Ixiii. 



THIRD SUMMER MEETING. 

 CHESIL BEACH AND FLEET MEETING. 



THE LAST OUTDOOR MEETING of the season was held on 

 Thursday, September i4th. 



The meeting attracted a large number of persons ; ninety 

 assembled at the Weymouth Railway Station, from whence the 

 start was made at 10.30. The first halt was made at Langton 

 Cross to inspect the remains of an ancient wayside cross. 



Here Mr. A. POPE, who is gathering materials for a work on 

 the crosses of Dorset, read the following paper : 



LANGTON HEEBING CEOSS. 



This is the remains of a fine old Latin cross hewn out of one solid block of 

 Portland or Ridgway stone firmly embedded in the ground, and, judging from 

 the bold chamfered edges both to the shaft and the arms and the general design, 

 it would probably be considered 14th century work. 



It will be noticed that the top or head of the cross has been broken off, and 

 that the arms, particularly the right, have been somewhat damaged, and that the 

 whole is much weather-worn and covered with moss and lichen, which adds 

 considerably to its venerable appearance. 



I have been unable to discover any lettering or ornament of any kind upon the 

 stone. 



I have taken very careful measurements, and I find that the length of the shaft 

 from the ground to where broken off is 3ft. 2in. It is embedded in the ground 

 1ft. Tin. (as ascertained by the late Major William Sparks), making together 

 4ft. 9in. 



The transom, or arms, measure 1ft. 7in. 



The shaft at the bottom is llin. square, tapering to 9in. at the top. 



The chamfering, which is both before and behind, is unusually bold, and 

 measures 2f in. 



The cross faces towards the south, inclining slightly towards the west, and 

 before the deeply -excavated road to Portesham was made would have stood up 

 much more prominently than it appears at present. 



It stands in the direct route from Weymouth to the ancient Abbey of Abbots- 

 bury and St. Catherine's Chapel, at the junction of the roads from Laugtou and 

 Portesham to Weymouth. 



