Page:VCH Rutland 1.djvu/173

 ANCIENT EARTHWORKS to the garden and the connexion of the ramparted platform with the castle cannot now be traced. Whissendine (v, i). — Half a mile north-east from the village, in a field north of Moor Lane, is a quadrangular area strongly fortified by a moat and ramparts. The central site rises above a moat varying from 30 ft. to 35 ft. broad, and a rampart 2 ft. high remains on the inner edge of the northern and eastern sides. The outer edge of the moat is surrounded by a bank 2 ft. high on the south-west, which increases to 4 ft. in height and 16 ft. broad on the west, making the counterscarp of the moat 12 ft. at this part ; the bank is carried around the other sides, but is more debased. On the south the work has lost its regularity, and there are traces of other banks extending in a southerly direction. An opening, evidently ancient, is cut through the outer bank on the east ; and the whole work suggests a very ancient inclosure adapted to a later manorial defence. A low bank surrounds the north, east, and western sides some 90 ft. beyond the moat. A short distance from the latter, near the manor-house, are portions of a moat i 8 ft. wide, strongly embanked, the bank rising 4 ft. from the ground- level with a scarp of 9 ft. into the moat. This appears to have originally been an entrenchment having some relation to the camp noticed in Class C. MISCELLANEOUS EARTHWORKS (Class X) Barrow (v, 3). — North of Cottesmore, 4 J miles north-east-by-north from Oakham, and immediately to the north-east of the chapel, the remains of a shallow rampart and fosse run from east to west for a distance of 108 ft., beyond which it is lost in a ploughed field. The rampart is i ft. in height and 7 ft. broad, with an escarpment 4 ft. deep, the fosse is 16 ft. wide, and has a counterscarp of 2 ft. 8 in. The fosse is on the northern side of the rampart, and overlooks deeply-receding ground towards a wide valley. Close to the last-named entrenchment, on lower ground, are traces of field inclosures in two rectangular areas with banks from 3 ft. to 4 ft. high. Brooke (ix, 9). — Nearly 2 miles south-west from Oakham, on the site of the house of Austin Canons, a cell to the abbey of Kenilworth, are many grass-grown ridges indicating the position of foundations, adjacent to which are extensive quadrangular terraces, generally 8 ft. in height, extending a considerable distance until they abut on the road, where they assume an appearance of military origin, having a rampart 4 ft. 6 in. in height, with a scarp 1 1 ft., and a counterscarp 6 ft. At each of the two angles of that part by the side of the road is a conical mound 16 ft. in height. It is now impos- sible to ascertain how far these were the work of the inhabitants of the priory, or to what extent local tradition is right in attributing them to the Parlia- mentarian army. To the west of the priory grounds, and on the banks of the Gwash, a large tract of land is inclosed between a stream and a long curved rampart ; this is covered by innumerable mounds, giving it the appearance of the site of an early settlement, upon which flint flakes have been found. Just within 117