Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/326

 2-iO SILCHESTER. traditionally said to have been, a camp ; but so very little remains of either rampart or ditch, that it is difficult to say what it has been ; still, when considered in connection with the entrenchment so near it, and which seems once to have extended towards it, we may accept the tradition as probable. About 500 yards on the north of this camp, on the north side of the road from Mortimer, and close to it, are three tumuh ; the centre one is the largest, being about 40 yards in diameter, the other two about 25 yards each. It is impossible to speculate on the purpose of these works, but a notice of the position of the ditch of the entrenchment will be made hereafter. The second entrenchment which we have to describe is that in Aldermaston Park, about two miles N. W. by W. of Silchester, and a mile and a half from Aldermaston ; this consists, hke the former, of a rampart and deep ditch on the north-west side, and at a short distance from the front were once some tumuli, but they are now nearly destroyed. This entrenchment is nearly a mile in length, running in a N. E. by X. direction ; it may have been connected with some camp, as the Mortimer Heath one is, and something of the sort is mentioned in '"Chandler's History of Silchester," (page 39), but Ave could neither see nor hear of the re- mains in question.^ The south end of this Aldermaston entrenchment is turned by the ditch, as if it were never carried further ; and, as this end approaches the termination of a ravine, as well as the north end, it is probable that it may have been cast up as a breast- work before a defensive position ; the tumuh are found also on the ditch side, oi* front, in this case as well as in that at ^Mortimer Heath, so that it is possible they may both have been thrown up for the same purpose. The great signal post of this district must always have been Beacon Hill, about a mile from Burghclere (which perhaps took its name from the fortified post), and about twelve miles W.by S. 4°S. of Silchester ; it is visible also from ' Dr. Beeke remarks, " There is a re- Padworth, and Aldemmston, excepting markable fosse about a mile and a half where interrupted in two or three places from Silchester, on the N. W., which by boggy valleys of very small extent, begins about a quarter of a mile to tiie The ditch is on the side of the mound south of Uftou Chui-ch, and runs sti-aight most distant from Silchester." (Archteo- thi'ough the whole of the parishes of Ufion, logia, vol. xv., p Ibo.)