Page:VCH Berkshire 1.djvu/368

 A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE The most northerly ditch is first found on Aston Upthorpe Downs, half a mile north of Lowbury Hill Camp, and runs thence west in an undulating line. By Lower Chance Farm it has been ploughed up, and no sign of it can now be seen, though the Ordnance map has pre- served a record of its former course. It crosses the railway at Churn bottom, and here becomes clearly visible running direct to Foxbarrow. For a mile to the north-west its course is very plain, dividing the parishes of Blewbury from East Ilsley, then it takes a sharp turn to the south-west, and disappears for a while. Crossing the boundary of East Hendred parish it is again visible, and can be traced, with a few breaks in its course, across the Downs of East and West Ginge, when it is lost altogether. The fosse is to the south of the vallum, whence it has been argued that it must have been the work of a tribe dwelling to the north. 1 The next Grim's ditch or dyke is thought to be the same as that traced by Dr. Plot as far as Grove barn on the Oxfordshire side of the Thames. It is still visible from Holeys near the Grotto at Basildon nearly all the way to Wood's Farm, and again farther west to the south of Gould's Farm, and so on with a break to Beche Farm, and for half a mile still to the west. It was formerly traceable still further by Cold-harbour Farm to Compton Cow Down, across Per- borough Castle, and on in the direction of Cheseridge Wood, but little can now be seen of the western portion. It consists of a vallum and fosse, and seems formerly to have been known also by the name of the Devil's Ditch. 3 There is but little left of the third Grim's ditch or Grimmer's bank as it is more usually called, but traces of it may be seen for two or three miles extending from Aldermaston Park across Padworth Hatch and Ufton Wood, till it ends at Highland or Eyland Farm. It it said, however, that before the commons were enclosed, it extended still further to the east. 3 On Moulsford Down, to the east of Unhill Wood, are fragments of a ditch known as the Devil's Ditch. Its course is irregular and in some places not clearly defined, but its general trend seems to be from south-east to north-west. It is possible that it is an eastern continuation of the first-mentioned Grim's ditch. Another interesting ditch of a different type is that known as ' East Ditch.' This is in reality a ditch, in some places as much as six feet deep, which starts from Hackpen Hill in Childrey parish, crosses the Ridge-way, and runs in the direction of Greendown Farm. For an interval it has been levelled, but is again visible at Crowdown, whence it runs near Hyde Farm towards Bockhampton. Here it is supposed to have crossed the Lambourn, and to have run to Thorn Hill, where it can be very clearly seen. Its further course is uncertain, but it is 1 Cooper King, Hist. Berks, 59. 8 Hist, of Newbury and Environs, 225, 233-4. Tram. Newbury Dist. Field Club, iv. 96. ' Berks Notes and Queries, 49. 274