318 The Natural Hijlory 



Easlernyzrt of Bullington- green, as I gather by its pointing, for 

 it is not to be feen there, it having been ploughed down as well 

 mthegreen, as fields thereabout, as may be feen by the marks of 

 the ridge and furrow yet remaining upon it ; whence 1 guefs it paf- 

 fes on towards the two Baldens, and fofor Wallingford; going 

 over the River at Benfon, alias Benfmgton, where it may be {ttn 

 again running JT^ of the Church, and is there called by the name 

 of Medlers-bank. 



29. If it be asked why this way 'twixt Wallengfordznd. Alee- 

 fier was laid fo crooked ? it is plain, 'twas for the convenience of 

 taking Oxford in the way as occafion fhould ferve. For though I 

 could not difcover the diverticulum tending toward Oxford in the 

 way from Wallengford, yet in the way from Alcefier it remains at 

 fome places yet plain and evident, coming out of the main road 

 about the Par ifh of BecHey, and palling more Wejlward through 

 Stow-wood, and more particularly through the grounds ftill cal- 

 led Principal (for that they were formerly the Principal Coppices 

 before the dif-forrefting that Wood) where the way is to be (een. 

 entire and perfeft, having formerly beenpaved, as appears by a 

 ditch cut through the bank, in a divifion of thefe grounds, where 

 the ftones lie arcb-wife in form of the bank, there being none nei- 

 ther like them in the fields thereabouts. 



30. Coming almoft as far as Elsfield, where it is now deeply 

 trenched between two bank?, like fome part of Grimes-dike men- 

 tioned above, it is broken down and difcontinued, I fuppofe by 

 ploughing, but points juft upon Heddington, whereof the hollow 

 lane afcending into the Town, near Mr. Pawlings new Buildings, 

 perhaps may be a part ; and the deep way between two green 

 banks a little on this fide Heddington,another; and the hollow way 

 on the brow of Heddington- hill, another piece of it. Out of 

 which there feems alfo another way to have branched about the 

 top of the hill, which paffing through the grounds 'twixt that 

 and Mar/ion-lane, where it is plain to be feen, by its pointing (hews 

 as if it once parTed the River above Holy-well Church, ftraight up- 

 on St. Giles's, or the old Bellofitum, now Beaumont ; where about 

 Thoma* Rudburn in his Chronicon Hydenfe, fays, anciently before 

 its reftoration by Mlfred, the Vniverfity was feated : Qu<e Vniver- 

 fitat Oxoniae quondam (fays he, having before difcourfed of its 

 refloration by flLlfred) erat extra Portam Borealem ejufdem Vrbh, isr 



erat 



