100 
Horse’s ear, about 680 feet above sea level, and armed with a goodly 
basket of sandwiches and a map of the country, discoursed 
pleasantly on the battle of Ethandun, which he considers to 
have been fought in these parts (vide p. 34). Mr. Skrine 
having been thanked for his paper, the Secretary then called 
the attention of the Members seated on the edge of the Chalk 
escarpment, with an extensive range of rich woodland spread 
out before them, to the strata over which they had passed since 
leaving Bath ; how they had crossed in ascending order from the 
older to the more recent beds, and that they were now standing 
on one of the most marked features in our English landscapes, a 
portion of the great Chalk escarpment. The origin of escarpments 
was then discussed, and the importance of the Chalk districts as.a 
great water-bearing formation, the length of time taken for the 
rain falling on the surface to pass downwards to the deep-seated 
springs, so that the heavy rainfall in the winter is not felt in 
these springs.until the summer (vide Prestwich’s Address, Quart. 
Jour. Geol. Soc. Vol. XXVIII), and some other points of geological 
interest. Time, however, did not admit of a longer delay at this 
point, and the Members pressed rapidly onwards across Bratton 
Camp down into the hollow where nestles the little church of 
Bratton, which a native of the place (evidently ‘the oldest inhabi- 
tant of the village’) called the ‘ Mother Church of England,’ and as 
he furthur informed us, ‘was built so strong that they could not 
beat her down in the civil wars: so far for the strength and 
antiquity of the church! Whilst waiting here for the key, Mr. 
Skrine gave a short account of the history of Edington Priory, 
and then the Members passed on, some to their dinner at the 
Duke of Wellington, at Bratton, others to visit the fine old 
church at Edington. Finding the doors open they were 
fortunate in meeting with the venerable Vicar of the parish, 
who, notwithstanding the fact that he had just been showing a 
party of ladies round the church, most courteously pointed out 
the chief objects of interest to the Members. 
