•454 MORTIMER: PRE-HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF FIMBER. 
During Roman times, the now existing bay was land stretching 
far out to sea, probably nearly in a line with Flamborough Head, and 
only a small bay then existed The site of Flamborough, however, 
possesses rare advantages : from the sea it would be almost impreg- 
nable, whilst on the land side is one of the most perfect and grand 
artificial earth- works of its kind in England, known as ''Danes' 
Dyke." This stupendous rampart, resembling more the Roman earth- 
works than the ancient British entrenchments of the neighbourhood, 
but which certainly is not later than Roman times, reaches from sea 
to sea, cutting off the promontory and forming a vast and almost 
impregnable camp, whilst Filey is at an easy distance, and would 
then be a safe bay for a large number of Roman galleys, and as there 
exists near the ''Brig" remains of the foundations apparently of 
an old pier, believed to be Roman, this place was probably the well- 
havened bay of Ptolemy, and could readily communicate either by 
land or by water with Flamborough ( Frcctoriion ). 
We will now follow the other branch road (the old name for 
which is " High Street,") from Fridaythorpe through Fimber, 
close past the railway station, where it is also crossed by the 
Roman road from Malton to Beverley ; it then passed through Sled- 
meref; past Cowlam, where about 1860 a large quantity of Roman 
coins, many of which I possess through the kindness of C. Sykes, Esq., 
M.P., were found in a vase, and where are extensive old foundations, 
probably dating back to Roman times, which are a promising field for 
excavations : straight on to a point between Octon and SwaythorpeJ 
where there is a supposed Roman camp. Here it again bifurcates, 
one branch passing northwards a little to the north-west of Thwding|| 
(which denotes two roads), and probably along the old raised bank, 
crossing the fields in a straight line close to the left of AVilly Howe, 
* A rather low estimate of the waste of these friable cliffs during 1800 
years must have been two miles, whilst the indurated rock of the " Head" has 
been driven in but little. 
t Here the late Sir Christopher Sykes discovered a portion of this road near 
the Sledmere mere laid in a convex form. 9 feet wide, 6 to 7 inches thick. It 
was over 2 feet from the surface. — Allan's History of Yorkshire, p. 14, 
X Swaythorpe, in " Doomsday Book," is Suanetorp and Svavetorp. 
II Derived, according to Mr. Holderness, from two Anglo-Saxon words 
"Tae," double, and "Geng," a way or path, meaning two roads. — Driffield 
Observer, Sept., 7th, 1878. 
