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Hon. Mrs. Harley, Miss Singleton, Miss Sophia Singleton, and another lady, 
who gave the Club a cordial welcome and the honour of their company during the 
day’s excursion. A start was at once made under the guidance of Mr. Charles 
Fortey, for the camp, Coxwall Knoll, (from Cychawl Cnol, a boat-shaped hill), 
which is a bold isolated hill, some 800 feet above sea level. The easiest approach 
is from the north side, and was the one taken, but under a hot sun it was a steep 
climb to the wooded summit. The camp is really double, two ovals, side-by-side, 
surrounded by a common fortification and divided by a very bold and steep 
northern rampart, so that if the lower southern side—that facing the Roman 
camp, at Brandon, were taken, there would still be the ditch and steep embank- 
ment, of this higher northern and inner camp to be overcome. It is important to 
remember this when the account given by Tacitus is literally relied on, for these 
higher embankments, plainly visible from Brandon, might themselves form the 
third obstacle (imminentia juga) to be encountered by the soldiers of Ostorius. 
The ditch between the two portions of the camp contains the pools which supplied 
its defenders with water, and it may be added also that this ditch now forms the 
lines of separation between the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire. To 
explore properly this most interesting camp would be a day’s work, rendered 
difficult as it now is by the underwood and tall trees which cover its whole surface. 
It was intended to read the first paper in full view of the camp at Brandon, 
situated about two miles off on a slight eminence in the plain below, but the 
trees prevented this, and so, selecting a spot from which it ought to have been 
seen, the following paper was read :— 
“THE SITE OF THE LAST BATTLE OF CARACTAOCUS.” 
By the Rey. CHARLES Burroucn M.A., Rector of Eaton Bishop. 
In the view it is proposed to take of the last battle of Caractacus, “ Coxwall 
Knoll ” is the central feature. 
Here it was, I suppose, that the final clash of arms was heard, which was not 
hushed till the British were defeated, and their hero put to flight at ‘‘ Caer 
Caradoc.” 
I had the honour of reading papers on this subject before the ‘‘ Caradoc Field 
Club,” in 1877 and 1878, and in justice to myself, and apology to you, I might well 
pause to explain how little time I have been able to give for the collection of fresh 
facts, or arguments in support of the theory you are invited to consider. But 
while I cannot pass on to our subject without asking your indulgence in criticizing 
this attempt to settle a question, which, perhaps from the want of data, can 
never be satisfactorily disposed of, it would be discourteous if, in doing so, I did 
not confess a sense of inadequateness to the occasion, asI am put forward to day 
to act as the pioneer of gentlemen, far more qualified than I, in antiquarian and 
historical research, to deal with this most interesting inquiry. 
My argument is founded mainly on what Tacitus tells us in his Annals 
(Book xii., 31.36) accepting what he says as an accurate though concise history; 
