A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



Thurlestone. — Bantham Camp is situated on a sharp promontory at the mouth of the River 

 Avon, wrhich flows into Bigbury Bay, and is within easy signalling distance of the stronghold on 

 Bolt Tail. 



The entrenchments have been extensive, but the drifting sands have almost obliterated the 

 lines of the camp, and it is difficult to estimate its original importance. 



It depended for security not only on its sea-girt rocky coast, but also on the River Avon on the 

 one side, and on the other a vast morass which is covered by the sea at each flow of the tide, and 

 into which flows the Buckland Stream. 



Bantham has been described as rectangular in plan, but the remains take no very definite form, 

 the principal defence more nearly approaching an oval. 



On the south side of the stream a low mound rises from the marsh, and a short length of 

 rampart is seen near the sea line. Piles, pointed by burning, found in the marsh are evidence of 

 very early occupation. 



Fragments of other entrenchments are on a protruding rock at Long Stone, Butter Cove, south 

 of Bantham ; and at various points on Borough Island — a mile west of Bantham, across a stretch 

 of sand off the mouth of the Avon — are defensive works retaining no special plan. 









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 9 100 v>,o 30 ■■'•'''''}'(!'!>V''l)^^^^ 



SCALE OF FEET 

 100 rqo 



Hawkesdown Castle, Axmouth. 



HILL FORTS 



[Class B (i)] 



Axmouth (O.S. Ixxxiii, 8). — Hawkesdown, or Hocksdon, Hill Castle ; also called Oxenden 

 by Lysons, and Oxendown by Polwhele. The camp is formed on the extremity of a lofty ridge to 

 the east of the River Axe, overlooking the village of Axmouth. It is an irregular quadrangle three 

 sides of which take the form of the hill-top, and on those sides it depended for defence on the 

 very precipitous descent of the hill ; artificial aid is, however, introduced and on the north side a 

 strong agger crowns the breast of the steep ; on the north-west nature needed but scant help to the 

 chasm-like segment which is the chief cause of the irregularity of the camp ; but from this point 

 around the south a double vallum with a shallow intermediate ditch emphasizes the escarpment of 

 the hill. At its eastern end the fosse widens under the controlling influence of nature, and thus 

 provides a stronger defence to a narrow foot-entry. The work is strongest and most perfect on the 

 eastern side, where an agger and fosse cross from side to side of the hill ; the former rises i o ft. high 

 from the interior of the camp and descends 1 5 ft., perpendicular measurement, into a fosse 5 ft. in 

 depth. This side, which has an outwork 300 ft. beyond, is most easy of assault, as the top of the 

 ridge is a level plateau. At each end of the eastern agger is an entrance ; that on the south is now 

 choked by vegetable growth, and another postern is found at the north-western angle. 



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