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for a window, and the other blank. The Cathedral crypt is fine early Norman; the interior of the chapter-house is later; and the style is further shewn on a large scale in the tower-arches and transept of Pershore Abbey. Very rich examples of Norman fonts occur at Holt and Chaddesley Corbett. But perhaps the most numerous and varied examples of this period occur in the form of doorways, which often remain when all the rest of the building has been subsequently renewed. Beautiful and elaborate Norman doorways exist at the Cathedral, Holt, Bredon (where there are four), Eckington, Earl's Croome, and at the desecrated chapel at Netherton. In all these cases the opening extends to the top of the arch; but very frequently the arch is filled with a tympanum, either plain, as at Rock, Shelsley Walsh, &c., or enriched. with symbolical sculpture, as at Pedmore, where Our Lord is represented in the act of benediction, surrounded by the evangelistic symbols. At Castle Morton is a rude representation of the Agnus Dei; and at Little Comberton a cross, surrounded by eight circular objects, with lines radiating from the centre of each, the meaning of which it is difficult to determine. There is also a curious sculptured tympanum at Ribbesford Church.

The western entrance to the cloisters at Worcester, the western tower-arch at Bredon, and the arcade at Leigh, are fine examples of transitional Norman. The arcades at Salwarpe, St. Alban's, Worcester, and south side of Chaddesley, are of this period, but the old towerarches at Dodderhill, and the western bays of the Cathedral nave, are the finest specimens of transitional work.

The choir, Lady-chapel, and eastern transepts of the Cathedral may be cited as one of the most beautiful Early English structures in the kingdom, and the choir of Pershore Abbey, though plainer, is very grand. Ripple has already been referred to as being almost entirely Early English, but the round-headed doorways and the capitals of the tower-arches exhibit a lingering feeling for the previous style. The chancels of Northfield and Kempsey are good and complete examples; the former having side triplets with detached internal shafts, and a lofty triplet at the east end, while Kempsey has couplets at the sides, and five lancets under a containing arch at the east end. Overbury chancel is vaulted with stone, and has very elegant side lancets, with banded shafts and rich mouldings, externally and internally. Good Early English work also occurs at Tredington, Bromsgrove, Bredon, Stoke Prior-especially the tower and south arcade—Powick, and in very many of the smaller churches and chapels. On each side of the chancel at Leigh are single lancets, of immense length, pierced through the Norman wall; and at the east end of the nave aisles are two lancets divided by a buttress on the exterior, but combined under one internal arch. At the west end of Cotheridge Church are three lancets, one GENT. MAG. VOL. CCXIII.

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being in the gable over a central buttress; and there is a fine triplet at the west end of Overbury Church.

King's Norton is the largest and most complete Decorated church we possess, having good arcades, and a very large example of the ballflower round the chancel-arch; which reminds me that this characteristic fourteenth-century ornament is of rare occurrence in this county, being found on one or two tombs only in the Cathedral, at Bredon, and a few other churches; whereas it abounds in the neighbouring counties of Hereford and Gloucester, especially at the cathedrals, and the churches of Leominster, Ledbury, and Brockworth.

The chancels at St. Mary's, Kidderminster, Chaddesley Corbett, Bellbroughton, and Bredon, and the nave and aisle at Hanley Castle, are all good fourteenth-century work; Chaddesley Corbett being particularly rich, and having elegant traceried windows, transitional from geometrical to flowing Decorated. The nave of the Cathedral is chiefly of this period, but late and not very good. The south chapel at Broadwas is also rather late, but very good, and having two single-light windows at the east end, surmounted by a circular one. Good Decorated windows at Stoke Prior, St. Andrew's, Droitwich, Hanley Castle, Upton Snodsbury, and Eckington; in fact, there are but few churches that do not shew some indications of this style. Towers of the Cathedral and Pershore Abbey fine fourteenth-century, the latter with a beautiful lantern, but poor details in the upper stage.

The churches of Fladbury, Sedgeberrow, and the nave of Harvington are transitional from the Decorated to Perpendicular.

Of Perpendicular, the choir and the whole of the exterior of Malvern Priory Church, the nave and tower of St. Mary's, Kidderminster, and St. Lawrence's, Evesham, are the most conspicuous examples. The tower at Kidderminster appears to be rather earlier than the nave, which has arcades of four-centred arches and a clerestory, consisting of squareheaded windows placed close together. Several smaller churches are wholly or chiefly fifteenth-century work, such as Claines, Oddingley, Elmley Castle, Hampton Lovett, Kempsey, Hampton, St. John's, Worcester, &c. But this style occurs most frequently in the shape of such additions to older structures as towers, aisles or chapels, porches, windows, and fonts. The towers and spires of Bromsgrove and King's Norton are fine lofty structures, and were evidently designed by the same hand, King's Norton having been a chapel to Bromsgrove. The bell-tower, Evesham, is a very fine late example. Good types of the plainer and more usual kind of fifteenth-century village tower may be seen at Powick, Leigh, Kempsey, Clent, Birt's Morton, Upton Snodsbury, and very many other places.

The church at Welland, and the tower, chancel, and aisle at Hanley Castle, are interesting examples of debased Gothic, erected as late as

1672 and 1676; and though very faulty as regards detail, they have much the same general effect as our older country churches: as Mr. Petit observes, speaking of Hanley," The character of the church, as dependent on these portions (the debased work), can fairly be called Gothic, and capable of producing those impressions which we receive on the view of old Gothic buildings."

Eighteenth-century Gothic is represented by the churches of Stanford and Croome, the tower and spire of Chaddesley, and the tower of Hanbury. The chancel of Hagley Church, recently taken down, was built by the first Lord Lyttelton in 1754, in imitation of the Pointed style.

With respect to the dedications of Worcestershire churches, the local saints thus honoured are St. Edburgh, St. Egwyn, St. Kenelm, St. Oswald, and St. Wulstan. The remaining dedications do not appear to differ much from those of other districts.

DIGGINGS INTO ANCIENT BRITAIN.-Consecutive explorations of an unusual character have been made during the summers of the last and present years in the Cheviot district. On these lofty hills, which are scaled for so many months of the year with snow, a veritable tract of ancient Britain has been laid bare: a walled town, several fortlets, scattered hut-circles and tumuli have been disencumbered of the earth that has been accumulating over them for nearly two thousand years; and many interesting facts have been thus disclosed respecting the Celtic tribes whom Cæsar found in possession of the land. It would appear that the Cheviot hills were well populated in those remote times. Huge circles of masonry overgrown with herbage are seen on most of them, sometimes on the slopes, sometimes on the summits, and within many of these there are smaller circles of turf-covered stones marking sites of huts. In all these ramparts and dwellings blocks of the porphyry of the district have been used as the sole building material. On the southern slope of a hill, locally distinguished as Greenlaw, great masses of ruin promised a rich reward to the spade of the excavator. Here three walled enclosures, connected with one another by a roadway, have been brought to light. Within these enclosures traces of as many as seventy stone huts can be counted. into these face the east, and the floors of those that have been dug into are found to have been rudely flagged with flat stones. The largest of the enclosures has been strengthened with two ramparts; against the inner of these walls is a hut which has a flue-the earliest evidence of the use of chimneys we possess. In several of the huts charred wood was found in the floors, as well as broken pottery; in one a glass bead, in another a stone seat, in others a fragment of a glass armlet, part of the horn of the red deer, and three bottom stones of handmills. The Celtic remains on Broughlow, Chesters, and Ingran-hill have also been examined. The most recent diggings have been made on Yeavering Bell, of which we have already printed a detailed

account".

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NOTES ON THE REMAINS OF EARLY BRITISH

TIN-WORKS".

THE present notes by no means adequately represent the subjects which I desired to lay before the meeting; they are but a slight outshadowing of them, and I place them in your hands (Dr. Barham's) simply to call attention to a few points which appear to me to require closer investigation than they have yet received. I shall leave with you the question of the intercourse of the Phoenicians, merely expressing my opinion that a great mistake has been made in supposing the Scilly Islands to have been the Cassiterides. There does not exist in the islands any indication of ancient tin workings. I cannot learn that any tin has ever been found in any of the Scilly Islands, but I know that small veins of schorl have been mistaken for tin. The appearance, however, of Cornwall from the sea is such that it might easily have been taken for a group of islands, and when we have the evidence of the Hereford map to shew how imperfect geographical information was at a much later date, when even the Principality of Wales was supposed to be a separate island, we can without much difficulty admit that the term was applied generally to Cornwall. The evidences of very ancient tin workings are still to be found in many parts of this county and of Devonshire. In St. Just, near Cape Cornwall, are some rude workings upon the run of the lodes, and there are still remaining evidences in other parts of that parish, and in the adjoining parishes, which are probably early British. Some of the most remarkable workings in the county are, however, to be found in Gwennap, and in Baldhu. Again, in St. Agnes and in Perranzabuloe there are excavations shewing that remarkable want of engineering knowledge which distinguishes all early workings. Around St. Austell we find similar evidences, and again in the neighbourhood of Calstock. Especially at Drakewall like excavations-open to day-exist. On Dartmoor these are numerous, and the extensive workings at and near Birch Tor are probably the most extraordinary existing.

Many of the old mine workings belong, without doubt, to the Roman period; and there is evidence that the educated skill of the Romans was brought to bear upon the Cornish tin mines. Many years since, when examining the workings of the lode in Baldhu, I heard of a wellexecuted adit having been discovered which had been driven up to the lode; and Mr. Enys informs me that he has learnt, on good authority,

* A paper by Robert Hunt, Esq., F.R.S., Keeper of Mining Records, read by Dr. Barham at the Cambrian Archæological Meeting, at Truro, Aug. 29, 1862.

that "there was a large arched stone level in the elvan that runs through the district, very different from any other of the old men's workings,' but that it was almost impossible to get near it at present without extreme danger." This description agrees with that of the Roman works in Spain.

Again, numerous "old men's workings" must belong to, the reign of King John, when mining for tin was carried on most actively. I have but little doubt that nearly all the perforations in the cliffs of the tin district-such as are seen in a most remarkable manner in the granite at Clegga Head and scattered along the cliffs in St. Agnes and Perranzabuloe-belong to this period. That very extensive mining operations were carried on at that time on Dartmoor is certain; and evidences of the existence of a large population still remain. The singularly isolated churches on the moor are all supposed to be of this date.

We have, therefore, in dealing with this question, to separate with care the Roman workings, and the so-called Jews' workings, from the true early British excavations. The evidences of sheltering earth-works appear to me to be exceedingly strong in favour of the existence of the most ancient of British mines. One of the most remarkable of those is the Bolster, in St. Agnes, which may be traced from Poltreen to Chapel Porth; and there are many indications of its having been continued in the other direction to Trevannance, thus enclosing the whole of St. Agnes Beacon, upon and around which tin has been and is abundant. Similar enclosures are to be yet traced in St. Just and many other places, and either within or very near these we may generally find that every lode has been worked-by simply cleaning it out as far as the primitive miner could follow it-by following every string, however small in size it may have been, and indeed by employing the rudest methods of the untaught mind. Many of the rock castles, many of the "rounds" could have been constructed for no other purpose than to protect the stores of tin which had been gathered in the neighbourhood of them. I believe we may by a little cautious investigation separate the ancient British workings from those which were directed by the Romans, or those which were carried out by the Jews at a later period. This investigation I desire to open-it is full of interest.

The general tendency of all Cornish antiquaries and historians has been to make St. Michael's Mount the Iktis of Diodorus, from the circumstance that it agrees at the present time precisely with the description of the ancient historian. Diodorus speaks not of an island, but of islands, and to them the Britons conveyed their tin. Secresy as to the localities from which this then precious metal was obtained was to be preserved. The Tyrian traders were kept on the coast; they do not appear to have been admitted to the mainland. This circumstance explains the construction of such works as the Bolster, the hill castles,

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