on the Marlborough Downs. 



59 



(1) Of Camps we have two excellent specimens, both of which we 

 shall see in our excursions, " Martinsell," and u Barbury/' They 



iboth occupy most commanding situations, each on the brow of a 

 hill, from which their defenders could have kept a good look out, 

 land which it would have been difficult for an enemy to surprize. 



The camp at Martinsell has been described as " an oblong square 

 in shape, except towards the east, where it bends inwards in order 

 ito humour the natural shape of the hill."" 1 Perched on the summit 

 of a precipice, it seems to have needed comparatively weak earthen 

 ! works for its defence, for the entrenchment consists of a single bank 

 (and ditch only. These however prove its British origin, and would 

 lead one to suspect it had not been made use of in Roman or Saxon 

 times, as was the case with so many of these camps, when the latter 

 i occupants generally added considerably to the earthen ramparts, and 

 i strengthened the defences which sufficed for the earlier and ruder 

 ; warriors. Its area comprises no less than thirty-one acres, and Sir 

 Richard Hoare gave it as his opinion that is was probably an asylum 

 to which the Britons, who were very numerous in its environs, sent 

 their families and herds in times of danger. 



An admirable example of the way in which the Saxons thus 

 enlarged and strengthened the British works of which they availed 

 themselves, will be seen in the other camp we shall visit, that called 

 " Barbury Castle."" This strong earthwork is oval in form, having 

 entrances towards the west and east, the former of which is protected 

 i by a barbican, part of which has been much defaced by the plough, 

 but the natural steepness of the ground towards the west rendered 

 any additional out-work unnecessary : it has double ramparts, and 

 contains an area of twelve acres ; the circumference of the work is 

 estimated at half-a-mile, and the height of the ramparts no less than 

 47 feet. It was very probably the scene of action where Cynric 

 and Ceawlin fought against the Britons in the year 556, as recorded 

 in the Saxon Chronicle. 2 



(2) Of British " Trackways 33 we have a very excellent example, 



1 Sir R. C. Hoare's North Wilts, page 9. 

 2 Sir R. C. Hoare's North Wilts, page 41. " An DCVI. Hoc anno Cynricus 

 I et Ceawlinus acre dinricabant contra Britannos ad Beranbyrig." 



