83 



Eucalyptus and other familiar Australian plants have been found 

 in fossil beds contemporaneous with those of the Bournemouth 

 Cliffs. This view has not been generally accepted. It is possible, 

 therefore, that a close comparison of fossil remains with the living 

 Australian plants accessible to us in this country may help to throw 

 light on these and other problems. 



The following Paper is an expansion of some " Notes " read on 

 the occasion of an excursion to Studland on May 27th, 191 6. 

 For additional matter I am much indebted to The Architec- 

 tural and Topographical Record, and especially for permission 

 to reproduce the ground plan and section herewith given. 

 Arangements for this, and for the photograph of the interior, 

 have kindly been made by Mr. George Brumell, A.R.I.B.A. 

 Some historical details are taken from Hutchin's History of 

 Dorset, and much valuable information, especially in connec- 

 tion with the restoration of the building in 1881, is given by 

 Mr. W. M. Hardy in Proceedings of the Dorset Field Club, 

 Vol. XII., p. 164 seq, and reproduced by him in his Old 

 Swanage, 1908. 



AUR first notice of Studland is in Domesday Book. When 



V Edward the Confessor w r as king, Studland was in the 

 possession of Almar. At the time of the Survey it was held by 

 Haimo in fee of the Earl of Moreton. A manor house must have 

 stood here as Matthew Paris records two visits by King John. 

 The advowson and manor passed through various hands, and in 

 1269 was conveyed to the Abbey of Tarent. Here it remained till 

 the Dissolution; in 1546 Henry VIII granted it to Sir George 

 de la Lynde ; his successors sold it in 1582 to Sir Christopher 

 Hatton, who ten years earlier had purchased the Castle of Corfe. 

 After the death of Sir C. Hatton it reverted to the Crown more 

 than once. James I granted it, 1617, to Nathaniel Rich, from 

 whom it passed to Sir Edward Coke, and then by purchase to 

 Sir John Bankes. 



Coming now to the building, it is hoped that what is here 

 said will be useful to those visiting the Church, but it will be 

 most interesting if carefully studied beforehand in connection 

 with the Plan and Section. The " Twist," indeed, can onlv be 

 seen in the Plan, the traces being now covered. With regard to 

 the most interesting and tempting suggestion that the present 

 Chancel was originally a. Lady Chapel, we must bear in mind 

 that this is a conjecture on which authorities are not agreed, and 

 it presents difficulties as well as advantages which are noted at 

 the end of this Paper. 



The Church of S. Nicholas, Studland. 



By The Rev. Henry Shaen Solly, M.A. 



