WAREHAM : ITS ORIGIN AND HISTORY. 71 



part of Dorset. Nor slioukl I imagine it likely to have done .so ; 

 these parts were most probably attacked years after, as the Romans 

 gradually grew in strength inland. 



In reading over the proceedings of the Archaeological Institute 

 meeting at Dorchester in 1865, I find that tlie late Rev. "W. 

 Barnes said as follows : — " The Saxon English settled in England 

 so near the time of the withdrawing of the Roman legions 

 that they found their castra, Avith many other marks of Roman 

 life and handiwork, from Manchester to Dorchester, and yet, 

 although they must have known "Wareham as early as Dorchester, 

 they did not call it a ceaster, but took it only as a AVareham, i.e., 

 mound-enclosure. I do not know that the sjiade reaches at 

 Wareham any tesselated pavement, or turns up such Roman 

 remains as betoken a long-holdon abode, nor are the walls quite 

 up to the Roman plan in straightness or squareness of form. A 

 British trackway leads out of the west gate of "Wareham, called 

 the West Port, from the British word, porth, a passage." I quite 

 agree with Mr. Barnes. I have never seen or known of Roman 

 remains found in Wareham, but plenty of mediaeval. 



Wareham stands in rather a remarkable position — a peninsula 

 bounded on the south and north by two rivers, on the cast by 

 Poole Harbour, a long strip of sand and gravel ; except by water, 

 accessible only by land on the west side. The Romans found it 

 as the Durotriges left it, and I cannot help thinking that they also 

 left it alone ; there would be nothing inviting there. 



Camden, in Gibson's edition, date 1G95, says : " Wareham, forti- 

 fied by earthen walls, thick and high, besides the advantage of the 

 rivers. 'Tis probable enough that this rose out of tlie ruins of a 

 little poor place called Stowborough, for Stowborough, though but a 

 mean place, is governed still by a Mayor, which plainly shows that 

 it lias formerly been much more considerable." 



That the Romans made use of the clay in their pottery at 

 Nordcn I am well aware ; also their use of llu- Kinuueii.lge clay 

 needs scarcely mentioning ; but both of these works must have 

 been independent of. Wareham earthworks. I exhibit to-day a 



