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wide. The Castle is approached from the churchyard by a gateway leading to the inner ward. Another gateway leads from the inner to the outer ward, and there is a third gateway at the far end of the outer ward. The keep is a rectangular structure containing vaulted chambers, with a central octagonal pier to support the roof. The hall, chapel, and other domestic buildings surround a rectangular courtyard in the inner ward. The round tower, seen on the outside, is a peculiar feature. The exterior view of the Castle is rather imposing, though inferior to many of the Edwardian border fortresses in general grandeur of effect. The interior is, however, very disappointing, as the structure is a mere shell, with few architectural details remaining, and nothing sufficiently picturesque to tempt the artist to bring out his sketch-book.

From Coyty the party proceeded to Coychurch, a mile and a half distant to the south-east, and lying about two miles and a half east of Bridgend.

Coychurch or Eglwys Llangrallo.-The Rev. C. Ll. Llewellin, Rector of Coychurch, having received the members, conducted them to the church, and then delivered the following address:—

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Knowing your time to be limited, I propose to point out the details that appear most worthy of notice, and leave you to form your own opinion as to the general effect of the whole. The fabric has not undergone any material change during its restoration in 1870. In this instance the architect and archæologist worked together in unity, Mr. John Pritchard having faithfully carried out the suggestions made by Mr. E. A. Freeman, in his paper written on the church in 1857. In roofing over the chancel and transepts the architect departed from the model before him in the old roof of the nave. Whether the new roofs he has introduced are consistent with the style of the rest of the building it is not for me to judge; still they remain as records of his great artistic taste. The ancient oak cradle-roof of the nave has been preserved, but the old plaster ceiling removed. All worm-eaten and decayed wood has been replaced by sound material, so that in all human probability the roof will now endure for centuries to come. Along the top of the wall runs an oak cornice, principally old work, and only repaired in places, where required. Fixed against the cornice on each side are ten figures of angels bearing shields, exquisitely carved. Most of the shields are plain, but one has on it the arms of the Turbervilles, another the arms of the owners of Margam, and a third our Lord's five wounds in the hands, feet, and heart.

"The west front of the exterior, with its unique quatrefoil windows, is well worthy of your notice. When the church was restored in 1870 the tower was left undone, partly in consequence of lack of funds, and partly because of a difference of opinion as to the proper mode of treating it, and also because at that time there were no indications of its being in danger of falling. On the 7th of February 1877, the tower suddenly fell, crushing the south transept and greatly injuring the north transept and chancel, the

nave escaping with comparatively little damage. After the fall of the tower the east end of the nave was temporarily walled up, so that it might be used for Divine Service. The church remained in this state for about ten years; but its restoration, under the supervision of Mr. F. R. Kempson, was completed in 1888. Before the destruction of the chancel it contained two frescoes, on the jamb of one of the windows in the east wall, representing mitred ecclesiastics with keys hanging at their girdles. There was also a piscina and the remains of a small altar. The old rood-loft was for some reason transferred to the chancel and used to form the ceiling, of which Dr. Freeman complains as hiding the upper part of the east window. It was similar in design to the lantern roof of the tower, having panels covered with the linen pattern. The panels of the reading-desk, mentioned in Mr. Freeman's paper, were of similar design; but both this and the rood-screen were too decayed to be preserved. In the chancel was an altar-stone 7 ft. long by 4 ft. wide, with the usual five crosses. There were also two ancient monuments, now removed to the north transept, and the tombstone of Thomas and Barbara Fleming, with two small feet carved in relief at one end. The gargoyles of the new tower are old, except one, which is a facsimile of the one that was partially broken when this part of the building fell. The stones of the walls destroyed by the fall of the tower were exceedingly small, hardly any being more than 8 in. long, and the majority not more than 4 in. long.

"The crosses in the churchyard are sadly in need of restoration, more especially that supposed by some to be the cross of the founder, St. Crallo, which was broken when the tower fell. Most of the fragments have, however, been carefully preserved; and, by the assistance of a drawing in the possession of Mr. F. R. Kempson showing its state when perfect, it might without much difficulty be again set up. Any help towards the repair of these most interesting inscribed monuments will be thankfully accepted."

Coychurch is cruciform in plan, and is a finer and rather earlier specimen of the same type as Coity Church. The chief difference between the design of the two is that Coychurch has side aisles to the nave, whereas at Coity there are none. Mr. Freeman speaks of Coychurch as having "a real west front, simple, indeed, and unornamented, but of admirable composition, and quite satisfactory detail".

Amongst the sepulchral monuments inside Coychurch is one of the Elizabethan period, in the north transept, inscribed in capitals, Here lieth in grave the body of Thomas Ivans, Clerk, Parson of Coychurch, deceased the 2 day of April, 1591."

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There are two monuments in the churchyard with minuscule inscriptions and Hiberno-Saxon ornament like that on the Llantwit

1 A bronze key resembling those on the frescoes was picked up some time ago, but it is now lost,

Major stones. Both are illustrated in Professor I. O. Westwood's Lapidarium Wallic (plates 22 and 23). The inscriptions are very much weathered, but the name "Ebisor", which also occurs on the cross of Samson at Llantwit Major, can be read on both. One, a crossshaft, about 4 ft. 6 in. high, and 2 ft. broad by 1 ft. 2 in. thick, stands at the east end of the chancel, outside. The other, which was mutilated by the fall of the tower, stood on the west side of the south transept. The base is still in situ, but the shaft was broken short off, and is placed upright against the south wall of the nave. The fragments of the head are put together on a flat tombstone. It is earnestly to be hoped that funds will be forthcoming for its restoration. In addition to these early crosses there are the shaft and steps forming the base of a fourteenth century churchyard cross. The communion-plate is inscribed

Ed. Gamage, A.M., Rector.
Jen. Dd. Yorath.
Llewelin William,)
Thomas William,

William,} Wardens.

Llangan, two miles south-east of Coychurch, was the last place visited; but some of the party walked up to St. Mary Hill, rejoining the rest at Llangan, and were not by any means sorry to find afternoon tea being most hospitably dispensed by Mrs. Humphreys in front of the Rectory.

St. Mary Hill Church.-The name of the church indicates its lofty situation. The hill on which it is placed overlooks the valley of the Ewenny river. Behind is a wild down covered with sandstone boulders, the scene of fairs in modern times, and perhaps of Druidic ceremonies far back in the past. At all events, if the Druids did not avail themselves of the natural advantages of the place for rites such as theirs are supposed to have been, an opportunity was certainly missed. The church is a small building consisting of a nave and chancel. It has been well restored, except that the chancel-arch, a plain round Norman one, has been removed bodily and built into the north wall of the nave. The font is cupshaped, with a bold roll-mouiding round the top, probably Norman. The most interesting object at St. Mary Hill is the churchyard cross, which was restored as a Jubilee memorial by the liberality of T. M. Franklen, Esq., of St. Hilary. The head, which is usually wanting in other places, is old, and also the steps. The socket-stone and shaft are new. The head is canopied, like those of the crosses at St. Donat's and Llangan. The two broad faces have double canopies with figures of saints, and the two narrow faces a single canopy with the Crucifixion on one side, and the Virgin and Child on the other.

Llangan Church.-There are no special features of interest in the church itself, but the two crosses in the churchyard are well worth going many miles to see. The oldest of the two stands near the west end of the church. It is a wheel cross, with a round head 5TH SER., VOL. V.

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3 ft. 4 in. in diameter, and a very stumpy shaft, 1 ft. high, and 1 ft. 8 in. wide by 8 in. thick. On the front is the Crucifixion, having the soldier holding the spear on one side, and the soldier with the sponge on the other. Below, on the shaft, is a man holding a horn in his left hand. This is the usual early Irish type of Crucifixion, copied from a Byzantine source. It differs from the later representations of the same subject in the fact that the Saviour is not dead, as was always the case after the twelfth century. When the Saviour is intended to be shown alive, the eyes are open and the limbs extended straight along the arms of the cross instead of being bent. On the back is a plain cross with four circular bosses in the angles. This stone has been illustrated by Professor I. O. Westwood in his Lapidarium Wallic (pl. 25, figs. 1 and 2), and in J. R. Allen's Christian Symbolism (p. 153), where other examples of early Celtic crucifixions are given for comparison. The date of the Llangan stone is possibly eighth or ninth century. It is the only specimen of a Crucifixion of this early period in Wales, except the one upon a slab at Meifod, in Montgomeryshire (Arch. Camb., vol. xi, Ser. IV, p. 183). The other cross at Llangan stands on the south side of the church. It is one of the most beautiful and perfect fourteenth century churchyard crosses in existence, the only other one at all to be compared with it in South Wales being at St. Donat's. At nearly all the other churches visited, the steps surmounted by the socket-stone, and in some cases the shaft, are to be seen; but complete heads occur only at Llangan, St. Donat's, and St. Mary Hill. At Porthkerry a portion of the head was in its place, until it was blown down in a storm some years ago (see Arch. Camb., vol. vii, Ser. IV, p. 46). The head of the Llangan cross has two tiers of figures under Decorated canopies. The lower part is rectangular in plan, like the one at St. Mary Hill, having two broad faces and two narrow ones. The broad faces have double canopies, with the Crucifixion on one side, and a Pieta on the other. The two narrow faces have single canopies, with figures of saints or ecclesiastics. The upper part of the head is square in plan, having four equal faces, each with a figure of a saint under a single canopy. Above the upper tier of sculptured figures there appears to have been a small spire to complete the design.

Llangan Church is dedicated to St. Canna, who is supposed to have been the wife of St. Sadwrn (brother of St. Iltutus), and the mother of St. Crallo. The church of Llangan, in Caermarthenshire, is dedicated to the same saint, and the inscribed chair of Canna is still preserved there (see Arch. Camb., vol. iii, Ser. IV, p. 235, and vol. vi, Ser. IV, p. 376). She is believed to have lived A.D. 500 to 542. The font at Llangan has a round bowl with eight pointed arches round the bottom. It is difficult to assign a date, but it is certainly not Norman.

EVENING MEETING, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15TH.

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The evening meeting was held in the Town Hall at 8.30 P.M., there being, as previously, a very good attendance. The chair was taken by the Ven. Archdeacon Thomas, who called upon Mr. Stephen W. Williams, F.R.I.B. A., to read his paper on Further Excavations at Strata Florida Abbey". The paper was illustrated by a ground-plan and a large number of drawings of architectural details discovered in the course of the excavations. Mr. J. W. Willis-Bund, F.S.A., then followed with another paper1 bearing on the same subject, entitled "Who was the Founder of Strata Florida ?” After the reading of Mr. Willis-Bund's paper, Mr. Banks remarked that Leland's statement that Rhys ap Tewdwr was the founder of the Abbey of Strata Florida might well be disregarded. There could be no doubt that Rhys ap Griffith built the Abbey and endowed it. In an early volume of the Journal there is a translation of an inspeximus of a series of charters relating to the Abbey. Speaking from recollection of its contents, Rhys, Prince of South Wales in 1184, confirmed by his charter, at the Church of St. Bridget, Rhayader, his previous donation to the Abbey of the large possessions there described, in the presence of his army, stating in his charter that he began the building, and cherished it when built. There could be no doubt as to the authenticity of his charter, as it was confirmed by King Henry III, who must have been satisfied as to the fact. He considered it unimportant that Rhys ap Griffith did not in his charter claim to be the founder. It was unnecessary to say more than that he built and endowed the Abbey. With regard to the burning of the monastery, he thought that the Chronicle of St. Werburgh gave a satisfactory account of the cause of the fire. The Welsh Annals, under the date of 1286, merely recorded the occurrence of a fire-" combustio domorum apud Stratam Floridam"-without assigning the cause. The Chronicle of the Princes did no more. The Chronicle of St. Werburgh, the writer of which was contemporary with the event which he describes, states that twelve days before Christmas 1284, the bell-tower was struck by lightning at night, and that the fire, after destroying the tower, extended to the roof of the church, which was covered with lead, and burnt the whole of the church, except the presbytery, to the walls; a fact which receives confirmation from the frequent occurrence in all parts of the ruins of melted lead. This fire took place when Edward had completed his conquest of Wales in a time of peace. If the King's forces had set fire to the church, the Welsh annalists would have recorded the fact. The second fire, referred to in King Edward's licence to rebuild, took place in 1295, while Wales was in a state of insurrection on account of the King's

1 Both papers will appear in the January Number of the Arch. Camb. for 1889.

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