234 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



great abundance of detritus on the slopes, but eventually 

 the conglomerate was found adhering to the nearly 

 vertical face of the trap mass. The inference, to quote 

 Professor Phillips' words, " appears to be that the syenitic 

 " and other associated rocks of the northern portion of the 

 "Malvern Hills were accumulated and indurated previous 

 " to the aggregation of the lower portions of the Caradoc 

 " sandstone series, and that they were, w'ith the whole 

 " Silurian series, raised in a solid state." " Miss PhilHps' 

 " conglomerate," as it is often called, is therefore of great 

 importance in the geological study of the Malverns. 



Arrived at Wind's Point, the geologists would have 

 liked to still further pursue their studies with Mr Acland's 

 invaluable help, but some of the })arty had to leave to 

 catch an early train for home, and the remainder chmbed 

 the grassy slopes of the ancient encampment, and 

 listened to a brief description of it by Mr Nott. Of 

 written record of this lofty and impregnable camp there 

 is none. Tradition says it was a stronghold of the 

 Silures in their long and sanguinary resistance to the 

 Roman invaders, and tradition is probably correct. 



The programme of the day's proceedings was certainly 

 right in describing the camp as " one of the most perfect 

 " existing examples of the hill-forts constructed by the 

 " aboriginal inhabitants of Britain." Mr Nott pointed out 

 the elaboration and strength of the works, crowned by a 

 citadel on the actual summit of the beacon. The deep 

 fosse, cut for the most part out of the solid rock, the 

 double rampart, still continuous, except for a short 

 distance on the north-west side (where a breach occurs, 

 probably marking the spot where the last storming of the 

 fortress took place), the remains of hut-dwellings, the 

 chariot-gate, with its well-engineered road sloping down 

 towards a ridgeway, in the direction of Eastnor, were all 

 noted ; and the party walked down to the southern end of 

 the ramparts, from which the outline of the similar camp 



