THE mVEES RIB AND QTJIN. 127 



now living on the estate, remembers the last deer being removed 

 from Hamels, which was formerly an extensive deer-park. 



Nearly opposite Hamels the Rib receives its most important 

 tribiitary, the Quin, and on the pi-omontory formed by their 

 junction are the remains of an ancient fortification, probably Roman, 

 iSalmon, in 1728, in his 'History of Hertfordshire ' (p. 227), thus 

 describes the camp as it existed in his day ; and, by attentively 

 examining the ground, much of this description can still be re- 

 cognized : — 



"As to Remains, the Town [Brauf/Iu'tiff^ has been antient De- 

 mense, and hath still some Ruins of its Grandeur, giving Name to 

 the Deanry and Hundred. On the West Side the J^roiine-street, 

 now the Camhridge Road, we find the Traces 'of a Roman Camp. 

 In Larks Field, which faceth the South East Sun, is a kind of 

 Promontory above the Confluence of the Rib and the Qam, by 

 Nature defended by a steep and high Bank. Yet the Fortification 

 of the Camp is not at the Pi'ecipice, but fifteen or twenty Yards 

 within it. There are yet to be seen, notwithstanding the scratch- 

 ing of the Plough and Harrow, and turning of Carts for Harvest 

 and Manuring, from the Road Westward, a Vallum almost cross 

 the Field, and about ten Y'^ards without that, another. These may 

 probably have been levelled to the Height they are at present, to 

 make way for the Plough. On the South was the Entrance, and 

 there yet seems between the opening of each Vallum, another across 

 to obstruct the Passage, so that one must make a semi-lunar Turn 

 to get into the Camp. At the South West Corner it is rounded off, 

 and carried on again Northward to the End of the Field, defended 

 by a triple Vallum. No more of the Dimensions are to be followed ; 

 but by the Figure of the Ground, and its lying so much above the 

 common Field, I should take it to be an Oblong, extending itself 

 as far as Down Field : And that it took in what is called the 

 Saffron Ground, and the small Inclosures between that and Larks 

 Field, bounded by the Military Way : And that the Lane going at 

 present from Hull to Braughing, went through the middle of it. 

 The whole I guess might be 40 Acres. Next to Doivn Field is 

 another called West Attick, derived probably from Aultwick or 

 Auldwick, from the high or the antient Building there, in which 

 were in 1725 ploughed up two large Stones, which look as if they 

 were the Foundation of a Building : And in the upper Corner of 

 the same, the Earth lies in Holes and Hillocks, as if some Foundations 

 had been dug up. Just by is a Wood called Camps Wood, which 

 might formerly have been larger, and extended itself to the Camp." 



On the right bank of the Rib, not far from the railway-station, 

 are apparently vestiges of another fortification, possibly an advanced 

 work to protect the ford, or the exterior line of a system of which 

 the works on Bingley Wood (for so the hill is named) might have 

 been the citadel. 



Within fifty yards of the railway-station have been found very 

 many coins, much pottery, and other remains, all evidently Roman, 

 60 there can be but little doubt that this was a Roman station, 



