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England
Dolebury Warren HillfortHillfort
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[visited 20/2/10] What an amazing hill fort! Its a massive bivallate fort with views stretching all the way to Wales, Exmoor and if someone took the trees out of the way probably Lansdown. With palisades and a clear tree line, this fort would have dominated the upper reaches of Chew valley and the northern Somerset levels. I did my normal trek about the ramparts, clockwise for those keeping count, struggling up to the western entrance. The fort was built sloping down from the highest point on the hill to where the land dropped away on the eastern end. The interior earthwork noise is believed to be mostly from a pre medieval rabbit warren, with possibly some additions during ww2. Presumably the small circles formed from the loose stones near the northern ramparts are probably ww2 picket posts. Access is for those who like hills. The Eastern entrance has still got a reasonable track coming up from the A38. If you are approaching from the west, be prepared for a long muddy walk which out of summertime might be difficult with a pushchair. I trekked up from the A38, parking at a pub down a small lane on the other side of the A road. |
Posted by juamei20th February 2010ce Edited 21st February 2010ce |
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Ruth Tongue (County Folk Lore v 8) quotes an informant at Ashridge in 1907: "There be a bit of verse as do go: "If Dolbury digged were Of gold should be the share." but nobody hasn't found the treasure yet. And for why? Well, to start up with it don't belong to they, and so they won't never meet up with it. Twill go on sinking down below never mind how deep they do dig. I tell 'ee tis the gold of they Redshanks as used to be seed on Dolbury top. To be sure there's clever book-read gentlemen as tell as they was Danes, and another say twere all on account of their bare legs being red with the wind, but don't mind they. My granny she did tell they were fairies, and all dressed in red, and if so the treasure med be theirs. If they was Danes how do 'ee explain all they little clay pipes as 'ee can find on Dolbury Camp. They did call em 'fairy pipes' old miners did. An' if there be fairy pipes, then there was fairies, and nobody need doubt they was the Redshanks." (taken from 'A dictionary of fairies' by Katherine Briggs) Grinsell records an earlier instance of the couplet, from 1540, when it was recorded by Leland. (Folklore of Prehistoric Sites in Britain) |
Posted by Rhiannon4th February 2004ce Edited 4th February 2004ce |
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On the opposite side of the ravine, just above the point where the Bridgwater road is carried along the face of the hill, are traces of another and smaller Camp, called Dinghurst Damp. This has almost been destroyed by quarrying the stone, but sufficient of the rampart remains to show it was another strong position coeval with Dolebury, guarding the pass, or else constructed in after times as an additional security.from the Proceedings of the Bath Field Club, v5 (1885). |
Posted by Rhiannon 16th June 2006ce Edited 16th June 2006ce |
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Pastscape page for the hillfort |
Posted by juamei 20th February 2010ce |
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