54 PAl'EUS, ETC. 



We know, from Mr. Skinner's account, that tho 

 entrance, which is now found to have a wall extendin^ 

 on each side, was formerly quite covered over with earth, 

 and presented the sarae appearance as any other part of 

 the tumulus. At each successive interment the earth must 

 have been removed. In Clearing away thls earth lately a 

 fine Roman fibula was dug up. An ancient trackway leads 

 to the tumulus out of the valley from the side of the 

 brook. 



Fairy's Toot, which is now destroyed, was another of 

 these singular tumuli. It is situated about a quarter of a 

 mile east of Butcombe Church, on the declivity of some 

 rising ground near Nempnett Farm, in the same parish. 

 Its discovery was noticed by the Rev. Thos. Bere, rector 

 of Butcombe, who made a drawing of it, and communicated 

 the following account to the Gentlemans Magazine A.D. 

 1789 : 



"This barrow is from N. to S. 150 feet, and from E. to 

 W. 76 feet. It had been known from time immemorial 

 by the name of Fairy's Toot, and considered the haunt of 

 fairies, ghosts, and goblins. 



" The waywarden of the parish being in want of stones, 

 ordered his workmen to see what Fairy's Toot was made 

 of. They began at the south extremity, and soon came to 

 a stone inclining west, and probably the door of the sepul- 

 chre. The stone being passed, an unmortared wall ap- 

 peared on the left hand, and no doubt a similar one existed 

 on the right. This wall was built of thin stone (a white 

 lias). Its height was more than four feet, its thickness 

 fourteen inches. Thirteen feet north from the entrance a 

 perforated stone appeared, inclining to the north, and 

 shutting up the avenne between the unmortared walls. 

 Working round to the east sido of it, a cell presented 



