Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-xq9c7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-16T20:11:39.021Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

XXI. An Account of a Chain of Ancient Fortresses, extending through the South Western part of Gloucestershire. By Tho. John Lloyd Baker, Esq. F.S.A. Communicated by William Bray, Esq. Treasurer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

Tho. John Lloyd Baker Esq.
Get access

Extract

Along the southern part of the vale of the Severn, beginning at the Somersetshire Avon, and extending upwards of forty miles in a north easterly direction, may be traced a chain of Ancient Fortresses, so situated as to be capable of communicating with each other by signal: but before a description of them is attempted, it will be satisfactory to give a slight one of the surrounding country, and also an extract from Taylor's Map of Gloucestershire, loosely taken on a reduced scale, [PI. XI.] in which is inserted the names of a few large and well known towns, in order to give the bearings, and also those of several other places of less notoriety, but which will afford entertainment to those who are fond of antiquities of various sorts.

Type
Research Article
Information
Archaeologia , Volume 19 , 1821 , pp. 161 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1821

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

page 163 note a Pill is a small creek capable of holding vessels to load and unload. It is perhaps a word peculiar to the Severn.

page 164 note a See Atkyns's Gloucestershire.

page 167 note a For the greater part of this plan I am indebted to Mr. Samuel Lysons, who kindly allowed me to take it from his account of the Roman remains that have been discovered at Woodchester.

page 168 note a This word is used for want of a better. It means the practice common in hilly countries, of making a portion of the hill running along the side of it, level for the purposes of cultivation, leaving it nearly perpendicular for a few feet, and beginning another level at the bottom. The dotted line representing the original slope.

page 170 note a Samuel Lysons, Esq.

page 172 note a The connection between them and the consequent ease and certainty with which an alarm might be given in case of the appearance of an enemy, or any other communication made by signal, appears to be a leading and most important point. In order to bring it under one view I take leave to copy from the several descriptions as above given, the names of the different entrenchments which can be seen from each; and here I must observe, that I dare not hope I am quite accurate, because since I visited some of them I have heard of others which I did not then know were in existence, and consequently I could not look for them, and because when I was at Bury Hill, Dyrham, and Horton, the weather was very hazy. Several of those in the vale cannot be ascertained from those on the hills, though a fire, a smoke, or any other signal would be easily distinguished. The connection then (so far as I know it) is as follows, but most likely it is more extensive.

1. From Clifton Down may be seen, Kings Weston, No. 2; Blaize Castle, No. 3; Knoll, No. 4; and Old Sodbury, No. 11; and most likely Horton, No. 12; and Dyrham, No. 10.

2. From Kings Weston Hill may be seen Clifton Down, No. 1; Elberton, No. 5; Oldbury, No. 6; and Old Sodbury, No. 11; and most likely Horton, No. 12; and Dyrham, No. 10.

3. From Blaize Castle, Clifton Down, No. 1; Kings Weston Hill, No. 2; Knoll, No. 4; Oldbury, No. 6; Old Sodbury, No. 11; Westridge, No. 13; and Drakestone, No. 14; and perhaps from Oldbury, No. 6; and Horton, No. 12.

4. From Knoll, Clifton Down, No. 1; Kings Weston, No. 2; Elberton, No. 5; Old Sodbury, No. 11; Westridge, No. 13; Drakestone, No. 14; and most likely from Horton, No. 12; and Dyrham, No. 10.

5. From Elberton, Knoll, No. 4; Westridge, No. 13; Drakestone, No. 14; possibly Kings Weston, No. 2; and Blaize Castle, No. 3.

6. From Oldbury, Kings Weston, No. 2; the Abby, No. 7; Westridge, No. 13; Drakestone, No. 14; and perhaps Old Sodbury, No. 11; Horton, No. 12; Dyrham, No. 10; and Blaize Castle, No. 3.

7. From the Abby, Oldbury, No. 6; Old Sodbury, No. 11; Westridge, No. 13; most probably from Dyrham, No. 10; Horton, No. 12, and Drakestone, No. 14.

8. From Bloody Acre, Old Sodbury, No. 11; perhaps Horton, No. 12; Westridge, No. 13, and Drakestone, No. 14.

9. From Bury Hill, Westridge, No. 13; and Drakestone, No. 14; and perhaps some of the others.

10. From Dyrham, Old Sodbury, No. 11; Westridge, No. 13; Drakestone, No. 14; and perhaps most of those in the vale.

11. From Old Sodbury, Clifton Down, No. 1; Kings Weston, No. 2; Blaize Castle, No. 3; Knoll, No. 4; the Abby, No. 7; Bloody Acre, No. 8; Drakestone, No. 14; and perhaps even Oldbury, No. 6.

12. From Horton, most likely the same as the last.

13. From Westridge, Knoll, No 4; Elberton, No. 5; Oldbury, No. 6; the Abby, No. 7; and most likely Bloody Acre, No. 8.

14. From Drakestone, Knoll, No. 4; Elberton, No. 5; Oldbury, No. 6; the Abby, No. 7; Old Sodbury, No. 11; Westridge, No. 13; Uley Bury, No. 15; Bredon Hill, No. 25; most likely Bloody Acre, No. 7, and Horton, No. 12.

15. From Uley Bury, Drakestone, No. 14; Broadridge Green, No. 16; Painswick Beacon, No. 17; Crickley Hill, No. 21; and probably Bredon Hill, No. 25.

16. From Broadridge Green, Uley Bury, No. 15; Painswick Beacon, No. 17; and Bredon Hill, No. 25.

17. From Painswick Beacon, Uley Bury, No. 15; Broadridge Green, No. 16; Church Down, No. 18; High Brotheridge, No. 19; Nottingham Hill, No. 24; Bredon Hill, No. 25; and perhaps Cleeve Hill, No. 23.

18. From Church Down may be seen Painswick Beacon, No. 17; High Brotheridge, No. 19; Whitcombe, No. 20; Cleeve Hill, No. 23; Nottingham Hill, No. 24; and Bredon Hill, No. 25.

19. From High Brotheridge, Painswick Beacon, No. 17; Church Down, No. 18; Whitcombe, No. 20; Crickley Hill, No. 21; and Leckhampton Hill, No. 22.

20. From Whitcombe, Church Down, No. 18; High Brotheridge, No. 19; Crickley Hill, No. 21; Cleeve Hill, No. 23; Nottingham Hill, No. 24; and Bredon Hill, No. 25.

21. From Crickley Hill, Uley Bury, No. 15; Painswick Beacon, No. 17; High Brotheridge, No. 19; Whitcombe, No. 20; Cleeve Hill, No. 23; Nottingham Hill, No. 24; and Bredon Hill, No. 25.

22. From Leckhampton Hill, Church Down, No. 18; High Brotheridge, No. 19; Cleeve Hill, No. 23; Nottingham Hill, No. 24; and Bredon Hill, No. 25.

23. From Cleeve Hill, Church Down, No. 18; Whitcombe, No. 20; Crickley Hill, No. 2 1; and most probably Painswick Beacon, No. 17.

24. From Nottingham Hill, Painswick Beacon, No. 17; Church Down, No. 18; Whitcombe, No. 20; Crickley Hill, No. 21; and Bredon Hill, No. 25.

25. From Bredon Hill, Drakestone, No. 14; Uley Bury, No. 15; Broadridge Green, No. 16; Painswick Beacon, No. 17; Church Down, No. 18; Whitcombe, No. 20; Crickley Hill, No. 21; Nottingham Hill, No. 24; and Bredon Hill.