The late, much lamented Wysefool brought this site to my attention... the local youth would learn an awful lot from such people... if they only had the sense to do so.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Images
Amazing what the modern antiquarian finds nowadays? Not really, not just outside Dunstable..... The treeline echoes the mighty bank, thankfully protected by its hawthorns.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Citizens Canned... or simply heading for the scrapheap? How the noble warriors of yore must be turning in their graves at the actions of these muppets.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
The north-western arc disappears into quarrying. Careful, now.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Into the sun.... hawthorns and brambles have colonised Maiden Bower’s bank now.... good thing, otherwise it would no doubt have been completely trashed by locals.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Note bank construction, looking across the enclosure.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Think this is also southern arc... as can be seen, the bank of Maiden Bower remains quite impressive.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Southern arc.........
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
That’s better. Eastern arc....
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Eastern arc.... note extensive damage to rampart caused by ‘track’.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Will you come, will you come, will you come... to the Bower? First impressions are not favourable. But persevere.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Maiden Bower lying beneath the dunstable downs
Articles
From an article by David Prudames, published on the 24 Hour Museum Web site (www.24hourmuseum.org.uk) on 15th January 2003:
Vandals have inflicted further damage on the Maiden Bower Iron Age fort in Bedfordshire.More ...English Heritage carried out an initial investigation of the damaged site near Dunstable on January 8, but have since been informed by the police of more damage, apparently caused over the weekend.
The original attack is thought to have occurred before Christmas when vandals used a stolen mechanical digger to damage earthworks surrounding the Iron Age fort and cut a number of holes from its centre.
It is believed the damage was caused by off-road motorcyclists, who, according to local sources, have been using the site for some time.
From an article by David Prudames, published on the 24 Hour Museum Web site (8th January 2003):
Archaeologists in Bedfordshire are angry after discovering serious damage to the remains of an Iron Age fort near Dunstable just before Christmas, apparently caused by a mechanical digger.More ...Considered to be one of the most significant Iron Age monuments in the county, the Maiden Bower site was left scarred in what appears to be an act of vandalism.
It is believed a mechanical digger found at the scene was used to cause severe damage to surrounding earthworks and create a number of holes inside the fort.
Will you come to the Bower?
Set a little to the north-west of the fine ‘Five Knolls’ barrow cemetery, near Dunstable, first impressions upon arriving at this large, univallate enclosure are not good. To put it mildly. Yeah, sadly sections of the local yoof would appear to enjoy nothing better than to drive (presumably stolen) cars within the ramparts and torch them. Or else consume plastic bags full of ‘super strength’ and duly dump the empty cans in piles around the perimeter. I’ve heard the former referred to as ‘joy riding’.... but, honestly, can any occupation better betray such an intrinsic sense of self loathing than this? Or such a sense of benign resignation from the locals walking their dogs amongst THIS, as if saying ‘hey, but what can you do?’ Sure, it makes the traveller think... but unless you share a (in my opinion) warped Damien Hirst worldview, I’d be surprised if the instinctive visitor reaction isn’t to ‘get the hell outta here!’ To be honest that was mine. Too far out of my comfort zone, I readily admit. Soft, middle class Essex boy that I am. However I’d recommend perseverance. For Maiden Bower is a fine hillfort. No, really. It is.
For the most part the single rampart is cloaked with a (very painful) mantle of hawthorn. Now ordinarily this would be a veritable pain in the arse – not to mention numerous other parts of the anatomy – but not here. For I am in no doubt that, without this natural ‘armour’, the ancient defences would be in a far worse state of preservation than they currently are. OK, rabbits are clearly a major menace, the majority of the northern-western arc having also crumbled away into a quarry... but nonetheless Maiden Bower is upstanding. And duly begins to cast its spell, sunlight breaking through the early morning cloud mantle beginning to work its magic, the unfathomably complex relationship between highlight and shade now interacting upon the rampart. Perhaps it is the knowledge that this enclosure really is the ‘real deal’... people died here, horribly, too (by all accounts)... that the current destruction seems so utterly ridiculous. So meaningless, so damn pointless. Yeah, how I wish I had been endowed with some metaphysical ‘ability’ to somehow convince those super strength swilling youths that nihilism is a one way trip. Jesus, now I’m wishing I was... well... Jesus. Time to stop.
Yeah, there is a lot more to Maiden Bower than initially greets the eye. Such as the fact that the Iron Age enclosure apparently overlays an earlier causewayed camp. So yes. I’d recommend you do come to the Bower. And if you happen to be a local reading this... ask yourself... are you happy to put up with what is happening to your youth and local hillfort? Guess it’s up to you.
TMA-ers wishing to make the trip are advised to drive to Chalk Farm on the A5 and take the ‘dead end’ minor Sewell road (near the White Lion pub) to park before an old railway bridge. Go through the arch, turn left and.... well.
This mound of earth is generally called the Castle by the peasantry, among whom some singular tales are current respecting the cause of its formation.
One of these is a vague story of a certain Queen, who having made a wager with the King, that she could encamp a large army of men within a bull’s hide, ordered the bull’s hide to be cut into strings, and the greatest possible circle to be encompassed therewith: this was done accordingly, and the encampment made upon this spot.
From p29 of ‘The Beauties of England and Wales’ by John Britton, and others (1801).
Concerning the Maiden Bower at Dunstable a local versifier embodies the local idea :—
Still Tatternhoe dames rehearse their tale,
On eve of winter’s day
About a chest hid in their knoll
When Romans went away.‘Tis at the bottom of that well
On Castle Hill, they say;
Of good old gold it was brimful,
And lies there to this day.
From ‘Notes and Queries’ for December 24 1910.
SP981221 Nearby settlement site at Totternhoe.
Storage pits and hearth. Finds included: high round shouldered jars and a bronze vase-headed pin. Iron age. (ref: Hawkes 1940)
From Camden’s ‘Britannia’ (1695):
“At a little distance upon the very descent of Chiltern Hills, there is a round military fortification.. called Madning-bowre and Madin-boure... The swineherds now and then in the neighbouring fields find coins of the emperors, which they call to this day Madning money.”
(Quoted in the Victoria County History for Bedfordshire, v1 (1904)).
A Neolithic causewayed camp underlies the single bank and ditch Iron Age hillfort here. There’s been quarrying and ploughing here – it sounds like it’s getting pretty trashed. The original inhabitants didn’t have much luck either – excavations found a lot of skeletons and sling shots, remains of a nasty skirmish.
Dyer’s ‘Southern England’ remarks that Neolithic pottery and an antler comb have been obtained from the site.
Sites within 20km of Maiden Bower
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The Five Knolls
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Blows Down
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Gallows Hill
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Waulud’s Bank Long Barrow
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Bowl Barrow (East of Beacon)
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Round Barrow (within Beacon Hill Hillfort)
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Waulud’s Bank
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Bowl Barrows (South of Beacon)
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The Knolls
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Moneybury Hill Barrows
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Southend Hill
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Bridgewater Monument Barrows
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Dray’s Ditches
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Sharpenhoe Clappers
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Galley Hill (Luton)
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Soulbury
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Ravensburgh Castle
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Wayting Hill
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Telegraph Hill, Lilley
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Danesborough Camp
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The Aubreys
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Tingley Field Plantation
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Knocking Knoll
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Cholesbury Camp
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Ashley Green
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Whelpley Hill Camp
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Boddington Hill Camp
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Devil’s Jump Stone
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Devil’s Ditch
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Bury Farm
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