122 PAPERS, ETC. 
ference would be that this was the house of the 
“ Lady Ankerette,” and that in all probability the 
gateway was built by her. It is with much regret 
I must add, that these ruins have been lately de- 
stroyed, for what cause I know not; but surely 
some plan might have been devised for preserving 
a relic of ancient art, interesting alike for its in- 
trinsie merit, and for the obscurity of its history. 
Since writing the above I have looked for men- 
tion of any religious house here, in “ Dugdale’s 
Monasticon Anglicanum,” and find the following 
note quoted from Tanner’s Somerset, xxi. It will 
be seen that it confirms my own suspicions. 
“Mr. Strachey mentions a priory and cell ofnuns 
on St. Catharine’s hill, and a nunnery belonging to 
Cirencester, at Cayford, in Frome; but I have met 
with no charters or records relating to them, and 
therefore suspect them to be traditionary stories 
only.” 
