The opening lecture of the winter session of the Birmingham Photographic Society was delivered last night by Mr. Alfred Watkins, of Hereford, who is a Fellow and Progress Medallist of the Royal Photographic Society. The subject of the lecture was one for which Mr. Watkins is famed—namely, “Early British Trackways, Moats, Mounds, and Sites.” Mr. Watkins said it was necessary they should get rid of the idea that orderly road planning was introduced by the Romans. Primitive people wanted a few necessities such as salt, flint flakes, and later on, metals, and those things were often only to be had from a distance, and the shortest way to that distant point was a straight line. The human way of attaining a straight line was by sighting, and accordingly all those early trackways were straight. Such sighting lines were from natural mountain peak to mountain peak, such points being terminals. Such a sighting line, or ley, was useless unless they had some further marking points, and these were constructed either of earth, water, or stone, trees being also planted on the line. Earth sighting points were chiefly on higher ground, and now bore the name of tump, tumulus, mound, twt, castle, bury, cairn, knoll, moat, and camp. Stone sighting or marking points were natural, not dressed, blocks. Practically all ancient churches were on the site of those sighting points, usually at a cross of tracks, and there was evidence that in some cases the churchyard cross was on the exact spot of the ancient sighting or marking stone.
Mr. Watkins submitted photographic views in support of his contentions, which were received with much interest.
Thanks to the lecturer were accorded on the proposition of Mr. W. A. Clark, seconded by Mr. Harold Baker, and supported by Mr. Doubleday (of the Birmingham Archæological Society).
Source info: MS note by AW “Birm Post Oct 3 ‘23”.