WAREHAM AND LYTCHETT HEATH. Ixxi. 



really more than the space within the corner of the north and 

 west walls, where possibly the ground had been a little worn 

 away by children playing and animals straying ? 



Dr. H. COLLEY MARCH said that, as far as he could see, the 

 only things in favour of the theory that Wareham was a Roman 

 town were that the walls were square and the streets laid out 

 cmciformly, as Roman streets often were. On the other hand 

 the evidence which Mr. Pouncy had cited, that no Roman 

 remains of importance had ever been found there, although 

 merely negative evidence, was very important ; and again there 

 was importance in the fact that no Roman road was recognised 

 leading to or from the town. Then with regard to the Danish 

 theory, the position of Wareham and its accessibility from the 

 sea made it very likely that the Danes would occupy it. 



The HON. SECRETARY, referring to the ground plan of St. 

 Martin's Church which had been exhibited, said that it would 

 probably be nearer the mark to describe as Early Norman the work 

 which had been put down as Saxon. For instance, the splayed 

 window in the north wall of the chancel he considered would 

 to-day be called Early Norman. As to Mr. Blackett's statement 

 that the holes in the stonework outside the window may have 

 been for the reception of the wickerwork to keep birds from 

 flying into the window, he did not think that much importance 

 was to be attached to the holes, because they found similar holes 

 outside windows of as late date as the Perpendicular period. As 

 to the " amphitheatre," it was, he thought, a hopeless name for 

 it, and he wished that he had put the word in inverted commas 

 on the programme. 



Dr. COLLEY MARCH added, in respect to the "amphitheatre," 

 that a position inside the corner of the walls, close to the angle, 

 would be most unsuitable for an amphitheatre, as greatly 

 weakening the military strength of the corner. 



Leading the party past the wall of the Rectory garden, Mr. 

 BLACKETT pointed to the interesting Norman doorway built 

 into the wall, a doorway probably from one of the demolished 

 churches of the town, and built into the wall to be preserved. 



