CORFE CASTLE AND STUDLAND. Iv. 



remaining in Dorset are few. . . . They are these, 1st, the Hel stone, near 

 Longbredy Hut ; 2nd, the Broad-stone, in part of Winterborne Abbas ; 3rd, the 

 Harpstone in the Isle of Purbeck ; and a fourth is believed to have been standing 

 formerly at Rempstone." 



The HON. SECRETARY observed that they were bound to speak 

 with hesitation on the subject of megalithic remains. Popularly 

 they were all regarded as being the work of the Druids, but without 

 doubt some of these small stone circles were earlier than the 

 time of the Celts and belonged to pre-historic days. They ought 

 to be very glad that they had come there that day ; for there 

 were only five of these stone circles in Dorset ; and it was well 

 that the Club should have been there to give publicity to so 

 important a find, and to create more interest in the subject 

 generally. In answer to Mr. FORDE, Mr. PENTIN added that, if 

 only the circle was complete, it would be much larger than that 

 at Pokeswell. 



The Rev. C. W. H. DICKER said that he had examined a large 

 number of these circles in Cornwall, and the position and shape 

 of these stones at Rempstone was very similar indeed, except 

 that the Cornish circles were always for the most part smaller. 

 In regard to date, those circles in Cornwall, especially on the 

 Bodmin moors, appeared to have extended over a very long 

 period indeed. There were traces of some circles impinging 

 upon and actually cutting through and destroying others ; and he 

 thought that anybody who inspected the Bodmin moors on the 

 western or northern slope of Brown Willy, and noticed the 

 enormous number of circles intersected by avenues of stone, 

 would say that he was looking upon a gigantic cemetery. When 

 found complete the circles always had an entrance composed of 

 two rather larger stones set at right angles to the circumference ; 

 but, of course, one could not look for them in an incomplete 

 circle like that. Except for its large size this circle or the half 

 of it that remained was precisely of the same type as the 

 Cornish circles. 



The PRESIDENT mentioned that Sir Norman Lockyer, having 

 gone into the matter scientifically and with much thoroughness, 



