Most of the day was spent on quiet, die-straight
roads (often of Roman creation) through intensively-farmed
countryside. Round bales littered the fields like a giant's game of
bowls whilst other fields boasted massive straw buildings made of
traditional rectangular bales.
I had noted an archaeological site called
'Attila's Camp' close to the Roman road on our route and we decided
to investigate. It turned out that there was also an aire at the site
and, as it was late in the afternoon and not far from our planned
stopping place, we decided to join the one other motorhome at the
aire. We had enough time to investigate the site and discovered that
it had been misnamed by some over-romantic 17th Century
historians. It was actually a fortified oppidum (meeting or market
place) built in the 1st Century BC. By 850 AD it had
become the most important fortified camp of the Catalaunes Celtic
tribe. A double bank and ditch surrounded a huge area but, except for
the ditch and inner bank there is nothing else to see. However it
gave us some much needed exercise after the long drive and, in the
lovely warm and sunny weather, it was a lovely walk around the bank.
Photos: Attila's Camp - a view from the inner bank
over the ditch to some of those huge straw bale buildings.
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