with 

 which these wealthy Romans made choice of sites for their 

 residences. The tesserae of the floors were of three colours — ■ 

 red, white, and blue. It was pointed out by Mr. Witchell 

 that the white tesserae were obtained from the compact white 

 limestone of Sapperton and Bussage, which would seem to have 

 been in great request for the purpose, as the Club on their visit 

 to Shropshire in 1869 discovered the same in the small tesselated 

 pavement at Uriconium. Having regained the carriages the 

 party proceeded to Painswick, where dinner was served in the 

 Parish-room, which under the care of Mr. Gardner, the worthy 

 surgeon of the place, had been tastefully decorated for the 

 occasion. 



After dinner a small collection of antiquities from the recently- 

 discovered Roman Villa at Highfold was handed round for 

 inspection, and it was arranged that a committee should be 

 appointed to confer with Mr, Adet, the proprietor, with a view 

 to futm'e excavations on the spot. In this matter no further 

 steps have since been taken. The matter has, however, not been 

 lost sight of, and I hope that in the course of the present 

 summer means may be found for carrying out some careful 

 examinations of the site. 



A committee was likewise appointed to co-operate with Mr. 

 CuMMiNGTON, of Devizes, and other local antiquaries and anti- 

 quarian societies, in moving Government to adopt measures for 

 the protection and better preservation of our national antiquities. 

 Your secretary has been in communication with Mr. Cummington 



