175 



f |c |att(c of €t|mvkn. 



TO THB EDITOR OF THE " WILTSHIRE ARCHJEOLOQICAX MAGAZINE. 



^j^W^IR, — Although I should deprecate the practice of prolonged 

 ^^m controversy in your work, yet I presume that it is not incon- 

 sistent with its plan, that some notice may be taken of propositions 

 in antiquarian research, which are published therein, particularly 

 when they are adverse to those which are generally received. Un- 

 der this impression I beg leave to bring to the recollection of your 

 readers the statement insisted on by Dr. Thurnam,^ that the site of 

 the battle of Ethandun is the modern Yatton, and that the 

 opinions of antecedent antiquaries that Edington is the spot where 

 the victory of Alfred was achieved, must yield to the contradictory 

 assertion of Whitaker who first maintained the view which Dr. 

 Thurnam supports. If the point were to be decided by the autho- 

 rity of names, there could be no question as to the verdict which 

 should be given. From Camden to Sir Richard Hoare a Kst of 

 eminent writers might be produced who are opposed to this, com- 

 paratively modern, notion f but I shall give them no more weight 

 than what is due to the opportunities they possessed of investigating 

 the fact, and their accredited amount of capacitj^ for turning those 

 investigations to a proper accoimt. I will proceed then to notice 

 the arguments of Dr. Thurnam, in the order in which they have 

 been given. 



Of these, the first in favour of his hypothesis, is the greater 

 proximity of Yatton to Chippenham, "it being expressly stated 



' See Wiltsliire Archaeological Magazine, vol. iii. p. 80. 

 ' It is worthy of remark that Camden states Eding-ton to be the site of the 

 battle, as an undoubted fact ; tlie ancient tradition in its favour therefore, can- 

 uot be dcnii.'d, and it is further observable that Camden appears to have person- 

 ally investigated the neighbourhood of Chippenham, and that he found or heard 

 nolliing there ojiposed to the pojudar assignment of the site. 



