Report of Proceedings, 1932

( 297 ) REPORTS OP PROCEEDINGS, 1932. SUMMER MEETING. THE Summer Excursion took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26th and 27th, in the neighbourhood of Maidstone. The weather was unfortunate, heavy showers generaUy predominating over the bright intervals. Nevertheless a large number of members attended, and the whole programme was carried through without serious delay. The arrangements were made by the Hon. Excursions Secretary, Mr. F. Godwin, who provided an interesting and varied programme. On the first day the party assembled at Addington Church, at 11.0 a.m. Mr. V. J. Torr, to whom the task of describing the church had been aUotted, was unfortunately prevented from attending, but Mr. F. C. Elliston Erwood, F.S.A., kindly took his place. Members next walked to the remains of the Stone Circles near the church, and then drove, or walked across the fields, to the more complete circle at Coldrum. At both places Mr. Erwood gave brief addresses. After lunching at " HiUside", Wrotham, the party visited Aylesford Bridge, the features of which were briefly pointed out by Canon Livett, and then made their way to Allington Castle where they were received by the President, Lord Conway of Allington. There was no formal description here, but members were free to wander at wiU about the grounds and over the roofs of this magnificent building, Lord Conway's reconstruction of which, after twenty-five years of loving care, is virtuaUy complete ; the last piece of scaffolding had indeed been removed only a day or two before this visit. A fuU account of the fabric from the pen of Lord Conway, iUustrated by photographs of its condition twenty years ago, and by complete plans, 298 REPORT OE PROCEEDINGS. appeared in Arch. Cant., Vol. XXVIII, whUe in Vol. XXIX is an article by Miss Conway (now the Hon. Mrs. Horsfield) on the owners of the Castle between 1086 and 1279 ; an interesting view of the Castle in 1847 appears opposite page 30 of Vol. XXXVI. Tea was served, by the President's permission, in the Banqueting HaU, after which the party dispersed. On the second day the members assembled at East Farleigh Bridge, where Mr. C. R. Ashbee dehvered a most interesting address on the subject of mediaeval bridge construction in general, and of the Medway Bridges in particular. He drew attention to the ingenious and pleasing way in which the south end of this bridge had been adapted to the needs of the modern road, and warmly praised the architect, Mr. Ruck, for a piece of work which at least one recent writer had credited to the mediaeval buUder. A short pause was made at Teston Bridge on the way to Nettlestead Court, which was visited by kind permission of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Vinson. Canon G. M. Livett, F.S.A., conducted the party through the 13th century undercroft and the remains of the 15th century house, and described the features of manor houses in general. Nettlestead Church was then visited, but unfortunately there was not time for Canon Livett to do more than very briefly indicate a few sahent facts regarding the unsurpassed coUection of early heraldic and other stained glass, the proper display of which was the purpose of the entire rebuUding of the church about 1420. The architecture of the buUding is described by Canon Livett, and the glass is dealt with in great detaU by Mr. W. E. BaU and Canon Livett, in Arch. Cant., Vol. XXVIII. On the way to Wateringbury a short halt was made at Twyford Bridge, where Mr. Ashbee again spoke. The party lunched at the " King's Head" at Wateringbury, and at the end of the meal Canon Livett gave a brief account REPORT OE PROCEEDINGS. 299 of the " Dumb Borsholder of Chart " (See Arch. Cant., Vol. II), iUustrated by a fuU-size drawing. The afternoon was devoted to West Mailing where some difference of opinion appeared as to the nature of what is known as St. Leonard's Tower. Dr. Gordon Ward pointed out that it had aU the structural features of very early Norman work and was shghtly different in technique from what remains of the chapel below it. He regarded it as a domestic building, in fact, a manor house of the manor of EweU, buUt near the chapel in what was then the usual situation for a manor house. Canon Livett, at Dr. Ward's invitation, then briefly propounded the more orthodox view that the tower was merely that of the chapel of St. Leonard, buUt probably for defensive purposes and possibly inhabited. This view he later elaborated, with the aid of comparative plans, in West MaUing Church. After leaving St. Leonard's, the rain being now at its worst, the members visited West Mailing Abbey. By the very kind permission of the Lady Abbess, they were aUowed the rare privUege of entering the grounds and viewing the buildings at close range. A description of the Abbey, iUustrated by a plan drawn by Dr. F. H. Fairweather, F.S.A. (see Arch. Journal, LXXXVIII, 1931) was given by Mr. EUiston Erwood, F.S.A., and it was most unfortunate that the heavy downpour of rain on umbreUas rendered him, inaudible to aU but a few. Despite the rain, much interest was shown in the excavations which Mr. Erwood, helped by a grant from K.A.S. and by private subscriptions, is carrying out on the site of the north transept and of the eastern arm of the church. Mr. Erwood hopes to contribute a full account of his excavations, when they are complete, to a later volume. (See Report in present volume, p. xliv.) At the very generous invitation of our members, Colonel and Mrs. Luck, the party was entertained to tea at " The Hermitage ". After tea the meeting was brought to an end in West Mailing Church, of which Canon Livett gave a description, assisted by his plans, aheady referred to. 300 REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS. See also a rough plan of the church in a paper contributed by the Canon, with Ulustrations by Colonel G. W. Stockley, R.E., in A History of the Parish Church of West Mailing, compUed by the Rev. A. W. Lawson, Vicar of West Mailing, and Colonel Stockley (1904). The only possible adverse criticism that could be passed on the meeting as a whole was that perhaps too much was attempted. But when it is considered that the district covered is so fuU of archaeological interest that haU a dozen excursions of this nature would not exhaust it, one is more than ready to sympathize with Mr. Godwin in his embarrassment as to what to leave out. The warmest thanks are due to him for his exceUent and cathohc selection, and for his thoughtful and unobtrusive arrangements—not the least of which was a useful sketch map on the Programme. AUTUMN EXCURSION. The seventy-eighth Autumn Excursion was held on Tuesday, September 13th, in East Kent, between Boughton Aluph and Smarden. The exceUent arrangements were in the hands of the Hon. Excursion Secretary, Major T. M. Usborne. Coaches left Ashford Station at 9.45 a.m. for Westwell Church, which was described by Canon G. M. Livett. Canon Livett drew particular attention to the weU-known stone screen of trefoU-headed arches, which takes the place of the usual chancel arch ; the only other post-Conquest screen in Kent which can be compared with this example is that at Capel, near Dover. A discussion upon the relation of the screen to the nave arcades, which run continuously from east to west of the church, led to the expression of a hope that some expert might be found to plot an exact plan of the church and to iUustrate this relation by carefuUy measured drawings. The party then proceeded to Boughton Aluph Church. Here Captain Herbert Knocker, Steward of the Manor, REPORT OE PROCEEDINGS. 301 gave an address on " The Manor and Manorial Rights ", after which the church was described by Mr. V. J. B. Torr. The chancel is of the 13th century and is divided from a chapel on the north side by an arcade of two bays. The nave, with four-bay arcades is of the 14th century. Canon Livett drew attention to the simiharity of the general design and moldings of these arcades to the work of the same date in the neighbouring church of Great Chart. The curve of the arches at Boughton Aluph displays the same pecuUar kink which is referred to, and iUustrated, in Canon Livett's paper on Great Chart Church in Arch. Cant., XXVI, pp. 101- 110. It is evident that at that period the same architect was at work in both churches. A return was made to Ashford for luncheon at the Masonic Temple, after which a visit was paid to Pluckley, where the Rector, the Rev. R. B. Pyper, described the church, famous for its many brasses of the Dering and Malmaines famUies. From here the party proceeded to Smarden Church, of which the Rector, Canon L. H. Evans, gave a description. It is a simple building consisting only of a 14th century chancel and nave, with a 15th century western tower (see Arch. Cant., XIV), but contains several interesting features, such as a recess near the east end of the south wall of the chancel, which has been taken to be a mediaeval wafer oven; this has been described by the late Mr. HaUord MiUs in the Parish Magazine for 1925. The viUage of Smarden is remarkable for a number of timber houses which, being smaU and inhabited, could not be entered for inspection. They were however described by Canon Evans, and their exteriors were admired. Many of them are described by the late Mr. H. S. Cowper, in Arch. Cant., XXIX, or by the late Mr. HaUord MiUs in Arch. Cant., XLIV. Tea was taken, by kind invitation of Professor and Mrs. E. P. Stebbing, at Romden Castle, formerly the residence of Mr. W. BasU Worsfold. 302 REPORT OE PROCEEDINGS. Professor Stebbing described the history of the house and Mr. Worsfold's restoration of it between 1909 and 1919, which formed the subject of a paper in Arch. Cant., XLIII. This brought to a pleasant conclusion a short, but very enjoyable excursion.