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THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
There are several entrances through the rampart. The one
marked A on the plan is quite obviously not original; it is only a
narrow track worn by traffic along a forest path. The south
entrance, B, is undoubtedly original ; it is about 15 feet wide,
and is approached by a natural "bridge" across the ditch—that
is to say, the ditch was never dug through at that point. The
same is true of the north-eastern entrance, C, which is about
16-17 feet wide. The northern entrance, D, seems rather too
close to C to have been needed as an original entrance. It is
also narrower (about 7-8 feet wide) and is not approached by a
"bridge." The track through the entrance D dips down into
the continuous ditch, which has been partly filled up to make a
better road. I do not think it is original, although it is not so
clearly of later date as A.
At Ambresbury Banks some of the entrances, which I feel
sure must be original, such as the entrance from the important
trackway called "The Ditches," are not approached by a natural
"bridge," but dip down through the ditch. So I scarcely think
the presence or absence of a natural "bridge" is in itself con-
clusive evidence of date.
To the east of the gap A there is a strong salient, amounting
to asymmetry, in the line of the ramparts. But within the
Camp itself there is a slight but definite bank (XIX), with a
ditch on the outside, which is on the line that the rampart should
symmetrically follow. I think that this represents a change of
plan during the construction of the camp ; that is to say, that
this first bank and ditch were abandoned before completion, and
the camp thrown out into a salient farther than was originally
intended.
There is one streamlet within the camp, as at Ambresbury
Banks. Near this streamlet there is a wide and clearly-defined
gap in the ramparts, amounting to some 135 feet. I have
examined the termination of the rampart and ditch on either
side, and I am fully assured that this termination is original,
and not due to denudation. The terminations on either side are
also much too high above the streamlet and its marsh for this
to have afforded any natural protection to fill the gap.
Ever since I first knew Loughton Camp I have always held
the view that it was never thoroughly completed, and I am
still unable to see it in any other light.