VOL. XVIII. (2) EXCURSION— SHERBORNE DISTRICT 113 



to the Phelips family, but at present is in the occupation of Mr R. Davidson. 

 Mr Davidson had very kindly given permission for the Members to walk 

 through the grounds, and thereby obtain near views of the house. ^ 



The grounds are laid out in the Italian style. The house is constructed 

 entirely of Ham Hill Stone, and is believed to have been planned about 1580, 

 by John of Padua, for Sir Edward Phelips, at that time Master ofjthe Rolls 

 and Speaker in the House of Commons. It is built in the form of the letter E, 

 both east and west sides. Between the wings of the western side has been 

 inserted a gorgeous " screen," which was removed from Clifton Maybank, 

 near Bradford Abbas. 



From the house the Members proceeded to the Church, where they were 

 met by the Vicar, the Rev. C. F. Powys. 



After a bread-and-cheese meal at the village inn, the Members com- 

 menced the ascent, from the back, of Ham Hill. Before leaving the village, 

 the beautiful remains of the Cluniac Priory2 were viewed and admired. All 

 that is left is a gateway, a tower, and a small wing, now used as a farmhouse. 

 Mounting high above the old Priory buildings is the conical, tower-crowned hill 

 now known as St. Michael's Hill, but formerly as Mons Acutus. It is steeped 

 in Danish tradition. 



The tower on this hill (shown in PL XIII., fig. 2) was built in 1791 

 by one of the Phelips's as a sort of look-out tower — a "folly" in fact. 



The road up the hill is deeply-sunk in the Yeovil Sands, and " burrs," 

 hard masses in the sands, project from the sides. 



At the top of the hill, Dr T. S. Ellis made some remarks on the origin of 

 the combes near by, and then the Members went into the Rocks Quarry. 

 Here, in the upper portion of the quarry face, was displayed yellow sand full 

 of sand-martin holes ; in the lower, brownish rock practically made up of 

 shell fragments, with sandy layers. In the sandy layers, crushed specimens 

 of a Rhynchonella of the Rhyn.-cynocephala-Grou^ is not uncommon. This 

 shelly rock is on the horizon of " The Riddings " of the next quarry that the 

 Members visited. At the Rocks Quarry it is worked for road-stone. 



From this quarry the Members walked to the works and quarries be- 

 lon,ging to the United Stone Firms, Ltd. The works are fitted with saws, 

 planing and moulding machines for sawing and moulding the stone, and 

 include extensive masonry shops, where work can be carried on continuously 

 in any weather. 



The stone is of a very pleasing colour, and harmonises well with any 

 surroundings. It dresses well, and it is not surprising that it has long been 

 worked and has furnished material for most of the renowned towers, churches, 

 and mansions in the West Country. 



The great quarry is about 90 feet deep (Plate XIII., fig. i). In de- 

 scending order there is exposed : — 



1. Sand— seen about 



2. " Riddings " . . 



3. Ham Hill Stone / Yellow Beds 



\Grey Beds. . 



4. Bottom Bed — hard sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . . ij 



Below the " Bottom-Bed," it is generally believed, come yellow sands, 

 and therefore the Members were surprised to find water standing in a fissure 

 in the bottom of the quarry. The foreman had been equally surprised at the 

 discovery, and that was why he pointed it out. 



1. A well-illustrated account of Montacute House mil be found in " Country Life," vol. 

 iii., pp. 464, 496 and vol. xv., p. 424. 



2. The Cluniac Rule was foimded by Odo, Abbot of Clugni (Burgundy) in the loth centurj', 

 in order to revive the strictness of the Benedictine Order coupled with an additional regulation 

 which gave an idea of greater sanctity. 



