lOO 
PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 
1916 
side, indicated by the long stretch of low-lying land below Westbury, 
in line with the present river as it flows past Newnham. Thus the area of 
Arlingham was an island, as theNooze, just below, now surrounds a shoal, 
or island of sand. A photograph was shown of the great Moccassin Bend 
in the Tennessee river near Chattanooga. A similar arrangement of river 
and tributary streams gave to the view from Look-out Mountain a striking 
resemblance to that from the churchyard at Newnham. He then dis- 
cussed the round form of Barrow Hill on the old island of Arlingham, 
seen on the opposite side of the river, contending that rain and rivers were 
not adequate to explain such features, of which examples were frequent 
all along the valley of the Severn from the Wrekin, itself an instance, 
downwards. Nothing short of marine, or, at least, estuarine condition 
would account for them. Sir Roderick Murchison believed in an “Ancient 
Straits of Malvern,” and, as seemed to him (Mr Ellis), if a continuous valley 
is to be regarded as the result of denudation by water, the water itself must 
have been continuous. 
Returning from the Cliff, Westbury Court was visited under the escort 
of Mr C. H. Backhouse, and the “Dutch” gardens, water “canals,” and 
fine trees were much admired, the beautiful afternoon showing everything 
to its best advantage. The President observed that perhaps no more perfect 
example of Dutch landscape outside Hampton Court Palace could be seen. 
The present house is the third built upon the same site. Originally in the 
possession of the Baynham family, the estate passed, in 1642, to Richard 
Colchester, whose descendants have since held it, and it was his grandson, 
Maynard Colchester, who is credited with the making of the famous gardens. 
The afternoon had been so fully occupied there was not sufficient time 
left to give adequate attention to the Church, and the remarkable construction 
of the wood-work in its detached tower, though the alert eye of the President 
discovered some tiles with important armorial bearings (Beauchamp) on 
the upper eastern face of the latter. 
Leaving the Church, Members walked across to the Bell House, where 
Mr and Miss Colchester Wemyss entertained them to tea. In thanking their 
host and hostess, the President reminded those present that Mr Colchester 
Wemyss had been their President in past years, and also referred to the 
untiring services which he gave to the County as Chairman of the County 
Council , and in other ways. His kindness that afternoon had added distinctly 
to their pleasure and comfort. Mr Colchester Wemyss spoke of his many years’ 
association with the Club and expressed the hope that one day he might have 
the leisure to return again to the studies which it promoted. 
Westbury was left just before 5.30 for the return drive to Gloucester. 
REFERENCES 
Flaxley Abbey . the existing remains. By J. H. Middleton. Trans. 
Bristol (S' Gloucs. Arch. Society (18S2), vi., 280-283, with plan. 
The Cartulary of Flaxley Abbey. Edited by A. W. Crawley-Boevey. 1887. 
Notes on the History of Flaxley Abbey. By Sir Francis H. Crawley- 
Boevey. 1914. 
Much has been written on the Rhaetic Beds at Westbury. Communica- 
tions to the Proceedings have been made by J. Jones and W. C. Lucy, ii., 
188-191, where a detailed section is given ; R. Etheridge, iii., 218-34, with 
section ; T. Wright, v., 1 51-154, with section ; L. Richardson, xiv., 154-165, 
XV,, 267-271. 
The Peat and Forest-bed has been dealt with by various writers in 
vol. xiv., 15-46. 
Earlier meetings of the Club arc reported i., 10, ii., 188-192, x., 11-15, 
xiv., 181. 
Westbury Court and the Gardens have been described, with illustrations, 
in Country Life, September 12, 1903, and December 19, 1908. 
