Mr. Bray of Monkton open’d a barrow, among many others, at Yatesbury. There was a great stone laid at top, just under the surface. When taken up, they found a body laid in a stone coffin, form’d by several stones. He says, in another they found a body, with a flat gold ring, which was sold for 30s. and a piece of brass, about the bulk of a pint mug, with spear-heads of iron.
A man of Ambresbury, who had liv’d here, told me of a brass spear-head dug up in a barrow between Monkton and Abury, by a body: and that under some stones in a barrow, south of Silbury, they found a bit of gold, (I suppose the covering of a button, or the like, such as that I dug up at Stonehenge,) and many sharp bits of iron.
Mr. Aubury speaks of a barrow opened in Kennet parish, anno 1643, two stones 11 feet long, laid side by side, and a corps between, with a sword and knife. Another like stone laid over all.
There is a very delicate hill north of Abury, of a round form, with an easy ascent quite round; ’tis call’d [Windmill-hill]. The turf as soft as velvet. ’Tis encompass’d with a circular trench, exceeding old. Fifteen barrows of a most ancient shape thereon. Many barrows are on the top, of several shapes. I open’d a small one, very old, flat, and round, and found an entire urn turn’d up-side down, into a hole cut in the solid chalk. The bones very rotten. I have given a drawing of the urn, [plate XXXVI]. It was red without, black within, 14 inches high, 9 in diameter at the aperture, wrought a little both within and without, and at the bottom, which stood uppermost.
South of Abury town is a hill, between it and Silbury, call’d Windmill-hill; it lies between our two avenues, and intercepts the view from one to the other. This too is crown’d with barrows of different sorts and sizes. The Via Badonica runs on the southern skirt of it, going from Overton-hill to Silbury. I took notice there of a barrow of that kind I call Druids. This happening too near the track of the Roman road, it goes over part of it. Part is fill’d up, and the lump in the middle, under which the urn lay, they have dug away: A further demonstration, that it is of a date posterior to our celtic works here. This hill too is call’d Weedon-hill, perhaps from the Roman way.
At Winterburn-basset, a little north of Abury, in a field north-west of the church, upon elevated ground, is a double circle of stones concentric, 60 cubits diameter. The two circles are near one another, so that one may walk between. Many of the stones have of late been carry’d away. West of it is a single, broad, flat, and high stone, standing by itself. And about as far northward from the circle, in a plough’d field, is a barrow set round with, or rather compos’d of large stones. I take this double circle to have been a family-chapel, as we may call it, to an archdruid dwelling near thereabouts, whilst Abury was his cathedral.
There are likewise about Abury some pyriform barrows, longish, but broad at one end: some compos’d of earth, thrown into a tumulus. Of this sort a very long one in the valley from Bekamton to Runway-hill. Another among the furze bushes south of Silbury, set with stones, which farmer Green carry’d away. Others made of stones set upright in that form. Of the latter, a very large one in Monkton-fields, about 20 stones left on one side. ’Tis directly north of Abury town. Another such south of Silbury-hill. Another pyriform, made only of earth, under Runway-hill. Another on the hill south-west from Bekamton, cut through with some later division dike.
The long barrows are what I call archdruids’. There are but few about Abury left, and but two at Stonehenge. The paucity seems to confirm the notion. One very large at East-Kennet, points to Abury, but with its lesser end: no less than 200 cubits in length, which is 350 feet, a huge body of earth. Another not far off points to the snake’s head temple, being at a right angle with the former.
By Horslip-gap is another considerable long barrow of a large bulk, length and height: it regards the snake’s head temple, tho’ here not in sight.
By Bekamton cove another, a vast body of earth, as thick as the vallum of Abury, and points to the cove hard by; which shews that cove to be as a chapel. Another large round barrow near it.