Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/204

14:6 ON THE BELGIC DITCHES, whether there be any earthworks, which might serve as boundaries to the district we have thus marked out. In the first place, we observe between Holt-Forest and Cranbourne Chase, the well-known earthwork, called Bokerly-ditch, shutting in from the northward the rich valley drained by the Wymburne-brook. From Bokerly-ditch the boundary may have followed the outline of Cranbourne Chase, have crossed the Stour south of Blandford, and then run to the north-westward along Combe-bank. There was also, some years back, " in the road from Bindon to Weymouth, a great ditch, like Wansdike, for several miles." — Hutchin's Dorset, i., 217. Xo such ditch is now visible on this line of road, but after a long day's search, I succeeded by an acci- dent in finding ^ its mutilated remains between the Frome and Owre-brook. The bank was to the eastward, and I have little hesitation in regarding this dike as a portion of the western boundary of the first Belgic conquest. What course it took to join Combe-bank is, at present, only matter for conjecture ; but there are reasons for believing, that frag- ments of it still exist in the neighbourhood of the Piddle river and its tributaries. The second Belgic conquest may have included the downs of Hants and South Wiltshire. The narrow valleys that intersect the latter meet in the neighbourhood of Old Sarum (Sorbiodunum), which must alwa3^s have been, what in mili- tary language might be termed, the key of the district. The Hampshire downs appear to have been called by the Britons the Gwent, or champaign. No natural frontier separates these two tracts of down, but their northern boundary is indented, 2 The dike i-an nearly parallel to, and As these bouudaiy-lines are often diffi- about one or two hundred yards west of cult to find, it may save future investi- "the bounds" which sepai-ated Owre from gators trouble, and prevent mistakes, to Gallon. For nearly a mile it had been learn that there are some other curious fashioned into shape, and formed a clay- earth- works a little to the westward, round fence some ei^ht feet thick. A wide Woodford Castle. The agger runs from stretch of arable land succeeded, on which the Frome due south for about a mile, then it had been levelled within the last two turns at right angles, and after running years by an improving landloi'd. Its half-a-mile eastwards,returns to the river, traces, however, were sufficiently obvious, The agger was thrown outwards from the and by following them, and clambering ditch. 1 suppose this work to have been over some tei-rible fences, I again lighted the boundary of a very ancient park. A on the object of my search, and found it slight fence on the top of the mound, running over the common for nearly a with the aid of the interior ditch, would quarter of a mile, in very fair preserva- have effectually prevented the deer from tion. It terminated before it again reached escaping. I have seen instances of similar cultivated land. I presume there must earth- works in Berkshire and elsewhere, formerly have been a tract of woodland which seem to admit of the same expla- in the neighbourhood. nation.