200 The JScw Forest : its History and its Scenery. 



milestone on the Ringwood Road. In a straight line to the 

 north, at the distance of a quarter of a mile apart, rise three 

 others, whilst round it on the east side lie a quantity of small 

 circles, so low as hardly to be discernible when the heather 

 is in bloom. An irregularly shaped oval, it rose in the centre 

 to a height of nearly six feet above the ground, measuring 

 sixteen yards in breadth, and twenty-two in length, with a circum- 

 ference of from sixty to sixty-five. On the south side was a 

 depression from whence the gravel had been obtained. We first 

 cut a trench two yards broad, so as to take the centre, and at' 

 about two feet and a half from the surface came upon traces 

 of charcoal, which increased till we reached the floor. A few 

 round stones, probably, as they bore some slight artificial marks, 

 used for slinging, and the flake of, perhaps, a flint knife, were 

 the only things found, and were all placed on the south side. 

 We now cut the mound from east to west, and on the east 

 side, resting on the floor, we discovered the remains of a Keltic 

 urn. The parts were, however, in a most fragile state, and 

 in some instances had resolved themselves into mere clay, 

 and we could only obtain two small fragments, sufficient to show 

 the coarseness and extreme early age of the ware. No charcoal 

 nor osseous matter could be detected adhering to the sides, 

 which, as we shall see, is generally the case. 



Round it, as was stated, lie a quantity of small grave -circles, 

 varying from twenty-five to ten yards in circumference, and 

 scarcely better defined than fairy-rings. Two of these I opened, 

 and they corresponded with the mounds on Sway Common 

 examined by Warner, in having a grave about three feet deep, in 

 which we found only charcoal. This was, however, the only 

 point of resemblance, as they had no mound, and contained no 

 urn.» One fact is worth noticing, tluit they were dug in a 



200 



