|
Hillfort
|
|
|
In a part of the country which is thin on the ground in anything worth seeing,Oldox camp is a real gem.I went to find it on hearsay, without a map, and after a nice walk through some fields, it just appeared off to the right of the path.Very easy to find.There is an entrance directly facing the tumulus adjacent to the camp with some low but nicely pronounced ditches and earthworks.The walls get higher as you go further round the camp, and as you reach the entrance at the back, they are really impressive and built on quite a steep slope.It's not too overgrown with trees either.There is a small straight ridge running from the camp to the direction of the village of Oxton; it's only a few metres long, but I'd be interested to know if it's part of the camp or some later agricultural addition.The view from the top of the earthwork is something else.I've read that there were other settlements close to Oldox but I don't know where they were, and I don't think they exist anymore.There is a sunken lane running from the village towards the camp.Pretty and fascinating site.
I found a prehistoric guide book written in 1960 which says," This hill-fort is roughly triangular and encloses 1.5 acres. Outside the NW entrance there is a barrow over 90ft across...Roman coins in a pot and a Saxon burial have been found here, but the mound is either a barrow of c. 1,700-1,400 BC or a natural hillock". Nicholas Thomas 'Guide to Prehistoric England' 1976
|
Posted by neogeek
5th September 2010ce
Edited 22nd October 2010ce
|
|
Log in |
Register
Top of page