THE CAMPS AT MINCHINHAMPTON, 



BY 



E. NORTHAM WITCHELL. 



(Read at the Nailsworth Meeting, September 2 1st, 1898) 



(I.) The British Camp. 



This Camp consists of an entrenchment from 3 to 4 

 feet in height, with a ditch on the outside. It extends 

 from near the May-pole, at Amberley, to the Reservoir of 

 the Stroud Water Company, and thence turns to the 

 south-west to the escarpment. 



The Camp measures in length, from north to south, 

 760 yards ; and in width, from west to east, 366 yards. 



The north-west end of the Camp is divided from the 

 remainder by a mound and ditch. The ditch is on the 

 south-east, or outward, side of the mound, and the height 

 of the latter from the bottom of the ditch is, from 10 ft. 

 to 14 ft. This fortification runs diagonally across the 

 Camp from the escarpment on the south west to the 

 entrenchment on the north-east, and measures 283 yards 

 in length. 



I am of opinion that this is Roman work, and that the 

 British Camp was thus utilized as an occasional camping 

 ground. The only evidence I have obtained in support 

 of this theory is a copper coin found in the Cam}), kindly 



