214
Report of Committee on the
or Romano-British construction, hut the data obtained were
insufficient to fix the age of the entrenchment with greater
precision.
The second entrenchment, now called the "Loughton" or
"Cowper's" Camp, remained unknown until it was discovered
by the acumen and perseverance of Mr. B. H. Cowper. Mr.
Cowper thus recounts the circumstances attending his
recognition of the camp :—"In the course of my researches
in the Forest, I came, in the summer of 1872, into the neigh-
bourhood of Loughton. There it was that I suddenly detected
what appeared to be a portion of a moated enclosure. A short
investigation was then all that I could make, but I was con-
vinced of the reality of the conjecture. I made some inquiries,
but failed to discover any record or local knowledge of a camp
in that portion of the Forest, and there the matter ended for
the time. In 1875 I returned, and after several efforts
managed to complete the circuit of the camp, which was a
difficult operation. I gave as much publicity as possible to
the discovery, and in addition went over all the ground
between the Loughton Camp and Ambresbury Banks. Friends
took an interest in the matter, and foremost among them was
Mr. W. D'Oyley, who rendered the greatest service and
accomplished a complete survey of both the ancient earth-
works." By means of this discovery Mr. Cowper made an
important addition to the knowledge we possess of the
Archaeology of the Forest district; and in his various papers,
the titles of which are here recorded, he gave a careful
description of the earthwork and its surroundings, and com-
pared it with the neighbouring Ambresbury Banks. Mr.
Cowper's writings on the subject are as follows :—(1) "Notes
on an Entrenched Camp in Epping Forest, with plan by
Mr. D'Oyley"; read at a meeting of the Royal Archaeological
Institute, November 5, 1875;3 (2) "Ancient Earthworks in
Epping Forest";4 (8) "Ancient Camps in Epping Forest,
with plans by William D'Oyley, of Loughton"; a pamphlet
published by the Committee of the "Epping Forest Fund" in
3 'Archaeological Journal,' vol. xxxiii., p. 88.
4 Loc. cit., p. 245.