BIN DON HILL OR THE SW/NES-BACK. 



By THOMAS KERSLAKE, Esy. 



N " The Welsh in Dorset," which you honoured with a 

 place in your Proceedings (Vol. III., p. 92), I hope to 

 have shown that the fierce battle with the Britons 

 by Cynegils and Cwichelm recorded in the Anglo-Saxon 

 Chronicle, A.D. 614, when 2,065 of the Britons were slain, was 

 at an assault upon this hill. It is well known as the long, lofty, 

 and precipitous chalk ridge which stretches through the interval 

 of two miles between Lulworth Cove and the gorge at East 

 Lulworth known as Arish Mill. At both these inlets, the hill 

 having come into contact with the sea, the southern side of each 

 end has become a perpendicular white cliff, each of which is a 

 section of nearly the entire elevation. This extensive and 

 remarkable stronghold is not even mentioned by Hutchins. Mr. 

 C. Warne, however, describes it (Ancient Dorset, 1872, pp. 39- 

 42), and gives an etching of a view from the north (pl.'i., fig. 2), 

 but what is here to be written is in addition to his account. 



In my former paper I had said that the crown or long table 

 area is "fortified around." This word "around" is wrong as far 

 as artificial fortification is concerned. I have since again visited 

 the place. Its natural strength from steepness and height is 

 very great all around, but the artificial fortifications extend only 

 along nearly the whole north brow, and around the western end 

 to the edge of the chalk cliff over Lulworth Cove. These consist 

 of two ramparts with a ditch between, and are very strong, 

 although this north side of the hill is very high and steep. The 



