BYLAN-B ABBEY. - 39$ 



land in July, and the battle here took place in Sep- 

 tember. 



We are told by the historians, Rapin and Sir 

 Richard Baker, that this battle was fought on a 

 place called Black Moor, the vestiges of which re- 

 main to the present day. 



The beginning of last winter I was told by a 

 gentleman, that there was on the black moor near 

 Ampleforth, an ancient encampment, which he wish- 

 ed me to inspect, I accordingly made an appoint- 

 ment to be there on a certain day, to meet him and 

 another gentleman, in order to examine this speci- 

 men of ancient defence ; and after having paid a con- 

 siderable degree of attention to it we saw no reason 

 to doubt its having been thrown up at the time 

 mentioned above, in the year 1322. 



This encampment is about two miles N. E. of By- 

 land abbey, on the heights above Ampleforth, not 

 far from the village, about half a mile from a newly 

 erected windmill, and within two or three hundred 

 yards from the road from Malton, (across Hamble- 

 ton hills,) to Thirsk. The encampment i& called 

 by the country people Studford's ring. 



About a quarter of a mile distant, in the vale on 

 the west of -the encampment, is an embankment witli 

 a deep ditch or fosse on either side, extending nearly 

 two miles north and south, and on the north of it 

 after it crosses the Thirsk road, it branches into 

 different vallums, running parallel to each other ; - 

 these are called by those who live near them, the 

 double dikes. This encampment is situated in a 



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