ON THE ANCIENT EARTHWORK IN EPPING FOREST. 245 
In the report on the Ambresbury Banks allusion was made to the some- 
what irregular lines of the fortification as contrasted with those of camps 
of known Roman origin. In the Loughton Camp strict symmetry of 
proportion has been completely disregarded by its constructors, and there 
are scarcely any defined angles (see Plate II.). The form of the camp 
is that of an imperfect oval, and the lines of the rampart appear to follow 
and to have been controlled by the natural contours of the ground. Ib 
has suffered to a much greater degree than Ambresbury Banks from 
the effects of age and denudation. In many places the burrowings of 
foxes and rabbits have caused much damage, increased possibly, in some 
instances, by foresters in digging out the animals, or even in removing 
sand in very modern:times. In one place in particular, on the western 
side, the bank and trench have nearly disappeared, the soil having ap- 
parently literally tumbled down the slope of the valley, a result probably 
due to natural agencies, this being a very exposed part of the fortifica- 
tion. We are sorry to report that in the course of the construction of a 
recently designed ‘ Green Ride’ through the forest, a considerable portion 
of the western glacis has been cut away, and the original appearance of 
the rampart at that spot completely destroyed. 
The position of the,camp is remarkable ; and, considered from a mili- 
tary point of view, it 18 perhaps the most advantageous in the whole 
forest district. It occupies the southern headland of an elevated plateau, 
many parts of which are densely wooded. From the southern side of the 
camp an extensive view may be had looking towards the south-east, 
bounded by the Kentish hills beyond the Thames. The Lea Valley to: 
the west is shut out by the long ridge forming High Beech, which is 
higher than the ground occupied by the camp. At the northern angle: 
_ of the camp the elevation is about 810 feet above the Ordnance datum. 
The ground gradually trends away towards the southern rampart, and 
then suddenly dips down to Debden Slade, a low marshy valley distant 
about 1,000 feet to the south (Plate 1I.), the level of which is only 
160 feet above datum, showing a fall of about 120 feet from the southern 
aspect of the camp, or 150 feet from the higher plateau-ground at the: 
_northern end. From the western side the ground descends even more 
abruptly, to form a smaller valley, the levels showing a fall of about 
70 feet. This valley falls to the south to join Debden Slade. From the 
north-west corner of the camp the higher ground forms a headland to this 
valley, and is continued for a distance equal to about half the length of 
the camp into a spur towards the south. This tongue of land, being 
some 10 feet higher than the western rampart, and running almost 
parallel with it, may possibly have been originally included in the plan 
of the fortification ; but any evidences of entrenchment have probably 
suffered so much from recent gravel diggings, that no safe conclusions. 
can be drawn therefrom. Mr. Cowper, however, thought he could trace 
a lower trenching round the head of the valley, continuing for some 
distance along the crest of the spur. 
The high plateau-ground from which this spur springs is continued 
round the northern and north-eastern corners of the camp. The ground 
then descends by the eastern side into a swamp at the south-east corner, 
and eventually trends away into the deep valley, Debden Slade, before 
mentioned, the rampart itself sweeping with a gentle curve until its 
outlines are lost in the slopes of the morass. 
This little ‘morass’ (which is a piece of true bog-land, containing: 
