The Eleventh General Meeting. 



27 



of his fathers. He was of opinion that the west window was of 

 the same date as the rest of the building. The vault of the chancel 

 was late Decorated or early Perpendicular. He thought that some 

 wealthy family built the church by degrees. 



Before the party left the Rectory, Earl Nelson proposed a vote 

 of thanks to the Rev. Precentor Lear, for providing such an 

 agreeable repast for the members. 



This proposition was unanimously agreed to, and was acknow- 

 ledged by the Rev. gentleman. 



The party then left Bishopston and drove to Broad Chalk, where 

 they were received by the Rev. Dr. Rowland Williams, who in- 

 vited the archaeologists into his schoolroom, and gave a very 

 interesting lecture on the most striking objects they would meet 

 with in the valley of the Chalk. He observed that he considered 

 it to be a great honour to be permitted to address so learned a 

 body. The oldest thing which they would meet with in this parish was 

 that wonderful production of nature, the chalk ; while in Bower 

 Chalk they would meet with something older still, viz., the green 

 sand. He touched upon the natural productions of the chalk 

 valley, and then noticed the little river which flowed through it, 

 the Ebele, tracing it3 progress through the vale. It rises in Ber- 

 wick, takes its course by Norrington through Ebblesbourne, or Eb- 

 besbourne, and proceeds through the vale of Stratford Tony, Coombe 

 Bissett, Homington, and Odstock, until it falls into the Avon 

 near Harnham. There is a spring rising at Knoyle Farm, in the 

 parish of Broad Chalk, which shortly afterwards assumes the 

 character of a rivulet, and then falls into the Chalk, or Ebele, water. 

 But for this tributary stream the Chalk water would, in a dry sea- 

 son cease to flow. The structure of the valley was in favour of 

 those geologists who hold what are called the water theories, as it 

 appears to have been gradually hollowed out by the action of water. 

 The Roman road from Old Sarum, or Sorbiodunum, passed through 

 the vale of the Chalk to Dorchester. He thought it highly proba- 

 ble that part of this road was originally an old British trackway. 

 And while on this subject he pointed out the singular fact that 

 most of the great trunk railways of this kingdom took the direction 



