Oliver's Camp, Devizes. 409 



possible, something of its history. The work was carried on for 

 three weeks, and on an average six men were employed daily 

 under our constant supervision. 



The earlier antiquaries, who have noticed the site, have generally 

 regarded it as Roman,^ but their guesses are of little real value, 

 and no attempt seems ever to have been made before to unearth 

 its history. Nor is there any record of finds in or near the camp 

 which might have helped to identify some of its ancient occupiers.^ 



The site has enjoyed the distinction of being one of the five 

 places in Wessex where Alfred's great victory over the Danes at 

 the battle of Ethan dune may have been fought in A.D. 878. The 

 name of Heddington, the village at the foot of the downs a little 

 to the north of the camp, is regarded as perhaps the modern 

 equivalent of the ancient Ethandune, and Oliver's Camp itself as 

 possibly the fortress in which the Danes were besieged by Alfred 

 after his victory. A recent writer has contended that Heddington 

 and Oliver's Camp have a better claim to this honour than either 

 the Edington near Westbury, or that near Hungerford, but it is 



' " On the utmost part of Rundway Hill that overlooks the town (Devizes) 

 there is a square single trenched camp, which seems to point out to us the 

 presence of the Romans in those parts." — Gibson's Camden, p. 103. 



" On Roundway Down is a Roman Campe." — Aubrey MS. Coll. 



" Upon the edge of the hill ... is another pretty little Roman camp 

 . . of a square form, as if not finished or made but for a small time of 

 abode upon an expedition — for neither vallum nor ditch of great strength ; 

 it is situate ... on high ground the steepness thereof is a guard to 

 three sides of it, the other has the slender vallum made chiefly of the earth 

 thrown up a little." — Stukeley's Antiquities, vol. i., p. 136. 



"There might have been an exploratory camp of the Romans on this hill." 

 — Hoare, quoting Cunnington. — Anc. Wilts, North, p. 97-8. 



" This small earthwork may have been an exploratory post of the Romans ; 

 its character appears more Roman than British." — Dr. Thurnam, Crania 

 Brit., vol. ii., p. 4. 



- The Rev. A. C. Smith, in his British and Moman Antiq., p. 67, seems to 

 refer to Gough's edition of Camden as an authority for the discovery of 

 numerous Roman coins, &c., on the site, but Gough clearly means the 

 neighbourhood of Devizes as a whole, and not the neighbourhood only of 

 the camp. 



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