OF THE BRITISH PERIOD AT WARKSHAPGH. 155 



Mr. McLauchlan had taken the dimensions, the urn unexpectedly 

 fell in pieces from the damp state of the surrounding soil after 

 recent rains. Close to the urn on the east they noticed a free- 

 stone slab laid horizontally, and on further use of the pickaxe 

 and spade a second, and then a third, forming a kind of nagged 

 path about three yards in length. Here another slab, placed 

 perpendicularly, was found to intervene between the end of the 

 last, and a fourth slab, so massive in its proportions, that it was 

 taken to be merely a " quarry" or outburst of the freestone rock. 

 Happily, with the aid of crowbars, Mr. Snowball and his men 

 removed it in fragments, and were rewarded for their persever- 

 ance by uncovering at length a well-formed cist or stone-lined 

 grave, on the top of which this huge slab had been placed. It. 

 was at this stage of the excavations that I saw the barrow. 

 From observation of the ground it seemed to have covered a 

 large extent of surface, rising gently towards a centre on all 

 sides, and might reasonably be supposed to contain more than 

 one interment. I thought it desirable, therefore, to have the 

 spot carefully examined, and having asked permission of the pro- 

 prietor, J. H. L. Allgood, Esq., of Nunwick, he not only readily 

 granted the request, but with great courtesy furnished the men 

 to make the exploration, as far as was thought requisite. 



It was not until several weeks after the discovery, in January 

 of the present year (1865), that I had the opportunity to pro- 

 ceed further with the examination of the Warkshaugh barrow. 

 Our first endeavour was to dig a trench seven yards long, and 

 four and a half feet wide, nearly due north from the site of the 

 inverted urn when first observed. The depth was from two and 

 a half to three feet, being slightly beneath the undisturbed sur- 

 face. In this direction, towards the western edge of the barrow, 

 nothing of importance was noticed, except a pavement of water- 

 worn stones, evidently put there by design, about a foot below 

 the soil, and on a level with the urn. Some of these stones were 

 reddened by the action of fire. Another trench was next dug at 

 right angles to the former, bearing nearly due east, along what 

 seemed to be the highest part of the gentle slope. This was made 

 of considerable width — twelve feet, and about the same depth as 



