21 



and Congreve was not born to kill people under cover two miles off with his 

 death-dealing rockets. 



Another peculiarity, which shows how closely the natm-e of the site was 

 studied by the old engineers, is the position of the entrances. They are exactly 

 opposite to each other, but they are not in the middle of the oval. The great 

 entrance on the east is exactly at that point where the high ground outside 

 makes the approach easiest, while the AV. entrance is just at the part where the 

 approach is most diflScult, thus plainly showing that the latter was on the side 

 from which the attack was expected. 



From all these facts, in the absence of any historical record, I think we 

 may safely assign the formation of Kisbury Camp to the same period which 

 produced the great circumvallation of the Herefordshire Beacon. My friend, 

 Ml-. Edwin Lees, in his excellent lecture delivered on the spot, at the Club's 

 meeting in May, 1867, showed con^'incingly that the entrenchments of the Here- 

 fordshire Beacon belonged to the end of the ninth or beginning of the tenth 

 century, which was the period of the completion of the Saxon conquest. On 

 a smaller scale, Kisbury supplies all the same evidences of a comparatively 

 advanced state of civilisation, in the triijle line of defence, the skUfully adapted 

 plan, the elevated rampart, and the position and construction of the chief 

 approach. My theory as to the late jjeriod at which Risbury Camp was formed 

 is strengthened by the fact that it has no British or Roman name. It may have 

 been captured soon after its formation, or at least the Britons were so completely 

 extirpated from the spot that its British name, if it had one, was soon forgotten 

 The Saxon names of aU the neighbouring parishes show that the district was 

 at length entirely subdued and settled by the conquerors. Marston, Humber, 

 Hennor, Stoke,* Eyton, Ford, Docklow — are all proofs that the Saxon settled in 

 those places, driving out or reducing to thiaUs the natii'e population. The name 

 of Black-caer-dun is the only trace of the Briton left on the E. side of the 

 Lugg for many miles ; and that, it will be seen, in the prefix "Black," shows 

 that the Saxon became dominant there also. 



This arrangement of the defences illustrates a fact of history, which is 

 worth a passing reference. The so-called kingdom of Mercia is said to have 

 been founded by Crida in 580, but it would appear that throughout the whole 

 three centuries which elapsed until the time of its absorption by Egbert into 

 the kingdom of AVessex, it really existed only in the valleys and champaign 

 country. Wulforton (now corruptly written 'Woofferton) seems to have been the 

 abode of "\Tulf or King of INIercia in 656. It is situated in the low country some 

 eight miles N. of Risbiu-y. Even so late as 924, when the great Athelstan 

 stormed Malvern, and "drove the conquered Britons across the \V'ye,"t the 



* _It should be remembered that the Roman word vallus, the etymon of the word 

 "wall, " meant originally a stake driven into the ground, e.g. : "Induere se acutissimis 

 vallis aut stimuUs," — Caesar. This was precisely the Saxon stoc or stoke. 



t Chronicle of Brut : Sir F. Maiden's edition. 



