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<:•■■ ~Z A «a»!?SiV ^-r B lO it;::; ANCIENT EARTHWORKS We cannot leave this interesting work without recaUing the current tradition that King Offa occupied this site, and it was the scene of St. Ethelbert's murder in a.d. 792. Whether it be true that the royal Mercian residence was here cannot be certainly said, but the camp is not of a class very likely to be constructed at the time. It is often stated that the entrenchments are of Roman origin, and the name Walls is held confirmatory of the view, but here also we have no supporting evidence. Thornbury : Wall Hills. — This camp occupies the highest part of a hill 4 miles north-by-west of Bromyard, and is about 740 ft. above sea level, 350 ft. higher than a stream less than a mile east, and 240 ft. above a valley half a mile west. The position was well cho- sen, being naturally defended on the west and south-west by the fall of the hill. The entrench- ments consist mainly of a high and wide rampart strengthened at those points which are weaker by nature by the addition of a fosse on the outside. Though the place of a fosse is taken by a level terrace on the south-west side, it is possible there was ori- ginally a bank forming a slight fosse on the outer edge. The inclosed area of about 25 acres is now mainly under grass, but the earth- work and hill-side on the west are covered with trees. The only entrance which has the appearance of great antiquity is that on the south-east, where its southern side has the rampart turned outwards, forming a point of vantage to the defenders, and the northern return curved inw^ards. Though there can be little doubt that Wall Hills is an earthwork of early days, it is probable that it has been in military occupation in later times, and possibly the Scottish army used the camp in 1645 after crossing the Severn at Bewdley." ■c^^'- •^4
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■m:> SCALE er n.vr (00 too MO ^1%-. "<%» ,lV^•>' Wall Hills, Thornbury " Two cannon balls have been found in the camp. See Trans. Woolhope Field Club (1886-9), i^3- The same paper mentions traces of earthworks extending from the camp to Northwood, to Kyre Common, and to CoUington. 221
