28 SOME DEW-PONDS IN DORSET. 



North side of Piddletown Heath, near the trackway leading 

 from Higher Bockhampton to Piddletown, at a point where 

 the trackway diverges towards Ilsington Wood. 



This plateau overlooks, on the South, the three British 

 Tumuli known as " rain-barrows " and the remains of the 

 Beacon Keeper's hut used in the war with Napoleon, and 

 referred to by Mr. Thomas Hardy in " The Dynasts ;" and on 

 the North is a most extensive view of Piddletown and the 

 Valley of the Piddle. This pond, which from its form and 

 situation has every appearance of being a Neolithic dew-pond, 

 measures about 90 feet in diameter, including its outer scarp 

 the water holding area being about 45 feet in diameter. The 

 depth is considerable, but I had no means of ascertaining 

 its exact measurement, and would, when full, have contained 

 a large condensing area. It seems probable that this pond 

 may have been formed from one of the " soaks " of which 

 there are a large number upon the heath. 



By the courtesy of Mr. Thomas Hardy I am permitted 

 to give you, in his own words, an account of the following 

 interesting adventure which happened to an ancestor of his 

 (the author's grandfather), beside this very pond, as nearly 

 as possible a century ago. He was crossing the heath, one 

 midnight in June, by the path which then, as now, skirts the 

 pond, when he became aware that he was followed by two 

 men whom he had noticed watching him when he left Piddle- 

 town. He had now little doubt that they were bent on 

 attacking and robbing him, for times were more lawless 

 then than they are at present. It had so happened that 

 while crossing a green field called " Coomb " a little earlier 

 in his journey, he had been struck by the great number of 

 glow-worms that were shining in the grass, and being a 

 young man he beguiled his walk by gathering several and plac- 

 ing them on the brim of his hat. As he was unarmed, and 

 the men were gaining upon him, the only way of escape 

 that occurred to him was by playing upon their superstitious 

 feelings. He accordingly rolled a furze faggot into the path, 

 and. sitting down upon it, took off his hat, placed it on his 



