Journal of Proceedings.
xxix
of the pits, which have served to check and divert true scientific investi-
gation. It is only of late years that the probable connection of Deneholes
with the early history of man in Britain has been recognised, and the
importance of a thorough examination of the few remaining perfect
examples pointed out. It is quite unnecessary here to give any compre-
hensive account of these works as found in various parts of Europe, and
(in England) particularly in Kent and Essex. Mr. Spurrell's learned and
exhaustive essay, on " Deneholes and Artificial Caves with Vertical
Entrances," in the ' Archaeological Journal' for 1881, furnishes references
to a vast number of writers, and is indispensable to all who wish to study
the general subject. Mr. Holmes's paper " On Deneholes," in this part of
our ' Transactions,' is a most welcome contribution to our knowledge;
and Mr. Walker has given, in the 'Leisure Hour' for November, 1882, a
graphic sketch, entitled " An Ancient British Pit-village," being an
account of the Club's first visit to the "Denes," in Hangman's Wood.
It may, however, be both useful and interesting to place on record a few
references to the Essex Deneholes, which we have been able to meet with
in various publications.
The earliest notice extant is perhaps that oft-quoted passage in
Camden's 'Britannia' (first published in Latin in 1586), thus trans-
lated :—" Neere unto Tilbury there bee certaine holes in the rising of a
chalky hill, sunk into the ground ten fathoms deepe, the mouth whereof
is but narrow, made of stone [?], cunningly wrought, but within they are
large and spacious, in this forme, which hee that went down unto them
described unto mee after this manner." The woodcuts following are very
rude and Chinese-like outlines, in which, as Mr. Spurrell observes,
" Camden's imagination plays a large part; yet they are very interesting
sketches, as being the first effort to portray the Deneholes, and the only
one." He adds that the " cliff mentioned by Camden still exists, but the
caves have either been rilled in or cleared away for chalk. This I think
to have been the case with some, as their remains were traceable in 1865,
and perhaps now. The situation is remarkable, for the caves appear to
go below the level of the tide of the river, which approaches very near,
and in fact I believe has prevented the chalk from being worked as low
as the bottoms of the caves, which are rilled with ashes, soft pottery,
bones, &c."
A curious passage in Dr. Robert Plot's ' Natural History of Oxford-
shire,' published in 1705, deserves notice, as affording reason for
believing that many of the Deneholes were visited in search of hidden
treasures during the last 300 or 400 years. Speaking of the probable
existence of mines of the precious metals in Oxfordshire (!), he says
(p. 116) :-
"... From all which it may be concluded that 'tis probable at least
that here may have been formerly such a mine, stopped up, as I first
thought, by the aboriginal Britons upon the arrival and conquests of the
Romans or Saxons, who not being able to recover their country within the