2 86 THE EXETER ROAD 



ill England. There are many of these ' smallest 

 churches,' and the question as to which really deserves 

 the title is not likely to be determined until an ex- 

 pedition is fitted out to visit all these rival claimants, 

 and to accurately measure them. Of course the re- 

 maining portions of a church are not eligible for 

 inclusion in this category. Chilcombe, however, 

 is a complete example. The hamlet was never, in 

 all probability, more populous than it is now, and 

 the church certainly was never larger. Originally 

 Norman, it underwent some alterations in the late 

 Perpendicular period. The measurements are : nave 

 22 feet in length, chancel 13 feet. It is a picturesque 

 though unassuming; little buildino-, without a tower, 

 but provided instead with a quaint old stone bell-cote 

 on the w^est oable. This gives the old church the 

 appearance of some ancient ecclesiastical pigeon-house. 

 The bell within is dated 1656. The very fine and 

 unusual altar-piece of dark walnut wood, with scenes 

 from the life of Christ, is credibly reported to have 

 been brought here from one of the ships of the 

 ' Invincible Armada,' know^n to have been wrecked 

 on the beach at Burton Bradstock, some three miles 

 away. 



Eeturning to the highway at ' Cuckold's Corner,' 

 we come to ' Traveller's Rest,' now a wayside inn on 

 the left hand, situated on the tremendous descent 

 which commences a mile beyond Long Bredy turn- 

 pike, and goes practically down into Bridport's long 

 street ; a distance of five miles, with a fall from 702 

 feet above the sea, to 253 feet at ' Traveller's Rest,' 

 two miles farther on, and eventually to sea-level at 



