ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



angle, and in the north side towards the north-west angle. The outer- 

 most vallum has been all but denuded of its escarpment on the western 

 side by the heightening of the road, otherwise it is very pronounced ; being 

 6 ft. deep. 



This curious work is paralleled by one of similar features, known as 

 * Bats Hog Sty,' one and a half miles north-west from Aldershot, which, 

 however, has been so nearly levelled that the banks in no place are higher 

 than 5ft. 1 



KNAPTOFT (xlix, 4). On high ground north-east of Knaptoft House 

 are fragments of early entrenchments which have been broken for the arrange- 

 ments of mediaeval life. To the south of the hall is a rectangular area 

 moated and embanked, the latter 1 1 ft. on the scarp, the moat being fed by a 

 stream flowing by the north-east. The western bank descends into a large 

 fishpond by a 23 ft. scarp. 



A cist was found here, and from a plan in the Gentleman's Magazine, 

 1787, the earthworks were then in a far more perfect state. 



LEIRE (xliii, 16). North-east of the church is the greater part of a 

 moat of parallelogram plan. The south-west has a bank and external moat ; 

 on the north-east and south-east the moat is inside, 4ft. deep, with a wide 

 outer vallum 6 ft. in height. From the latter side two branches of the moat 

 turn inwards to a distance of nearly looft. 



LUBENHAM (1, 7). On the south-east of the village the remains of the 

 ancient manor house stand within a rectangular moat 20 ft. wide and 4ft. 

 deep, with a rampart 4ft. high on the north side. It is now drained, but 

 the River Welland, immediately to 

 the south, formerly supplied it with 

 water. A fishpond is to the south- 

 west of the site. 



MELTON MOWBRAY (xx, 2). 

 On the north of Spinney Farm, the 

 site of an ancient house is seen in a 

 rectangular mound 8 ft. 6 in. on the 

 scarp, surrounded by a moat, the 

 counterscarp being surmounted by a 

 bank. On the west side is a double 

 agger, 2 ft. high, beyond which is a 

 court 1 8 ft. wide, protected by a val- 

 lum 15 ft. broad, with a scarp of 

 8 ft. to the river. This vallum con- 

 tinues around the north, and becomes 

 stronger at the north-west angle, 

 where is a descent to the river. On 

 the east side the moat is 23 ft. wide 



and 1 6 ft. on the scarp, but with no SCALtor FEET 



revetment, which, however, is again '^f Jr o , OQ too 



in evidence along the south side. At 

 the south- west angle the moat branches 



OUt, and, with a vallum, follows the KIRBY CASTLE AND MOAT, KIRBY MUXLOZ 



1 We are indebted to the Rev. E. A. Downman for drawing attention to this work. 



269 



