436 Mr, Tate on Yevering Bell, &c. 



clothes part of the northern side of the hill ; but the principal 

 entrance is on the south, which is 12 feet in width, and 

 which has a guard-house on its west side of an oval shape 9 

 feet by 6 feet. This guard-house was cleared, and on its floor 

 were found charred wood, and the broken under stone of a 

 quern, which is of a rude form, \% inches in diameter, and 

 made of a reddish brown sandstone such as occurs on the Dod- 

 dington hills. Near to this gateway, in a cutting outside of 

 the wall, a small flint was discovered, at the depth of 3 feet; 

 it is 1 inch long, with a sharp cutting edge, and appears to 

 have been a small knife. {Plate ^KNl.Jig. 1.) 



Liner Fortlet. To ascertain the character of the Entrench- 

 ment or Fortlet (Plate XV, fig, a) Avithin the great Fort, 

 and near to its eastern end was an object of considerable 

 interest, as it was here, according to popular fancies, that 

 Druidical rites were performed. Being the highest part of 

 the hill, and jutting above the general level, it is naturally 

 a strong position ; but it has been fortified by a deep ditch 

 and low rampier, encircling a space 170 feet in circumfer- 

 ence. The ditch was examined by diggings, and found to 

 have been originally 5 feet deep, 5 feet wide at the top, and 

 2 feet wide at the bottom. In most places it has been cut out 

 of the rock ; and the stones and earth excavated, had been 

 heaped up on the outer side of the ditch, to form a low defen- 

 sive rampier about one foot in height. At the bottom of the 

 ditch charred wood was found; but not in sufiicient quantity 

 or size to prove that there had been a stockade around the 

 entrenchment. The ditch is not carried entirely round, but 

 on the east side the rock is left, and forms a causeway 9 

 feet wide, giving access into the Fortlet. Some old accounts 

 state, that a paved road 3 paces broad and 30 feet long, led 

 from the outer wall into this Fortlet ; but no such pave- 

 ment exists ; the cracked and jointed rock, having the ap- 

 pearance of an artificial pavement, has led to the misstatement. 



Within this Fortlet, at its very highest point, is a small 

 oval enclosure, 13 feet in diameter from north to south, and 

 10 feet from east to west ; and here, according to imaginative 

 antiquaries, was the Druidical Altar; and here were seen the 

 stones, reduced to a " calx" by the fire, which consumed the 

 victims. This enclosure, which was filled with small stones 

 and earth, was entirely cleared; but no altars — no cromlechs 

 were seen. At the depth of 15 inches, the rock in situ was 

 reached, which formed a rough floor ; scattered over it, 

 charred wood was found, and in its centre a copper relic. 



