By the Rev. W. C. Plenderleath, 267 
above them and against the king posts straight struts, but in the 
two central trusses these are united into one large curved brace, 
coming right down to the level of the wall-plates. The walls were 
all originally of narrow panel work raised upon a stone plinth about 
3ft. high. This remains intact on the north side, and in the central 
portion of the south side. But the westerly part of the south side 
and also the west end of the barn have been re-built with weather 
boarding, and the northerly portion of the south side and part of the 
east end with masonry. ‘The roof is ofa high pitch, and is covered 
with shingle. It is gabled at each end to about one-third of its 
height, then hipped for most of the remaining portion, with another 
small bit of gabling at the apex. The two northern porches have 
been more or less rebuilt. With regard to the age of the original 
construction it would be difficult to speak with any degree of certainty. 
Mr. Talbot places it as early as the fifteenth century, and I do not 
myself see any reason to doubt the correctness of this estimate. 
_ As regards the dwelling-houses of the village, I have already 
_ spoken of the remains of the old manor house as the earliest of our 
human habitations. But I was informed many years ago that a 
house then in process of demolition dated back to a much earlier 
period than this, and was in fact no less than twelve hundred years 
old, as an inscription had been found upon it evidently intended for 
a date, and consisting of the figures “ 669.” I ventured to suggest 
that a previous “1” had been eroded by lapse of time, but my 
suggestion was received with contempt; and the marvel may live 
still, for aught I know, unforgotten and undoubted. 
~ But now I have to tell you of some even earlier human habitations 
than this supposed seventh century house, which I fancied that I 
had discovered myself. For a long time I had been struck by the 
look of some shallow depressions to the right of what is called 
Cherhill Hill, just between the White Horse and the high road. 
‘They looked to me for all the world like those ancient British dwelling 
places of which we have examples on Martinsell Hill; at Pen Pits; 
and some people even say on the higher part of our Cherhill Downs 
themselves. And visions of successful diggings for querns and a 
‘subsequent paper upon the subject began to form themselves in my 
