By William Long, Esq., M.A. 333 



The Sarsen Stones. 



The entire number of stones composing the serpent in its course 

 from Overton to Beckhampton, including those within the circuit 

 of the vallum, was calculated by Stukeley to be 650. They were 

 brought from the adjoining vallies, and are thus described by Aubrey 

 in his 'Natural History of Wiltshire;' "They are also (far from the 

 rode) commonly called Sarsdens, or Sarsdon stones. About two or 

 three miles from Andover is a village called Sersden, i.e. Csars dene, 

 perhaps don : Caesar's dene, Cnesar's plains ; now Salisbury plaine. (So 

 Salisbury, C(Bsaris Bimjus.) But I have mett with this kind of stones 

 sometimes as far as from Christian Mulford in Wilts to Abington ; 

 and on the downes about Royston, &c., as far as Huntington, are 

 here and there those Sarsden stones. They peep above the ground 

 a yard and more high, bigger and lesser. Those that lie in the 

 weather are so hard that no toole can touch them. They take a 

 good polish. As for their colour, some are a kind of dirty red, 

 towards porphyry; some perfect white; some dusky white; some 

 blow like deep blew marie; some of a kind of olive greenish colour ; 

 but generally they are whitish. Many of them are mighty great 

 ones, and particularly those in Overton Wood. Of these kind of 

 stones are framed the two stupendous antiquities of Anbury and 

 Stone-heng. ... Sir Christopher Wren sayes they doe pitch all 

 one way, like arrowes shot. ... Sir Christopher thinks they were 

 cast up by a vulcano."^ 



Stukeley's theory respecting the Sarsen stones is amusing enough ; 

 " This whole country, hereabouts, is a solid body of chalk, cover'd 

 with a most delicate turf. As this chalky matter harden'd at crea- 

 tion, it spew'd out the most solid body of the stones, of greater 

 specific gra^4ty than itself; and assisted by the centrifuge power, 

 owing to the rotation of the globe upon its axis, threw them upon 

 its surface, where they now lie. This is my opinion concerning 

 this appearance, which I often attentively consider'd."* 



Mr. Cunnington, who is as distinguished an illustrator of the 

 geology of his native county, as his grandfather was of its primceval 



' p. 44. Sco tho account of a plain of stones near Marseilles, in Strabo B. iv. 

 c. 1. § 7. 



' Stukeley's * Abury,' p. 16. See also his ' Stonchcngc,' pp. 0, (i. 



