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1)een taken to ascertain their contents that has been taken in the 

 examination of similar circles on the Worle Hill, near Weston-super- 

 Mare, much more light would have been thrown upon their origin, 

 and it is not too late to hope that this may be done. The absence 

 of coarse pottery and flint implements may appear at first to militate 

 against the idea of their having been inhabited, but such remains 

 have not hitherto, as fai- as we can ascertain, been very carefidly 

 looked for, or preserved when discovered. It is necessary to 

 observe that the projections of this vast plateau are fortified at 

 particular points, as if to defend the whole area. Having lingered 

 for some time on this interestmg gi-ound, which may be classed 

 with the region of barrows, cromlechs and megalithic circles, and 

 is involved in the same mist and obscurity, the party walked on 

 to examine another monument, but of a different date, and the 

 history of which is by no means doubtful. This was Stavordale 

 Priory, tlu-ee miles from Wincanton, but not on the direct road 

 from the Pen Pits. The situation of this Priory is very pic- 

 turesque, but it is Uttle visited, though the remains are full of 

 interest and the history well known. It is a Priory Church and 

 chantry, converted into a dwelling-house immediately after the 

 suppression of the religious houses in the time of Henry VIII. It 

 is now a farm-house, and tlirough the courtesy of the tenant the 

 members of the Club were allowed to inspect it tliroughout. The 

 plan and arrangement can easily be seen, although the chancel of 

 the Church and the chantry are all divided into living rooms, and 

 the lower portion into a kitchen, dairy and parlour. The corbels 

 have coats of arms with the quarterings of Zouche, S. Maur and 

 Lovel families, by whom the Priory was built and endowed. An 

 account of it will be found in " Phelps' Somerset," and a further 

 notice in the "Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological Society," 

 vol. viL, p. 17 (1856 7), where the seal of the Priory is engraved. 

 A full notice is also given in " Sweetman's Illustrated Journal," 

 for June, 1874. The Priory was founded in the reign of Henry 

 III. by Richard Lovel, Baron of Carey, who planted there a Prior 



