306 



A Stroll through Bradford-on-Avon. 



In " Buckler's Anglo-Norman Antiquities " are views of the 

 interior of Edingdon Church, two monuments : also at page 122 

 the monument and effigy of Bishop William Edingdon at Winches- 

 ter. In the " Building News" of July 12th, 1872, are double-page 

 drawings of the exterior by the late Mr. F. C. Deshon. 



J. E. J. 



[The Committee desire gratefully to acknowledge their sense of Canon Jackson's 

 liberality in presenting the photographs which illustrate his paper on Edingdon.] 



By Canon W. H. Jones, M.A., F.S.A., Vicar. 



HEBE are two things which must strike every stranger, that 

 ' has "eyes to see, or ears to hear," on his first visit to this 

 singularly interesting town, especially when he listens to the tales 

 of old folks about it — the first is its evident antiquity, — the second, 

 the ecclesiastical imprint that is to be discerned everywhere. 



I. — As to its antiquity there can be no doubt. It is certainly 

 among the oldest of Wiltshire towns. The only others mentioned 

 in really ancient times are, as far as I know, Amesbury, Corsham, 

 Calne, Chippenham, Cricklade, Malmesbury, Ramsbury, Old Sarum, 

 and Wilton. As early as A.D. 652, we read of an important battle 

 having been fought at "Bradford-by-the-Avon" by Cenwalch, King 

 of the W r est Saxons, which, followed up as it was by another con- 

 test six years later " against the Welsh at the Pens in which he 

 put them to flight as far as the Parret," led to important results as 



1 This paper consists of short notices of objects of interest in the town o£ 

 Bradford-onAvon which were given by the Vicar to the Members of the Wilts 

 Archaeological Society, as they " strolled " with him round it, on the occasion of 

 their visit, in August, 1881. 



