Itm., ye table of ye ten commandments, a table of ye

injonctions.

Itm., a chest for ye pore mens box.

Itm., of reiester boke for crystyngs and buryalls.

Itm., a booke for ye pore menes boxe howe ye mony is

expended.

Itm., tow old chestes in ye vestry.

On an ancient Timber Roadway across the River Wensum at Fye Bridge, Norwich,

COMMUNICATED BY

THE REV. W. HUDSON, M.A., F.S.A.,

Hon. Editorial Secretary.

THE streets of Norwich1 have for some time past been turned up in all directions for the purpose of carrying out a new scheme of drainage, an operation productive of much discomfort to the inhabitants, but occasionally fruitful in discoveries of antiquarian interest. Such has been the case during the progress of the work along the streets on both sides of Fye Bridge, and especially in crossing through the bed of the river at that spot. There has been revealed a long series of old piles buried not only under the street, but also in the bed of the river. They have manifestly been connected with some primitive method of crossing the river, but it is by no means

1 At the outset of this communication I am anxious to disclaim a merit which in no way belongs to me. The information as to all the details of the interesting discovery here described has been furnished to me from time to time by Mr. F. R. Beecheno and Mr. A. S. King of Carrow, who perseveringly watched the progress of the work, and carefully noted all that was found. To Mr. King in particular the Society is indebted for the descriptions within inverted commas, and for the plans which so usefully illustrate them.

easy to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion as to the exact purpose of the work in its original construction, or its date and probable constructors.

I.-Piles, &c., found under the present streets.

The piles were first found in the early part of the year 1896 in the roadway of Wensum Street while the excavation was proceeding between the foot of Elm Hill, near the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude, and the river at Fye Bridge The chalk, on which the church stands, falls rapidly away towards the north into what was the primitive bed of the river, the peaty deposit of which lies about 10 ft. below the level of the present road. All along this line of street the remains of a large number of piles were found in situ driven through the peaty soil into the gravel below. (See Plates I. and II.).

When the drainage work was afterwards being carried out on the other side of the bridge a like series of piles in similar profusion was found at the same depth below the street between the bridge and Fishgate Street opposite to St. Clement's Church. This spot marks the boundary of the old river bed with its peaty deposit towards the north, as the corresponding spot just mentioned marks its boundary towards the south. The northern boundary, however, does not, as the southern, abut at once on the chalk, but on the valley gravel, which is there met with about 8 ft. below the present road.

All the piles are of oak, and are blackened with exposure for many centuries to the marsh bog. There are two forms, as will be easily recognised in the sectional drawings shown on Plate III. About half are squared oak balks, with long square-pointed toes, and