FLOWSR^S BARROW. 99 



alone is there any thing like a level entrance, offering an oppor- 

 tunity for carriage or vehicle of any sort, to enter into this 

 singular earth-work fortress of bye-gone days. Hutchins, in his 

 well known History of Dorset, gives this account respecting it. 

 '' About a mile east of Lulworth, and in that parish, on the top 

 of a very high hill, east of the creek, and on the west point of 

 the hills that run hence to Corfe, is a fortification, surrounded 

 by three ramparts and ditches. Its area is about five acres. It 

 has two entrances, one on the south east, the other on the south 

 west. The ramparts are very slight on the south next the sea, 

 where the cliff is almost perpendicular. Its shape is an oblong 

 square. Under it, a little south east, lies Worbarrow Bay. 

 The coimtry people call it * Flower's Barrow.' I submit it to 

 the judgment of the learned, whether it might not be a corrup- 

 tion of Florus' Barrow, from some Roman officer, under whose 

 direction it was formed. Mr. Aubrey," he adds, " calls it a 

 British Camp." In the second, and fuller edition of Hutchins, 

 this further additional notice is taken of the subject of our pre- 

 sent consideration. " The Rev. Mr. Milner, in writing to the 

 Editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, speaks of the hill as being 

 a steep and lofly moimtain, the top of which is crowned with a 

 bold double intrenchment of Roman or Barbaric workmanship. 

 If we pay any regard," he says, " to the conjecture of Mr. 

 Hutchins, who derives the name of Flower's Barrow from a 

 supposed Roman General of the name of Florus, the question 

 will be solved at once, what people raised this strong intrench- 

 ment. But we are to observe that he produces no proof what- 

 ever of any Roman General of the name of Florus, ever having 

 been in these parts : nor does the figure of the camp affect the 

 Roman Quadrangle ; but seems rather to humour the natural 

 shape of the hill. Indeed part of it, by some convulsion of na- 

 ture, appears to have simk below its original level ; while no 

 small part of it has fallen into the sea below, which at the depth 

 of seven hundred feet is for ever undermining its rocky base." 



It is remarkable that the foregoing account, given by Hutchins, 

 should on one point be so incorrect. He states that the fortifica- 

 tion consists of three ramparts and ditches. In reality, it must 

 be obvious to every one, who examines it, there are but two. 

 There is indeed a small earth-work extending about fifly yards in 

 length, on the plateau between the two ramparts, on the right 



