46 



" The dead bodies of sucli as were xlain in thi> field were not lain in the graves, 

 but were placed on the ground, and covered with turves or clods of earth ; and 

 the more in reputation the person had been, the greater and higher were the turves 

 raised over their bodies. This some used to call ' biriging,' some ' beorging ' of the 

 dead, all being one thing, though differently iironounced ; and from hence we yet 

 retain our speech of ' burying the dead,' that is ' hiding the dead.' " Mr. Thomas 

 Wright, in his interesting book, Wanderings of an Antiquary, says "'burys,'or 

 ' burrows ' are sometimes found within the intrenchments on hill-tops .... 

 and such elevated spots were favourite places of burial," but he also says " ' bury' 

 may mean ' beorg,' or ' burgh,' from the Anglo-Saxon verb 'beorgam,' to defend ; 

 and it was i:sed to denote the residence of the earlier Anglo-Saxon chiefs, when 

 surrounded by an earthen wall or entrenchment .... and when we find," 

 he concludes, " the word 'borough,' or 'burrow,' or 'bury,' in the name of such 

 entrenchments, it seems to me that we have a primary presunijition that it may 

 have been a Saxon inansion " (pp. 207 — 209). The meaning, therefore, of the name 

 " Woldbury,"uiay be said to be the dwelling-place of a Saxon, or Anglo-Saxon, ruler. 



There is a tradition that assigns the western bastion at the chief, or northern, 

 entrance of the camp, as a tumulus, or burial-place of a British chieftain ; but, 

 though much more massive than its fellow, it defends the weakest point of the 

 camp, and would naturally be made the largest. The centre of this bastion is 

 occupied by a yew tree, measuring 7ft. 9in, in circumference, at two feet from the 

 ground ; and at some ten yards distance are four yew-trees, planted 6ft. apart, east 

 and west, and Oft. north and south, and closely approximating to the points of the 

 compass. The dimensions of these trees are as follows — The north tree, 5ft. lin. ; 

 the south, 4ft. Gin. ; the east, 4ft. 2in. ; and the west, 4ft. lOin. in circumference. 

 On the same mound were also three other yew-trees, measuring in feet and inches 

 — 3.3, 5.9, and 6.2. These trees cannot be more than three centuries old, and if 

 their funereal character has given rise to the burial tradition, the interment must 

 have been of a comparatively recent date. 



The camp itself occupies the ridge which forms the summit of the hill. It is 

 long and narrow, and slightly curved in direction from the entrenchments follow- 

 ing the shape of the hill. Its inner area is 612 yards, or upwards of a third of a mile, 

 long, by a varying width of 46 yards, 78 yards, and 111 yards. It is divided by a 

 hedge into an orchard of about 4 acres, and a larch plantation of 6:^ acres. On the 

 north and eastern sides, from the natural steepness of the hill, there is but a single 

 entrenchment, but on the western side, there are double lines of defence, and to- 

 wards the southern entrance the embankments are large. 



The only supply of water is obtained from the outer fosse on the south-western 

 side, which is deepened into a pool 138 feet long, and the approaches to it are 

 guarded by a high bastion behind it. The water was fresh and good, and a small 

 spring was flowing into it from the groimd of the camp above. This spring would 

 certainly fail in dry summers, but the absence of any outflow was explained by the 

 fact of a pipe being laid from it to supply a cottage below. The nearest good 

 water supply from springs is at the Dockwell Farm, above a quarter of a mile from 

 the camp. 



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