202 THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE 
the ricks are removed, in the walls of the shed 
[there] and scattered about the field there are large 
pieces of sarsen which would account for the few 
stones that [p.10] [the stones were] some of the 
stones were broken up. I have proved by digging 
into the hollow between stones marked 8 and 9 and 
there discovering a[nd] quantity of ashes probably 
straw and some chips of burnt sarsen. 
The line of stones which leads up to the circle 
consists of 5 stones none now standing upright. 
They are about the same size as the others 1.e. about 
5 or 7 feet long (1.8m, 2.1m). I cannot find traces of 
any stones within 400 ft (122m) of the circle but the 
wall of the cowsheds covers most of this distance 
and would probably account [for them] their 
absense at the above distance [there] from the circle 
there is a stone and at the distance of 6? 5? ft. (65 
feet, 20m) there is another and at a like distance 1 
more. [p.11] [at a dis[tance] 191ft (S8m) from this 
there is a stone which would [be] leave room for two 
stones in between and about the same distances that 
is 65 ft (20m) [which] and [280] ft (20m, 85m) from 
this [last] stone there is one more This being the 
last stone that I can trace, it will be noticed in the 
plan that the road makes a bend between these two 
end stones of which I shall say more farther on. 
Some archaeologists (repeated on pages 24, 25) 
whom I have taken over the ground deny that the 
line of stones has any connection with the circle and 
that they were drawn out of the way when the road 
was made but I ask why should the stones be equal 
distances from each other and why should they 
cross the road [between] the last stones where it 
curves [an] on its way to Coate while the stones 
[continue] [p12a] are in a straight line. I think also 
that these stones are two (sic) large to have been 
moved for the purpose by modern workmen most of 
the[m] stones weighing between 3-4 and 5 tons. 
This would have taken [almost] at least 20 men to 
lift [which] and all this labour would not have taken 
place in recent times. These stones also could not 
have been [put? like] natural because in a district 
where stones are comparatively scarce it is a rare 
thing to find more than one and in a straight line. 
The circle appears to have originally consisted 
of 30 stones [p.22] the same number as the inner 
circles at Avebury. This number [of] was the 
number of years counted by the Druids for a 
generation and was a favourite cycle of theirs. The 
lunar month also anciently consisted of 30 days. It 
is not quite a circle [be] there being a considerable 
difference between the diameters from E to W and 
N to S. The oval [in] on the W side is unfortunately 
encroached upon by [a] cowshed and a rick yard 
and in this large space there is only one stone left 
that being mutilated. The others were probably 
buried or smashed up to build the walls around. 
Scattered about the sheds are a [good] few pieces of 
sarsen which [p.23] would account for [so] such a 
small number remaining. That some of the stones 
were broken up I have proved by digging into the 
hollow between the 9th and 10th stone and I there 
found some black ashes and a piece of burnt sarsen. 
By the side of the road which passes through the 
circle there are five stones which from their present 
position I think may have formed part of an avenue 
leading up to the circle from the north none of these 
now remain upright. They are about the same size 
as those in the circle i.e. about 5 to seven feet (1.5m, 
2.1m) long. 
On turning round the road to Day House Farm 
in the left hand side [there] between the third and 
fourth [stone] there is a stone [no. 4] 5 ft long [at] a 
distance of 400 feet (122m) there is another 6 ft 
(1.8m) long in the side of a ditch. 191 ft (58m) from 
this is a stone and 65 ft (20m) further on there is one 
and at a like distance there is another. This one 
[number 5 on plan] is the last I can [trace] find near 
the circle*. It will be observed from the plan that 
the line if continued would pass over stone 14 or 
just to the E of stone 1 in the second circle. 
The [stone] first stone of the circle number [6] is 
within 3 yards of the shed wall and has fortunately 
not been noticed by the builders. of the [sto] walls 
[acro] The next three stones 7, 8 and 9 are not 
broken [p.26a] [and] the distance between stones 8 
and 9 I take to have been the original distance apart, 
between stones 9 and 10 there is a hollow from 
which I obtained a piece of burnt sarsen and ashes 
probably show between stones 11 and 12 there is a 
wide gap which after hours of search with a bar I 
have failed to fill up. Stone 14 is the only one I can 
find in this rick yard but in the ditch outside it 
There are some large pieces which have been 
broken up and thrown in. We now pass on to the 
second circle. (see Day House Lane SW). 
[15] (repeated in different words on p.28) I 
think it rather remarkable that these circles have 
never been mentioned before. Stukeley and Britton 
mention the stones at Broome Manor 2 miles 
distant but not Coate [Sir R. C. Hoare must have 
passed] [along the road also] Hoare doesnt mention 
it, neither does Richard Jefferies who must have 
passed [seen] it every day. [30b] [Near the] [It is] 
Richard Jefferies also seems to have overlooked the 
circles [as] he lived [within] very close and 
