1>1G THE BRIGANTES. 



dikes which cross the high wolds, but cease on their westward 

 and northward slopes, do thus include springs, and probably 

 ancient villages. 



The most remarkable of the great works comprehended under 

 the name of 'Dike/ are between Catterick on the Swale and 

 Gainford on the Tees about Wincobank and Mexborough north 

 of the Dun between Pickering and Scarborough, on the north 

 side of the Vale of Pickering between Malton and Flamborough, 

 on the northern frontier of the Wolds and between Malton and 

 Cave near their western brow. As a single work, what is called 

 the ' Dane's Dike/ at Flamborough, is very prominent, and ap- 

 pears distinctly destined to guard the promontory, and consti- 

 tute it an 'Oppidum/ A good general idea of this class of 

 works may be had by consulting the Plan of a part of the Wolds, 

 above Acklam and Birdsall, where dikes are numerous and of 

 great extent, and are seen in connexion with tumuli of unequi- 

 vocal British character. The word ' dike ' has the general 

 meaning of a fence or mark of division. From this source flow 

 two applications of the word which appear diametrically oppo- 

 site. In the higher parts of Yorkshire, as in Scotland, dikes 

 are walls or long mounds of earth (ret^o?, Gr. ; Dig, Gael.) ; but 

 in the low marshy grounds, the ditches, and even canals, becks, 

 and rivers are so called: the former is its meaning in this 

 volume (see PI. 35). 



STONE MONUMENTS. 



Stones have been set up in memory of remarkable events in 

 all periods of history ; but there can be little hesitation in re- 

 ferring to the earlier periods some of the rudest and most con- 

 spicuous of these. The British origin of some is indicated by 

 the Saxon name, as Stanton Drew; of others by the native 

 name, as Leckenfield, near the Stones of Beverley; but in 

 general the names and traditions which still cling to these 

 mysterious works of other days are out of keeping with their 

 history. The 'Rudstone' seems never to have been a cross; 



