Dragon Hill Artificial Mound View all content for Dragon Hill

Details of site on Pastscape A large circular flat-topped mound known as Dragon Hill. The name derives from the mound's associations with the legends of St George and the Dragon. It measures about 10 metres high with much chalk digging around the base, and has a flat circular summit. It is situated below the top of a chalk scarp and is thought to be a natural feature formed by glacial erosion, although this has not been conclusively proved, and indeed it may have been a natural feature that was enhanced to provide a more mound-like shape. It is joined to White Horse Hill by a narrow ridge known as the Shepherd's Steps which leads past the White Horse to Uffington Castle hillfort. Excavations into the top of the mound were undertaken by the owner, Lord Craven, in 1852. He uncovered only topsoil covering the natural underlying bedrock. Occasional Roman finds have been found on the hill, including bones brought to light through quarrying for chalk. The date of the quarrying activity is not known. Three inhumation burials were also found in the hollow between the White Horse and Dragon Hill. It may have been used as some sort of viewing platform for the horse and hillfort, or even for ceremonial activities which have left no immediately obvious trace. The mound is in the care of English Heritage. [Name SU 3008 8695] Dragon Hill [T.I.] Roman Coins found [T.I.] (1) Dragon Hill, on the Uffington/Woolstone parish boundary is "A very large circular mound which may or may not be artificial. It has been known as Uffington Castle [Huntingford (3) says this is not so, the name having always been applied to the nearby Iron Age hill-fort - SU 28 NE 6] a name that supports one theory - that it is a Norman castle-mound. Roman coins have been found on the site". (2) E. Martin Atkins who excavated the mound circa 1852 concluded that it was natural. (3-5) Dragon Hill is a large circular flat-topped mound about 10 metres high with much chalk digging around the base. Its position below the top of a chalk scarp is unlikely to be that of a castle mound and it is probably only a chalk outlier. No artificial works (ditch or ramparts) are apparent at the foot of the mound and the top appears entirely natural. No information could be obtained locally about the Roman coins referred to by authority (2). (6) SU 301871 Four Iron Age sherds have been found on Dragon Hill (Acc 308/65: 184/67), two of them donated by P H Crampton: he also donated a Roman colour-coated sherd and a rim sherd (Acc 94/65: 313/65). Another colour-coated sherd was picked up on the SE corner ofthe hill at -SU 301868. (Acc 134/67). A coin of Constantine II (AE), was also found on Dragon Hill by Master R Dunkley (Acc 262/65). (7) It is situated below the top of a chalk scarp and is thought to be a natural feature formed by glacial erosion, although this has not been conclusively proved, and indeed it may have been a natural feature that was enhanced to provide a more mound-like shape. It is joined to White Horse Hill by a narrow ridge known as the Shepherd's Steps which leads past the White Horse to Uffington Castle hillfort. Excavations into the top of the mound were undertaken by the owner, Lord Craven, in 1852. He uncovered only topsoil covering the natural underlying bedrock. Occasional Roman finds have been found on the hill, including bones brought to light through quarrying for chalk. The date of the quarrying activity is not known. Three inhumation burials were also found in the hollow between the White Horse and Dragon Hill. It may have been used as some sort of viewing platform for the horse and hillfort, or even for ceremonial activities which have left no immediately obvious trace. (8) A brief description. (9) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE TEXT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 6" 1960 ( 2) Berkshire Archaeological Society The Berkshire archaeological journal (L.V.Grinsell) 40, 1936 Page(s)24 ( 3) Berkshire Archaeological Society The Berkshire archaeological journal (G.W.B. Huntingford) Page(s)166-7, 170 ( 4) Transactions of the Newbury District Field Club 1, 1870 Page(s)182 ( 5) edited by P H Ditchfield and William Page 1906 The Victoria history of Berkshire, volume one The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)215 ( 6) Field Investigators Comments F1 JP 21-NOV-63 ( 7) Berkshire Archaeological Society The Berkshire archaeological journal (Reading Museum) 62, 1965-6 Page(s)72, 74 ( 8) D Miles, S Palmer, G Lock, C Gosden, and AM Cromarty 2003 Uffington White Horse and its landscape Page(s)24, 34 ( 9) English Heritage 2005 Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East Page(s)111

Posted by Chance 10th August 2012ce

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