the name indicates, was formerly divided into two parishes, designated Maqna and Parra. Each had a church and separate parsonage; but in 1662, when the parishes were consolidated, the church of the smaller and the vicarage of the larger, being out of repair, were pulled down. The smaller vicarage was then attached to the larger church, which stands at a considerable distance. The arch of the west doorway in the tower of this church appears to have been constructed with Roman tiles, and this may satisfactorily explain the ruinous condition of the hypocausts in the adjacent villa now laid bare. As the smaller church seems to have stood within two fields of the foundations recently discovered in Chinnels, a large portion of them were in all probability used in its construction. The only vestige of this church now remaining is a curious piscina, the bason of which is placed on a stone column, being formed within the capital, which is ornamented with foliated patterns of a Romanesque character. This stands on the lawn in the vicarage grounds; and, in a part of the same garden, some years since a number of skeletons were found, doubtless indicating the site of the grave-yard of the demolished church; an old door in a barn on the opposite side of the road may probably have been taken from the sacred structure thus demolished in the XVIIth century."
We are indebted to Mr. Neville's kindness for the ground-plan of the villa which is here given (See woodcut). The site lies west of Wenden church, and to the south of the road which leads from that place to Arkesden. Several Roman relics, found in the course of the exploration of this villa, have been noticed in this Journal.[1] A bronze armilla and ring set with a glass paste and there discovered were exhibited by Mr. Neville at the Meeting in April last. Amongst the coins which have enriched his cabinet from this locality may be mentioned one of Cunobeline, regarded by the Rev. Beale Poste as an inedited type. He has kindly given the following observations on this coin. "The reverse is very similar to that of the coin represented by Ruding, Plate V. fig. 33, which has on the obverse the head of Jupiter, whilst the Wenden coin presents an obverse nearly the same as that of figs. 34 and 37, in the same plate, which appears intended to portray Apollo. The coin newly discovered may be thus described.—Obv., head of Apollo to the right; inscription partly obliterated, appearing to read—TA(SC). Rev., a horseman galloping to the right, wielding an object resembling a staff; the inscription partly intercepted by the rim, but apparently reading—V(ER). The object in the warrior's hand may have been the carnyx, or military trumpet, which occurs on some of the coins of Verulam, and which was used by commanders amongst the Celts to rally their troops, as has been shown by the Marquis de Lagoy in his Essay on the arms and warlike appliances of the Gauls, p. 25."
The piscina, mentioned above by Mr. Neville as existing at Wenden, bears some resemblance to that found by Mr. Lower at Pevensea Castle (see woodcut, in this volume of the Journal, p. 83.) The character of the sculpture is of an earlier period.
Mr. Ashurst Majendie gave a short notice of certain tombs of the De Veres, preserved at Earls Colne, Essex, and he exhibited drawings executed by Mr. Parish of Colchester. One of these memorials had attracted the notice of Horace Walpole, as appears in his letters to Montague. These monuments were removed from the Priory church, and Weever notices
- ↑ Journal, vol. x. pp. 170, 357.
