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was but one little piece of " walled wood grou nd " where an 

 ambush could have been laid. Near the spot just named, still 

 is to be seen by the side of the high road a deep hollow ditch at 

 one side, evidently the old road which must have been rather 

 like a Devonshire lane. The other road through Turley, Winsley 

 and Conkwell would have presented more physical obstacles and 

 have also been farther ; and besides, the armies would have been 

 in sight of each other long before they reached Warleigh Woods, 

 or the line of Monkton Farleigh Down. That they should have 

 marched on the left bank of the river may be dismissed for still 

 stronger reasons. It would have been the wrong side for their 

 purpose of keeping between Waller under fire ; and at Westwood, 

 Freshford, Limpley Stoke and Monkton Combe were defiles which 

 might have been defended easily, as the road most of the way 

 follows the valley of the Avon with steep hills on both sides. 

 The circumstances mentioned in the letters, that " in the chase 

 and not before the Royalists perceived Waller's army drawn up 

 on Claverton Down " exactly tallies with the site of the battle as 

 described by Lord Hopton ; as until the position at Monkton 

 Farleigh was won, the rise of the ground would prevent the 

 Royalists from seeing the Claverton Down. 



Rushworth giving the authorized Parliamentarian account of 

 this battle says "that the Royal Army having come within two 

 miles of Fourd Hill, Waller sent Major Davet to secure the pass at 

 Fourd Bridge." Fourd Hill means Bathford Hill. Fourd Bridge 

 existed at that time, but the real pass was at Warleigh where was 

 a bridge at the time, and this could be best secured by occupying 

 the southern end of Fourd Hill — i.e., Monkton Farleigh Down 

 and Warleigh Hill. Warleigh would have been naturally named 

 as the locality, but was probably not known to writers, though 

 Ford or Bathford was well known, and Warleigh is only a part 

 of the Manor of Ford. In making the attack on Claverton 

 Redoubt, cannon no doubt would have been employed to support 

 the attack, and this accounts for the cannon balls found at 

 Claverton. 



