342 Abury. 



and lastly, because the engineer, who made the Roman Road, did 

 not avail himself of the deep ditch round Silbury, to lessen the 

 steepness of the ascent ; whence we may conclude that such ditch 

 was not in existence when the road was made. His attempts to 

 support the second and third^ of these positions appear to be most 

 unsatisfactory ; and with respect to the first, it might be answered, 

 that the Roman Road from Silchester to Bath was, in all proba- 

 bility, preceded by a British trackway, and that the point where 

 the Ikneld road crossed such trackway, was well suited for the site 

 of a great national temple; while the fact that the Roman engineers 

 did not avail themselves of the lower level afforded them by the 

 ditch might be owing to their unwillingness to wound the national 

 prejudices by violating unnecessarily a national monument."^ 



Barrows, etc., in the neighbourhood of Abury. 



In perfect keeping with the genius loci, are the numerous barrows 

 which crown the hills and stud the plains which surround the vil- 

 lage of Abury. On the Windmill, Overton, and Hakpen Ilills, are 

 several of various dimensions and elegant form. On the elevated 

 ground between the Kennet Avenue and Silbury Hill, which in 

 Stukeley's book is called Weedon Hill and Windmill Boll, were 

 others, but the plough and cultivation have obliterated these, as 

 well as many other interesting antiquities which were in existence 

 at the time he wrote. Of several long barrows which he described, 

 the most remarkable at the present time is that on the brow of the 



' " The avenue which south east from the main temple, was iuterseeted by 

 the Roman road, and according to Rickmau, the distance of Silbury both from 

 the point of intersection and from the centre of Avebxiry circle, was a Roman 

 mile. I can only say that according to my measurement, Silbuiy Hill is dis- 

 tant from the centre of the circle more than a Roman mile, and from the point 

 of intersection very considerably lens. But even were the measurement correct, 

 how could the symmetry of the structure be any way dependant on the distance 

 of Silbury from the point where the road cut through the avenue ? The proper 

 inference seem to be, that the Romans would not allow a great public road to be 

 diverted out of its course, in order to spare the mere' adjuncts of a building, 

 whose hold upon the respect and reverence of the people had probably been i'or 

 some time declining." — Archa>ological Journal, vol.^viii. p. 153. 



''' ArchaDologieal Journal 1851, p. 152. Dr. Guest's paper "on the Belgic Ditches 

 and the probable date of Stouehengc." 



