xli. 



improving the church, and probably the perpendicular work is to be 

 referred to him, though the west tower is of later date. His initials are to 

 be seen on the frieze of the pulpit. The large west window of the tower 

 was put in to the memory of Bishop Stillingfleet, who was a native of 

 Cranborne, and became Bishop of Worcester in 1635. 



On leaving the church the luncheon hour intervened, after which a very 

 interesting paper was read by Dr. Wake Smart, of Cranborne, entitled 

 " The Ancient Connection between Cranborne and Tewkesbury," which 

 will be found in full in this volume, p. 29. 



Castle Hill, distant about half a-mile from the village, was then visited. 

 This is an extensive earthwork, the origin of which has led to a variety of 

 conjectures. Dr. Wake Smart, who acted as guide, stated that in his 

 opinion it was probably of Celtic origin, used as a place of judicature for 

 the tribe, and that no building existed on the top of the mound. Mr. 

 Bloxam considered it to be one of the castles of Stephen, though no trace 

 of masonry had been discovered. However, stockades, similar to those in 

 use amongst the Maories of New Zealand, might have been erected for 

 purposes of defence. The Rev. W. Barnes considered it a British circle, 

 and he might be equally right. The place was called cruc-ye-gorsedd, a 

 ring of council, a great mound cruc, which had afterwards degenerated 

 into Creech Hill. There was a Creech Hill in Purbeck, in the lower part 

 of Dorset, and another about half a mile distant, on the top of which were 

 two huge stones, which had always been a puzzle to him. These mounds 

 were much like what were called specula. At Laughton-en-le-Morthen, 

 Yorkshire, there was a portion of a castle called Edwin's Hill, probably 

 Saxon, which was very much like this place, as were also Rayleigh, and 

 Hedingham Castle, in Essex. 



Carriages were in readiness to convey some members of the party to 

 Bockley Dyke, an ancient British earthwork, described by the Rev. W. 

 Barnes and Dr. Wake Smart. (See Proceedings, Vols. V. and VI.) The 

 Dyke runs for some three miles along the open down, and was raised, 

 probably, as a tribal boundary to indicate pasturage rights, rather than 

 for defensive purposes. 



It had been proposed to visit the Grotto at St. Giles', for which permission 

 had been given by Lord Shaftesbury. However, as the day was drawing 

 to a close the majority of the party preferred a shady walk through the Chase 

 woods, under the guidance of Mr. Burton, to Edmondsham House, where 

 they were entertained at tea by the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Hector 

 Monro, who showed them over the beautiful grounds and enabled them to 

 spend a very pleasant half-hour. The house was probably built during 

 Queen Elizabeth's reign. It shows some characteristic features of the 



