405 
Alotes on Aloman Ahemains at Mov. 
By the Rev. E. H. Gopparp. 
WEEN the Gentleman’s Magazine, 1831, part I., p. 595-6, in a 
e topographical account of Box, occurs this passage :— 
7 
“T ventured (in your number for September last) to call the attention of your 
readers, and particularly that of the learned author of Hermes Britannicus, to 
a remarkably shaped hill overlooking the village of Box, called Taut-ney Hill, 
and suggested whether it had not been anciently dedicated to the Celtic Mercury, 
Tot, as a presiding deity to a British settlement in the valley beneath. I men- 
tioned the probability of the site of the parish Church being formerly the seat 
of Druidical rites, and alluded to the fine spring of water which bursts out beside 
the Church, as being probably ‘the sacred Druidical spring, so intimately con- 
nected with the Celtic worship of the God Taut’; and that the tradition of the 
place was, that there had been formerly found baths supplied from this ‘sacred 
spring’ which had been considered to have been Roman. I mentioned reasons 
why the Romans would probably be induced to venerate this spot, and stated 
that remains had very lately been discovered which verified the tradition. I am 
not aware that this village had previously been pointed out as having any remains 
demonstrating that the Romans once were resident here, which appears, however, 
undoubtedly to have been the case; for it is said, besides the baths above-men- 
tioned, that several beautiful tessellated pavements had formerly been found in 
the churchyard and gardens adjoining, but no spot could be pointed out where 
the same might with certainty be found, and the tradition was considered 
therefore as vague and unworthy attention. It is reasonable to suppose that 
lamentable ignorance occasioned, or at least did not prevent, their destruction as 
soon as discovered ; for a year or two ago, in a garden belonging to Mr. Mullins, 
adjoining the churchyard, in making some additions to a very old building, the 
workmen in sinking for a foundation struck upon the mutilated remains of a 
tessellated pavement about two or three feet below the surface of the ground. 
It appeared to have been part of a-large square, and the part now discovered was 
evidently one of its corners. It had a wide ornamental border of no remarkable 
beauty, but what I particularly recollect (the few moments I had opportunity of 
seeing it) was that there were evident effects of repeated fires having been made 
apparently about the middle of the square; for the tessere toward the centre 
were burnt from their original colours to a brick red, and the redness diminished 
in intensity as it approached the border, near which the colours were again all 
perfect. This pavement must have been discovered when the old building was 
erected, for it appeared to run under its foundation, and if so, the remainder 
must have been then destroyed. The portion of it lately found, however, was 
considered worthy of preservation, and has been, it is hoped, safely secured from 
injury by means of large flagstones carefully placed over it. In the adjoining 
garden, belonging to the same individual, is an ornamental fishpond, in the 
middle of which many years ago was a small island, and communication with it 
