BRITISH CATTLE STATIONS. 145 



vineyards, but in places where the sun hardly shines, but by 

 which easy access is afforded to the summit of the hill, all 

 of tliem slmilar in character to the defences which I have 

 elsewhere described as constituting the exterior works of 

 regularly fortified places, and probably amply sufficient to 

 protect the herdsmen from any sudden attack. But on 

 the top of the hill, where we should expect to find the 

 stronghold, there is nothing but a platform, apparently 

 levelled by artificial means, on which in mediajval times 

 stood the chapel of St. Michael, the tower on which hill 

 constitutes a very remarkable feature of the landscape. 

 The descent towards the town is defended by a series of 

 earthworks of irregulär deslgn, which, though they may 

 perhaps have been originally natural, have evidently been 

 scarped away, so as to supply the place of the undoubtedly 

 artificial terraces which defend the other side of the hill, 

 two of them, indeed, overlap each other in a manner so 

 exactly similar to the outworks defending the beacon at 

 Castle Neroche, that I cannot hesitate to pronounce thera 

 at once to be artificial fortifications. 



Somewhere in the beautiful little Valley surrounded by 

 these hüls no doubt the herdsmen lived in peaceful times, 

 and took refuge on the partially fortified Tor in time of 

 need. On Wearyal Hill is a large enclosure, the entrance 

 to which has been made narrow by scarping away both 

 sides of the hill, and which, if surrounded, as it probably 

 was, with strong palisades, would afford a secure refuge for 

 a very large number of cattlc. 



Perhaps the most important of these cattle stations, or, 

 if I may so designate it, the head quarters of the herdsmen 

 of the marsh, was situated at Brent Knoll. This remark- 

 able hill cannot fall of being noticed by every traveller 

 from Bridgwater to Bristol. An elevated piain of some 



VOL. IX., 1859, PART II. T 



