By B. Stallyhrass. 415 



remains which point to its being also of the Eonian period. Finally, 

 from the middle of May to the end of Jnne, a small rectangular 

 building on the inner Ashley Wood Down was uncovered, and 

 yielded remains of the 15th centur3^ Only one labourer was em- 

 ployed throughout the whole of the time, and none of the sites 

 were completely explored, but sufficient was done to justify certain 

 opinions being formed. The cost of the work was defrayed by 

 Captain J. A. Morrison. 



In regard to the Withy Beds site, the field previous to the 

 beginning of the building work showed certain features of an 

 apparently artificial character which must now be briefly noticed. 

 The field, which is diamond-shaped, slopes upwards at an inclination 

 of one foot in ten, on the line of its lesser diagonal, from south to 

 north, where it is separated by a very large ditch from the steeper 

 wooded "Kidge" of greensand above. A terrace about 20ft wide runs 

 parallel to the ditch and at a distance of 60ft. below it. At its 

 upper end it juts forward in a little headland ; below and to the 

 eastward of this a small plateau afforded a site for the rebuilding 

 of the old manor house. 



In digging the foundations for the house no remains were 

 discovered, or, if discovered, no notice was taken of them by the 

 workmen employed. It was not until digging drains in November, 

 1903, that pieces of brown pottery were discovered, which, with 

 some hesitation, the writer judged to be Eomano-British. A 

 careful watch for further remains left no doubt as to the character 

 of the finds. Brown and grey Eomano-British ware, a piece of 

 New Forest ware, a piece of red ware such as the " trituration " 

 dishes and " imitation Samian " ware are made of ; two pieces of 

 a bracelet of Kimmeridge shale, estimated diameter 2^in. ; and 

 lastly, the greater portion of a lov/er quernstone 15in. in diameter, 

 turned up on the line of drain ; while at two points [A and C] pits 

 were cut across, and at another [1^] a band of black earth 1ft. tiiick 

 and 18in. below the surface. A layer of small rubble stones 

 overlay this band, and on the lower side larger blocks intervened 

 between it and the undisturbed ground, but could not be recognised 

 as a wall. The pit at C was immediately below the little headland 



