XXV111. 



whilst the locality derives additional interest from being connected with 

 King Alfred, as is indicated by the proximity of Athelney and Alfred 

 Tower. The view from Cadbury Castle is very striking, and if there 

 were any among the party assembled there on this occasion who were 

 unable to appreciate the archaeological interest which the place possesses, 

 they must have been amply repaid by the fine landscape which lay 

 outstretched before them. After pointing out to the party King Arthur's 

 Well and the probable position of the Gates of Gold, which, according to 

 tradition, led into the hill, the Kev. J. A. Bennett led them to the other 

 side of the hill, where from a mound he pointed out the various features 

 of the surrounding country, such as Glastonbury Tor, Whitcombe Valley, 

 Penselwood, Sigwell Camp, Brentknoll, Alfred's Tower, Cook's Peak, 

 the Hills of Bratton and Creech, Musbury Camp, Paget's Tower, and 

 Wellington's Pillar. The Secretary further narrated various interesting 

 stories and folk lore connected with the camp, and he mentioned that he 

 had discovered many hut dwellings five feet in diameter and four feet 

 deep, floored with pebbles, and often containing bones of oxen and 

 fragments of Romano-British pottery. The philology of Sigwell, which 

 was situated on the hill opposite, was " victory well," and he thought 

 it was the place where the Saxons refreshed themselves after having 

 defeated the Britons, and from which they shortly after advanced and 

 took Camelot. The cottagers maintained that King Arthur's burial 

 place was in a field at the foot of a hill not far distant, where many 

 bones have been exhumed. Leland, who had visited Cadbury, was 

 firmly of opinion that it was the Camelot of King Arthur. In a 

 corn field at the base of the hill on the other side many Roman 

 coins had been turned up by the plough, as well as many old English 

 coins. 



In answer to various questions addressed to him, the Rev. J. A. Bennett 

 said the bones before mentioned were considered to belong to Saxons ; 

 the bodies appeared to have been thrown into a pit in a careless and 

 contemptuous manner. The derivation of the word "Camelot," he 

 thought, was from " Camulus," the god of war, analogous to the Roman 

 god Mars. The name " Cadbury, "as well, signified the hill of war. Sir 

 Talbot Baker observed that the slope of the banks was steeper here than 

 at Maiden Castle, but the trenches shallower. Alluding to a remark of 

 Mr. Bennett's that the stone walls under the turf were put, in his opinion, 

 for the accommodation of slingers, he mentioned that the Rev. Prebendary 

 Scarth had held the opposite view. A cordial vote of thanks was then 

 given to the Rev. J. A. Bennett for his address, after which the party 

 proceeded to South Cadbury Church, which was also described by the 



