Hillbury Hillfort View all content for Hillbury

Pastscape Extensive description of the fort. Summary: A univallate hillfort sitauted on a greensand spur which forms part of the Puttenham Common. The hillfort defences enclose the spur end, forming a north-south aligned, sub-rectangular interior of around 2 hectares. The most impressive defences are to the east, where they were constructed across the level ground which forms the neck of the spur. They survive as a bank up to 12 metres wide and 2 metres high, flanked by an outer ditch up to 8 metres wide and 0.75 metres deep. The northern and southern ramparts were designed to accentuate the naturally sloping spur edges, whilst the steep sided, western edge of the spur made the construction of artificial defences in this area unnecessary. Access to the interior was by way of a simple, causewayed, 13 metre gap through the central part of the ramparts. The defences have been disturbed in places by subsequent construction and use of more recent tracks and paths. The monument shows signs of later modelling and reuse, represented by a 7 metre wide, roughly north-south aligned, curving bank constructed across the western side of the hillfort. This has been dated to the medieval period, when the hillfort may have been in use as a stock enclosure. The western half of the hillfort has been quite heavily disturbed by the construction of a group of slit trenches and pits during World War II, when the spur formed part of an army training area. Scheduled.

Posted by thesweetcheat 15th January 2013ce

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