}zo The Statural Hi jlory 



near StunsfieldftWe, whence it holds on again as far as Stunsfteld; 

 and all this way on a raifed bank.-, as defcribed in the Map by two 

 parallellines ; where breaking off (but ftill keeping its name) it 

 goes on over the Evenlode to Wilcot, and fo to Ram/Jen ; a little 

 beyond which Village, at a place called Witty-green, it may be 

 feen again for a little way ; but from thence to Aftally^over Aftall- 

 bridge, and fo through the fields till it comes to Brodwel-grove, it 

 is fcarce vifible, but there 'tis as plain again as any where elfe, 

 holding a ftraight courfe into Glocesler-fiire, and fo towards Bath 

 the old Akgmancefter. 



34. And out of this Akemanflreet, as moft other fuch ways, 

 there are feveral branches vi%. two near Kirklmgton ; one at 

 the Towns end, which though prefently discontinued, yet points 

 juft upon the Port way running Eaft of Northbrook, the two Hey- 

 fords, Sommerton, and Souldern, for fix miles together ; and an- 

 other, that by its pointing feems to have come out of Akeman- 

 ilreet, nearer the place where it pafles the River Cherwel, crofling 

 the Port way, and running at the broadeft place, fcarce a mile di- 

 ftant from it, as far as FritwelU where on the North fide of the 

 Town it inclines toward the Port way, as if it joyned with it again 

 fomwhere about Souldern, both of them pointing upon the For- 

 tifications called Rainsborough (perhaps a corruption of Romans- 

 borough') near Charleton in Northampton-Jhire : whence in all pro- 

 bability it went to Vennonh, alias Bennonk, an old Roman ftation, 

 by the Saxons after called Claycefter, in the confines of Warwick, 

 and Leicester -Jhires ; and fo on to the Rat<e of Antoninus, or Ragdt 

 of Ptolomy, now Leicester f . 



35. This fecond branch of Akgmanslreet, about Fritwell they 

 czWWattle-bank; but in an old Terrier of Sir Thomas Chamberleyns, 

 it is called Avefdich, perhaps a corruption of Offa's-ditch, the 

 great King of the Mercians, whofe Kingdom might at firft be ter- 

 minated here, though I find he extended it at length as far as 

 Ben/on, as thinking it for his honor zndproftt both, that the Weil- 

 Saxons flhould have nothing North or Weft of the Thames*: Or 

 if ancienter than Offa, it might perhaps be a pratentura, or fore- 

 fence of the Romans, raifed againft the Britans (or vice verfa) 

 who might poflibly be pofleft of the Port way before. 



36. Yet I rather believe they might be both of them ancient 



f Vid. Ttolomai Geograph Edit. per Pet- Bertium. Fid. Camd. Britan. in Com, Oxon. 



ways, 



