EXCURSION. 23 



Warre polnted out the entrance to it, between two circular 

 earthworks, from Avhlch a path appeared to liave led to tho 

 top of the liill, wblch is siirrounded by an eavthwork. He 

 considered it to be intended merely for the protection of 

 cattle. In a marshy district, where the land was sometimes 

 overflowed, it was necessary to liave places where the flocks 

 mipjht be driven, and the fortifications werc just such as to 

 prevent the herds and herdsmen from sudden attack. The 

 kargest work of this kiud he had seen was Brent Knolk 



The party then arrived at Claptok-in-Gordano. 



Clapton is a much smaller church, of singukar and 

 irregulär outline. It consists of a nave, chancel and 

 western tower, with a sort of transept chapel north of the 

 the nave, and a very narrow chapel north of the chancel. 

 This arrangeraent allows the Introduction of a large squint, 

 growing into an archway, like so many in Pembrokeshlre, 

 and some elsewhere. A great part of the church is 13th 

 Century work, including the tower, the upper stage of 

 which batters veiy much. It retalns its original corbel- 

 table, but on it has been placcd a later pax'apet, without 

 pinnacles. But the most remarkable thing in the church 

 is certalnly the bench-ends, contemporary with the older 

 parts of the buUding, and therefore about the earliest 

 wooden seats in England. The church seems to be 

 threatened Avith " restoration," to consist in the reraoval or 

 destruction of these seats, and the removal of the pulpit 

 from its original place. A strong opinlon was expressed 

 by all present as to the needless and barbarous character 

 of these changes, which it may be hoped the good sense of 

 the parish may avert. Anothcr curlous feature is the 

 reredos, in which are two Early English capitals headed to 

 those upwards and uscd as bases. Illustratlons of the 

 bench-ends and reredos are glven in the present volume. 



