But great changes have taken place during the past forty-five years, and there are probably few left now who took part in that meeting. A great deal of information can be gleaned from the sixteenth volume of the Association's proceedings, which will materially assist those who have not visited this district before, to obtain a knowledge of the many objects of archæological interest with which it abounds, and which are the attractions that have induced the Association to assemble here to-day.

First, there is the Royal County of Berkshire, rich in examples of prehistoric, archæological, and architectural interest. Then there are the many antiquarian objects outside the county, but within a convenient distance of the centre of our operations; and, lastly, we have within the precincts of the County Borough itself much that is worthy of our attention, in spite of the drastic treatment which has been meted out to our ecclesiastical structures, both at the period of the Reformation and in more recent times.

As regards the county, it is, of course, impossible in the short space of a week to undertake more than a visit to some of the most interesting centres; and the whole of the eastern division, containing the royal castle of Windsor, the abbeys of Hurley and Bisham, the fine churches of Bray, Cookham, Sonning, Shottesbrooke, and Warfield, the ancient manor-house of Ockwells, etc., has had to be eliminated from our present programme. The name of our county furnishes the first bone of contention. to those who desire to obtain the correct derivation of its etymology. Berkshire seems in early times to have been spelt with an "a," but the name is greatly varied by the early chroniclers. Asser, the historian of Alfred, derives it from the Wood of Berroc, where the box tree grows most abundantly. Others suggest the Bare Oak as the origin of the name. I may, perhaps, be skating on rather thin ice in touching upon this point, and feel it will be safer for me to leave it to an expert, like the Principal of the Reading University, to elucidate this subject.

In the north and south divisions of the county there

are many early camps and other prehistoric remains. We shall, I trust, have an opportunity of visiting the White Horse Hill, and of hearing a discussion on the spot on the curious animal there cut out in the turf, the date at which it was executed, and the object which the makers had in view in delineating it in its present situation. Here again we are immediately enveloped in the toils of controversy, but no doubt my friend Mr. Theodore White will be able to convince his hearers as to his theories on the subject. On the same day we shall visit the very interesting double cromlech called Wayland Smith's cave—or forge-travel along 'the old Ridge Way, and mount up to the ramparts of Uffington Castle, one of the largest camps in the county, which, from its great elevation, commands one of the finest panoramic views to be found in the South of England. On this day, too, we shall see the numerous sarsen stones, deposited, no doubt, at the close of the Glacial Period; and the visit to Ashdown Park will at once prepare us for another controversial discussion as to the site of the great battle in which King Ethelred, assisted by his brother Alfred, was enabled decisively to defeat the Danes, and expel them for the time from this part of England. An inspection of the foundation of King Canute's palace at Lambourn will also be made; and this severe day will conclude at the ancient town of Wantage, which justly prides itself on being the birthplace of King Alfred, that enlightened monarch to whose forethought, wisdom, and good government we owe so much, even at the present day.

Of the other prehistoric remains, I may enumerate the vallum enclosing the ancient town of Wallingford on the north, south, and west sides, the east being protected by the Thames; and, a short distance above, the Sinodun Hill and Wittenham camps, of which a good view will be obtained from the launch as we ascend the river. Wallingford may, perhaps, claim to be the most ancient town in the county, and can boast not only of a very early ford over the river, but of having erected a bridge which for some time was the next above London Bridge to span the Thames. We shall, no doubt, on our visit there, hear of the antiquity of its Corporation, and its claim to

dispute with Winchester the honour of being the first town in England to adopt this form of local government. The majestic earthworks of the Castle, the old church of St. Leonard's, with undoubted Saxon remains, and the other objects of interest in the town, and the delights of a trip on the river, should make this day memorable to those who have not previously visited the locality.

Nor must we omit to notice the ancient town of Abingdon, at one period the capital of the county, and in recent times sharing the honour of that position with Reading. Although it possesses no remains of equal antiquity with those at Wallingford, its historical record bears witness to the early importance of the borough, both parliamentary and municipal, and the influence exercised by its noble Benedictine Abbey, founded in early Saxon times, and possessing a church (of which, alas! not one stone now remains above ground), more magnificent in its architectural details and the magnitude of its several portions than most of the cathedrals which have survived to our day. Many of the domestic buildings have, fortunately, been preserved, and will thoroughly repay the visit to be made to them. The churches of St. Helen and St. Nicholas have also been included in the programme. These, like many more in the county, are worthy of attentive study, though not claiming to be of exceptional interest.

We still have a few churches remaining in the county which contain portions of the edifices existing before the Norman period. The little church at Aston Tirrold, which is said to be the one in which King Ethelred was praying at the time the Battle of Ashdown was commencing, retains undoubted remains of the Saxon style; and at South Moreton, close by, a walled-up west doorway has recently been found under plaster of equally early date. The tower at Wickham, and portions of the tower at Cholsey, also exhibit early Saxon characteristics; as does St. Leonard's, Wallingford, already referred to.

Most of the Berkshire churches retain their ancient features, especially with regard to their Norman work. It has been impossible to arrange visits to the fine

Norman churches of Avington, Hanney, and Shellingford, the Early English edifices at Uffington and Blewbury, and the later examples at Hagbourne, Yattendon, and other places; but it has been found practicable to include, beside the churches in the towns, those of Sutton Courtenay, Childrey, Sparsholt, Aldermaston and Padworth, which all possess features of interest, and will more than occupy the short space allotted for their inspection; and an extra excursion, under the banner of the Berkshire Archæological Society, has been arranged to visit Aldworth, with its remarkable series of monumental effigies of members of the De la Beche family.

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Of domestic buildings, which abound throughout the county, besides those in the towns, it has only been possible to include Donnington Castle, so full of associations, especially with the times of the great Civil War, the Elizabethan houses of Shaw and Ufton, and the historical residence at Aldermaston. The old Norman house at Sutton Courtenay has also very properly been placed in the programme. With regard to the excursions outside the county and borough, very few places have been scheduled. The churches of Cromarsh Giffard and Goring, on the Oxfordshire side of the river Thames, both containing good Norman, and possibly earlier work—will be visited if time permits, but the most interesting excursion is that to be undertaken to Silchester and Sherborne Priory. Many of our visitors have this afternoon had an opportunity, under the able guidance of Mr. Mill Stephenson, of seeing in the Reading Museum the excellent plan of the Roman city, and the wonderful collection of objects found during the exploration of the site. This has been carried on since 1890, under the direction of the Society of Antiquaries, and most energetically supervised by some of the greatest experts we have at the present time. Few better opportunities have been placed within our reach of obtaining a knowledge of the domestic life and habits of those who lived under the Roman rule; for Silchester, as a great civil and residential centre, came to an end with the departure of the Romans from this country; and with the exception of the church and Manor Farm, no buildings have since

been erected within the ancient fortified enclosure. Thus, though the city was rased, and was no doubt used as a quarry for the district for miles around, the foundations and pavements of the various building remain in situ, and enable us to form an accurate opinion as to the arrangement of an important town in the first four centuries of our Christian era. Calleva Atrebatum-for we may assume that Silchester represents that city-although surrounded by solid and lofty walls, was never a military station, but rather a civil centre and county town, with its Courts of Justice, public buildings, shops and private residences, and no doubt a prosperous community during the period of the Roman occupation. Many of the objects discovered bear testimony to the comparatively high state of civilisation which prevailed at the time, and the scientific manner in which the Romans guarded themselves against the rigours of an English winter is especially noticeable.

Had we continued our excursion on this day to the south, we could have visited the Vyne, the ancient residence of Lord Sandys, K.G., the Lord High Treasurer to King Henry VIII, and one who participated in no slight degree in the spoils which, on the dissolution of the monasteries, were distributed by that monarch to his special retainers. We have a striking instance of the revulsion of religious sentiment which took place at that period, in the fact that Lord Sandys actually constructed a new mansion within the walls of the nave of the Abbey Church at Mottisfont, in Hampshire, which had been granted to him at that time. A daughter of Lord Sandys was married to Sir Humfrey Forster, of Aldermaston, and his coat-of-arms appears in the series of armorial shields still preserved in Aldermaston Church.

Close by is another interesting demesne-the moated mansion of Beaurepaire, the former residence of the Brocas family, many of whose members were noted for proficiency in their warlike profession. The arms of Brocas are also to be found at Aldermaston Church, a ladyof that family having married one of the Delamares of Aldermaston.

A drive of another three or four miles would have brought us to Old Basing, where recent excavations at