Kent Archæological Society.

KENT ARCH ? OLOGICAL SOCIETY .

Til ! -: third anniversary of this Society was held at Dover on tho 1 st and 2 nd of August , under the presidency of the Abuvpus of Camden , K . C ! -.. and was 1-01 * 3- successful . The report stated that 138 members had been elected since the Rochester mooting , and 23 more were elected on the 1 st August , so that the total number of admittances to the Society have been 8 * 21 .

The principal feature of tlie meeting was a- most extensive collection of rubbings from Kentish brasses , from the commencement ofthe fourteenth to the middle of the scventeeth centiu' 3 " , with an interesting museum of antiquities . 'The buildings visited during the first day wero the Pharos and Church in the Castle , and Sfc . Martin ' s Priory . The excavations afc tho church bad laid open the Saxon

church to its foundation , and opened out a southern and a northern door , hitherto covered up , and gave the church a more imposing * appearance than heretofore ; and besides this , the fragments of Xorman work have served as patterns for the restoration or re-edifying , which is nuclei * the care of Mr . Gilbert Scott . An interment in a chalk cist- in the nave , and n leaden coffin in the north aisle , have been brought to light . The castle was lucidl ) - explained 113- tlio Eev . J . Puckle . Of the church itself , the Eev . gentleman said he had always supposed that tlio ancient edifice had

been constructed of much larger dimensions , and of somewhat different materials than the Pharos itself , and at a hirer date . There were no traces of Eoman tiles , 1-01 * 3- few ¦ of which had been found during tho excavations and repairs . now going on . Although our Saxon forefathers endeavoured closel ) - to imitate the Roman stylo of masonry , still tho difference between bricks or tiles baked ami burnt ivas too

apparent not to be observed : t-hcEomaii tiles being grooved somewhat after the fashion of waves upon paper ; and thus they would sink into tlie concrete and consolidate the whole fabric . In digging beneath , they came upon tbe foundations of what- there ivas every reason to believe was the ancient Anglo-Saxon church of Egba-ld tbe Saxon . If this ivere true , tho date of St . Augustine ' s death being 605 , ifc

was afc once clearly determined that this ancient British church was before his day . Mr . Puckle directed attention to the peculiar features of the edifice , the "long" mid " short" work so distinctive of Saxon origin , and the "double splayed" windows , and various other indications , as corroborative of this idea : there were similarities to the icTorma-u form that-miht be seen at Canterbury ; but then

g , in this Gorman style , tliey never found the " double splay " upon the windows . He was disposed to date the foundation of this ancient church in the . year -518 . ' . Beneath the western window , overlooking the Pharos , there ivas a smaller opening , ivhich was exactly the height- of a

man s cj c . Tho architecture of the priory of Sfc . Martin ' s ivas explained bv the Eev . Dr . Plumtre , Master of University College , Oxford . Tlie walls were constructed of rubble and Kentish rag , together with finely-wrought Caen stone . The edifice itself consisted of a nave and tivo side aisles , and was 285 feet long ; a chancel and a transept crossing the nave

and aisles at about 1-1-5 feet from the western entrance . There ivere also two small , chapels , with apsidal terminations similr . r to those at llomsey , afc the sides of the chancel . At the north extremity of the transept there had been a chapter-house , 5-i- feet long 113- 20 feet wide . There were nlso discovered the bases of nine arches on pillars , each 15 feet wide , ivhich had divided the aisles from tho nave

( 30 feet wide ) . The bases of these pillars were about 5 feetsquare : tiie chancel or choir 1-0 feet long , and about- 29 feet wide . By the measurements , be hud arrived at the conelusion fhnf this monastic establishment must have covered about 20 ,: ' 2 S feet , exclusive of the chapter-house . Tho . refectory was one of the largest and most perfect in England . It was 100 feetlong . In its walls the Caen

. stone was used in common with the other materials he had -mentioned . ItwasoC the Anglo-Nbrmau period . Archihisdiop Corboil , in . 11 ;! 2 , obtained ' a- grant from Henry 1 . of tho revenues of the monaster ! - of Martiii ' s-Ie-Craii < i . at ' Dover , and erected the monastery or prior ) ' ; and , as it was taken possession of in IE !* . ' ' , it ivas pretty evident that it must .

have taken seven or eigfit years to construct ; ancl the stone showed in places marks of fire . Similar traces existed in tho Canterbury Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral . There ivas an entry in the " Monasticon " which proved that these ravages were the work of an incendiary . Traces of paintings had been discovered on the walls , and beneath tho windows might bo distinguished tho outlines of thirteen

heads , tlie centre figure being taller than the others . Iu the evening a coiircrsa ; : ioiic , was announced , and many attended . There was , however , little done . Tho Eev . j . Edge read a paper from Mr . Elphee , "On the Danish Yessel found in thollivcr Bother , in 1822 , " which attracted much attention at- the time , and was removed to London for exhibition .

On Thursday , excursions were made to Sfc . Eadignnd ' s Abbey and tho church of Alkbam , to St . Margaret ' s-nt-Ciifl ' e , aud to Earfrestonc Church and the Roman camp at Colclrcd . Ofthe building of St . Radigund , or Bvadsolo ( founded in 1191 ) , little remains , and little more is known . The gateway is of the rime of Edward III ., and on entering the

square the arches of the buttciy hatches leading to the refectory are found to bo the 011 I 3 ' original parts left . The refectory itself has been shortened ; and Lcland tolls us that the buildings had been larger than in his time . On the opposite side of the refectory , on the north of the square , are tivo rooms with a gable end , and perpendicular windows of the , period of Henri- T . I ., ivhich might havo been an oratory and imte-chancl : but- all is in doubt , and must remain so till

the loiuidations have been traced . A . Pojnungs , and other men of note , directed their bodies to be buried in this abbey , and hence a church is supposed to have existed ; but the burial-place of the monks themselves was in a mortuary chapel on the north side of Alkbam Church—a chapel distinguished for its elegant two-light- early English window , ivith shafts between the lights and afc the sides , and an

oriel window above , and for its Geometric ( trefoil-headed ) arcade of Caen stone , ivith Purbeck pillars . The original abbey barn is standing , and still used . Ifc is large , but not too large , for the grange of 150 acres . Mr . Poynter described tho few remains . The abbey was much used by the pilgrims going to the shrine of St . James of Compostclla , and to the Holy Land . Aldringfcou Churchin Sussex , which had

, passed to Hubert do Burgh , on his marriage ivith Beatrix do AVarren , temp . Henry III ., together with the church of Portsladc , was given , to the canons of this church for tho sustenance of themselves and the pilgrims journeying that wai-: and though the revenues were small , and the number of canons was only nine , the buildings indicate a sufficient provision for tho pilgrims . Tho well still supplies the

farm-house , built b y a grantee of the site in the days of Elizabeth , on the side where the abbot ' s apartments stood .. Tin ' s well is sunk for 300 feet till ifc reaches the water bclow thc chalk , and has been known to be dry only once . The large pond or " sole" ( Sax . ) , from which tho place was named , and the fishing-ponds , arc still to be traced , but arcnow dry . The visit of the Society- has saved the facing with whitebrick of a flint- buttress to the tower of Alkbam Church .

From the annual report with reference to the restoration , ofthe cathedral of Llaiiduft ' , it appears that during the past year the nave has been covered with green Bangor slates , in place of lead , the side aisles of the once ruined portion oi the building arc being roofed with lead , the windows glazed , and temporary doors provided , so thafc the whole fabric will soon be covered and enclosed : and it is hoped that ere

longthe wall which still divides the two sections ofthe nave , and which is now the last relic ofthe hideous attempt at restoration in 1752 , will bo removed , and an uninterrupted view afforded from the western to the eastern end of the cathedral . The floor , however , lias j-efc to be laid , suitable doors provided , and sonic means adopted for heating this largo additional area for tho comfort of the congregation . A special

fund has beeu . opened for tbe purchase of an organ , which it is estimated will cost from £ 800 to £ -1 , 000 . The bishop ' s throne and the stalls firs in progress of construction ; but there is still v ; ' -rv much to be done in the work of rcstoraikiii . The eastern portion ofthe side aisles rcmihc the re-