ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



Conquest, and to the latter the castle mount may probably be assigned. It 

 is elliptical, with the longer axis east and west, and the scarp at the north-east, 

 the highest point, is nearly 22 ft. vertical. From the middle of the eastern 

 side an inclined plane descends southwards from the summit to the ground 

 level ; this is probably an original entrance, though possibly it has lost much 

 of its former character through the vicissitudes of later ages. The plan 

 of the bailey is lost, but a portion of a double fosse and vallum remain on 

 the north side, and, from the arc described by them, it is evident that a base 

 court was inclosed on the south-east, between the mount and the church ; 

 the building of 



FEET 



300 



the mediaeval 

 manor-house 

 the ' Old Hall ' 

 on one side 

 and the railway 

 on the other, 

 have, however, 

 effectually com- 

 bined their 

 ancient and mo- 

 dern require- 

 mentsto destroy 

 all signs of it. 

 The fragment 

 of the inner 

 fosse is worn to 

 a great width 

 and of no appre- 

 ciable depth; 

 the vallum has 

 a scarp of 4 ft. 

 into the outer 

 fosse which is 

 15 ft. wide at 

 point A. 



Beyond 

 these works, to 

 the north-east, 

 on declining 

 ground, are 



other entrenchments ; first a quadrangle, and farther down the slope straight 

 lines of triple vallum and double ditch ; but as they appear to belong to 

 the manorial defences rather than to the earlier stronghold, they will be 

 treated under Class G. 



HALLATON (xxxix, 14). 'CASTLE HILL CAMP,' seven miles north- 

 east from Market Harborough, upon a rounded hill among many of similar 

 formation, but somewhat steeper, which rises on the west of the village, is 

 a large conical mount 630 ft. in circumference at the base, 118 ft. in 

 diameter at the top which has a slight saucer-shaped depression and 



259 



CASTLE HILL, GROBY, NEAR RATBY 



