217 
Ancient Earthwork in Epping Forest. 
continued round the northern and north-eastern corners of 
the camp. The ground then descends by the eastern side 
into a swamp at the south-east corner, and eventually 
trends away into the deep valley, Debden Slade, before 
mentioned, the rampart itself sweeping with a gentle curve 
until its outlines are lost in the slopes of the morass. 
This little “morass’' (which is a piece of true bog-land, 
containing Sphagnum, Hypericum elodes, and other marsh- 
loving plants) occupies a small valley, which leads up into 
the interior of the camp. At the spot where the bog seems 
to originate is a small circular pit, which has every appear¬ 
ance of being a water-well of artificial construction. At 
present, however, we have no direct evidence to connect this 
well with the original makers of the camp. It is now choked 
with leaves, &c., but it still appears to supply water to feed 
the hog, the quantity being largely augmented in winter and 
spring by the surface-drainage from the higher ground at the 
northern part of the camp. 6 The ridge of ground on which 
the rampart runs somewhat contracts the limits of the hog at 
the north-west corner of the camp, and a little outside the 
line of entrenchments a bank can easily be recognised running 
across the morass, leaving a narrow “gate” or floodway 
towards the east. This bank is perhaps the remnant of an 
ancient dam, by which a head of water could have been 
retained in the interior of the camp for the use of the 
inhabitants, a constant supply being furnished by the arti¬ 
ficial “well” before noticed. These statements must be put 
forward somewhat hypothetically; no cutting has yet been 
made through the “ dam,” nor has the “well” been explored, 
and consequently the evidence is wanting which would con¬ 
clusively prove these structures to be coeval with the camp 
itself. But they are, nevertheless, very interesting, and 
cannot be passed over in any description of the place. 
Two well-defined, and perhaps old, entrances exist at the 
northern end of the camp, through one of which a “ driftway ” 
6 [Since the report was written we have discovered another pit or well 
in the ravine to the west of the camp, which appears to be similar to that 
mentioned above.—E d.] 
Q 
