338 Notes on the Border of Wilts and Hants. 



product of the country, is therefore no curiosity ; the upper stratum 

 indeed has much of the marvellous which the Romans affected in 

 all their works, it being a beautiful gravel and whence brought is 

 not easy to be imagined, as no parts of the country produce any 

 such material. This, when Sir Philip made his park, being uncovered, 

 made one of the noblest terrace gravel-walks possible in Europe. 

 But the third or middle stratum of the causeway is marvellous and 

 perfectly incomprehensible. I [says the old writer] was first shewn 

 to take notice of it by the present Sir Sidney. By the thickness 

 of the bed of it and its extent in length as I have at times observed 

 it, I cannot but imagine here are thousands of loads : and nothing 

 like it in this or any other country that I can ever hear of. It has 

 the likeness of the cynders and ashes of a blacksmith's forge." Sir 

 Richard Colt Hoare's account of the Roman road from this point is 

 as follows : — 1 " Immediately before it quits the park it takes a 

 singular form, making a short angle to the left, to avoid a very 

 steep declivity on. the right which presented an insuperable obstacle 

 to a straight line. This was avoided by a circuitous course round 

 the hill : and in no instance of a Roman road have I seen so long a 

 deviation, which extended nearly three miles. After having com- 

 menced the curve the form of the causeway continues very decided 

 in its course, over a wild tract of poor land called Chute Heath, on 

 which are a few scattered barrows indicating the former existence of 

 the Britons on this elevated spot. The dreary aspect of the fore- 

 ground is forgotten by a very fine distant prospect ; the whole extent 

 of Wilts, as far as Alfred's Tower, is discernible, as well as the 

 distant hills of the Isle of Wight." 



In the open field a few yards from the causeway on the north 

 side, overlooking Black Down and Hippingscombe, lies a large flat 

 rude stone, with certain wavy marks upon it (which, however, may 

 only be the effect of weathering upon the grain of the stone) . It 

 is traditionally called the stone of one Kin ward, some ancient 

 magnate who held his Hundred court here in the open air, whence 



1 " Ancient Wilts, Roman Period," p. 68. 



