40 



Septitff of 

 #ctt£t[al Summer (Bxtnxmom, 1909» 



To Maesbury Favoured by magnificent weather 37 members, 

 Camp Croscombe ^^^^i^^ and gentlemen, took part m this Excur- 

 and Shepton sion, which will doubtless be long remembered 

 f^^llQt, by all who took part in it as an exceedingly 



successful one, particularly as regards the insight 

 gained into the beauty and antiquities of the country which lies so 

 comparatively close to Bournemouth. On arriving at Shepton 

 Mallet by train, the party drove to Maesbury, or, as it is spelt 

 locally, Masbury. This ancient earthwork is on the summit of high 

 land, 958 feet above the level of the sea, and the views therefrom 

 are very fine. Almost underneath the hill (so it seemed) could be 

 seen the towers of Wells Cathedral and S. Cuthbert's Church. 

 Further off was Glastonbury Tor, with its quaintly situated church, 

 looking together like a small green mountain. In the further 

 distance was the estuary of the Parrett, and the silver of the Severn 

 Sea, with a promontory of North Devon, running dark into it. 



Mr. Brownen, f.c.s., the chairman of the Archaeological and 

 Historical Sections, gave an excellent account of the Camp to the 

 assembled party, of which the following is a very brief resume. 



The Camp has doubtless beeia occupied from prehistoric times, 

 and was captured by the Romans in their invasion of Britain by 

 Claudius Caesar, a.d. 43-9. Close to the Camp coins of Vespasian 

 have been found, as well as a pig of lead stamped with the name of 

 Claudius Caesar. Flint weapons and a neolithic stone axe have 

 been reported as found in the vicinity. There are other once 

 fortified hill-tops within easy range, such as Brent Knoll, Dolebury, 

 and W orle. In fact, the Fossway, from Grimsby on the Humber 

 to Seaton in Devon, passed near Maesbury, and was crossed quite 

 near by a Roman road running from Ad Axium to Old Sarum. A 

 funeral tablet has been found in the neighbourhood to Julius 

 Vitalis, a pensioner of the 20th Legion. 



Two members of the Shepton Mallet Natural History Society 

 then conducted the party through Ham Woods to Croscombe, in 

 which church the magnificent wood carving was inspected. Pro- 

 ceeding thence to Shepton Mallet our party was hospitably enter- 

 tained to tea, in the Rectory grounds, by the Rev. F. Jones and the 

 local Society. It is hoped we may shortly be able to return the 

 kindness shown, when Bournemouth is visited by the Shepton 

 Mallet Society. Two of its members, viz., Mr. Higgins, the 

 president, and Mr. Barnes, the curator, kindly acted as our 

 guides. 



A Tour through This excursion, in which 62 members took part, 

 the New Forest. made with the idea of visiting certain points 



of interest in, and so obtaining a good general 

 insigh: into the beauties of, the New Forest. It took place on i6th 



