ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



which remain on the coast are of Hasten's construction. Though 

 originally an inland fortress, as is proved in Mr. F. C. J. Spurrell's 

 papers, 1 the sea has 

 washed away about 

 half of it, and the 







Shoeiarynta 

 Essex. 



banks of the re- 

 maining portion 

 have been sadly mu- 

 tilated by the War 

 Office authorities, 

 who now occupy 

 the site. 



Rampart and 

 ditch remain on the 

 south side while 

 Rampart Street 

 marks the north line. 

 A fraction exists, or 

 did till recently, on 

 the west side, show- 

 ing a ditch 40 feet wide outside a bank of about 12 feet in height. 



In the words of Dr. H. Laver 2 : 



It is probable that the few remains of this historical camp will soon disappear, 

 unless an effort is made to enlist the help of the War Office authorities in its preserva- 

 tion, a matter which should not be difficult, seeing its value as an historical monument, 

 and that the cost of preservation would be next to nothing. 



MALDON. If any reliance can be placed upon the plan shown by 

 Strutt, 3 the earthwork at Maldon must have been of the most simple 

 form a rampart with a wide moat, surrounding an open space ; but it 

 is practically certain that in Strutt's days it was by no means so complete 

 as indicated, for Salmon, who wrote earlier (1740), speaks of part being 

 built upon and defaced. In his day three sides of the fortification 

 remained ; but now, alas ! Mr. E. A. Fitch in his description of Maldon 

 (1898) can only say : * The site of this Saxon camp can still be faintly 

 traced.' 



Salmon * says : 



There are the remains of a camp on the west side of the town, through the 

 middle of which the Road to Chelmsford goes ; three sides of the Fortification are 

 visible. The ground within the Vallum seems to be of about twenty-two Acres . . . 

 We see three sides of a Square or Oblong, the rest being built upon and defaced. 



This has a fair Pretence to be Roman ; but as Edward the elder encamped here, 

 it is not certain whether he fortified it, or found it ready done to his hands. 



There are two references in the Saxon Chronicle. The first 



(A. 913) simply states that King Edward went to Maldon with some 



of his force and encamped while his burb at Witham was being 

 constructed. 



1 Essex Naturalist, iv. and Artbtrokgical Journal, xlii. 

 ' Manneri, Customs, etc. (1774). 



287 



* Essex Arch. 1 'rani. n.s. vi. 97. 

 4 History of Essex (1740), p. 419. 



