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NOTES ON BAKKOWS IN SOUTH WILTS. 



By Lt.-Col. W. Hawley, F.S.A. 



Not many years ago Bulford was a place little known except in 

 its vicinity, but since the War Office has acquired much land in 

 the neighbourhood for military purposes, and a permanent camp 

 has been established there, the name has become well known. 



Shortly before the Government occupation I opened a few of 

 the barrows situated westward of the camp, and also others, some 

 of which occur still further westward, on Brigmerston and Syrencot 

 Downs ; leave to do so having been very kindly granted me by the 

 then owners of the properties — J. Ledger Hill, F. S. Kendall, and 

 George Knowles, Esquires. The operations were spread over in- 

 tervals during a period of about three years, aud were my first 

 attempts at investigating Prehistoric remains ; so, before beginning 

 to recount them, I should like to make my apologies to archaeolo- 

 gists for the perfunctory way they were carried out. For although 

 it gave me infinite pleasure at the time, now that I have acquired 

 a little more knowledge of these matters, it is not without some 

 feeling of regret that I think these barrows were not so thoroughly 

 explored as they should have been, and treated according to the 

 methods of General Pitt-Kivers : yet, it is a very large undertaking 

 to move a barrow of large dimensions, to take it away from its 

 site, and after noting and examining everything, to return the 

 earth to its original place, and the barrow to its former appearance. 



There is, however, this to be said, that the structure of the 

 barrows is left uninterfered with except in the portion excavated, 

 and the above remarks refer chiefly to the large Bulford Barrows, 

 and not to the others which I shall mention afterwards, the latter 

 having been in great part already destroyed ; some by rabbits, 

 others ploughed down and levelled (some almost out of recognition), 

 a custom in years gone by whenever land was taken up for culti- 

 vation : so, in these instances, rather than doing harm, I trust I 

 may have been useful in recording these, as they might be lost to 

 sight entirely as time progresses. 



