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KNAP HILL CAMP.i 

 By Mks. M. E. Cunnington. 



Knap Hill is a bold conical-shaped hill, one of the series of 

 promontories standing out from the chalk plateau that borders the 

 Pewsey Yale to the north. On the south side overlooking the 

 valley the hill is very steep and descends in one continuous slope 

 from the summit to the level of the valley below. On the north 

 and west it slopes more gradually back to meet the level of the 

 downs that spread out behind it. On the east it is connected with 

 Golden Ball Hill by a comparatively level, triangular-shaped neck 

 of land. The next promontory to the west is Walker's Hill, on 

 the summit of which is the Long Barrow known as "Adam's 

 Grave." On Walker's Hill and on the neighbouring downs are to 

 be seen several ancient banks and ditches, barrows, and other 

 evidences of ancient populations. The ploughed land on Golden 

 Ball Hill is strewn with flint Hakes, broken implements, hammer 

 stones, cores, &c., bearing eviderce of an ancient occupation of the 

 site. 



Between Knap and Walker's Hill an ancient roadway, known 

 as the British Trackway, or the Eidgeway, ascends from the valley 

 at Alton, at first as a deeply sunken way, and continues its course 

 northwards across the downs towards Kennet.^ 



^ "Knap," a variety of " knob," Danish. A protuberance or round isolated 

 hill; a hill or summit, Lloyd's Encydopcedic Dictionary. "You shall see 

 many a fine seat set upon a knap of ground." As used in Wilts, A Little 

 Hill, A Steep Ascent in a road, see " Glossary," Wilts Arch. Mag.^ vol. xxvii., 

 p. 137. 



The excavations at Knap Hill were carried out by Mr. and Mrs. B. H. 

 Cunnington during the summers of 1908 and 1909. The work altogether 

 occupied six weeks, six men being employed. 



2 See " Antiquities of North Wilts,'' by the Kev. A C. Smith. On the 

 Ordnance Maps this way is marked as a " Roman Road " and called the 

 Ridgeway, or Icknield Way. 



