178 



The Forty -eighth General Meeting. 



seen well — the Bishop and Mrs. Kennion most kindly and genially 

 showing- the party over the house and providing tea in the delightful 

 13th century vaulted hall. The last possible train, however, left 

 at an early hour, and the party had barely time to pay a hurried 

 visit to the fine CHURCH OF ST. CUTHBERT, where the Vicar, the 

 Rev. J. Bekesford, was kindly waiting to receive them, on their 

 way to the station after a quite successful day. 



No Conversazione was held in the evening, but those Members 

 who were staying in Trowbridge spent the evening at Mrs. 

 Mackay's amongst the many valuable Wiltshire books and other 

 objects of interest collected by the late Mr. Alexander Mackay. 



WEDNESDAY, JULY 10m 



The first place on the programme of this day's Excursion was 

 WHADDON CHURCH— a little building well known by sight to 

 travellers on the Trowbridge line from the fine site which it 

 occupies amongst the magnificent elms on the other side of the 

 river — but most difficult to get at, the only approach being a long 

 lane from Hilperton. The fine old manor-house, destroyed in 1835, 

 of which a drawing is preserved at Rood Ashton, stood on the site 

 now occupied by the farm-house. The Church itself was described 

 from notes of Mr. Ponting's, read by Mi;. Mkdlicott, the time 

 being somewhat limited owing to a late start from Trowbridge. 



Making their way through the fields by a line of gates the 

 carriages brought the party to semington, where the points of 

 interest in the little Church were expounded by notes written by 

 Mi;. PONTING, and read by the Rev. E. L\ Kmt.lky. Vicar of 

 Steeple Ashton and Semington, who added some notes of his own. 

 The most curious thing, perhaps, is the inscription cu1 on a stone 

 in the jamb of the porch in Norman French — difficult now to 

 decipher. From here the party proceeded to LITTLKTON FARM, 

 al the I Kick of which is a picturesque bit of half-timber work, 

 wiih a lung wooden-mullioned window, a 17th century room on 

 i In- -loiind-tloor with good plaster c oiling ornamented with roses 

 and fleur-dedys, whilst at a little distance from the house is a 

 shod with a doorway and mantelpiece built into its walls. After 



