on the Marlborough Downs. 



55 



generally of very considerable magnitude. Such was the famous 

 Long Barrow of Kennet, which was opened by the late Dr. Thurnam, 

 under the auspices of the Society, on the occasion of our former 

 Meeting at Marlborough, in 1859. 1 



Neither should we confuse with the cromlech proper the graves 

 formed of massive sarsens, placed a foot or so beneath the level of 

 the soil ; and (so far as we know to the contrary) not covered with 

 stone or tumulus above-ground : such have been found within the 

 last few years in my own parish of Yatesbury, and on several 

 occasions, as Mr. Nelson Goddard can testify, on the property of 

 that gentleman, above the hill in the parish of Clyffe ; two or three 

 huge sarsen stones forming most efficient protection to the body 

 they covered. 



(4) The only other species of stone work which remains for me to 

 consider is the smaller Circle op Stones, whether for religious or 

 other purposes. I have already mentioned that which once existed 

 on the southern end of Hackpen, overhanging the river Kennet, 

 above the village of East Kennet, the " Sanctuary/'' as it was called, 

 so fully described by Stukeley 2 as venerated by the whole neigh- 

 bourhood, but every vestige of which is alas ! now gone : we shall 

 pass by the site of it on Thursday. A small circle of stones also 

 existed at Winterbourne Bassett, as described by Sir Richard Hoare, 3 

 and vestiges of it remain to this day. Another circle of stones was 

 recorded by Aubrey as existing in his day in a lane leading from 

 Kennet to Marlborough. But I here wish to call the special at- 

 tention of the Society to a remarkable circle, or rather segment (I 

 ought to call it) of a circle, which I discovered two years since about 

 a mile south of Silbury, and which I mentioned in the Magazine at 

 that time. 4 I was led to the discovery by the suspicious appearance 

 of certain sarsen stones, which, though scattered in no regular form, 

 appeared as if they might have once stood erect, in some sort of 

 order, on the segment of a large circle. Subsequent visits to the 



1 Magazine, vol. x., pp. 130 — 135. 

 2 Abuiy, page 31. 



3 North Wilts, page 94. 



4 Vol. xvii., pp. 253—4. 



