217 



attacked or threatened by an enemy. Within the fortified 

 point are two shallow depressions, which may have been dwell- 

 ing-places. 



No. 37. — On Westridge Hill, one mile north of Wotton -under- 

 Edge, earthworks of a very interesting character have been 

 preserved. Until recently this hill has been covered with woods, 

 but shortly after the investigations of the Club in 1869 had 

 called attention to the subject of pit-dwellings, a portion of 

 Westridge HiU was cleared of its woods and brought under 

 cultivation, when our colleague, Mr. J. H. Cooke, observed the 

 traces of numerous pit-dwellings, and called attention to this 

 discovery. Since that time a larger portion of Westridge has 

 been denuded of its woods, bringing to view not only very many 

 of the ordinary pits, but others of a different character. At one 

 spot, marked b on the plan, Plate II, fig. 2, there was a group 

 of four large pits, nearly circular, one having a diameter of 100 

 feet, and three each about 70 feet in diameter, but running into 

 one another ; they appear to have been seven or ten feet deep, 

 but are now filled up with stones and stools of trees. Under 

 the escarpment at C on the slope towards the north, are five 

 or six large circular pits, 20 to 30 feet in diameter, and now 

 seven feet deep, and on the same slope are many of the ordinary 

 small pits eight or ten feet long, and three feet wide. All over 

 the plateau of Westridge there were these small pits, altogether 

 600 or more ; they are more abundant in some parts than in 

 others ; very few on the part adjoining Mbley Knoll, which has 

 a northern aspect, and on Mbley KnoU I have only observed 

 one pit. The point a is strongly fortified by earthworks, run- 

 ning in a slightly curved line across the hill. This part is still 

 so densely wooded that it is not easy accurately to trace out 

 these earthworks ; the section given on Plate III, fig. 30, was 

 taken near their southern termination ; at their northern termi- 

 nation the two mounds are nearer together. Although the pits 

 are found close up to the outside of these earthworks, not one 

 has been observed within the fortified area, there the surface of 

 the ground is level and unbroken. 



In the case of Westridge we appear to have preserved to us 



