62 PAPERS, ETC. 



puzzling construction, and unless it may be the beginuing 

 of a large fortified town, the defences of which, frona some 

 cause or other, have never been cornpleted, I cannot 

 venture to give a guess as to its intended use. 



TEMPLE COMBE. 



There is one other earthwork, probably very far 

 removed in date from those I have described, which I 

 cannot leave unmentioned, and this is situated just beyond 

 the East end of the Templars' Chapel, at Temple Combe. 

 It is situated on the side of a low hill, which slopes gently 

 to the lower pastures on the East and South. On these 

 sides the earth is raised, so as to be on a level with the 

 upper part of the field. On the platform thus formed is a 

 moat, descending by two stages, having a broad flat plat- 

 form between thein, to the depth of about 10 or 12 feet; 

 and within this moat is a Square area, rather lower than 

 the outer platform. It is popularly known as the Cock Pit, 

 but as to what it was, or for what purpose it was con- 

 structed, I confess myself totally unable to give the slight- 

 est guess. 



And now, ladies and gentlemen, I feel that I ought to 

 apologise for this very desultory attempt to describe some 

 of the most remarkable features of a district, with which 

 my acquaintance is very limited and superficial; but my 

 chief object in this has been to induce some antiquary, or, 

 I should say, antiquaries, in the neighbourhood to under- 

 take a systematic research into the primeval treasures of 

 this part of the county, and, if possible, to inoculate some 

 of my hearers with that fondness for antiquity, which has 

 been to me for many years a source of innocent, and I 

 believe improving pleasure. Somerset is very rieh in anti- 

 quities, and is, as yet, comparatively a virgin soil. My 



