CARL S WARK. I 77 



must he admitted that the subject is difficult to treat without 

 the aid of ample illustrations. Imagine a vast table, with a 

 top area of about 600 feet by 200 feet (narrowing to less than 

 130 feet at the western end), rising high above a boggy moor, 

 its rocky sides of dark millstone-grit perpendicular on the 

 north, and partly so on the east and south, while on the west 

 a more gradual slope descends to the moor. 



The morass-like character of the immediate surroundings 

 no doubt aided defence, and to this day, in ordinary seasons, 

 care is needful if one would arrive dry-shod on the spot. 



The forces of nature have dealt terribly with this moorland 

 fortress : great stones, once component parts of the wall, lie 

 scattered upon the slopes below ; but on the northern side the 

 huge natural wall is practically perfect, towering perpendicu- 

 larly, high above the surrounding moor. The rock-strewn 



Sectioa 0} w£steriv wall 



surface of the fort is nearly level with the top of these walls, 

 excepting on the narrow western side, where we find that the 

 builders cast up a rampart of earth, about 20 feet in thickness, 

 facing it outside with a wall of stones.* This remarkable 

 wall is dry-built, and remains tolerably perfect on this, the one 

 weak side of the fort, which was further protected by scarping 

 the we.stern slope. Along the base of this .scarping, the way of 

 access wound up to a path which is hedged by walls of masonry, 

 passing at the south-west angle into the fort. Huge stones 

 were added to the natural wall on the southern side where 

 necessary, some being from 6 ft. to 9 ft. in length, and possibly 

 the southern and eastern sides have been strengthened by earth 

 thrown up outside ; but, in the main, Carl's Wark may be said 



* Unfortunately a portion of the wall and rampart has been removed to 

 make an approach at the north-western end. 



