70 PAPEBS, ETC. 



which, having followed the shape of thc Hill for suinc 



distance, turns with somewhat of an acute angle, and 

 extends quite across the bill to the sea on the north. Thc 

 Avhole of this extensive fortification is thus divided into 

 four coinpartments, of which the strongest by far is that 

 which I have called the keep. That extending to the 

 west, which was probably occupied during times of danger 

 by the surrounding population, is also strongly fortified ; 

 while the eastern enclosure, which I suppose to have been 

 iutended for cattle, is merely fenced by a wall of dry 

 masonry, having an external trench, frorn which its niate- 

 rials were dug. Altogether it presents a very perfect 

 specimen of what I believe to have been an aboriginal 

 British city of very early date, very strongly fortified, 

 intended for other purposes besides those of a purely 

 military nature. 



Castle Xeroche,* the other fortress I intend to describe, 

 and which I believe to be, though of similar type, of much 

 later date than that on Worle Hill, cousists of three 

 distinct enclosures and fortified beacon. It occupies an 

 elevated point at the eastern extremity of the Blagdon 

 Hills at a short distance from the turnpike road from 

 Taunton to Chard. On this side the first work we meet 

 with is a rarapart, consisting of a trench and high bank. 

 This is the lowest of a series of what may be almost called 

 field-works defending the most acccssible side of the 

 beacon, and rcaching cpiite across the sloping side of the 

 hill, in the form of a small segment of a large circle. On 

 turning cither flank of the rampart, we find ourselves in 

 front of another, consisting of a double trench and agger, 

 above which again rises a second segmental rampart, 

 similar in construction to that below, but facing rnore to 



* See rian of Castle Nerocbe, Proceedings of Society for 1854, p. 44. 



