50 



to protect them from their troublesome neighbours. The more 

 effectually to do this he planted garrisons among them, and 

 subsequently Ostorius Scapula, a general who succeeded Plautius, 

 built a chain of fortified posts or camps from the Avon to the 

 Severn, which have been supposed to be those at Old Sodbury, 

 Uley-bury, Pains wick, Bredon Hill, and some others, the remains 

 of which are still visible along the brow of the Cotswold Hills, 

 overlooking the Vale. 



The Dobuni being thus favourably disposed to and allied with 

 the Eomans, the latter rapidly settled in and colonised the pro- 

 vince. That the Eomans had a station or settlement of some 

 kind at Berkeley I think there can be no doubt ; most probably 

 a fortified camp or military post, to secure the passage across 

 the Severn to Aylburton, near Lydney, where they had an 

 important settlement. Eound this the natives would naturally 

 gather, and thus a town would in time be formed. Coins, tiles 

 or bricks, sculptured stones, and other relics of Eoman occupation 

 have been found ; the form of the town, four streets meeting in 

 the centre or Forum, is adduced by Fosbroke in support of its 

 Eoman origin ; a Soman road called Eidgeway, which Fosbkoke 

 supposes to have run in this direction, but which he failed to 

 find, exactly corresponds in the description of it, which he quotes 

 from the register of St. Augustine's Abbey, with the road from 

 the Eidge near Symondshall to Dursley ; this road again is a 

 continuation in nearly a straight line of the Acman Street, which 

 Fosbkoke says Mr. Leman paced from Cirencester towards the 

 Severn as far as Symondshall ; continued in a straight line across 

 Stinchcombe Hill, this road passes through Berkeley to the 

 Severn opposite to Lydney. 



I hope I may not be thought too visionary if I venture to 

 suggest that the Eoman Station Abone, about which there has 

 been so much controversy and conjecture, may, not improbably, 

 be placed at Berkeley. The town stands on the Avon, of which 

 the name Abone is supposed to be the Latinised form, and the 

 distances in the Itinerary suit Berkeley at all events as well as 

 they do most of the other places in the county which have been 

 supposed to be the site of Abone. 



