320 The 3\(jitural Hijlory 
near StunsfieU ftile, whence it holds on again as far as Stunsfield\ 
and all this way on a raifed bank.-) as dcfcribed in the Map by two 
parallellines ; where breaking ofF (but (till keeping its name) it 
goes on over the EvenloJe to Wilcot^ and fo to Ramfden ; a little 
beyond which Village^ at a place called Witty-green^ it may be 
feen again for a little way ; but from thence to Aftally^ostx: Aftall- 
brUge, and fo through the fields till it comes to Brodwel-grove^ it 
is fcarce vifible^ but there 'tis as plain again as any where elfe, 
holding a ftraight courfe into Glocefler-Jhire^ and fo towards Bath 
the old Akemancefter . 
34. And out of this Akemanjireet^ as moft other fuch ways, 
there are feveral branches • viz^ two near Kirkjington ; one at 
the Towns end^ which though prefently difcontinued, yet points 
juft upon the Port way running Eaji of Northbrook^ the two Hey- 
fords^ Sommerton^ and Souldern^ for fix miles together ; and an- 
other, that by its pointing feems to have come out of Akeman- 
ffreet^ nearer the place where it paffes the River Cherwel^ crolTmg 
the Port way^ and running at the broadeft place, fcarce a mile di- 
ftant from it, as far as Fritwelk where on the North fide of the 
Town it inclines toward the Port way ^ as if it joyned with it again 
fomwhere about 5t)«/^/er;2, both of them pointing upon the For- 
tificationsc2i\\td Rainsborough (perhaps a corruption of Romans- 
borough') near Charkton in North amfton-Jhire : whence in all pro- 
bability it went to Vennonis^ alias Bennonps^ an old Roman ftation^ 
by the ^^x(7;2^ after called Claycefter^ in the confines of Warwick^ 
and Leice§}er-J/nres ; and fo on to the Rat<£ of Antoninus ^ or Rag<z 
of Ptolomy^ now Leicefler ^ 
35. This fecond 3r^«c^ of Akemanffreet, zhout Fritwell they 
Cd\[Wattle-bank; but in an old Terrier of Sir Thoma6 C hamberleynsy 
it is called Avefdich^ perhaps a corruption of Offa''s-ditch^ the 
great King of the Mercians^ whofe Kingdom might at firft be ter- 
minated here, though I find he extended it at length as far as 
Ben/on^ as thinking it for his honor and proj^t both, that the Wefl- 
Saxons fhould have nothing North or Weft of the Thames^, Or 
if ancienter than Offa^ it might perhaps be a prdstentura^ or fore- 
fence of the Romans^ raifed againft the Britans (or vice verfa) 
who might poffibly be poiTeft of the Port way before. 
36. Yet I rather believe they might be both of them <J«de/z/ 
^ Vid.Ttolom^eiGeogra^h. 'Edit, ferret. Bertium. « Vid.Caynd.Brttan. in Com. Oxon. 
ways^ 
