178 STUDLAND CHURCH. 



Four feet .from the N. chancel window another rough Swanage 

 stone " cist " was discovered, but not disturbed. And between the 

 tower buttress and the S. porch a " cist " of hewn stone, correspond- 

 ing to the Norman work of the church, was found and had to be 

 removed. 



In the old foundations were bedded massive stone steps, rudely 

 axed, with morticed holes, about four inches square, to admit the 

 door-janibs evidently non-ecclesiastical evidently remains from 

 some very ancient villa, Saxon holding, or strong keep, worked 

 .out of local sandstone of the consistence of the hoary and lonely 

 Agglestone Rock on the heath. Also a huge keystone of an arch, 

 suitable for a radius of five feet, was turned up ; likewise a hand- 

 mill formed by two round stones about eighteen inches in diameter, 

 one of them having a hole at its centre. 



IN CONCLUSION 



I think that the facts herein contained speak for themselves, 

 and deserve from antiquarians their best consideration. At every 

 point there are problems for which there seems to be but one 

 legitimate and logical solution viz., that a Saxon, rough, rubble- 

 work building, was improved by Norman insertions. If so, then 

 the church at Studland is one of the most ancient remains in our 

 country, and deserves to have its fame spread and its uniqueness 

 recognised. With facts before us of original foundations (see plan)j 

 old red sandstone steps, and stones to match, and window jambs, 

 and mouldings, &c., very roughly axed, we are bound to say that on 

 this site building operations were carried out at a very early date. 

 It might have been a Roman stronghold or look-out hiding-pace for 

 the use of the good people of Wareham, Corfe Castle, and 

 Wimborne. We also find that in the middle of the seventh century 

 S. Aldhelm built a church near his own estate "not far from 

 Wareham, in Dorset, where Corfe Castle stands out in the sea," the 

 remains of which are still visible, as has been pointed out by Mr. 

 T. Bond in his valuable Treatise on Corfe Castle, in the south wall 

 of the western, or second ward. From architectural peculiarities 



