It measures forty-nine feet round
the trunk.
Leaving the Speech House for Coleford and Newland we descend
a steep hill for half a mile, and crossing the rail at the
Station we begin to ascend the opposite rise through the woods.
As the carriage climbs slowly up we keep on the lookout for
the margin-stones of the Roman paving which here and there
show through the modern metaled surface--pieces fifteen to
twenty inches long by about five inches in thickness, and
set so deep in the ground that eighteen hundred years' wear
has never moved them. They are buttressed on the outer edge
by similar blocks set four or five inches lower, and themselves
forming one side of the solidly paved water-way or gutter
which was constructed as part of every such road on a steep
gradient, to secure it from abrasion by flood or sudden rush
from heavy rainfall. There are many excellent examples of
this in the Forest of Dean. We are on the watch, however,
for some part where the _"margines"_ remain on _both_ sides
of the way. At last we come upon such a place, and alighting
from the carriage we strain the tape measure across at two
or three points.
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