237 



extensile " Intrenchments." From Tintern they may be reached 

 by crossing the "Wye by the ferry hard by the Abbey, and then 

 winding up the hill sides by paths through woods made beautiful 

 by a profusion of ferns, mosses, and wild flowers. At various 

 points of the ascent glimpses are caught of the windings of the 

 river, and of' the valleys which surround the old Abbey, and 

 from the summit very extensive views are obtained of this beau- 

 tiful district. A spot on this commanding situation is marked 

 on the Ordnance Survey " Modesgate Ancient Camp," but at 

 present this spot is covered by the densest of coppices, quite 

 precluding the possibility of tracing earthworks, if any exist there. 

 From Modesgate for two miles southward there is a remark- 

 able line of Intrenchment, it consists of a mound of stones and 

 earth thrown up on the edge of the escarpment, (see Plate IV, 

 fig. 75, and section Plate III, fig. 39). There is a wide ditch on 

 the east side, and in places there is a slight ditch on the west 

 side on the mound, from which the materials for the mound 

 have been taken. This mound follows the windings of the 

 escarpment ; on its west side the hill slopes down very abruptly 

 towards the Wje, whilst in many parts the ground on. its 

 eastern side slopes upwards from it. It appears to be a line of 

 demarcation, and not a defensive work, and is generally con- 

 sidered to be a portion of Ofia's Dyke. 



ISTo. 76. Plate IV, fig. 76. — The peninsula on which the 

 chapelry of Llancaut is situate is strongly defended by earth- 

 wox-ks, which have been claimed as part of Offa's Dyke, but they 

 are very different in character from the works just described. 

 Two lines of earthworks run across the neck of the peninsula, 

 the ends of these lines rest on the precipitous rocks, and their 

 construction is shown on section fig. 38, Plate III. At the end 

 of the level area enclosed by these works there is another line 

 running across the hill-top, this consists of a mound 20 feet 

 wide at its base, and six feet high, without a ditch on either side. 

 The neighbourhood of this intrenched position is known as 

 " Caerwood," the area lying between the two lines is called 

 " Spital Mead," and the inner line goes by the name of the 

 " Plague Mound." The first name appears to apply to its use 



