186 ON THE BRITISH ANTIQUITIES OF WAK WICKSHIRK. 



iMany ancient fortifications have, in later times, been called by 

 the incorrect appellation of " Castle Hill :" the British fortress at 

 Brailes is thus called. At Castle Bromwich, too, the works are 

 evidently, in character, British ; and at Fillongley is a circular 

 fortification called Castle Hill, which presents the appearance of a 

 small camp, and close to this is a farm called the Bitry farm. Bury 

 being a very usual Saxon term to denote a fortification. Now, had 

 there really been castles on the sites of all or any of these places, 

 we should, in all probability, have had some notice on record re- 

 specting them ; but on examination we shall find such not to be 

 the case. We should, therefore, investigate closely the locality of 

 the spots which are so called, and not depend merely on the name 

 which may have been affixed, by conjecture, in later times. Two 

 more earthworks in this county merely require to be noticed ; that 

 near Lapworth, called Arbury Banks, which is said to be a Roman 

 camp, and a fortification about six miles north of Warwick. 



Such are the principal remains of British antiquity in this county, 

 though I am far from asserting I have noticed all the vestiges of its 

 early population, or even of ancient fortification. To the unobser- 

 vant it may, indeed, seem absurd and inconclusive from broken 

 pieces of pottery, inequalities in the soil, and other trifling indica- 

 tions, to deduce evidence of the identity of the primeval inhabitants 

 of the land, and to distinguish between them and its later possessors. 



It must, however, be confessed that on these points there is often 

 room for much speculation, since the obscurity which envelopes the 

 early history of our country renders all inquiries of this kind not 

 only attended with many difficulties, but our determination concern- 

 ing them oftentimes uncertain ; yet, though we may have little 

 hopes of finding out the immediate object of our researches, we are 

 stimulated to persevere by the remembrance of the many important 

 facts which others before us, labouring under still greater disadvan- 

 tages, have elucidated. 



There are, however, certain ancient remains respecting which 

 little or no doubt exists as to whom we should ascribe them ; and 

 these are the sepulchral barrows or tumuli of the British chieftains 

 and their families. These may be considered, both with regard to 

 their internal contents, as also with respect to their local position. 

 We perceive the greater number of them to be so situated in the 

 brow of a hill, or on high ground, as to afford, at a considerable 

 distance, a directing point. Many of them are, also, to be found 

 along the line of the Wattling-street and the Foss roads ; some were 

 placed close by the side of the road, as the Pilgrim's Lowe, a tumu- 



