Report of Meetings for 1890. By Dr J. Hardy. 41 



au old Eoman "Way first claimed attention, and then ascending 

 the slope, the top of a portion of Lorbottle Crags was gained, 

 from which vantage ground a truly magnificent view was ob- 

 tained. Here the party grouped themselves about the remains 

 of a ruined cairn, while Dr Hardy, the Secretaiy of the Club, 

 read the following excerpts on 



CALLALY CAMPS. 



Extract from Mr MacLauchlan's Memoir on Watling Street : — 

 *' Callaly is remarkable for its camps, of which there are three, 

 if not four — one at the High Houses, one at the Eabbit Hall, 

 and one on the hill above the Mansion House. That at High 

 Houses is on the farm of Cross Hill (Cross Hill probably denotes 

 the site of a boundary ci'oss, or where one stood at cross-roads ; 

 such crosses were erected in former ages as guides for travellers). 

 It is on high ground, and commands the Vale of Whittingham^' 

 particularly towards the west. It is nearly ploughed down, but 

 ils form can still be seen ; it was an oval, about 110 yards E. arid 

 W., 90 yards N. and S., defended apparently by a strong ram- 

 part and deep ditch. The spot is about a mile north of our line 

 (the Eoman Eoad). 



" Eabbit Hall Camp is on much lower ground, and about 350 

 yards on the south of our line. It is so destroyed in parts that 

 its shape originally is scarcely discernible. It is about 1100 

 yards on the N.E. of Lorbottle House, and close to the old road 

 to Callaly. It was an oval, the N.E. and S.W. diameter about 

 90 yards ; and the N.W. and S.E. about 65 yards. 



"The Camp on the conical-topped hill, called the Castle Hill, 

 is covered with wood, briars, and ferns, so that it is verj'' difficult 

 to ascertain the shape properly. The shape of the inner ward 

 of the Camp is nearly a semi-circle, with a diameter of about 

 100 yards, which coincides nearly with the outcrop of strata. 

 The area of the inner part may be about three-quarters of an 

 acre. Three of the sides are very precipitous, so much so that 

 the second rampart has not been continued all round ; but on 

 the other side, towards the west, where the slope is not so rapid, 

 an outer line is continued, forming a sort of outer baly. The 

 ditch towards the west appears to have been excavated out of the 

 rock, and when made was about 40 feet wide ; altogether it must 

 have been a very strong post, and from its extensive command 

 of view, both in a west and east direction, along the line of the 

 Eoman AVay, must, it is imagined, have been occupied by that 



