358 Coventina's Fountain, by the Rev. J. C. Bruce, LL.D. 



the stream in the summer time no longer flows, and the peat 

 bog has become shrivelled up and dry. By this means the site 

 of an important building outside the camp and on the east side 

 of the stream became visible, which was excavated by Mr Clayton 

 in 1874, yielding the important sculptured stones and inscriptions 

 which form Nos. 924, 926, 927, 928, 929, and 930 of the Lapid- 

 aiium Septentrionale. 



The well on the west side of the little valley had by this time 

 been almost lost sight of, when the explorations of some miners 

 seeking for a vein of lead-ore last year, recalled attention to it. 

 They came upon some dressed stones, forming part of a wall ; 

 this at once informed them that the ground had already been 

 disturbed, and that they must go elsewhere for the object of 

 their search. Mr Clayton, who had long intended to make 

 search for the Roman bath of Horsley, hearing of the circum- 

 stance, resolved at once to set to work and clear up all doubts 

 about the fountain and the sanctuary which surrounded it. Im- 

 portant results soon rewarded the labours of his explorers. 



The masonry of four strong stone walls forming the sides of 

 the well or reservoir were soon exposed. The walls were found 

 to be backed up on their outer side by a mass of clay two feet 

 thick, thereby rendering them impervious to water. The size of 

 the well was 8 feet 4 inches by 7 feet 2 inches inside measure- 

 ment ; and its depth was found to be 7 feet. It must however 

 have been originally deeper than this ; for several of the stones 

 of the upper courses had been removed from their position and 

 thrown upon the top of the material which filled up the well, 

 apparently with the object of concealing and protecting it. The 

 stones had to be broken before they could be removed. 



When the whole of the material had been taken out of the 

 reservoir, it was found that the masonry was resting upon a 

 natural, gravelly bed, and that this formed the bottom of the 

 reservoir. In the south wall of the structure two apertures or 

 channels, one of them about mid-way down, the other at the 

 bottom, were observed leading outwards. How far these channels 

 extended or where they went to has not been ascertained ; the 

 excavator however put his arm into them to its full extent without 

 meeting with any hindrance. These channels may have led to 

 some receptacle in which invalids resorting to the well may 

 have bathed. Mr Clayton intended examining the ground to 



