liv. CORFE CASTLE AND STUDLAND. 



remains of an ancient stone circle in a wood by the side of the 

 road. 



The President explained that the credit of the discovery was 

 due to an old friend of his, the Rev. C. V. Goddard, fonnerly 

 Vicar of Shrewton, Wilts, and now Rector of Baverstock, 

 Salisbury, who in 1900 wrote him the following letter : — 



I have a communication of some little interest to make to you. Being at 

 Corfe Castle lately, my wife took me into a wood just beyond Rempstone, on 

 the road to Studland, and we at once found ourselves in what I have no doubt 

 is the remaining segment of a stone circle or rude stone monument, of which, as 

 I understand, Dorset has not hitherto deemed itself the possessor. I have shown 

 my notes to the Rev. O. Pickard- Cambridge and Mr. Eustace Bankes, who has 

 visited the place and confirms my description, Mr. Moule kindly hunted in the 

 Dorset County Museum Ubrary for me, and found that " Eempstone" is sup- 

 posed to refer to a megaKthic monument formerly there (Hutchins and "Wame) ; 

 but no author has seen or heard of any existing remains. I incline td believe that 

 what I have found is (or was connected with) the *' Eempstone." I believe the 

 local pronunciation is "Eampson," Could that be " Eoundstone 'r " I enclose 

 some notes and communications. 



These " notes and communications " ]\Ir. Richardson read out as 

 follows : — 



In a copse on the south side of the road to Studland, where it enters a wood 

 about a quarter of a mile east of Eempstone, a wicket gives enti-ance ; and 

 immediately on entering are seen several blocks of stone standing about 10 paces 

 from the road. The blocks are of several sizes, the four tallest about 3ft. 6in. out 

 of the ground and 2ft. thick, of the bulk of a wheelbarrow, the others smaller. 

 They are all chocolate -coloured iron gritstone, and flattish in section. Nine are 

 set round in just about (the northern) half of a circle or a little more, and measure 

 24 paces from the south-east one to the tall north-west one. A ditch runs 

 across about the middle, and two of the stones are on the southern bank, a small 

 one (or a portion only visible) nearly buried in the bank, opposite to the last 

 standing stone on the west, that on the east being a good hump about 2ft. 6in. 

 high. Between these extremities the ground has apparently been excavated 

 (possibly for pipe clay), and there are hollows, pools of water, and ditches ; but 

 no stones of the south half of the circle. Eight or nine stones lie irregularly 

 about 30 paces from the cii-cle eastward, which may have oecupied the south half 

 of the cu'cle, w hich would require eight or nine stones to complete it. AU the 

 stones are moss-grown, and look ancient. They are not marked on the Ordnance 

 Survey or tithe map. Wame's map gives an indication of some antiquity in this 

 locality, and in "Ancient Dorset" he says : — "Stones of the monolith class still 



