210 PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 1914 



here in Saxon times. A Cistercian monastery was founded here which had a 

 somewhat chequered history. The monks of Kings wood', an off -shoot 

 from Tintem, divided, and ' swarmed,' one half removing to Hasildene, near 

 to Tetbury, after the wars of Stephen and Maud. But owing to want of 

 water, they obtained a grant of land at Tetbury, where was a good spring, 

 and removed there. Kingswood was thus eventually left as merely a grange 

 of Tetbury, much heart-burning being the result. Again the monks of 

 Tetbury became dissatisfied, owing now to want of fuel, which they were 

 obliged to fetch from Kingswood. They accordingly determined to return ; 

 but the buildings there not being sufficient for their accommodation, Bernard 

 de S. Walerick, the founder of Tetbury Church, obtained a grant of 40 acres 

 at Mireford, from Roger de Berkele, and there erected, about 1170, a new 

 abbey, and transferred the monks of Tetbury thither. After this Tetbury 

 became in its turn a grange of Kingswood. The scanty remains of the 

 monastery are still to be seen in the Chipping. 



" Charles I. visited Tetbury in 1643, and there was fighting here during 

 the Civil War of the 17th century. Charles II. and Queen Katherine were 

 here in 1663, and James II. in 1687. 



"A town hall, on three rows of pillars, was erected in the centre of the 

 town in 1655 ; it was, unfortunately, altered and enlarged in 181 7. 



"A church is said to have been founded at Tetbury in 1160, but nothing 

 of this remains. The present tower and spire were probably erected about 

 1400, but were taken down and rebuilt in 1893. The dedication was of St. 

 Mary Magdalene, and the old church had a south aisle and porch and two 

 north aisles to the nave, with north and south aisles to the chancel, and 

 vestry and chantry chapels. In the i8th century this church fell into serious 

 disrepair, and a society was formed to raise funds for pulling it down and 

 building another on its site. This work was commenced in 1777, and the 

 present flower of i8th century Gothic was opened for divine service in 1781. 

 The arrangement of a cloister on each side is probably unique. 



" Tetbury, though without any buildings of great historic or archi- 

 tectural importance, has a number of old houses of considerable interest, and 

 presents a delightful picture of an old-fashioned little country town'." 



Lunch was served at the White Hart, Tetbury. 



The following candidates were nominated for membership : — F. W. 

 Smith, F.G.S., Gloucester; and L. Wilkin, M..\.. B.C., Gloucester. 



The Rev. Walter Butt, who as cx-President was acting for Professor 

 Ainsworth-Davis, who was unavoidably prevented from being present, 

 mentioned that a very rare fern, Hymenophyllum Ttinbridgense, had recently 

 been discovered at Symonds Yat during a visit of the Mycological Society. 



WESTONBIRT. 



After lunch a move was made for Westonbirt, where, through the kind- 

 ness of Lieut.-Col. Sir George Holford, the party was not only permitted to 

 wander through the Arboretum, gardens, and orchid houses, but also to in- 

 spect the interior of the mansion. 



Before entering the house, however, the party were met near the Ar- 

 boretum by Mr Rattray, the Forester, and under his leadership saw a portion 

 of the arboreal wonders for which this estate is famous. 



1 Near Wotton-under-Edge. See Proc. Cotteswold Nat. F.C., vol. xviii., pt. 2 (1913), p. H7. 



2 These notes put together by Mr J. L. Osborne for a meeting of the Bristol and Gloucestershire 

 Arch. Soc. in 1914, are mainly derived from the Rev. A. T. Lee's " History of Tetbury," pubUshed 

 in 1857. 



