Abbotsbury Castle Hillfort View all content for Abbotsbury Castle

Details of Hill Fort on Pastscape Abbotsbury Castle on Wears Hill, 700' above OD. Internal area 4.5 acres, total area covered about 10 acres. The enclosure occupies part of the top of a ridge and is of roughly triangular form. The N, S and E sides are defended by two ramparts with a medieval ditch following the natural contours. At the SE end the defences consist of four ramparts of which the innermost, now of slight elevation appears to mark the original end of a single-ditched camp of the type associated with Iron Age 'A'. This early rampart was superceded by a new bank, raised outside and largely obliterating the early ditch, and supplemented by two new ditches, forming a complex characteristic of the Iron Age 'B'. At the W end there appears to have been an enlargement of the defences, but here the most notable addition is a small enclosure of squarish plan, with a ditch cutting through the main ramparts of the camp. It has been conjectured to be a Roman signal post, but there is no evidence [RCHM survey plan and sections]. (1) SY544866 Excavations at the south west corner of Abbotsbury Castle Hill-fort proved that a Roman Signal Station was not present (2-4)

Posted by Chance 29th March 2016ce

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