134 ANCIENT ENTRENCHMENTS AT 



the river Roding, and at a short distance from it, is a double 

 trench and bank ; at the north-west corner was an outlet to a very 

 fine spring of water, which was guarded by an inner work, and a high 

 keep or mound of earth. Mr. Lethieullier thinks that this entrench- 

 ment was too large for a camp ; his opinion therefore is that it was 

 the site of a Roman town. He confesses that no traces of buildings 

 have been found on that spot, which he accounts for on the supposi- 

 tion that the materials were used for building Barking Abbey, and 

 for repairing it after it was burnt by the Danes. As a confirmation 

 of this opinion he relates that upon viewing the ruins of the Abbey 

 Church in 1750 he found the foundations of one of the great pillars 

 composed in part of Roman bricks. A coin of Magnentius was found 

 also among the ruins." 



This record is quoted in all later works, either in full or in a 

 modified form, such as : " The Beauties of England and Wales," 

 1803; "The History of Essex," by Wright, 1831-5 ; "The People's 

 History of Essex," by D. W. CoUer, 1861, and many books of later 

 date. 



The only addition we find is in Mrs. E. Ogborne's " History of 

 Essex" (1814). She says that the Mount was then "about 94 yards 

 round the base, and about nine in height on the side of the river," 

 and adds: " The extent and shape are nearly the same as that at 

 Pleshy, in this county, which Mr. Strutt describes (" Strutt's Chron.," 

 vol. i.), 'as a full mile in circumference not far wide of the long 

 square, with the corners gently rounded off; and of this form are 

 the greater part of the Roman Camps discovered in England.' " 



On page 42 is the only view hitherto published, a pretty vignette 

 of the Mound as it then appeared with trees growing upon it, which 

 was drawn and engraved by her husband, John Ogborne. This is 

 now reproduced as an illustration. 



Coming down to recent times, I cannot find that any plan has 

 ever been published, except those on the Ordnance Survey Maps, 

 on which mine is based. 



No investigation has ever been made, nor am I aware that any 

 finds of pottery, coins, or implements of any kind have been found, 

 or, at any rate, recorded, that would in any way furnish a distinct 

 clue to its origin. Excavations would be necessary to determine 

 this with any accuracy. 



Although it was visited by the Essex Archaeological Society on 

 June 2ist, 1859, no record is preserved in their Transactions, though 

 incidentally it is mentioned as a Roma7i Camp. On that occasion 



