By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 549 



that on the west is wider than the other, and had on the top a 

 causeway by which the abbey was approached.^ On the west side 

 of this causeway was a pond 500 feet from north to south and 

 averaging 130 feet in width, which was also supplied by water 

 from the high ground, and formed the mill-pond. The western 

 ditch of the precinct was used as the mill leat, and runs from the 

 pond to the river. At slightly more than half-way down this 

 ditch was a small pond, beyond which northward the ditch is 

 destroyed by a farmyard, but shows again immediately to the nortli 

 of the farm buildings. 



The ditch on the north side was supplied by water from the 

 river, which was tapped a little above the precinct. This ditch 

 runs in a straight line to the north-west angle of the precinct, 

 where it joins the western ditch before emptying into the 

 river, and had an overflow to the river opposite the main block of 

 buildings. 



In addition to the main ditches there is a wide ditch running 

 from the middle of the east ditch, some 500 feet, directly towards 

 the claustral buildings, and then turning southward for over 100 

 feet. Another ditch joins the last, from the south ditch, at about 

 200 feet from the east ditch. An overflow from the middle ditch, 

 runs to the north ditch nearly parallel with and 300 feet from the 

 east ditch. These cross ditches divide the eastern part of the 

 precinct into two islands, in the northern of which is a small fish- 

 pond. 



Besides all these ditches are the remains of another- just in front 



' When the abbey was founded the country between it and Chippenham, 

 which is all low lying, must have been impassable and the onlj' approach was 

 from the high land on the east and south, across which a road led from Bath 

 to London, crossing the Avon at Eaybridge and over Nash Hill. Though 

 Aubrey states [Wiltx Collections, Devizes, 1862, 90), that Sir William 

 Sharrington made llaybridge to divert the travelling by his house, there is 

 little doubt it existed long before, as "pontem de Lacoc " is mentioned in the 

 charter of the Empress Maud already quoted. The old road occurs as a 

 boundary in a charter of Reginald Pavely to the abbey (Bowles, History of 

 Bremhill, 110. " Totam illam partem quae est subtus viam antiquam quae 

 tendit a Stodleia ad Divisas.") 



* This was nearly filled up when the new house was built, and is marked 

 chiefly by a high bank on its east side. 



