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NOTES ON BARROWS ON KING'S PLAY DOWN, 

 HEDDINGTON. 1 



By Maud E. Cunnington. 



The Long Barrow. 



King's Play Down rises in a steep ascent from the old Bath and 

 London road to the edge of the chalk escarpment overlooking the 

 village of Heddington. About half-way up the slope, and not in 

 a very prominent or conspicuous position, is a long, low, rather 

 flat barrow. 2 



Before excavation the mound measured 101ft. in length ; 47ft. 

 In width at a point one third of its length from the east end, and 

 34ft in width at two-thirds of its length from the same end. The 

 mound lies east-north-east and west-south-west. It increases in 

 height for the first 23ft. from the east end, and then gradually 

 tapers off towards the west. 



The whole of this mound was thrown over with the exception 

 K>f a shallow fringe on the northern side, a trench 24ft. wide being 

 first cut down the entire length of the mound and the sides then 

 thrown over into it. 



Before excavation two saucer-like depressions were noticed on 

 the south side of the mound, one 23ft, and the other 36ft. from the 

 east end. A skeleton was discovered lying crouched on its left 

 side immediately beneath the spot where the first depression had 

 been noticed. The skeleton lay a little to the south of the central 

 line of the barrow, 23ft. from the east end and 22in. below the 

 surface. Thus, though not in any way in a central position, dis- 

 regarding the local depression, it was at that point where the 



1 The three barrows here described were opened by Mr. B. H. Cunnington 

 and myself in August, 1907, by kind permission of Captain Spicer, of Spye 

 Park and of his tenant, Mr. Peak-Garland. 



2 Described by the Bev. A. C. Smith as " An oblong low barrow, running 

 to great length ; grass: not opened." — Antiq. of North Wiltshire, Section 

 lV.,A.vii., c. p. 62. 



