Iron-Age Hillforts
| Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:12 St John |
The hillforts initially listed below are selected from some in central southern England – in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Hampshire – to which we hope you will add others from further afield. Archaeologists can tell a great deal about our pre-Roman history from the humps and bumps of hillforts, as some of the links provided will show. Danebury – 12 acres (Nether Wallop, Hampshire)     This hillfort is included here as a ‘type site’ as few forts have been so intensively excavated as Danebury. It was investigated most recently over a period of 19 years between 1969-88. It was built about 2600 years ago in the middle of the 6th century BC, and occupied and defended for the next 500 years by a populations of up to 350 ancient Britons. Over this time it became a fully developed hillfort unlike some others which were only occasionally occupied. The description and explanations of Danebury at the link below are worth reading to understand the history that was shared by many of the other hillforts listed here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danebury Membury Hillfort – 34 acres (M4 Membury Services, Berkshire/Wiltshire)     http://www.digitaldigging.co.uk/maps/wiltshire/hillforts/hillforts_ia_ wiltshire_membury_hillfort.html Walbury Hill – 82 acres (Combe, Berkshire)     http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=4529 Grimsbury Castle – 8 acres (Hermitage, Berkshire)     http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/grimsbury_castle.html Perborough Castle – 14 acres (Compton, Berkshire)    Eleven on site views at: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/4620/perborough_castle.html Ramsbury Corner – 8 acres (Cold Ash, Berkshire)    Bussock Camp – 11 acres (Winterbourne, Berkshire)    http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=7721 “Caesar’s” Camp – 17 acres (Bracknell, Berkshire) (Despite its misleading name, this is an “iron age” hillfort)    http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/caesars_camp.html http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/leis-caesars-camp# Further 8 photos at: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/1263/caesars_camp_bracknell.h tml Borough Hill – 1 acre (Winterbourne, Berkshire)  This and other hillforts in ‘historic’ Berkshire are listed and described at: http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/hillforts.html HILLFORTS ALONG THE RIDGEWAY ON THE OXON-WILTS BORDER http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/research/research_projects/ridgeway Segsbury Camp – 27 acres (Wantage, Oxon) (Also known as ‘Letcombe Castle’)     http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/research/research_projects/ridgeway/segsbury http://www.pegasusarchive.org/ancientbritain/segsbury_camp.htm (15 extra photos) http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=6961 Uffington Castle – 9 acres (Woolstone, Oxon)     http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/research/research_projects/ridgeway/uffington http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/uffington_castle_hillfort.html http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=6964 Alfred’s Castle – 2 acres (Ashbury, Oxon) An Iron Age Hillfort on chalk sub-soil which was reused in Roman times to enclose a Roman villa.  http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/research/research_projects/ridgeway/alfreds Liddington Castle – 18 acres (Liddington,Wiltshire)     http://www.digitaldigging.co.uk/maps/wiltshire/hillforts/hillforts_ia_ wiltshire_liddington_castle_hillfort.html Further 15 photos at: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/3080/liddington_castle.html Barbury Castle – 25 acres (Ogbourne St Andrew, Wiltshire)     http://www.digitaldigging.co.uk/maps/wiltshire/hillforts/hillforts_ia_ wiltshire_barbury_castle_hillfort.html |
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| Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:54 Gazbryn |
I'r chwith o'r lun Castell Allt-goch A castell goetre i'r chwith; ddwy gaer oes haearnTo the left is Allt-goch castle to the left of it is Goetre Castle; two iron age hill forts |
| Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:16 St John |
Above is the first Welsh hillfort to appear in this collection, and below is the first Irish hillfort: McArts Fort, Belfast http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavehill#McArt.27s_Fort SCOTLAND Argyll & Bute  Creag a’Chapuill More ENGLAND Dorset    Hambledon Hill, near Child Okeford Hampshire  Winchester Somerset  North Stoke West Sussex  Washington Over 1000 other pictures of Iron-Age Hillforts can be seen at: http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=9742586 |
| Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:07 Mr Blue Sky |
Wiltshire Battlesbury Hill, Warminster  Bincknoll Castle, Cotmarsh  Ringsbury Camp, Purton  Casterley Camp, near Upavon  Castle Hill Fort, Blunsdon Gloucestershire  Painswick Hill Fort |
| Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:19 Dace83 |
Not really 'hill' forts but they are IA forts. Norfolk     The very well preserved Warham Camp Tasburgh, may be Danish but probs late iron age    Cambridgeshire Stonea Camp    |
| Mon, 7 Nov 2011 14:59 MB |
Devon Blackbury Castle, Southleigh    Entrance was excavated by the Devon Archaeological Society in 1952-54. Enclosure of about 2 hectares. The fort was occupied from the third century BC and finds have included iron slag, whetstones, spindle whorls and over 1,200 sling stones. Now part of English Heritage's estate with free access. [Source: Aileen Fox, Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon, Devon Books, 1996, 21] Boringdon Camp, Sparkwell    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boringdon_Camp A circular earthwork encompassing roughly two hectares, now within a field, its ramparts reduced by ploughing. Owned by South Hams District Council with public access. [Source: Aileen Fox, as above, pps 22-23]] Cranbrook Castle, Moretonhampstead   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranbrook_Castle In Moretonhampstead parish. Stone-built ramparts which it appears were never completed. The enclosure is circular; about 2.8 hectares, with entrances to the W and E. Slingstones and part of a quern were found in an excavation undertaken in 1901. The Devon Archaeological Society has published three papers in its Proceedings on the site, in 1972, 1979 and 1993. The site is privately owned but is signposted. [Source: Aileen Fox, as above, pps 29-31]. Across the Teign valley is Prestonbury Castle, another Iron Age hillfort, in Drewsteignton parish Dolbury or Killerton camp, Broadclyst   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolbury Part of the Killerton estate, now owned by The National Trust and formerly belonging to the Acland family. Some of the perimeter of this small circular hillfort has been lost following tree planting Hembury hillfort, Payhembury   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hembury A major hillfort at the southern tip of the Blackdown hills, not far from Honiton. The hillfort encloses three hectares. It was occupied as early as 3330-3000BC by a Neolithic tribe and later, in the Iron Age, during the 3rd century BC. The northern end of the site was occupied by troops from a Roman army in circa 50-60AD, as the legionary fortress at Exeter was being established. The Devon Archaeological Society published a field guide to Hembury in 1989 Musbury Castle  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musbury_Castle Another large hillfort, enclosing 3.4 hectares. Sited on a spur, with steep slopes and access from the N, with a possible southern entrance reached by a track from the E. The site overlooks the Axe valley. [Source: Aileen Fox, Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon, Devon Books, 1996, 44] Windhill hillfort, Lynton and Lynmouth   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Hill Promontory fort. Defended by major earthworks including a 3m high rampart. It is possible the Iron Age site was re-used by the West Saxons in the 9th century AD. In 878AD the Danes beseiged the Saxons at Arx Cynuit, possibly here, and were defeated. Site owned by The National Trust. Access from car park by Countisbury church. [Source: Aileen Fox, Prehistoric Hillforts in Devon, Devon Books, 1996, 55] |
| Mon, 7 Nov 2011 16:40 MB |
Dorset Pilsdon Pen    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilsdon_Pen Eggardon hillfort   [[[2101772]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggardon_Hill Hod Hill   ST8510 : Roman fortifications, Hod Hill]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hod_Hill Hillfort with an enclosure of about 19 hectares: the same size as Maiden Castle near Dorchester. Excavated by Sir Ian Richmond in 1951-57. Huts and storage pits were excavated in the south-east quarter. Probably occupied by the Durotriges tribe from the 3rd century BC until overrun by the Roman Second Army in 44AD or thereabouts. The army occupied the north-west corner until 51AD. Cornwall Cadsonbury, near Callington   The Rumps  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rumps Not a hillfort but an Iron Age coastal promontory fort with defences formed of three ramparts and ditches. A twentieth century excavation focused on the ramparts and identified three phases of construction. Several hut platforms were discovered within the fort. The findings were published in Cornish Archaeology, 13, 1974, 5-50 Somerset Brent Knoll hillfort   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Knoll_Camp An Iron Age fort of 1.6 hectares. It was later occupied by the Romans. In more recent centuries the site has been quarried for its lias stone Cadbury Camp, Tickenham    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadbury_Camp Maes Knoll, near Norton Malreward   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maes_Knoll Maesbury Castle  Norton Hillfort, Norton Fitzwarren   A Bronze Age, later Iron Age, hillfort dating from 1100BC and expanded circa 300BC. It was last occupied at the end of the Roman era. It was possibly a trading centre as a hoard of bronxe bracelets were found here. Some early stone tools dug up here indicate the site was in use as early as 250,000BC Worlebury, Weston-super-Mare   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worlebury_Camp An Iron Age fortress on a headland to the N of the town, enclosing 4 hectares. Hut circles and storage pits have been unearthed, together with a mass of human skeletons, suggesting a massacre |
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