BABBITRY RINGS. 23 



just outside the Park, which stands upon its line ; from this point 

 it may be traced across three fields to the corner of Kingwood, and 

 is then seen distinctly on the Down close by the E. side of Badbury 

 Kings, and then in the field N. of the Rings, near the bottom of 

 which it forms a distinct junction with the Via Icen. The latter 

 turns off to the W. of The Rings, where, in passing, it touches 

 upon the edge of the exterior fosse, and is continued onwards into 

 the Shapwick enclosures. The branch from the junction is con- 

 tinued in a more direct line towards the Rings than the main road. 

 The Vise are here formed of round pebbles, which are found at 

 hand. (Here I have a rough sketch of the camp witli the two lines 

 from the junction.) 



There is no doubt, therefore, of a branch road, which passed off 

 from the main line about quarter of a mile N. of Badbury, and 

 pursued a S. or S.E. direction straight through Kingston Lacy 

 Park. It only remains to be proved whether this line is the 

 continuation of that which we had traced across the Wimborne 

 meadows, or whether it is altogether a distinct branch. I am 

 inclined to think that it is one and the same, and may possibly be 

 traced, although I failed to discover it somewhere in the Abbot- 

 street or Cowgrove fields, to the spot in Mr. Bankes' Plantation, 

 which is about 100 yards W. of the lane leading to Cowgrove 

 from Abbotstreet. If this be the case the road must have made a 

 considerable angle after crossing the meadows from Lake. There 

 is no ford over the river W. of Eyeford until we come to Barford, 

 which may account for the angularity of the line. 



"September, 1848. I have had an opportunity of tracing the 

 line of the Via across the meadows. It runs straight from Lake 

 to a point on the river about quarter of a mile above or W. of 

 Eyebridge and Eyeford, opposite to Mr. Charlton's dairyhouse, 

 which appears to stand on its line. It thus leaves Pamphill and 

 Abbotstreet to the N. and points in the direction of Mr. Bankes' 

 Plantation to the N.E., where it is again visible ; but I have not 

 traced it from the river thus far, across the enclosed and arable 

 land [small fields], where its course is most probably obliterated, 



