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Buckinghamshire Grim's Ditch © TinyWeeny See individual sites for details Added by TMA Ed News (3) Links (4) 0 discussions Start a topic Show  |  Hide Web searches for Buckinghamshire Flickr Google Google Images Stone Pages Wikipedia

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Axes sold on ebay to be given to Aylesbury Museum [One to sigh and shake your head at] Rare bronze-age treasures were sold on eBay for £205, a coroner heard yesterday. Five bids were made and the axe heads were shipped over to Dutch collector Jeroen Zuiderwijk, who paid just a fraction of their real value... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 23rd December 2005ce Edited 17th February 2006ce

New Buckinghamshire Fort Unearthed From the BBC News site http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/3651467.stm Archaeologists believe they have unearthed an ancient fortified settlement at a hilltop paddock in Buckinghamshire... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 23rd April 2004ce Edited 17th February 2006ce

Countryside Agency to repair Bucks section of Ridgeway? By James Young - Bucks Free Press A bumpy ride for cyclists, horse riders and walkers could soon be over as plans to improve one of Britain's oldest road gather pace. The Ridgeway National Trail, which runs through Princes Risborough, has been damaged in recent months by rain and illegal vehicles driving along it... continues... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Rhiannon 12th March 2003ce Edited 15th February 2006ce

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Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Buckinghamshire : A Resource Assessment Neolithic to Early Bronze Age Buckinghamshire : A Resource Assessment (Kim Biddulph) Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by Bunnymen 15th June 2007ce

Buckinghamshire County Archaeological Service Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by RiotGibbon 31st August 2001ce Edited 15th February 2006ce

Chiltern Open Air Museum has a reconstructed Iron Age house, amongst other things ... Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by RiotGibbon 31st August 2001ce Edited 15th February 2006ce

Chiltern Society Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by RiotGibbon 31st August 2001ce Edited 15th February 2006ce

Pulpit Hill Camp (Hillfort) — Images (click to view fullsize)

Posted by ginger tt 17th January 2012ce

Boddington Hill Camp (Hillfort) — Fieldnotes

The last time I was in this part of the world was 30 years ago as a young trainee at RAF Halton. Often we would go on runs through these woods. Not once did I realise there was a hillfort there, to be honest though after running up that hill it was probably the last thing on our minds. Nice to return and see the fort though. I followed the fitness trail which takes all the way around the outside of the site. Some great views as well. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by ginger tt 17th January 2012ce

Boddington Hill Camp (Hillfort) — Images

Posted by ginger tt 17th January 2012ce

Cholesbury Camp (Hillfort) — Fieldnotes

Cholesbury Camp is another fine Buckinghamshire Iron Age enclosure... technically a 'plateau fort', as opposed to 'hillfort'... which has unfortunately been damaged by the building of a malignant church and village hall in the southern quadrant. Happily, however, the malevolent atmosphere I found at the similarly defaced, and not too distant, West Wycombe Hill is absent here. Quite the contrary, the surviving three quarters of the ancient ramparts being a joy to behold this bright morning, sunlight interacting with the fine beech trees to send a myriad shadows snaking across the ditch which separates the mainly bi-vallate defences (there would appear to be an additional bank and ditch to west and south-east, if I not mistaken?).... not to mention everywhere else, for that matter. Nice. Yeah, although the initial south-eastern arc is heavy overgrown with vegetation, the remainder of the enceinte is as aesthetically pleasing to the eye today as perhaps it is possible for any ancient fortification to be? Or to have a right to be. The constantly changing light, and therefore colour, has my artistic consciousness - such as it is - reeling as I try to capture something of the wonder laid out before me upon the digital SLR for posterity. However as I try to do so, the archetypal 'Tim, Nice-But-Dim' - walking with his children, as one does - stops and eyes me curiously. Suspiciously, even... 'what are you photographing?' he enquires. To his credit, and before I can deliver a devastatingly acerbic 'Morrissey-esque' retort, he answers his own question. 'Ah, the hillfort. I see. Jolly good'. Lucky he did so, actually, since I doubt if the aforementioned former Smiths front man would have approved of my rather feeble prospective witticism. Such is the positive vibe at Cholesbury today that everything is right with the world for a while. Can't even think of a sarcastic comment to defend myself with... The 'fort is easily located within the environs of the chocolate box village. Simply head for the Village Hall - making sure you keep an eye out for the many cyclists who flock to the area at weekends (or so it would appear) - and advance up the church driveway situated to its left, from where paths access the ramparts. The interior of the enclosure is now the site of equestrian activity. But I can deal with that. Hey, I can deal with any thing at Cholesbury. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by GLADMAN 1st September 2011ce

Boddington Hill Camp (Hillfort) — Fieldnotes

Boddington.... the name conjures up a couple of images in the Gladman mind, both rather striking. The gorgeous Melanie Sykes with a (lovely, if somewhat suggestive) mouth full of froth in those TV ads.... and Halton RAF camp, where the Mam C lived for a while in the 80's with her thankfully long-since-ex-husband (incidentally there is a sign warning motorists of 'troops and children crossing'. I kid you not). Of the two, the first is perhaps the most relevant to this rather splendid promontory fort, implying that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, so to speak. Approaching Halton upon the B4009, I take the minor road signposted 'Wendover Woods'. So far, so good. Passing the golf course there is a sign for a 'pay and display' car park on the right. Needless to say I neglect to check the map (a disturbingly common occurence when visiting these semi-urban lowland sites - guess I should have learned by now) and consequently decide to park roadside and walk in... don't get me wrong, I simply hate car parks at ancient sites... destroys the vibe. Anyway, just over a mile later I finally arrive at the gigantic - and overwhelmingly twee - car park, having been passed en-route by a myriad cars and decide... retrospectively... that it would probably have been better to 'bite the bullet' and join the procession. Yeah, there's a cafe, adventure playground, barbecue area... even a free pamphlet - with map - explaining how Boddington Camp has been utilised as a 'Fitness Trail'. My, I can hardly wait. No, that's a lie. Let's get this over with. ASAP. I head south-west along the promontory and halt in dismay at the sight of a wooden weight lifting contraption beside what appears to be a stretch of Iron Age rampart... Yeah, it's worse than I feared. Or am I just hopelessly out of touch? Hmm, the thought has occured. I check the map (finally!) and locate the rampart proper to the north-east of the site. It is heavily overgrown with vegetation, but much more substantial than I supposed. I force my way along the summit of the bank, sunlight streaming through the thick overhead canopy, and suddenly the vibe is all encompassing. Boddington Camp is seriously reclaimed by Nature. With a bit of help from the Forestry people, I guess. And that, I think, is what has saved it from it's banal surroundings, like a Mayan temple isolated within the rain forest... For me the defining arc of the defences is to the south-west, the inner bank and ditch very pronounced here and (relatively) easy to access. The south and south-eastern flanks are also impressive, albeit overcome with tall - very tall - summer grasses. The odd group of rambling punters wander noisily by, but none seem to give a monkey's about this Iron Age gem rising aloof and silent above them. Assuming they even know it's here. The views described in the previous posts are, to all intents and purposes, non existent now due to the foliage. But the sheer scale - the length of the enclosure, the height of the surviving banks - has taken me completely by surprise at Boddington. As they say, you can't judge a book by its cover. Joggers may 'jog' around the perimeter, 'mountain bikers' may hurtle past doing their crazy thang and ramblers may simply ramble. But it would appear Boddington Camp itself is left to its own devices. Long may it continue, I say. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by GLADMAN 30th August 2011ce

Church Hill Camp (Hillfort) — Fieldnotes

Heading west through West Wycombe along the A40... doubling as the town's High Street.... look for Chorley Road (if you fancy an 'authentic' climb to the site) or West Wycombe Hill Road (if you prefer to drive to the top) on your right. I choose the former (not because I'm athletic - I'm not any more - but since I haven't done my research...), parking in the large, free car park beside a garden centre. West Wycombe Hill rises across the road to the north-east, a very steep ascent being required to reach the ramparts of the Iron Age enclosure which still crowns the summit. A large, circular and - to be honest - rather ridiculous mausoleum overlies the site at this point, relegating any appreciation of what once stood here to the realms of guesswork. Unfortunately there's more... the eponymous parasitical church which, together with attendant graveyard, occupies the interior of the enclosure. Thankfully, however - unlike a similar arrangement at my local hillfort of Danbury, Essex - the majority of prehistoric defences still remain upon West Wycombe Hill, albeit in an overgrown state, shamefully strewn with trash deposited by its namesake. Yeah, sadly I feel an air of malevolence here, an uneasiness exacerbated by the sound of hymns seeping from the church. These suddenly cease and I am soon confronted by a dodgy looking woman, glancing down at the camera and tripod held in my hand with obvious distaste. Looking up and consequently catching my eye she - wisely, I think, since I'm in no mood for this - decides to remain mute and move on without comment. I'm glad since I have no wish to add to the burden of the bereaved - if indeed she was - within churchyards... but I will defend myself against all dogma if forced to do so by the ignorant. The canopy of foliage provides a shield (actual and metaphoric) from such incidents. It also cloaks some rather excellent bi-vallate ramparts protecting the western and - in particular - northern arc of the hill fort... much more powerful than I had anticipated and rising to some 3.5m to the north-east, according to Dyer. I sit upon the inner rampart drinking my coffee, amongst the twisted roots of trees clinging to life with an uncanny determination, and I am glad significant physical reminders of our pre-christian heritage remain upon West Wycombe Hill. Comments (0)  |  Add a comment  |  Permalink

Posted by GLADMAN 25th August 2011ce

Church Hill Camp (Hillfort) — Images

Posted by GLADMAN 25th July 2011ce