On Wayland's Smithy, and on 



Sir Richard Iloare did not recognise that, in addition to the more 

 perfect chamber existing on the east side of what he calls the adit, 

 there had been a similar lateral chamber opposite to it on the west 

 side; the two, with the central passage leading to them, giving to the 

 ground-plan the form of a Latin cross. Such a cruciform arrange- 

 ment of sepulchral chambers prevails in the great chambered cairns 

 of New Grange and Dowth in Ireland ; in the equally remarkable 

 Maes-tlowe, near Stenness in Orkney, lately opened by Mr. James 

 Farrar, M.P., 1 and in those lesser cairns in Caithness, examined a 

 few years since, by Mr. A. H. Rhind. 2 In the chambered barrow of 

 "West Kennet there were no lateral chambers, but one large terminal 

 one, into which the gallery opened. 3 At Uley in Gloucestershire, 

 and at Stoney Littleton and Nempnet in Somersetshire, the lateral 

 chambers did not consist of a single pair; but of two pairs at Uley, 

 three at Stoney Littleton, and of at least five in that called the 

 " Fairies' Toote " formerly existing at Nempnet. 4 



The chamber which retains its covering stone intact, and which 

 forms the so called cave or smithy of Way land, measures about 5 

 feet in length, by 4 in width. It is at present about 4 J feet in 

 height in the interior. This, however, can hardly be regarded as 

 the true height of the chamber. That in the West Kennet cham- 

 bered barrow, likewise formed of large Sarsen blocks, was between 

 7 and 8 feet in height ; and there can be little doubt that the 

 uprights which support the cap-stone in the Berkshire example 

 extend almost as much below the present surface as they stand above 



transposed, Sir Richard's description. It is not improbable that the barrow 

 and the gallery leading to the chambers pointed to the sonth, rather than the east, 

 in consequence of the position of the Ridgeway in that direction. 



1 Archeeol. Journal, vol. xviii., p. 353. See also " Notice of Runic Inscriptions 

 Discovered" in " Maes-Howe," 1862; printed by Mr. Farrer, for private 

 circulation. 



2 Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1854, vol. ii., p. 100. The great Irish cairns 

 near the Boyne, have been surrounded by peristaliths or rings of standing stones. 



3 Archaeologia, vol. xxxviii., p. 403. 

 4 For Uley, see Arohseol. Journal, vol. xi„ p. 315; for Stoney Littleton, 

 Archeeologia, vol. xix., p. 43; and for Nempnet, Gentleman's Magazine, 1789, 

 vol. lix, p.392. All these are reviewed, in a paper by the Rev. H. M. Scarth, in 

 the Proceedings of the Somersetshire Archteological Society, vol. viii., p. 35. 



