44 



Savernalce Forest. 



the Seymour family, both of which His Lordship was so kind as to 1 

 shew us, when we were all twenty years younger. Savernake Lodge 

 you will not see, for it was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1861. 

 Also you will see two Churches, Cadley and St. Katharine's, which 

 must not be passed over without one remark, In ancient times, 

 forests had a very demoralising effect. They generally contained a 

 very scattered population, rather inclined to make free both with 

 the s< vert and the venison" (of which we have been speaking) : being 

 concealed from the observation of society by these magnificent 

 patriarchs of the forest, " as old as the world." The Roman Catholic 

 Church, to their credit be it said, did not neglect the by-ways and I 

 out-of-the-way places, but in the middle of these ancient forests 

 generally provided some chapel — small it might be, but still a 

 chapel — and an endowed chaplain and services, in order that even 

 in the roughest and wildest districts, the Christian religion might I 

 have its representative place and officer. In Selwood Forest, though 

 it is very little known, a building of that kind still stands ; con- I 

 verted into a cottage. I do not remember to have met with any I 

 mention of any chapel of ancient date within the limits^of the II 

 present Savernake. The only notice of anything of the kind that 

 has come under my observation is an entry in the Journals of the 

 House of Commons, 14th February, 1656, when " sl Bill was brought j 

 in for the erecting of a Church, settling a ministry and establishing J| 

 a parish in the parks of Brimslade, and forest or chase of Savernake, I 

 and parts adjacent, belonging to and part of the said forest/'' It [ 

 "was read a first time, and, upon the question, ordered to be read a 

 second time, on that day seven-night.'''' But I cannot find anything 

 more about it. All reproach, however, arising from want of chapel 

 or church has now been for several years wiped away, by the erection 

 of the two beautiful buildings that now adorn Savernake ; by whom ! 

 and when built, it is superfluous for me to remind the inhabitants of 

 Marlborough. A nother modern ornament — I do not allude to any par- 

 ticular architectural decoration, but a real ornament — to Savernake, 

 such as any building must be that has been supplied by benevolent 

 hearts and hands to benevolent purposes, is the Cottage Hospital of 

 1871. 



