A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



The Mellingford Brook joins the Dene just opposite to the site. Of recent 

 years the waters of these two streams have been dammed up to a higher 

 level, and form what is now known as Newton Lake. 



The mount (A) so placed is slightly oval in form, conical and truncated 

 at the top. It is raised upon more or less bare sandstone rock. On its 

 north-west, west, and south-west sides it is defended by a fosse ; on the 

 other sides the steep scarps of the river valley are ample protection. The 

 height of the mount is 17ft. from the present bottom of the ditch; it 

 is 105 ft. in diameter at its base, and its top measures 40 ft. across. In 1843 

 there was a raised rim of earth round the top along the south side, 

 but this has disappeared. The ditch is now only about 5 ft. deep and 

 32 ft. wide ; originally (as excavation showed) it was at least 2 ft. deeper and 

 partially cut into the rock ; it has apparently always been a dry fosse. 

 There are no signs of any masonry upon the mount. From its top the 

 'Castle Hiir effectively commands the whole of its immediate surroundings ; 

 it also overlooks the level ground on the farther side of the river valleys. 

 There is no adjacent bailey now traceable ; it is possible, however, that there 

 may formerly have been one in part of the slightly elevated field to 

 the south (B), which has been altered by much ploughing; an old inhabitant 

 still remembers the existence of ditches and banks here. 



The interior of this mount was extensively investigated in 1843, ^^^ ^ 

 fair account of the proceedings has been preserved ; owing, however, to the 

 explorers being under the impression that they were excavating a sepulchral 

 barrow, features in accordance with that idea would seem to have received 

 most attention. The results are nevertheless very interesting. First, a shaft 

 was sunk vertically from the top to the bottom of the mount at its centre ; 

 then a second was driven horizontally on the ground level from the west side 

 to meet it ; next, another shaft was excavated from the centre to the south 

 side, and, finally, one from the centre to the east side. It was found that the 

 substance of the mount was clay, marl, red sand and sandstone, partly, at any 

 rate, dug out of its fosse. These materials were heaped upon what was seen 

 clearly to have once been grassy sward and rock. Burnt clay, coal ashes, 

 wood charcoal, stones showing action of fire, roots and branches of oak, were 

 found, apparently, in both the horizontal and vertical shafts. On the south 

 side, I oft. within the mount, a long narrow chamber was discovered on the 

 ground level. It was 2 i ft. in length, 2 ft. wide, and 2 ft. high ; its roof was 

 arched over with lumps of pressed clay ; the floor was covered, 3 in. deep, 

 with what appeared to be a mixture of wood ashes, calcined bones, and half- 

 burnt animal matter ; below the floor level a trench, 15 in. deep, was found, 

 lined with two tiers of rounded oak timbers, and filled with clay. On the 

 roof of this chamber was discovered a very distinct and remarkable impression 

 ; of an adult human body, of which a full description is given. The mouth 

 of the chamber was found to be closed with bundles of grass, fern, dry roots 

 and clay, none of which were carbonized. Other ' finds ' were a broken 

 whetstone, unearthed near the centre of the hill, and a fragment of pottery 

 (both figured and described in detail). 



This ' Castle Hill,' like many another in the district, has been described 

 as a sepulchral barrow, and also as a Roman botontinus ; but the position in 

 which it is placed, and the excavations above recorded, distinctly point to its 



532 



