Notes on a Long Barrow on Oldbury Hill. 



103 



thought that such a work might be gradually done ; that we might 

 first get a finished design of the whole of the work, and carry it out 

 by degrees — we should then I think have a perfect example of a 

 Church, representing the earliest features in detail possessed by a 

 Christian Church in Europe, and were this work accomplished, the 

 County of Wilts, and its old County Town would possess a thorough 

 distinction, and we might hope that the members of the Wiltshire 

 Archaeological Society and all true lovers of ecclesiastical architecture 

 and art, would pay us frequent visits, for our magnificent Church 

 would then be a finished gem, complete in its decoration as well as 

 in its proportions and architecture. 



Jtotes on k Jong §attofe on (©Ibkvg pill 



ARLY in the year 1864 a paragraph in one of the local 

 papers stated that some skeletons had been found on 

 Oldbury Hill. On visiting the spot it appeared that in digging for 

 chalk for the purpose of making whiting, the workmen had trenched 

 on a barrow. It is situated on the top of an elevated knoll forming 

 a spur on the W.N.W. side of the obelisk. It is in length 60 feet, 

 in breadth 26 feet, and about 3 feet high. The opening made by 

 the labourers was on the S.E. They found three skeletons lying 

 with the heads towards the east, in a large shallow grave sur- 

 rounded by small blocks of sarsen stone. As far as I could ascertain 

 nothing had been found with the bones. In the earth with which 

 the grave had been filled up was an abundance of rude pottery and 

 flint-flakes. 



Although none of the bones had been burned, there was a con- 

 siderable quantity of charcoal and wood-ashes towards the bottom of 

 the cavity, particularly on the north side. Many of the flint-flakes 

 were burnt, but only one was found which showed traces of 

 having been subjected to any manipulation beyond the original 

 flaking. The whole of the barrow had been much disturbed by the 

 workmen, and many of the bones had been carried away by people 



