22 PAPEUS, ETC. 



particularities which other bounilaries have not, and which 

 deserve our attention. I here alludc to thc camps or 

 earthworks projecting from the dyke." These camps I 

 have already noticed, and for a more particular account 

 must refer to the paper on Earthworks in the last No. of 

 the Society's Proceedings. " Wansdyke presents," says 

 Sir Ed., " the most singular irregularitics in its course, it 

 does not continne its track along the strengest ridge of the 

 hill, but often descends from it into the Valleys, and the 

 open downs, and where no obstacle impeded its taking a 

 straight direction, it frequently makes the most unac- 

 countable angles, but in one respect it is invariable, viz., in 

 having the ditch to the north, and bank to the south, which 

 proves from what quarter the attack of the enemy was to 

 be expected." Sir Eichard does not doubt that the camp 

 at Stantonbury was an appendage to the dyke, not the 

 dyke to the camp, and this I think many be shewn also 

 of Hampton Down Camp, and probably Maes Knoll. 

 The dyke seems to have been anterior to all these in ils 

 fonnation, and they were probably afienoards added to 

 strengthen it. They were no doubt a chain of boundary 

 camps drawn probably much upon the same System as 

 thosc along the wall of Hadrian, between Carlisle and 

 Newcastle, only much older, and also probably aftervvards 

 occupied in the Saxon period. It is worthy of remark 

 that on the other side of the valley through which flows 

 the Avon, there are fortresses nearly similar in their con- 

 struction, on the hüls opposite. Thus, if the Belgre guard- 

 ed their line of territory by the forts along Wansdyke, the 

 Dobuni had also their camps of Observation, and forts of 

 occupation facing them at a convenient distance, and just 

 within their own territory. The camp on Clifton Down 

 is opposite the camp on the other side of the river. Maes 



