EARLY MAN 



remains of forts erected to guard the passage of the river are to be 

 found. It is however quite possible that these traces of what on a cursory 

 examination look like remains of entrenchments may only be the survivals 

 of the ancient common cultivation that occur so often on the Welsh 

 hills. Their presence is only another reason for a thorough and search- 

 ing examination of all the hills not only along this range, but also of 

 the range of hills from Clifton-on-Teme to Tenbury, for until this is done 

 it will be impossible to say with any accuracy what are the camps or 

 other earthworks in this part of the county. 



This range of hills joins the Malverns near Cradley ; the Malvern 

 range runs nearly north and south. The first recognized work on the 

 Malvern Hills is the cutting in the rock at the Wych, which is said to 

 have been made by the Romans. As it does not appear to have been on 

 the line of any Roman road it is difficult to see why it should have been 

 then made ; possibly it is of earlier date. Further to the south the first 

 of the Malvern camps occurs. 



(4) There are two great camps (fig. 3) on the Malvern Hills, one 

 above Little Malvern, known as the Herefordshire Beacon, on one side 

 of which the road leading into Herefordshire from Worcestershire passes. 

 Although it has been the subject of a good deal of literature it has never 

 yet been really or properly explored. It consists of a triple entrenchment 

 enclosing altogether a considerable area, though that of the citadel or 

 central portion is quite small. Its form will be better understood from 

 the following rough plan than from a verbal description. 



The origin of this camp has been ascribed to Caractacus, Dr. Card 

 a former vicar of Malvern in 1822 published a book to prove this,^ But 

 the connection of Caractacus with the camp is pure conjecture, there is 

 absolutely no evidence whatever to support it. Two rather remarkable 

 finds have been made near it: one in 1647, when an urn containing 

 some 300 Roman coins was discovered near the camp ; the other in 1650 

 of a gold armlet set with precious stones, which was broken up and the 

 stones sold separately. 



(5) Following the hne of the hills, about two miles to the south is 

 another camp ; the boundary between the counties of Hereford and 

 Worcester passes through it. The hill on which it is situated is known 

 as Midsummer Hill, it has two peaks, both of which are included in the 

 works which form the camp. There is a double Hne of entrenchments, 

 a double fosse and vallum. No relics are recorded as having been found 

 at or near this camp. It must have been a strong position, and guarded 

 the road which led from the hill to the camp next described, which 

 is situated in the vale. This road crossed the hills near this point. 

 The camp is almost at the end of the Malvern range, with it the 

 western forts of the county terminate. 



To complete the defence of the district there are two isolated hills 

 in the plain that lies between the Malvern Hills and the Cotswolds, 



1 A Dissertation on the Worcestershire Beacon, by the Rev. H. Card. 

 187 



