By the Ten. Archdeacon Macdonald. 123 



Osmund's Deed of Foundation of Old Sarum Cathedral, a.d. 1091, 

 in which it is called "Ecclesia de Canyng#s. This is, in fact, the 

 true original word, being the nominative plural, in the Saxon de- 

 clension of the Family, or Clan, of Canning. 



The parish is bounded on the south by that of All- Cannings ; on 

 the east and north by the Marlborough Downs ; and on the west 

 by portions of the parishes of Potterne, Rowde, and Devizes : from 

 which town the village and church are distant three miles to the east. 



Along the Downs, to the east and north of the village, runs for 

 several miles the celebrated Earthwork called the Wansd} r ke, which 

 enters Wiltshire at Great Bedwyn, and, leaving it at Monkton 

 Farley, is traceable to Maes Knoll in Somersetshire. Whether this 

 extraordinary work was originally constructed for a boundary 

 merely, or for a defence as well as a boundary, is not quite cer- 

 tain. But as that portion of it which traverses this parish, pre- 

 sents a very deep ditch (on the north side) as well as a lofty 

 rampart for its protection, I incline to think that here at all events, 

 both purposes were intended. This is evidently the strongest part 

 of the whole line, which is perhaps accounted for by its being im- 

 mediately opposite to the British strong-hold at Old-Bury, the 

 Temple of Abury, and the mount of Silbury. The Roman road 

 from Bath to London is traceable across these Downs ; and at Mor- 

 gan's Hill, just above Calstone, not only do the Wansdyke and 

 Roman road coincide, but the rampart of the former has been cut 

 away to form the road. 



Numerous sepulchral memorials of their ancient inhabitants 

 abound on these Downs; among them I would particularly no- 

 tice a remarkable group of three barrows not far from the turnpike 

 road, and near to Shepherd's Shore. 1 These barrows are enclosed by 

 a ditch somewhat of the figure 8, and are most probably the resting 

 places of three members of a Celtic family, a child and its parents, 

 who perhaps fell together in some hostile attack, or from some other 



1 Aubrey calls this "Shepherd's Shard," which is the more correct word: from 

 Saxon sceard, division, boundary, or breach in the dyke, and in fact many of the 

 peasantry speak of it as the shard. 



K 2 



