A STUDY ON BOCKLEY DYKE, AND OTHERS IN DORSET. 49 



and the river Stour in large numbers, for there are but few Long- 

 barrows to be seen within it. The Durotriges raised this pro- 

 tective boundary line, and to give still greater security 

 to their conquest they raised the strong Camps of Hod Hill and 

 Hameldon, and Badbury, to command the principal fords of the 

 Stour, whilst their progress was still Northwards. On the N. of 

 the Stour, beyond Blandford, many fine examples of the Long 

 Barrow are to be seen on the Downs, at Pimperne, Chettle, Gus- 

 sage, Handley, Woodyates, indicating that those parts were 

 numerously peopled by the Aborigines. Here the process of 

 expulsion or extermination became, in consequence, a more diffi- 

 cult task ; but, when at length accomplished, Bockley dyke was 

 dug, to be a protective boundary to these territorial acquisitions' 

 and a barrier against the predatory incursions of hostile" 

 neighbours. 



We cross this boundary, and are now in "Wiltshire. 



Soon after passing the village of Martin we enter on a tract 

 of land, now partially cultivated, where we again see several 

 Long-barrows, not of great size like the former, but with them tell- 

 ingthe old story of Aboriginal occupation. These are seen in a tri" 

 angular space, which is here three or four miles in breadth- 

 bounded on theW. by Grhnsditch, and on the E. by an earthworl 

 like it, both consisting of two low banks with an intervening 

 ditch. The latter earthwork Sir E. Colt. Hoare was pleased to 

 consider a branch of the Dyke.* ; it certainly abuts on the Dyke 

 on the top of Blagdon Hill, but I fail to perceive the grounds 

 for his opinion, or any feature in common between them. Its 

 course may be traced to the strong Keltic fortress at Whitsbury, 

 and thence to the Avon. Both this and Grimsditch appear to me 

 to be lines of British trackway, or roads, leading from the extent 

 sive hunting grounds, and pasture lands on this side, as well as 

 from the important Keltic settlement on Gussage Cow Down, to 

 the fords on the Avon at Charford and Britford, which are undor 

 the protection of the Camp on Clearbury Hill above Downtoia. 



*4ncient Wilts. Sir R. C. 



