By Mr. Cunning ton. 



105 



mainly supplied the materials for the walls of the adjacent 

 Tillage. 



Looking down upon the spot from the hill, the site of the ancient 

 occupation is shown by irregular and indistinct traces of foundations 

 surrounded by a slight bank, which encloses an area of about three 

 acres. From the eastern side, and at right angles to it, run three 

 parallel banks of a furlong or more in length. These haTe been 

 much mutilated, and their original purpose is not apparent ; they 

 may probably haTe been cattle pens. The square embankment 

 surrounding the ruins would appear to be the remains of a wall of 

 dry masonry ; but the spot haTing supplied building materials for 

 the adjacent modern Tillage of Baydon, its present condition is 

 much confused. Dispersed at Tarious distances within the area, 

 are thirteen or fourteen irregular hollows or pits of Tarious 

 diameters, and on digging into these we found the foundations of 

 what were probably dwellings. Round the edges are abundance of 

 sarsen stones and flints, and occasionally a few blocks of freestone 

 piled up, without mortar or cement, and frequently exhibiting 

 decided traces of the action of fire. In most of them were tiles, 

 or fragments of tiles, formed of the thin sandstone of the Coal 

 formation, and it is tolerably clear that these places when roofed in 

 were used as dwellings. The use of tiles from this stratum was 

 common with the Romans at Corinium, and at North Wraxall, as 

 mentioned by Mr. Scrope in his description of the Roman villa at 

 that place. 1 In the north-west corner (see plan) are the foundations 

 of a passage about eight feet long, three feet wide, and fiVe feet deep, 

 with short branches right and left. In one part of this, near the 

 open end, were remains of a fire-place, with abundance of soot. 

 The sides are chiefly built of square masses of hard chalk, with 

 now and then a block of oolitic freestone. Lord CraTen employed 

 a man to clear out the earth from this passage in the year 1858, 

 but it appears that nothing was found in it. The purpose for 

 which it was used is not apparent, but it is remarkable that an 

 underground structure of Tery similar form was discoTered near 

 the house at Ashdown Park, about a mile and a half from Botley, 

 1 Wiltshire Magazine, vol. vii., p. 66. 



