94 



The Forty- Third General Meeting. 



which he had come to the rescue with a carriage after the breakdown 

 in the morning, and for his permission to visit the grounds and 

 mansion of Stourhead. 



The CHURCH having been first inspected, Sir Henry and 

 Lady Hoare then accompanied the party by the walks winding 

 round the lake to the " PANTHEON," and so up the hill to the 

 house. This walk was certainly one of the greatest treats of the 

 year's excursions. The ever-changing views of the lake and its 

 islands, and the steep and varied slopes on either side, covered to 

 the water's edge with magnificent trees, make a picture whose 

 loveliness — in its own way— is certainly not to be matched in 

 Wiltshire, and probably in but few places in England, whilst the 

 constant succession of fine specimens of rare conifers planted beside 

 the walks are in themselves a feast to those happy persons who have 

 the love of trees in their hearts. By the time the party had arrived 

 at the HOUSE there remained but a few minutes in which to look 

 at the pictures, the portrait of Sir B,. Colt Hoare, and the Memling 

 triptych, and to do hasty justice to the " light refreshments " kindly 

 provided by Sir Henry Hoare, before the Secretary's horn once 

 more called the party to the carriages, which were waiting for them 

 at this point. Passing through KILMINGTON there was just time 

 to jump out and look at the interesting tower of the Church (the 

 only point of interest about the building), in which the Hartgills 

 took refuge from Lord Stourton, before proceeding on down the 

 break-neck hill by the private road through the woods to WITHAM. 

 Here the very remarkable vaulted and apsidal Norman Church of 

 the Carthusians, with its old work successfully scraped and scarified 

 out of all semblance of antiquity, was inspected, and the party 

 returned to the station to await the 5.36 train, by which they were 

 to be dispersed to their respective homes. So ended the Meeting 

 of 1896, with its varied and delightful programme — the pictures of 

 LONGFORD, the gardens of MOTTISFONT, ROMSEY ABBEY, and 

 the grounds of STOURHEAD, all seen to the best advantage under 

 the admirable guidance and arrangements of Mr. Doran Webb, 

 to whom the Society owes a debt of enduring gratitude for the 

 labour and trouble he expended so ungrudgingly on the organization 



