XX11. 



architecture and masonry of Cerne Bam, and a paper was subsequently 

 prepared by Mr. II. J. Monle describing the structure in detail, to which 

 he added a water colour sketch, drawn by himself on the spot. This 

 was read at the Winter Meeting in Deceml>er at Dorchester, and will 

 be found in the present volume at p. 187. 



About 1.30 the party left Cerne in carriages for Upcerne, passing 

 Trendle Hill, which bears the figure of a giant 180 feet in height, cut in 

 the chalk. The inspection of this was deferred until the proprietor, 

 General Pitt-Rivers, should have undertaken the necessary work of 

 cleaning it. The weather had now quite -cleared up, and a bright and 

 pleasant afternoon seemed in prospect. Upceme House, the residence of 

 Colonel Mount Batten, was reached at 1.45, where the party were most 

 hospitably entertained at luncheon by their host and hostess. Colonel 

 Batten stated that the vaults and underground chambers, which tradition 

 asserted to have been constructed beneath the house, did not exist, nor 

 did the underground passage, which was said to connect Upcerne and 

 Cerne Abbey, since the house was not constructed until after the 

 dissolution of the monastery. Sir Robert Mellor, who built Upcerne, 

 appeared to have been fond of bricks and mortar, for he built three 

 houses in Dorset namely, Bridehead, Winterbome Came, and Upcerne. 

 The houses at Bridehead and Came had been restored beyond recognition, 

 but Upcerne, with exception of a small addition, remained as it was left 

 by Sir Robert Mellor. Inside there was little of structural interest, 

 except an oak chimney piece. 



From Upcerne the route was resumed in the direction of Minterne. 

 The district in this neighbourhood gives some good sections of the Lower 

 Chalk and Chloritic marl, which is very fossiliferous, and has afforded an 

 excellent series of species for various public collections. Owing to the 

 rich soil, resulting from the decomposition of these beds, ferns grow in 

 great profusion in the hedges and steep banks by the roadside ; in fact, 

 the district bears rather the aspects of Devonshire scenery than of the 

 Dorsetshire type. Minterne House was reached about 3.15, for which 

 Lord Digby had most kindly granted permission to visit. Within the 

 house the varioxis family portraits and the tapestry room, the tapestry of 

 which was designed from some of the paintings of Teniers, formed the 

 chief subjects of interest. In the grounds the party were conducted by 

 the head gardener to see a fernery which had lately been laid out on an 

 extensive scale along the shady banks of the stream, which forma the 

 upper waters of the Char. During the visit the members assembled 

 under the trees in front of the house, where the Rev. H. E. Ravenhill 

 read a paper on the history of Minterne and its various owners, which 

 will lie found at p. 89 of the present volume. 



