2 



The Fort {/-Fourth General Meeting. 



deceased. Mr. Toone, of Devizes, was appointed Honorary Auditor 

 in the place of Mr. Wilshin, resigned ; and Mr. N. Story Maskelyne 

 was re-appointed as the Society's representative on the Wootton 

 Bassett Town Trust. This concluded the business of the Meeting, 

 and the Members proceeded to visit the many objects of interest in 

 the town under the guidance of Mr. C. S. An ye. 



The Saxon Church of St. Aldhelm of the 8th century (see 

 vol. xiii., p. 274) was first visited, and Mr. Adye described the 

 measures that were taken for the rescue of the building from the 

 degraded condition in which Canon Jones first discovered it. 



The Parish Church, just across the road, next claimed the 

 attention of the Members. Internally, however, it is one of the 

 many victims of over-restoration, during which process many of 

 its original features were practically destroyed. The interesting 

 Dole Stone in the churchyard claimed some attention as being 

 remarkably similar to the example lately brought to light at 

 Pott erne. From this point the party strolled along the narrow 

 and singularly picturesque streets of the town — no town in the 

 county can vie with Bradford in the picturesqueness and quaintness 

 of its streets as they cling to the steep hillside, reminding one in 

 some ways more of France or Italy than England — across the 

 ancient Bridge with narrow pointed arches to the magnificent 

 Barton Barn, with its two great projecting arched gateways 

 and grand timbered roof. Probably few finer examples of the 

 tithe barn are to be seen in England. Some discussion took place 

 as to the date of the building, Mr. Adye inclining to the 15th 

 century, whilst Mr. Talbot stood out for the latter part of the 

 14th. The Farm House adjoining contains considerable remains 

 of antiquity too — notably a remarkable room over the roadway — 

 which seems to be of about the same date as the barn itself, i.e., 

 either late 14th or early 15th century. 



The next move was by way of the Town Bridge, with its 

 picturesque projecting lock-up, built on the corbelled out walls of 

 the ancient Chapel, through the town, passing on the way the 

 two half-timbered houses in The Shambles, with their beauti- 

 fully-carved barge boards, to The Hall, formerly known as 



