ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



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Camp at Shaugh Prior. 



A brass celt was found near this spot. 



RoBOROUGH (O.S. XXX, 1 5). — Eleven miles south of Barnstaple is the Ten Oaks camp in the 



midst of a wood, defended by a rampart and ditch, with an outside agger very perfect. It is 300 ft. by 



200 ft., and an outer work embraces two-thirds of the camp 



on the north-west. 



Seaton and Beer. — On Little Coochill, i mile west 



of Seaton, is the site of Hanna Ditches, popularly known as 



Honey Ditches, said to have received its name from Hanna, 



a Danish chief. This earthwork which was an oval, or 



nearly circular camp of vallum and fosse, containing about 



3 acres, was destroyed in 1862, and the name transferred 



to the site of a Roman villa with a hypocaust (excavated in 



1859), ly'"g 'r* * fi^l"! 2 * ™'l^ distant. Hanna Ditches 



Camp is noticed by Stukeley, who also mentions a square 



camp with strong ditches ^ a mile west of Seaton, of which 



Lysons said there were no traces in his time. 



Shaugh Prior (O.S. cxviii, 7). — This interesting 



camp, north of Plympton Earle, is somewhat difficult to 



find. It is near Wotter, the Lee Moor Clay Works, and 



Cann Wood ; between the River Plym and Lory Brook. 



Towards the south-west is an extensive view over the 



valley of the Plym, but to the north and the east the moor 



is bounded only by the skyline. 



It is an oblong camp, locally known as the ' Bull 



Ring,' surrounded by a vallum 20 ft. wide at the base and 8 ft. high, broadens at certain vulnerable 



points as may best be understood by the plan. The entrance on the south was by a sunk-road 



80 ft. wide, but the banks on either side have been largely 

 destroyed, and a road severs it from the camp. At the north- 

 east corner are the remains of a vallum which dies away in an 

 arc ; this was part of an enclosure which may be traced on 

 the north and western sides ; on the latter the court is 25 ft. 

 wide, bordered by the fragment of a rampart i ft. in height 

 and a fosse 4 ft. 6 in. in depth. At the two northern angles 

 foot-paths lead into the external area, between the widened 

 ends of the aggers. This was apparently a strongly defended 

 habitation for a pastoral people, whose herds were folded 

 within the outer enclosure. 



Shebbear (O.S. li, 1). — The site of a circular camp lies 

 between Watergate and Waltersmoor. 



Shirwell (O.S. ix, 7). — 'The Castle' 4 miles north- 

 east of Barnstaple, is a simply formed camp standing above 

 Bradiford Water. The cutting of a modern lane has de- 

 stroyed the north-western side, and that part remaining is surrounded by a vallum 6 ft. in height. 



The entrance on the east is between the incurving and the outcurving of the rampart, thus 



providing a slanting path up to the interior. 

 SiLVERTON (O.S. Ivi, 11). — A small 



camp situated on a height above the east 



bank of the River Burn, lies i mile north- 

 west of Silverton. 



South Huish (O.S. cxxxvi, 10). — 



Burleigh Dolts, or Malborough Camp, close 



to the village of Malborough, in the south 



Hams, is on the slope of a hill declining 



towards Burleigh-Newhouse Farm. A 



strong vallum surrounds an area which we 



may term an irregular oval ; that around 



the lower level towards the north is a ram- 

 part only, but from the east around the south, 



where it reaches its highest point, the ill- 

 treated vallum is still 14 ft. in height and 



20 ft. wide at the base, and its strength 

 is increased by a wide fosse. The entrance 

 at the south-west has evidently been well 

 I 



SCALE or FCET 



The Castle, Shirwell. 



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Burleigh Dolts, South Huish. 



609 



77 



