The Conversazione. 



101 



It is described in 1723, ' The pit of the late powder house which remained 

 within memory,' and may have served this purpose when the castle was re- 

 fortified during the Civil Wars. An apartment adjoining, 19ft. X 16ft., 

 facing south, had in its outer wall three small Norman windows very deeply 

 splayed and each protected on the outside by strong masonry projecting 

 outwards in a semicircle, so as to admit light downwards, the earth being 

 thrown up on the outside to a considerable height for the defence of the wall. 

 In the centre of the keep, walls of a very large apartment — at least 50ft. X 40ft. 

 were also uncovered, near the centre of which, and resting on a wall 3^ft. 

 thick, were bases of massive Norman piers, suggesting, perhaps, the site of a 

 large common hall and garrison room. In other smaller apartments adjoining, 

 were found mediaeval pottery, glazed and unglazed, boar's tusks, and antlers 

 of deer." 1 



From the Castle the party returned to the Council Chamber, 

 where the Mayor and Mayoress most kindly entertained them at 

 tea, after which ST. JOHN'S AND ST. MAEY'S CHUECHES 2 were 

 seen under the guidance of Mr C. E. Pontino, who minutely 

 described their architectural features. 



THE ANNUAL DINNEE was held at 7 o'clock, at the Assembly 

 Eoom at the Bear Hotel, some fifty-seven members sitting down 

 to it. Mr. Story Maskelyne again took the chair, and, in pro- 

 posing the toast of the Society, spoke of the good work that had 

 been done by it, since its formation fifty years ago. 



At the CONVEESAZIONE, held at 8.30, in the Town Hall, there 

 was an attendance of about seventy-five. The Rev. E. H. Goddard 

 gave an account of the BOROUGH MACES, STANDING CUP, and 

 the Brittox Club Punch Bowl, all of which, together with the 

 small silver staff, or mace, given by Mr. Butcher as a mace for the 

 mayoress in 1900, which seems, however, in old days to have been 

 carried before the Rector of Devizes, were kindly exhibited for the 

 occasion. Mr. Goddard also commented on the very curious 

 history connected with the remarkable acorn cup now in the pos- 

 session of Sir J. C. Robinson, of Newton Manor, Swanage, and 

 most kindly lent by him for exhibition. Mr. Goddard's notes on 



1 Mr. Kite's notes on the castle are reported in full in the Devizes Gazette, 

 July 30th, 1903. 



2 Mr. Ponting's notes on St. John's Church are given in full in the Devizes 

 Gazette, July 30th, and those on St. Mary's in the same paper August 20th, 

 1903. 



