Wednesday, August %th. 



145 



When they had gained the top the excursionists left the carriages 

 to pursue their way leisurely by the road to Shepherd's Shore, while 

 they enjoyed a pleasant walk of near two miles on the springy 

 flower-covered turf on the brink of Wans Dyke; stopping on the 

 way to note the strange juncture of the Roman road with Wans 

 Dyke, and the barrows and other earthworks which are sparingly 

 distributed near its margin. On arriving near Shepherd's Shore 

 they were met by the Secretary, the Rev. A. C. Smith, who called 

 attention to the large dimensions of Wans Dyke, the breadth and 

 depth of the ditch, and the size of the bank, and pointed out what 

 a stupendous earthwork it must have been before, in course of 

 ages, the ditch had been partially filled in and the bank gradually 

 diminished. He bade them observe, too, how it meandered with 

 many a bend and many a zigzag along the sides and over the tops 

 of the hills, even up to the heights of Tan Hill, while the Roman 

 road, whose junction with it they had noticed, was carried in the 

 undeviating straight line affected by the nation who made it. Then 

 he roughly described its course from near the Bristol Channel ; by 

 Bath ; entering Wiltshire at Neston Park ; still to be traced through 

 Spye Park, Wans, and Heddington; assuming its greatest dimensions, 

 at least as preserved to the present day, in the portion they had now 

 traversed, from Blackland Hollow to Shepherd's Shore ; crossing the 

 highest downs, at Tan Hill, above Alton and Hewish ; partly dis- 

 appearing in the Great West Woods, but fragments of it at least 

 to be traced up to Savernake Forest, beyond which it is no longer 

 to be found. Then came the great questions, who made it ? when 

 was it constructed ? and for what purpose was it thrown up ? These 

 were all difficult problems, about which anyone might speculate 

 without fear of contradiction, for there is no evidence to lead to any 

 certain conclusion. It has been generally believed by Wiltshire 

 antiquaries that the Belgse were its originators, and that they formed 

 it as a barrier of protection from the aboriginal tribes who lived be- 

 yond it to the north ; but after the discoveries which General Pitt- 

 Rivers made at Bokerley Dyke, such origin, both as regards founders 

 and date, and perhaps intention, seems extremely doubtful. Mr. 

 Smith finished his observations by repeating his earnest hope that 



