:U'2 holmes: pke-historic remains of rombalds moor. 
tremity. All within this area is honeycombed with pits of a circular 
form, of from 10 to 20 feet, by about five or six feet in height at 
the centre These pits we look upon as the foundations 
of our British ancestors, ' the blue shielded brigantes.' Over these 
holes thus delved into the soil they erected a covered roof of poles or 
branches of trees, which they covered with thatch or with sod so as 
to be weather proof, like the dwellings of the charcoal burners, only 
more substantial and permanent. At each end is one of a larger 
size, as though for halls of reception. That at the west end is 
upwards of 30 feet in diameter, and more than 10 in depth. Along 
the front of the main body of the village is a line of mounds of a dif- 
ferent character ; they are twelve in number, and about 10 feet in 
diameter. Instead of being pits, as the others, they are hillocks, 
nearly all having an opening in the south-east, which opening dis- 
closes a mass of stones, some of which have been exposed to so fierce 
a fire as to be pulverised or vitrified so as to closely resemble ovens, 
whicli we conjecture these to have been, the common bakehouses of 
the community. There the game, whether wild boar or venison, was 
cooked, and the bread, if they had any, was baked." After a concise 
account of other such ancient and modern ovens and of the methods 
of cooking, Mr. Forrest concludes that when the savoury morsel 
was done to the bone, then the door was opened, the meat with- 
drawn, and the feast at once begun," and for drink, why " water 
might be obtained from the springs above the swamp immediately in 
front." This really admirable description of certain present appear- 
ances, along with others, were duly placed before Canon Grreenwell 
on his visit on that misty April day. The Canon listened 
as he looked, and then shrewdly said, to an appeal for his opinion, 
" I would try it with the pick ; that would clear away all doubts." 
Thinking that there was something in that, and that actual opening 
out would be as satisfactory as supposition, I engaged Mr. Jonathan 
Hains worth to explore the Delves satisfactorily. In October, 1871, 
he did so, and on November, 13, 1871, the following was published 
as the result in the Ilkley " Guardian ": — 
Thus away went all theories of British village halls, of audience 
and venison feasts, in the certain evidences of these being lime-kilns, 
