12 ins. by 10. There was much wall plaster, but most of it soon crumbled away, yet we secured sufficient to get an idea of the scheme of colouring. It was evident that the walls had been plastered and coloured twice. In the first case the plaster had been coloured in bands of pink and green, and also of red and yellow, over this, at a later date, a coating of plaster half an inch thick had been laid on and painted in bands of yellow and green, and also in bands of red and white with a narrow line of black between these two last colours. Pieces of plaster were exposed disclosing the earlier scheme of decoration and to the surfaces of these pieces were attached portions of plaster revealing the later scheme. In one case the lines of colour run horizontally, in the other perpendicularly or vice versa. A quantity of charcoal was discovered, and with it a broken saucerlike vessel of yellowish pottery, decorated with brownish lines arranged chevronwise; near this charcoal was a quantity of oyster shells, and a three-sided arrow-point of iron measuring about an inch and a quarter from the point to the end of the tang. Another saucer-like vessel of fine black pottery was found, fragments of coarse black pottery, some bones and teeth of ox, sheep, dog, and pig, a few small bones of birds, a lump of lead, and a coin of Gallienus.

Lying north-east of the last pavement, with their corners (N.E. and S.W.) almost contiguous, was a third pavement (Fig. 6) which, when uncovered, measured twenty-one feet by seven. The design is composed of a series of broad bands of red and white tesseræ, the inner ones ending abruptly at a central square of white with a broad border of red. Three coins were found during the work of uncovering this floor, one of Victorinus, another of Tetricus, and a third we were unable to identify. We found more fragments of coarse black pottery, a broken bronze buckle, some bits of glass, a little piece of twisted lead, a few oyster shells, nails and hooks, stone tiles, lumps

of mortar, pieces of chalk, and small portions of wall plaster bearing traces of a reddish brown colouring, this last was so friable that it crumbled on being touched.

On the south-east edge of the eminence we unearthed a block of masonry, but unfortunately our excavations at this point were brought to a close.

It is intended to resume excavating as soon as favourable weather returns.

I desire to offer my best thanks to Mr. Eastwood and Mr. J. Bilson, F.S.A., who have made and prepared the illustrations for this paper; and I also offer, on behalf of myself and all interested in the find, most hearty thanks to Mr. St. Quintin for his generous help, and to Mr. Piercy for his kind co-operation.

THE

Some bowdenshire Villages.

By COLONEL SALTMARSH, late R.A.

'HE writer's object in this and succeeding articles is partly to record information illustrative of ancient village history and land tenure in Howdenshire, and partly to enrol in the Society's Journal material which from time to time he has collected, and which may in the future be of use to some one undertaking a history of the district.

He acknowledges with gratitude the assistance he has received from Mr. A. S. Ellis, quite the greatest authority on Howdenshire, Howdenshire, who has placed the valuable results of his researches at his disposal, the ready help afforded him at all times by Mr. Salisbury, of the Record Office, and the courtesy of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who have given him free access to their muniments.

LAXTON.

Laxton is a township with a population of about 250, and an acreage, including that of the detached land,1 of 1118, with a rateable value of £2761. It is situate half-a-mile north of the Ouse, Saltmarshe intervening, and 3 miles south-east of Howden. The Hull and Doncaster section of the North-Eastern Railway runs through it, but the village station, 3 miles from Goole, is named after the adjacent township out of compliment to the principal landowner. With the exception of a house or two and a few acres in the village, Mr. Saltmarshe is the sole proprietor. Laxton now gives name to a parish which was formed in 1858 and includes Cotness, Metham, Saltmarshe, and Yokefleet, but it is with the township only that we are dealing at present.

1 The Bishop soil allotment of about 135 acres quite detached from Laxton proper, the acreage of which is about 980.