I must not weary the reader with minute descriptions of the earthworks here, or at any other place, but merely remark that I believe this to have been, like others, a British fort, to which the Saxons and Normans made extensive and valuable additions.

Mexbro' Castle Hill on the north bank of the Don, was British, but the Saxons improved it and altered its character. I pass by Thriberg and Aldwark, near the former of which are traces of a rectangular camp, and the name of Aldwark seems sufficiently to indicate its purpose.

At the western extremity of the Yorkshire frontier of Northumbria and Mercia, stands the yet noble and unmutilated Saxon fortress called "Bailey Hill," close to the village and church of Bradfield, at the verge of the mountain range of the English Appenines, and in a position, which at the time of its construction, may be fairly supposed to have been the "Ultima Thule" of civilization in this quarter. I advisedly call it Saxon, although the Rev. John Watson, in a letter read before the Society of Antiquaries, May 3rd, 1776, ascribes it to the Danes, but I have already alluded to the propensity to give to the Danes a credit for that which did not belong to them. The name "Bailey," or "Bail," yet so familiarly applied to it, is in itself some evidence that it existed before the incursion of the Jutes, Normans, or Danes, but the form of defence, so closely allied to that of other forts, which are undoubtedly Saxon, shrew most clearly to what people we must assign these earthworks; for any buildings of stone which may, and must have, existed, have entirely disappeared. All the adjuncts to this fortress are Saxon. It was an important post in a wild mountainous district: its communications with "Escafeld" must be maintained; its surprise from North Derbyshire marauders must be provided against. To this end we find, as we might fairly look for, extraordinary strategic caution against sudder assaults, either from the east, or from the west. On the east the communication is kept up by the Castle Hill, which overlooks the vale of Loxley as far as Crookes, whence a beacon-message might be instantly conveyed to Sheffield. The Castle Hill overlooks a tract of country, which the peculiar position of the Bailey Hill cannot command, and therefore the necessity for its construction arose. It also affords a better view through Bradfield dale, into the Peak of Derbyshire, and would control any irruption from that side.

But if I am right in my conjecture, that the "Bardike," situate about a

mile west from Bailey Hill, and visible from that fort, and another smaller barrier, or what is called "The Side," immediately above the hall at Broomhead, about two miles from Bailey Hill, are to be considered as outposts of that important station, it follows, as the faces of these huge ramparts are northward and westward, that there was a turbulent and warlike population among the westward hills, which required the constant and unceasing vigilance of the Saxon authorities to curb, and keep in proper order. The rampart on "The Side" is not of great elevation; but it crowns a hill which it would be difficult to storm, from the natural declivity of the ground. The Bar-dike is more important; where it is perfect, it is at this day at least thirty feet in height,-its face being toward the Western Moorland Hills. It stretches for about a quarter of a mile across the narrowest part of the mountain isthmus of the valleys of the Agden and the Ewden, which being interpreted, indicates the dens or fastnesses of the oak and the yew, for the growth of which trees they are each of them eminently celebrated. The extremities of the Bardike are precipitous. The north-west dips suddenly into the vale of oaks; the north-east point terminates in the vale of the yews, in deep broken ground called the Canyer, or Kenhere Hills, of such a singular character that it would be at first sight difficult to say whether they were natural or artificial. There is now no doubt of their being natural; though Mr. Watson would incline us to think that from the Saxon name, this had been the battle field and the burial place of kings. Having described its adjuncts, I proceed to a brief survey of the fortress, which I consider to be as good a specimen as can be now found of Saxon castramentation; certainly not altered since Watson noticed it eighty years and probably very little changed since its abandonment as a military post. In my remarks upon it, I may therefore follow, with slight variations, his description of the place. It is close to the western part of the churchyard at Bradfield, being defended on the east by a huge vallum, with a ditch, for about one hundred and ten yards in length; the ascent from the outer-side being eighteen yards, by eight yards, from the internal area,-towards the keep of the castle the internal ascent is twelve yards; the area is about three acres. The only entrance is from the south, by a very narrow aperture, between the vallum on the east, and a precipitous rock, into Agden, on the west, which it would be almost impossible to scale; so that on that side there was no need

ago,

of defence. At the north-eastern extremity of this area is a huge conical mound, separated from the rest of the camp by a ditch, about ten yards wide. This was the keep. The mound of the keep is about one hundred and seventy-four yards in circumference at the base, rising thirty-seven to forty yards to the apex, which is about twelve yards in diameter. It is very abrupt, and more dangerous in the descent than the ascent. I can only imagine a watchful party at the summit, to be subdued by famine and want of water; or an irresistible force of numbers clambering up its sides like bees. Coins have, as I am informed, been occasionally found in the internal area, but I have never been able to get hold of one. There are no traces of buildings within this camp. They have been long since removed, and their site is now sown with oat-corn. On the Castle Hill, on the east of Bradfield village, the foundations of buildings are still apparent.

Since this account was written, another British camp, about sixty yards in diameter, has been discovered in the heart of the Great Roe wood, closing up the valley between Wincobank and Wilkinson Spring, commanding a view of both, with a facility of communication with each of those positions, having also a command of the great valley of the Don. The main ramparts here are toward the south, to the present height of thirty feet; and tend further to confirm the idea that they were erected to restrain the incursions of a southern foe only. They have evidently been thrown up on some sudden emergency, and not for permanent occupation or defence.

XXVI. British Barrow at Wintringham. By JAMES WARDELL, Leeds.

THIS Barrow was opened by me on the 25th of July, 1853; it is situate about 400 yards north of the one opened in the previous year (see page 57); it was about the same dimensions, with the exception of the height, which, owing to the frequent operations of the plough, had been reduced to about two feet only above the level of the ground. In the centre, a few human bones were found, consisting of those of an adult person, mixed with portions of the skull and some very small bones of an infant. Beneath these the soil bore strong marks of fire, and amongst which two flint arrow-heads were

found, of the rudest description, but of the same type as that discovered in the former Barrow (see woodcuts, Nos. 1 and 2), and two pieces of flint, both

No. 1.

No. 2.

No. 3.

in a broken state, one of which (see woodcut, No. 3) had been, when entire, an arrow-head of the form shewn by the dotted lines, and the other (see woodcut, No. 4), from its finely serrated edge, perhaps a portion of a small saw. If a conjecture may be allowed, I should say that this Barrow was the last resting place of a female and her infant, most likely the wife and offspring of some chief; if this be so, the finding of the arrow-heads may No. 4. excite surprise; but one of the most experienced Barrow diggers in this country (Thomas Bateman, Esq., in his "Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire," page 10,) states, that "women appear to have been initiated into the use of flint weapons, if we may judge from the contents of their sepulchres." About six feet eastward from these remains was found an urn, but which was broken in pieces by one of the workmen unfortunately striking his pick through it; as many fragments as could be found, were however carefully collected, and which, when put together, shew it to have been about five inches in height, and six inches in diameter at the top, and of the form represented by the annexed woodcut; it had been highly ornamented, and when complete, of very graceful form. I think it is possible that this urn may have appertained to a later interment, than that in connection with the rude flint weapons previously described, and with this view I caused the excavation to be considerably enlarged, in the hope of finding other deposits, but without 'success. It may be remarked that the woodcuts, Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, are of the same size as the originals.