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Freezing Hill

Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork

<b>Freezing Hill</b>Posted by mossImage © moss
Nearest Town:Keynsham (8km SW)
OS Ref (GB):   ST720712 / Sheet: 172
Latitude:51° 26' 18.83" N
Longitude:   2° 24' 10.38" W

Added by Rhiannon


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<b>Freezing Hill</b>Posted by moss <b>Freezing Hill</b>Posted by moss

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Freezing Hill, took some photos the other day of the lynchets that lie to the east and south of this maybe defended enclosure but no inner bank It is mentioned as a hillfort in Iron Age southern map, (1960) but not scheduled on Magic..
The barrow is at ST722.715. There seems to be a pattern of settlement around these forts/enclosures that needs to be explored. Its on private land, with lots of frisky bullocks around at the moment.
Edit;This site, is in many ways similar to Hinton Hillfort. A promontory hillfort, but in this instance guarding two valleys down from the Cotswold; a distinctive territorial barrier also perhaps. As Wick burial chamber is not too faraway, neolithic finds round this area would be expected (Rhiannon's post).
Freorig = cold chill,(freosan - freezing) Anglo saxon.
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moss Posted by moss
13th July 2006ce
Edited 30th April 2007ce

The earthworks on Freezing Hill are quite visible from afar - they seem to defend the steep south west slope of the flattish topped hill. The 'Magic' record is not yet online, so doesn't come up with any details to confirm a prehistoric date, but there is a barrow (at least on the map) above the north western slope.

According to Mark Richards' "The Cotswold Way" (1984) the earthwork is called 'eald dic' in a Saxon charter (so one assumes it is pre-Saxon if they thought it was old). He suggests 'freezing hill' comes from 'Frisian's Hill' - Frisa being a OE nickname. Moss speculates it may come from 'Frey(a)':
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/31851

Isaac Taylor raised its status on his 1777 map of Gloucestershire, on which he labelled it 'Royal Camp'.

George Witts (c1882) gives 'Furzen Hill' as an alternative name (which is quite a boring explanation) but could be based on local pronunciation of freezing? And I'm sure it is freezing up there at the moment.

A prehistoric sandstone axe was found here at some time, as you can read at
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=SGLOSSMR-SG2428&CFID=392636&CFTOKEN=45832204
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Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
24th February 2006ce
Edited 23rd October 2006ce
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