J 09 



Mr, Stoddart's aneroid at the base of " Brown's Folly " gave 

 623 feet as the height above sea level. 



On November 10th, the Members visited the curious 

 underground excavations in Redcliff Hill, Bristol, under the 

 guidance of Mr. Reynolds. The branch line of railway from 

 the Terminus to the Floating Dock has recently cut through 

 one of these passages at the back of Guinea Street. Here an 

 opening about 20 or 30 feet beneath the surface leads to a 

 low corridor which was followed with considerable difficulty, 

 owing to the sewage which had recently accumulated there, 

 until several branching passages were reached, which opened 

 out into arched chambers supported by roughly cut columns. 

 One about 60 or 80 feet in diameter and from six to eight feet 

 high was especially worthy of notice, as a well had been sunk 

 through one of the central columns, and the sides lined with 

 masonry — the depth from the floor to the bottom appeared to 

 be about 40 feet ; some of the passages had been walled up. 

 The whole of these, which ramify in all directions and extend 

 even up to the Church of St. Marys, Redcliff, at which point 

 they were entered about four or five years ago by those 

 engaged in the restorations, are cut out of the new red sand- 

 stone rock, and bear in many places, on the roof and on the 

 columns, traces of a sharp pointed pick. The entrance 

 to these appears to have been from the wharf at about 14 

 feet above water mark, and they have been for many years 

 used by Messrs. King, as storerooms. Various have been 

 the speculations as to their origin and use ; in a map of 

 Bristol, A.D, 1250, the Hermitage of St. John is represented 

 as existing on this spot. The lunch, so kindly provided 

 afterwards by Mr. Reynolds, was most acceptable. 



Several visits have been paid by some of the Members from 

 time to time to the cutting near the Upper Bristol Road, 

 opposite Twerton, on the new line of railway between Bath 

 and Mangotsfield, and accurate measurement of the white 



