THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 173 



which surround the ancient royal forest without 

 having noticed remain of banks running across the 

 heather in all directions. To what age are these to 

 be ascribed ? By some they have been attributed to 

 the race, or more probably races, whose spade work 

 is seen in the hut circles and some of the barrows 

 which abound ; to the race to whom must be 

 attributed the small stone avenue on Manor Allot- 

 ment, the barrows on Brightworthy, and the stone 

 circle on Withypool Hill; or to the later race who 

 threw up the earth works at Cow Castle, Brewer's 

 and Bury Castles, and many others ; as to this we 

 have no direct means of knowing. The banks do 

 not correspond to any known, or even traditionary, 

 boundaries, and they in no way resemble the cattle 

 enclosures and wolf platforms of the Wiltshire Downs. 



If they were ever of a size to restrain the wander- 

 ings of cattle or sheep, and have been reduced by 

 the natural effect of weather to their present 

 dimensions, they must be of untold antiquity. 



It must, however, be noted that they are almost 

 entirely outside the forest Hmits ; this may have been 

 due to either of two causes. The black, peaty soil 

 does not make an enduring bank, as can be easily 

 seen from some of those put up since 18 18 and not 

 kept in repair, being found unnecessary ; or they 

 may date back to a time anterior to the iron rule of 

 the Norman foresters, but subsequent to the time 

 when the Saxon kings made Exmoor into a forest, 

 and presumably protected it from enclosure. The 



