ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



to what period to assign it, though our belief is that Sandwich wall is 

 wholly mediaeval.' 



On the northern side of the town ' the river Stour seems to have 

 been considered a sufficient protection. 



A stream protected the wall on the west and on part of the south, 

 and there the rampart is slight ; but when we reach the south-east and 

 east, where the salt marshes approach the wall, we find the rampart 

 reared to a height of 17 ft., with a wide, shallow, outer moat. 



The sea is now about two miles away, but in early days the tide 

 may have nearly lapped the foot of this great rampart on the north-east.' 



Historical records refer to Sandwich Castle, but not a wrack 

 remains ; only its site is indicated, about 250 ft. without the town 

 rampart on the east. When Hasted wrote its foundations remained, 

 and the field containing them was known as Castle Mead.* 



SiBERTswoLD, or Shepherdswell : Golgotha. — In a field are the 

 scanty remains of a rectangular earthwork which is reputed to have 

 been a Danish camp and burying spot. There is, however, no definite 

 evidence of its purpose. 



CASTLE MOUNTS 



[Class D] 



Hill. This earthwork, situated nine miles 

 is upon ground 195 



ft. above sea-level and 





ArnVn\4T>~ B 



-CO 



Brenchley : Castle 

 south-west of Maidstone, 

 145 ft. above the 

 land a mile and a 

 half north ; a 

 quarter of a mile 

 south the hill is 

 80 ft. above the 

 enclosure, the 

 work standing 

 upon the side of a 

 gently sloping hill 

 which affords no 

 natural defence. 

 The entrench- 

 ments are not in a 

 good state of pre- 

 servation, and the 

 ground is very 

 uneven in surface, 

 both outside and within the enclosure ; hence the original plan is not 



' The site may have been occupied in Roman times, as ' remains ' have been found, according to 

 Mr. George Payne's schedule in his Archaeological Survey of Kent in Arch. (1889) li. 



= Remains of a town wall of masonry exist along this side, but it is of late mediaeval construction, 

 and the barbican gate so late as Tudor times. 



i See Burrows (M.), Cinque Por// (1895), and map of theRutupian Ports in Hasted's Hist, of Kent. 



* Hist. Kent (1799) iv. 260. 



407 



rCET 



7.00 »oo 



Castle Hill, Brenchley. 



