Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/319

 siix'iiKSTHi}. 2:^3 jut very obscurely, close on the west of" the farm buildings, md at about loO j^irds distance disappears altogether ; tliis ast direction, which is south-west by west, wf»uld lead near
 * pot it makes n slight bend to the south, and may l)c' traced,
 * o the hamlet called Little London, consideralily to the west

if where the supposed lloman road had been j^loughed up by I person named "William Morrell, in Long Ayliffs Field. The third entrenched line, which, as we have already stated, points northward, cannot be seen for 330 yards after t has left the outer entrenchment. As we enter Foi-d's Copse, the traces are very evident, and continue to within a short distance of the brook, where it is lost, but appears igain, with the ditch on the west side, (which seems to be partly natural and partly artificial) as we ascend the hill, [n the meadow, west of the farm house, it is totally lost ; and though it is probable that it followed the course of the road, close to the pound and the pond, the traces are scarcely sufficient to be considered a continuation of it, though beyond
 * lie cross road, on the west of the fence, in the same con-

iuuous right line, a bank and ditch look very like its course ; 3ut beyond this nothing has been traced of either the rampart )r the ditch. These three entrenched lines are very similar, but there is 10 reason to suppose that they are of Roman construction ; or they are not straight, have not been found to have been )aved, and the low ground, or ditch, is only on one side.^ i Having thus examined what there is left of the entrenched ines, we will now proceed to examine what traces may be liscerned of the Roman wa3^s. And, first, we may observe, hat since the neighbourhood of Silchcster consists of the oiled flints and sands of Bagshot Heath, or of the plastic lay formation, it is not at all probable that any of the large nroUed flints of the chalk would be found near the surface f the ground. The only large stones found about the place ^ If we presume these three lines of angles to this principal street; also, that itrenchment, with the outer rampart the street from the west gate was made Id ditch, as well as an inner rampart to conform with an ancient entrance, and Id ditch on which the present wall that they broke through the rampart to iinds, to have existed before the Romans form an entrance on the east for their own sited the island, it is possible, that Roman way ; for had they constructed iding the present noi'th and south gate- the work anew, there w.is notlnng in the ky in existence, they made their prin- ground to have made tlicm deviate from pal street between them, and drew the the usual method of rectangular construc- ?t some parallel, and others at right tion of the walls.