tion in the kingdom of the West Saxons, through all its revolutions and ramifications, leaving it finally established in the several sees of Winchester, Salisbury, Bath and Wells, and Oxford. I cannot, however, conclude this essay without a brief notice of the old, deserted sees.

The primeval see of Dorchester is now represented by the interesting remains of an abbey church founded by Alexander Bishop of Lincoln, 1140, which, with subsequent alterations and restorations, have found fitting exponents in the Rev. H. Addington and the Rev. W. C. Macfarlane.'

Aldhelm's venerable cathedral at Sherborne has no unworthy successor in the present well restored Abbey Church, still redolent of antiquity in architecture long prior to the larger portion of the edifice reconstructed by Abbot Bradford, 1445-49.

Ramsbury may at the present time be described in the language of Leland: "There is a fayre and large old churche in the towne. The Byshope of Saresbere hath a faire old place halfe a mile upper, upon the lifte ripe of the Kenet."

It only remains to speak of Sunning. Sunning, despite its beautiful scenery, seems to have been so overpowered in the struggle for existence, that its recognition, not as an episcopal see, but as an effete bishop's manor house, is esteemed a favourable compromise. It is almost amusing, after reading Florence of Worcester's list of the bishops of Sunning, and Leland's reference to it in his Cygnea Cantio, to hear its ancient and veritable claim thus ruthlessly disposed of by Lysons in his History of Berkshire: “It has been said that this place was a bishop's see during the separation of Wilton, or, as some suppose, Berkshire, from the see of Sherborne; but Bishop Tanner, following the authority of William of Malmesbury, who expressly says that Wiltshire only was separated from Sherborne, is of opinion that the bishops of the new see had no other seat than Ramsbury until Bishop Herman removed to Old Sarum. It is, however, certain that the Bishops of Salisbury held the manor of Sunning at the time of the Conquest, and that the manor house was for some centuries afterwards their occasional residence."

Protesting against this early precedent of ecclesiastical

See account of Dorchester Abbey Church, published by Messrs. Parker, 1860. ? Leland's Itinerary, viii, p. 78. 3 Magna Britannia, i, p. 379.

disestablishment, and referring the removal of the see to the decree of the Council of London in 1075, as above stated, we gladly accept the following compendium of its subsequent history. In 1389 John de Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury, being at his manor house at Sunning, was informed of the secret practices of the Wickliffites. Isabel, queen of Richard II, resided at the Bishop of Salisbury's manor place at Sunning during the interval of the deposition and death of that unfortunate monarch; and Bishop Nevil dates from Sunning in 1436. In 1543 Leland records that there remained "a fair old house of stone at the Sonninge by the Thamise ripe, longginge to the Bishoppe of Sarisbyrie, and thereby a faire parke." In 1774 it ceased to be ecclesiastical, and became royal property, for Edmund Bishop of Salisbury exchanged the manor of Sunning with Queen Elizabeth for certain estates in Dorsetshire. It now belongs to Robt. Palmer, Esq., who represented the county of Berks in several successive Parliaments. "Sic Fortuna transmutat incertos honores."

ON NEWLY DISCOVERED ROMAN AND SAXON REMAINS AT FINKLEY, NEAR ANDOVER.

BY JOSEPH STEVENS, ESQ., M.R.C.PHYS. LONDON.

MANY learned commentators have attempted, without success, to determine the site of Vindomis, which has ever been a quæstio vexata with archæologists. It will be no part of my business, during the short time that I shall occupy the attention of our members, to re-open the question at any length; but rather to detail the results of some recent explorations at Finkley, Hampshire, one of its presumed sites. Besides, the work is as yet only begun, and perhaps an extended period of labour will have to intervene before any final conclusion can be arrived at; but I venture to opine that, should the question be eventually set at rest, it will receive its accomplishment through the agencies of the pick and spade.

Finkley has been associated with the name of that eminent antiquary, Sir R. C. Hoare, who, on inspecting the vestigia of the neighbourhood, fixed the site of Vindomis at

six hundred yards south of the Portway, and two hundred yards west of the Devil's Dyke. The foundations to which I have to call your attention lie at four hundred yards south of the Portway, and three hundred west of the Dyke; but as both British and Roman remains lie interred over a large area of the field, the opinion expressed by him as to the presence of remains was substantially correct. The neighbourhood abounds in interesting relics of past times. At a short distance westward the Portway is intersected by the Roman way from Winchester to Cirencester, through Marlborough, the buildings lying in the south-east angle. The Dyke, a work of considerable strength, runs east of the buildings, through the open space between the Forest of Harewood and that of Chute and Finkley, and has been traced through those forests. It has been stated by Dr. Guest (Athenæum, No. 2022) that the Dyke formed a boundary between the Attrebates and some neighbouring tribe, perhaps the Segontiaci; the chief city of the former being Calleva, according to Mr. Horsley, Silchester. If so, the ditch, being situated on the west side, renders the work attributable to the Attrebates. There can be little doubt that Nuttlefield, the place where the buildings are found, once formed part of the Forest of Chute and Finkley, as it is within human memory that large trees grew here; and from documents in my possession, supplied to me by the late Mr. Clarence Hopper and Mr. Wilkinson, extending from the year 1200 to 1662 (the time of its disafforestation), it would appear that Great and Little Nuthill Coppices occupied these and neighbouring fields, of which fifty acres were "bare and void places"; and I am induced to remark on this, as the place being forest at so early a period, and as evidence of military occupation was obtained during the explorations, it is probable that the building had at no time been used for agricultural purposes.

An inquiry was made by Sir R. C. Hoare whether British remains had been observed here. I trust to be able to furnish evidence that the Ancient Briton, at all events some earlier people, preceded the Romanised Briton, and that the building was, perhaps, subsequently used for the manufacture of weapons and tools of iron. Although I had long previously found remains here, my attention was called to this building in May, bones and building materials having been brought to the surface by the plough; and with the permis

sion and assistance of Mr. Longman, the proprietor, I was enabled to lay bare a ground-plan of the following dimensions north wall, 60 ft.; east and west, 85 ft.; and south, 64 ft. There are two entrances, one south, 7 ft.; the other east, 6 ft.; and a large square sandstone block occupies the north side of the east entrance, with no corresponding one south; a deep mortice hole in the stone showing that the door or gate had swung inwards. The walls are of flint, with thick courses and angle-plates of mortar solid as stone, the mortar containing a good deal of powdered brick. Their width varies from 24 to 26 inches, the north walls being 3 feet in depth, while the plough had reduced the south wall to a single course, so that it was scarcely

traceable.

The building had supported a heavy roof, as some of the stone tiles, evidently from the oolitic series of Dorset, are of great weight and size; and in some of the tiles I found roof nails in situ. A quantity of flanged tiles also are found, with corresponding ridge pipes, showing that at a corresponding or different period the roofing had differed. The walls had been plastered both outside and in, the inner plaster in some of the apartments showing fresco in crimson. The rooms, commencing north, consist of two, 25 feet by 17 feet, and 21 feet by 17 feet, with an intermediate apartment 17 feet by 10 feet. Immediately behind these a central dwelling-room, perhaps an atrium, 19 feet by 18 feet, with a dormitory 17 feet by 9 feet on each side. I have not yet been able to discover whether the entrance to the atrium was closed.

Behind this building a large space, apparently a courtyard, extended 46 ft., 30 ft. of which was pitched its entire width. This also must have been covered, as roof tiles and nails extended in every direction beneath the walls; but the buildings might have been cattle-sheds.

Briefly, we met with the usual paraphernalia of household goods; fictile ware of about forty varieties, twelve scraps of Samian, and fifteen Roman coins, chiefly second and third brass, from Trajan to Valens, representing occupation from A.D. 98 to A.D. 378. They have been deciphered, as far as admissible, with the assistance of Mr. Samuel Shaw of Andover; but they are mostly in bad condition. They are as follow :

1872

43

3rd Brass.-POSTVMVS.

2nd Brass.-The letters TRAIANO can be traced with difficulty. Rev., s.c. in the field.

AVGVSTI

A denarius in base silver. IMP. LIC. GALLIENVS. P. F. AVG.; radiated head of the emperor. Rev., LAETITIA. AVGG.; female figure standing. 3rd Brass.-Illegible, apparently a TETRICVS. Rev., illegible, except ...... AVGG.; figure standing.

3rd Brass.-DN. VALENS ...; jewelled wreath round the head. Rev., doubtful, apparently RESTITVTOR; emperor standing; exergue, P .CON. Small 3rd Brass..-P. I. MAX. THEODORAE. AVG.; head of empress with jewelled wreath. Rev., illegible; female standing with an infant in her arms (she was wife of Constantius Chlorus); exergue, PTRS.

3rd Brass.-GALLIENVS ...... Rev., uncertain; a chamois.

2nd Brass.-AVGVSTA; head of the empress; the name is illegible, but is probably Julia Pia, the wife of Septimus Severus. Rev., VESTA ; s. c. in the field.

3rd Brass.-GALLIENVS. AVG.; head of the emperor with radiated crown. Rev., APOLLIN. CONS. AVG.; a Centaur.

3rd Brass.-IMP. CONSTANTINVS.AVG.; head of the emperor laureated. Rev., illegible, probably Soli invicto Comiti; exergue, PLN.

Two illegible minimi.

Coins found in Nuttlefield, but not in the excavations:

3rd Brass.-IVL.CRISPVS......CÆS.; head laureated, javelin and shield. Rev., BEATA. TRANQUILLITAS; altar, with a globe on it, inscribed votis xx. ; exergue, ST.

3rd Brass.-D. N. CONSTANTINVS. N . C.; head, VICTORIAE. Rev., ... Two Victories supporting a shield inscribed voT.P. R.

An English penny (an Edward), silver, much clipped.

Coins found on the site, in the possession of Mr. Shaw of Andover:

Lead Denarius.-ANTONINVS. PIVS. Rev., an altar; CONSECRATIO. 3rd Brass.―ALLECTVS. P. F. AVG.; crowned head. Rev., a galley

VIRTVS. AVG.

Found besides some portions of several glass vessels, and pieces of mortaria of different patterns, a small polished iron speculum, and a bronze fibula, besides a few articles in iron of different character to those I shall speak of presently. From an examination made by Mr. Kell, who kindly assisted in clearing one of the rooms, the glass appears similar to that he has found manufactured at Briga; and the pottery is of the same character as the ware discovered by him at a