A HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



through the centre balk by wooden tie-pieces with octangular heads, through which wedges 

 were driven. The abutment appears to have been washed or carried away. 4 Another 

 account says : 



The piers consisted simply of two stout piles, protected each by a fender, set in a species of strong 

 cribwork filled with rubble masonry. The strength of the cribwork is shewn by its lasting to this 

 day, and the lightness of the superstructure (of which there are of course no traces except the mortices 

 in the sleepers) was such that it would enable the bridge to be destroyed in a few hours and rebuilt 

 again in a few days. 



A number of human skulls and bones were dredged up near the same place [Standard, 28 Oct., 

 5 Nov. 1885 ; Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. xli, 84 (see for various additional details) ; Antiquary, 

 x, 274]. The first announcement of this discovery was followed by other correspondence, 

 dealing mainly with the vexed question of Ad Pontem (see p. 6), and a summary of conflict- 

 ing opinions on this point was given by Mr. Compton [Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. xli, 43 ff. ; 

 see also Standard, 31 Oct., 3-5 Nov. 1884]. Somewhat later a plan of the piers of the bridge 

 and a note on the excavations were communicated to the Association named by Mr. Wheldon 

 of the Trent Navigation Society [Journ. xli, 83, with plan ; see fig. 80]. It seems to have 

 been generally agreed that the bridge was of Roman construction, made of stout piers with a 

 roadway of wood, and the mention by one correspondent of a balk of black oak bearing the 

 numerals CLII ' inclined Mr. Watkin to believe that part of the roadway still lies embedded in 

 the channel of the river [Standard, 5 Nov. 1884 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 27]. 



EATON. Eaton or Idleton was at first identified by Camden with Agelocum or Segelocum, after- 

 wards shown to be Littleborough (see p. 19) [Camden, Brit. (ed. 1586), 311; (ed. 1607), 413 ; 

 Thoroton, Hist, of Notts. (1677), 398 ; ibid. (ed. Throsby), iii, 257]. 



EGMANTON. Earthworks here have been thought to be part of a series of defences extending from 

 a Roman camp at Laxton, but they appear to belong to a mediaeval castle mount of type E ; 

 a few small bronze coins, chiefly of Constantine, have been found [Arch. Journ. xxxviii, 427 ; 

 y.C.H. Notts, i, 306]. 



EPPERSTONE. A hoard of nearly 1,000 small copper coins was found in 1776, all of the 3rd century; 

 the emperors represented are Gallienus and Salonina, Postumus, Claudius Gothicus, Victorinus, 

 the Tetrici, Quintillus, Carausius, and Aelianus (A.D. 254-86). The last-named is said to 

 have been a remarkably fine specimen, with (on the rev.) Victory and Fame and VICTORIA AVG. 

 [Merrey, Remarks on the Coinage of Engl. pp. 6, 101 ; Thoroton, Hist, of Notts, (ed. Throsby), 

 iii, 40 ; Beauties of Engl. and Wales, xii (i), 273]. On Holy or Solly Hill in Epper- 

 stone Park Dickinson places the site of a Roman camp [Antiq. in Notts, i, Expl. Obs. 7 ; 

 Arch. Journ. xliii, 40]. It is rectangular in form and may be Roman [F.C.H. Notts, i, 301 

 (type C.)]. 



EVERTON. A hoard of 600 Roman coins found in 1885 in a field between Everton and Bawtry, 

 ?11 of copper except a few that appear to have been washed with silver ; the emperors repre- 

 sented were from Valerian to Diocletian (A.D. 253-305) [Num. Chron. (Ser. 3), vi, 245]. 

 See also SCAFTWORTH. 



FARNDON. See abov, p, 7. 



FARNSFIELD. Remains of an encampment, inclosing 40 acres, at Hill Close near Hexgrave Park, 

 are described by Major Rooke, who considered them Roman ; he states that the ditch and 

 vallum are perfect in places though obliterated elsewhere. Dickinson, however, regarded its 

 irregular shape and the absence of remains of walls or fortifications as a proof that it was not 

 Roman, and Bateman also considered it British ; Mr. Stevenson classes it as a hill fortress 

 (type B) [O.S. xxix. NW. ; Arch, ix, 200 ; Dickinson, Antiq. in Notts, i, 288; Rastall, 6 * Hist. 

 of Southwell, 366 ; Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. viii, 183 ; Arch. Journ. xliii, 39 ; Kelly's Dir. 

 1904, p. 531 ; V.C.H. Notts, i, 295]. 



At Combs Farm, 3^ miles south-west of Hexgrave Park, is a smaller camp, 249 yds. by 

 66 yds., which both Rooke and Dickinson accepted as Roman ; Mr. Stevenson considers it a 

 promontory fortress (type A). The west and part of the south side of the ditch and val- 

 lum remained in 1788, and also a circular vallum of earth about 40 yds. in diameter, a 

 short distance to the north. Rooke saw here fragments of Roman bricks and tiles and 

 a large brass coin much defaced, and Dickinson mentions Roman weapons found here. It 



4 Mr. Wheldon notes that stone like that used for the foundations may be seen in cottage walls and garden? 

 at Collingham (see above). 



* It is almost incredible that the correspondent alluded to should actually have endeavoured to inter- 

 pret this numeral as 152 A.D. ! On this he builds a theory of the date of the Fosse Way in the reign of 

 Antoninus Pius ! 



" This was the surname formerly borne by W. Dickinson, when he published this earlier work 

 in 1787. 



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