2010

TL4493 : Large Ditch at Stonea Camp

taken 14 years ago, 4 km ENE of Wimblington, Cambridgeshire, England

Large Ditch at Stonea Camp
Large Ditch at Stonea Camp
The large ditch at Stonea Camp, a large Iron Age hill fort (not much of a hill though!)
There are many information boards around the site to explain various features. They are rather big defences but would have been a lot bigger when they were built (by hand).
Stonea Camp Iron Age Fort :: TL4492

Stonea Camp is a scheduled ancient monument on a small gravel island just two metres above sea level, making it the lowest hillfort in the UK. The camp was surrounded by marshes on all sides apart from a land bridge which was heavily guarded. This created two D shape enclosures protecting the inhabitants. There are thought to be three phrases of construction since works started in 500BC. Some of the outer gates were never completed. Tacitus (LinkExternal link describes a battle between the Roman governor, Ostorius and the Iceni in 47AD this may have happened here. The remains of a multi-storey Roman tower have also been excavated within sight to the north of the Stonea Camp fortifications. The building was probably constructed to suppress further tribal rebellion or settlement at this site.
The defending Britons were trapped by their own defences and slaughtered like cattle. The remains of a skull belonging to a four year old child was found, badly hacked by sword cuts. Also excavated was a horribly mutilated adult skeleton; the scenes of horror. Access today is via a bumpy farm track signposted from the B1093. It is well interpreted with information boards. The embankments which are lower than they would have been were mostly rebuilt in 1991 following ploughing over the years. The site is very large and takes at least 30 minutes to look around.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Ashley Dace and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Iron Age fort
This photo is linked from: Galleries: · Tweeted from @geograph_bi in November 2014 Automatic Clusters: · Stonea Iron Age Fort [6] · Iron Age Hill Fort [3] · Large Iron Age [3] ·
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TL4493, 39 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Ashley Dace   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 23 June, 2010   (more nearby)
Submitted
Thursday, 24 June, 2010
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TL 447 932 [100m precision]
WGS84: 52:31.0904N 0:7.9468E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TL 448 932
View Direction
West-northwest (about 292 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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