Professor T. Rupert Jones — Bistort/ of Sarsens. 119 



Boxford ; and Mr. Walter Money regards tliem as probablj^ remnants 

 of a chambered Long Room. 



1887. In 1887 a buried or subterranean group of large Sarsens 

 was discovered by Mr. liobert Walker at Middle Hole, a quarter 

 of a mile north-west of Middle Farm,' about 2 miles north of 

 Lambourn. Mr. F. J. Bennett (of the Geological Survey) gives the 

 following description in his letters : — 



A large leaning or nearly prostrate stone at the top of the group 

 of stones had probably once been vertical, but had fallen down. 

 The stones had been placed in a round pit-like hole, extending at 

 least 10 feet north and south of the central stone (once upright). 



A square excavation, more than 20 feet deep, was made, and some 

 hundred Sarsens were taken out, weighing from a quarter to six 

 hundredweight each ; and there were left in the hole some stones of 

 from 3 to 7 tons weight. In the hole the stones were iu three 

 irregular piles. The central heap rested on a very large flat stone ; 

 the others were at the two sides. The intervals were occupied by 

 a stiff reddish clay with pottery, burnt and broken bones, wood- 

 ashes, and burnt earth. There is a large flat stone lying in the 

 valley not far off. 



This north and south valley, or rather combe, in which this 

 accumulation of Sarsens was found, has been cut down by 

 denudation through the ' Chalk-rock ' and the ' Melbourne Rock,' 

 both recognizable in the side-slopes, and is floored with ' chalk- 

 rubble.' 



This does not appear to be one of the deep, well-like pits, lined 

 with stones, tiles, clay, or wood, excavated for the purpose of 

 marking boundaries in Roman times. It may have been sepulchral ; 

 for Thomas Wright, in his "Wanderings of an Antiquary, chiefly iu 

 the track of the Romans in Britain," 1894, pp. 176-178, describes 

 in detail some large circular pits that have been filled with flints, 

 and capped with broad Sarsens, on Aylesford Common ; these, he 

 thought, were probably sepulchral, and may have had a chamber 

 opening out of the side at the bottom. (See ante, p. 115.) 



1892. "A trail of large blocks of sarseustone is prolonged by 

 Hagbourne village to a line about 100 feet lower, on to the outcrop 

 of the Upper Greensand. Other slopes along these Downs exhibit 

 similar trails of sarseustone." (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, xlviii, 

 1892, p. 313.) 



At Newbury, Sarsens are frequent in the ' pitched ' crossings of 

 pavements at openings of yards; some are paved with squared setts. 

 Worn, subangular, small Sarsens are plentiful in the gravel-pit 

 south of the town. — T. R. J. 



189G. W. Whitaker refers to the Sarsens at Streatley : 1 roc. 

 Geol. Assoc, vol. xiv, p. 175. 



(12) Wiltshire.— 17(^7. Sir Joseph Banks, in his "Journal ot an 

 Excursion to Eastbury and Bristol, etc., in May and June, 17G< 

 (reproduced with notes by S. G. Perceval in the rroceedings ot 



1 Eeferred to at p. 149 of pt. i. 1SS6. 



