244 REPORT—1883. 
(vol. ii. p. 55), with plans of the camp constructed by Mr. D’Oyley, and 
coloured figures of the objects found. These relics, consisting of small 
fragments of very rude pottery and a few flint ‘flakes,’ determined the 
camp, in the opinion of General Pitt-Rivers, to be of British or Romano- 
British construction, but the data obtained were insufficient to fix the 
age of the entrenchment with greater precision. 
The second entrenchment, now called the ‘ Loughton’ or ‘ Cowper’s’ 
Camp, remained unknown until it was discovered by the acumen and 
perseverance of Mr. B. H. Cowper. Mr. Cowper thus recounts the cir- 
cumstances attending his recognition of the camp :—‘ In the course of my 
researches in the forest, I came, in the summer of 1872, into the neigh- 
bourhood of Loughton. There it was that I suddenly detected what 
appeared to be a portion of a moated enclosure. A short investigation 
was then all that I could make, but I was convinced of the reality of the 
conjecture. I made some inquiries, but failed to discover any record or 
local knowledge of a camp in that portion of the forest, and there the 
matter ended for the time. In 1875 I returned, and after several efforts 
managed to complete the circuit of the camp, which was a difficult 
operation. I gave as much publicity as possible to the discovery, and in 
addition went over all the ground between the Loughton Camp and 
Ambresbury Banks. Friends took an interest in the matter, and foremost 
among them was Mr. W. D’Oyley, who rendered the greatest service and 
accomplished a complete survey of both the ancient earthworks.’ By 
means of this discovery Mr. Cowper rendered an important service to 
the knowledge of the archeology of the forest district, and in his various 
papers on the subject, the titles of which are here recorded, he gave a 
careful description of the earthwork and its surroundings, and compared 
it with the neighbouring Ambresbury Banks. Mr. Cowper’s writings on 
the subject are as follows: (1) ‘ Notes on an Entrenched Camp in Epping 
Forest, with plan by Mr. D’Oyley;’ read at a. meeting of the Royal 
Archeological Institute, November 5, 1875;1 (2) ‘ Ancient Harthworks 
in Epping Forest ;’? (3) ‘ Ancient Camps in Epping Forest, with plans 
by William D’Oyley, of Loughton,’ a pamphlet published by the Com- 
mittee of the ‘Epping Forest Fund’ in 1876, and now rare; (4) 
‘Epping Forest and its Ancient Camps,’ (with woodcut). We gladly 
acknowledge our indebtedness to these papers for many details. Mr. 
D'Oyley’s labours in the delineation of the two camps call also for 
grateful recognition, inasmuch as they materially aided the explorations 
which were afterwards undertaken. : 
The Loughton Camp is situated about a mile north of the village 
from whence it takes its name, and about two miles south-west of 
Ambresbury Banks. It is placed in the depths of the forest, the trees 
surrounding and covering it being principally beech and oak ; some very 
ancient specimens of the former tree actually grow upon the ramparts, 
and many old hollies are to be found both within and around the 
entrenchments. Its circumference is about 800 yards, giving a contents 
of between 11 and 12 acres; the two known forest camps being very 
nearly of a size. The construction of the camp is also very similar to 
that of the Ambresbury entrenchment, an outer broad ditch having been 
dug, and the earth so obtained thrown up on the inside to form a rampart. 
1 Archeological Journal, vol. xxxiii. p. 88. 2 Loc. cit. p. 245. 
8 Cassell’s Family Magazine, vol, iii. (1877), p. 153. 
