The Hereford Times of the 1st inst. gives a long and interesting report of a lecture delivered by Mr. Alfred Watkins on the Moats, Mounds, Camps, and Sites in Herefordshire. Mr. Alfred Watkins, by means of a hundred photographic slides, including sections of the Ordnance maps, elucidated his theory that, going back to the earliest dawn of British history, this island was traversed in every direction by means of tracks mathematically drawn from point to point. During a long period, apparently from the Neolithic age, on past the Roman occupation into a period of decay, all trackways were in straight lines marked out by experts on a sighting system. Such sighting lines were (in earlier examples) from natural mountain peak to mountain peak, probably lower heights in flat districts, such points being terminals. Such a sighting line (or ley) would be useless unless some further marking points on the lower ground between were made. Therefore, secondary sighting points were made, easily to be seen by the ordinary user, standing at the preceding sighting point, all being planned on one straight line, made, or modified to other uses, and a large number are marked on maps. They were constructed either of earth, water, or stone, trees being also planted on the line. Sacred wells were sometimes terminals in the line, and sometimes included as secondary points. Sighting lines were (in earliest examples) up to 50 or 60 miles in length, later on rather shorter, down to a few miles. Sighting points were used for commerce and for assemblies of the people. When troublesome times came and stronger defences wanted, the groups of two or three sighting tumps which came near together (especially on the top of a hill) had defensive earthworks added to make a fortified enclosed camp. These trackways of successive ages grew so thick on the ground as to vie in number with present-day roads and by-ways. All forms of sighting points became objects of interest, superstition, and genuine veneration, and as such were utilised on the introduction of Christianity. Practically all ancient churches are on the site of these sighting points (tumps or stones), usually at a cross of tracks, and there is evidence that in some cases the churchyard cross is on the exact spot of the ancient sighting or marking stone. In time, homesteads clustered round the sighting points, especially the ponds. The moats and tumps were often adopted in after ages as sites for the defensive houses or castles of wealthy owners. Hundreds of place names give support to these propositions.
Source info: MS note by AW “Building News Oct 15 1921”.