390 Silchester. 



are from 10ft. to 15ft. high, and If miles in circuit, with a fosse 

 which, though now encumbered with debris, is still in many places 

 100ft. in breadth, and 12ft. or Hft. in depth. There are several 

 springs, so that part of the fosse is generally filled with water, of 

 which the city must have had a good supply. 



There are, of course, the four gates. The actual form and di- 

 mensions of the east gate were made out by careful excavation. 

 The entrance was 28ft. wide, and on the left side a semicircular 

 tower was found. Within the entrance were two guard-rooms, each 

 of which measured 7ft. x 5ft. 



The southern gate was found to have been flanked by two lofty 

 columns, with moulded caps and bases, supporting a pediment 

 beneath which the chariots and horsemen would pass — the road for 

 pedestrians being on either side. You will be able to see parts of 

 these columns and the guard-room. 



On the south side there are traces of a small postern, or sallyport, 

 running beneath the wall, and called by the country people " Onion's 

 Hole/'' from a fabled giant of that name, who is said to have selected 

 Silchester as his residence. In honour of this mythical personage 

 coins frequently dug up here are locally styled " Onion's Pennies. - " 

 They were thus denominated even in the days of Camden. 



About 150 yards from the north-east angle of the wall is the 

 amphitheatre, which has an area of about 2000 yards — the second 

 largest in England. The two vomitoria are clearly visible. The 

 seats appear to have been arranged in five rows one above another, 

 the slope between each measuring about 6ft. A deep hole on the 

 south side is supposed to have been the cave or den where the wild 

 beasts were kept. 



Near at hand is an ancient well. 



You will observe that the walls differ from the ordinary type in 

 that the usual bonding bricks are here replaced by a layer every 

 2ft. 5in. of the Lower Green Sandstone. Some of the sandstone is 

 from Oxfordshire, and some of the Oolite used is from Bath. 



Inside the walls excavations were first made in 1864, under the 

 superintendence of the late Rev. J. G. Joyce. 



I do not think it will be at all to your present purpose to give 



