XXV11. 



proximity of Forde Abbey at once lends an importance to the place, whilst 

 the Valley of the Axe is of interest to the lover of English country scenery 

 and the naturalist. A full account of the neighbourhood will be found in 

 " Pulman's Book of the Axe," and various descriptions have been published 

 from time to time of Forde Abbey, one of which appeared in the Globe 

 newspaper for January 25th, 1884. The quarries in the vicinity of the 

 town present a series of sections by which the junction of the chalk and 

 the greensand may be examined. Another feature of the district is that of 

 the large and tabular-shaped flints, which is the form which the silicious 

 material of the greensand has assumed, and which is extensively taken 

 advantage of for building purposes in the neighbourhood. The programme 

 drawn out for the meeting was to visit the Roman Villa at Whitestaunton 

 on Tuesday, taking various points of interest en route, to hold a meeting 

 and conversazione in the Town Hall in the evening, and on Wednesday to 

 make Forde Abbey the chief feature of the day, visiting two interesting 

 manor houses and a church on the way. Following this plan, the first 

 day's drive would be confined to Somerset and the second to Dorsetshire. 



The President opened the meeting at the George Hotel shortly after 

 eleven o'clock. He referred to the death of Mr. Floyer, for many years 

 Member of Parliament for the County of Dorset ; he congratulated the 

 Hon. Treasurer of the Society on his election as a Fellow of the Royal 

 Society, and then briefly described the programme of the meeting. The 

 Secretary laid the new volume of the " Proceedings" (Vol. viii.) on the 

 table, and mentioned that it was smaller than in some previous years, 

 since they had endeavoured by reducing their expenses to provide 

 sufficient funds to publish " The Birds of Dorset " (the work of the 

 President) during the current year. 



A start was made in carriages soon after 11.45 for Coombe St. Nicholas 

 Church, which was described by the Rector, the Rev. A. Cornford. The 

 building shews traces of three different architectural styles, Norman, 

 13th Century, and Perpendicular. The rood screen, which was very 

 beautiful, had been divided and placed behind the choir stalls. A very 

 perfect piscina of the 13th century period is built in the chancel, and a 

 credence table, which evidently is not a modern addition, is on the 

 opposite side. 



The village of Whitestaunton was reached at one o'clock, and a visit was 

 first paid to the church, which was described by the Rector, the Rev. H. 

 A. Cartwright. The structure was a good specimen of Perpendicular 

 architecture ; the Norman font was the only relic of the pre-existing 

 fabric. The rood screen was in fair preservation, and bore traces of its 

 original colour. There were small chapels on each side of the chancel the 



