304 The Battle of Ethandun. 



I can supply myself, namely, that a field in the parish of Castle 

 Combe, commanding the supposed scene of the action, and immedi- 

 ately above the brook of Slaughterford, has always gone by the 

 name of Banks i.e. Banes-dovm.. And surely, although it may suit 

 Mr. Matcham's argument to depreciate it, there is some strong evi- 

 dence in that word ' Slaughterford,' — the ancient name of the entire 

 parish — and in the tradition which Aubrey tells us was in his time 

 prevalent through the neighbourhood, of a great and bloody fight 

 having taken place there between the Saxons and Danes. 



And now a word upon Bury Wood camp, which Mr. Matcham 

 never having seen, and judging only from the description given of it 

 in "Ancient Wiltshire," (by the bye Sir K. Hoare admits he never 

 examined it either,) considers "not to present the formidable ap- 

 pearance of a fortification which for fourteen days would deter, 

 perhaps defy, the assault of an army flushed with victory." (p. 184.) 

 I beg to assure him and those of my readers who are not ac- 

 quainted with the spot, that Bury Wood camp is, contrary to these 

 mere suppositions, one of the very strongest earthworks in Britain. 

 Indeed I know no where one so strongly defended by nature and 

 art combined. It occupies a promontory forming the angle of inter- 

 section of two very deep glens that unite above the hamlet of Ford, 

 and about a mile in a straight line from Slaughterford. It is, as 

 I have already said, close to the intersection of the great Roman 

 N. and S. highway, called the Fosse, with the ancient E. and W. 

 highway between Chippenham, London, and Bristol. It encloses 

 a triangular space of twenty acres, and has a vallum and foss 

 along the two sides of the triangle which border the precipitous 

 steeps of the two glens, each of which is about 200 feet deep. 

 The third side facing the flat table land behind is protected by a 

 double ditch and two embankments of verj^ great size and strength. 

 It is just such an encampment as one may readily believe to have 

 been in the days of Alfred (and after our recent experiences, one 

 would be almost inclined to add, if bravely defended, even at the 

 present daj^) impregnable, — unless, as Alfred is reported to have 

 subdued the Danes in their fortress, the garrison were starved into 

 surrender. 



