Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/416

322 THE BATTLE OF ASHDOWK painted the two armies extended over the wide plain, and engaged about the single Thorn tree, there being here and there to be seen one of this kind. Upon the highest hill of these parts north-eastward, is a large Roman entrench- ment, called Ufl&ngton Castle, from overlooking the town of TJffington in the vale, where I suppose the Danes lay encamped ; for as their marches were generally hasty, and more like that of plunderers than of a regular army, they had not time to throw up fortifications ; nor, indeed, was there occasion w^here they found enough of them ready made to their hands. This place I choose for the Danes, because Asser saj^s, they had got the upper ground. About half a mile lower westward, on the brow of the hill, nearer to Ashbury, overlooking a farm-house called Hardwell, is a camp, fortified, seeming!}', after the Saxon manner, with two ditches, but not near so strong as the former, which has only one. This is called Hardwell Camp, and here, I suppose, King Ethelred lay the night before the engagement. About a mile or more from hence, behind the Wood of Ashdown Park, is a slight roundish entrenchment, w^hich seems to be thrown up in haste, and which, as I have been informed, is called both Ashbury Camp, and King Alfred's Castle. Mr. Aubrey's account of this (for he did not know of Hardwell Camp) is, From hence we came to White Horse Hill, the head of the river Ock, above which, by Ashbury Park, is a camp of a figure as near round as square, the diameter above 100 paces, and the works single, which seem to prove it Danish. But the works are now almost quite spoiled by digging for the Sarsden stones, as they call them, to build my Lord Craven's house in the park. Besides these camps we may add the Barrows, scattered over the Downs in great plenty, sufficient to convince any man, that this part of the country must have been formerly the scene of war and bloodshed." - To sum up the evidence in favour of this position, it may be observed, that the name corresponds exactly ; that the appearance of the surrounding country agrees with the description given by Asser ^ (who afterwards saw the field of battle) in the expression " campestrem iEcesdun latitu- dinem," which clearly alludes to an open district ; that the - Wise's letter to Dr. Mead, pp. 22, 23. ' See the extract from Asser, appended to this memoir.