164 
the enemy, moved up the opposite side of the valley. And to 
have camped on Stoke Down would have entailed a long march 
on his tired men and left not only the Gloucester Road exposed, 
but the road which then led from Cold Ashton to Bath completely 
open to Hopton. How Waller reached the Lansdown side of the 
Avon from Claverton is an interesting question of which I do not 
know the solution. The way by the Old Bridge appears too great 
a detour. Did he cross at Bathampton, or was there any other 
ford nearer the city? It was* July, and the river would probably 
be low. 
Waller, in my opinion, after sending a troop of horse to Marsh- 
field to follow up the enemy, rested for the night near the chapel, 
and prepared the Long Wall at this the narrowest part of the 
Down, for his possible retreat, and then early in the morning raised 
his breastworks on the north edge of tho Down, and when he 
finally retreated marched his men across the open down until 
he reached Rough Lane, or he may have descended the slope 
where Winifred Lane now runs to the open ground on the 
Common, the Ring, and the Barton Fields. No general would 
have shut his men in the Weston Lane down which they could 
only march slowly and with difficulty when he could retire them 
quickly out of range on an open plain ; in addition to which 
Weston Lane is far to the right, and would leave the main road 
open, besides increasing the distance by nearly a mile. 
It was too by this main road over Lansdown that Charles I 
rode into the city in 1644, for no other place answers the following 
description :—‘‘ tHis Majestie being met at the bottom of the hill 
going downe into the town by Lord Hopton, Sir Thomas Bridge 
and divers other gentlemen.” And here I believe the Mayor met 
Queen Annet with a sedan and offered to have her carried down to 
* (5th, 1643.] 
+ Symond’s Diary, p. 20, Camden Society, 
{ Bath Field Club Proceedings, vol. vii, p. 231. 
