124 ABURY AND SILBURY HILL. 



winding avenues of stones, one of which went in the direction 

 of Beckhamptou, and the other in that of Kennet, where it 

 ended in another double circle. Stukely supposed that the 

 idea of the whole was that of a snake transmitted through a 

 circle; the Kennet circle representing the head, the Beckhamp- 

 ton avenue the tail. Midway between the two avenues stood 

 Silbury Hill, the largest artificial mound in Europe, measuring 

 no less than 130 feet in height. At one time it was no doubt 

 even higher. From its position it appears to form part of 

 the general plan, and though it has been twice examined, no 

 primary interment has been found in it. On the whole, this 

 appears to have been the finest megalithic ruin in Europe ; 

 but, unfortunately for us, the pretty little village of Abury, 

 like some beautiful parasite, has grown up at the expense, 

 and in the midst, of the ancient temple, and out of 650 great 

 stones, not above 20 are still standing. 



Mr. Fergusson* has attempted to prove that both Stone- 

 henge and Abury belong to post-Eoman times. " The Eoman. 

 road," he says, "from Bath to Marlborough, either passes 

 under Silbury Hill, or makes a sudden bend to get round it 

 in a manner that no Komaii road, in Britain at least, was 



ever known to do From a careful examination of all the 



circumstances of the case, the conclusion seems inevitable 

 that Silbury Hill stands on the Eoman road, and consequently 

 must have been erected subsequently to the time of the Eomans 

 leaving the country." 



Startled by this argument, and yet satisfied that there 

 must be some error, I turned to the Ordnance map, and 

 found, to my surprise, that the Eoman road was distinctly 

 laid down as passing, not under, but at the side of, Silbury 

 Hill. Not content with this, I persuaded Professor Tyndall 

 to visit the locality with me, and we convinced ourselves 

 that upon this point the map was quite correct. The impres- 



* Rude Stone Monuments. 



