92 



invaded Britons. The later historians seem too readily to inter- 

 pret these records of battles as complete and permanent subjuga- 

 tions of the districts where they have occurred ; including all the 

 country that would be bounded by a right line extending on 

 both sides of the place of conquest named. The slaughter of 

 over two thousand shews a hard fight, but if it had been even a 

 victory, it was not an extermination or subjugation of the nation. 

 There can be no doubt that this conflict of A.D. 614 was an 

 incident of an attempt to penetrate this yet unconquered southern 

 part of Dorset, by a landing at Wareham, and an advance along 

 the valley of the Piddle and the Frome. The place was no doubt 

 Bindon Hill, now popularly known by the descriptive name of 

 " Swines-Back." It is a westward continuation or resumption of 

 the chalk ridge of Purbeck, but completely insulated and pre- 

 cipitous on all sides. The table area is very large, nearly two 

 miles in length, fortified around, and with transverse embank- 

 ments. It lies due south of the Milton Abbey district, and is 

 separated from it by the valley which leads from Wareham up 

 to Dorchester. As Cwichelm now first appears in the Chronicle, 

 and in conjunction with Cynigils, it was probably an assault by 

 one of them, in support of an attack by the other from the 

 north. However, laying all speculation aside, here it is quite 

 certain, that we have it on record, that, in the interval century, 

 between the conquests of Sarum and of Somerset, the two 

 nations are found together, in actual conflict in the intermediate 

 country. 



The other probable external confirmation, of the two above 

 promised, is another ancient document which may or not relate to 

 this very district. But whether it does or not, it certainly con- 

 tains a contemporaneous picture of such a community, and 

 positively demonstrates the existence of the social condition tha^ 

 we have endeavoured to exemplify. 



