Images
Southern rampart.
Southern rampart.
Looking across the Avon Gorge to Clifton Down Camp from the eastern tip of the fort.
The northwestern ramparts.
The stony construction of the inner rampart shows through the thin turf.
The top of the inner rampart, western side of the fort.
Looking down on the inner ditch and outer rampart.
Looking towards the inner rampart from the outer, west side of the fort.
Inner and outer ramparts on the west side.
The extremely powerful cross-bank.
Highlighting the proximity of the Avon Gorge......... not to mention another powerful promontory fort (Clifton Down Camp), far top left.
The southern flank above Nightingale Valley.
The cross-bank of the 'fort is clearly the real deal, so to speak.
Looking across the Avon Gorge from the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Nightingale Valley can be seen (top left) protecting the southern flank of this superb promontory fort, both clad in a woodland mantle.
Eastern ramparts from the outside of the fort
Top of inner Eastern rampart
Looking north along Avon gorge
Looking across Avon gorge at Clifton Camp (the patch of grass in the centre of the photo at the top of the gorge)
Looking south along Avon gorge. Stantonbury is the hump on the horizon to the left of the right hand bridge tower.
south west entrance
Bank and ditch fortification
From the notice board near the site
Articles
Anyone fancy 'persuading' your work mates to do something for an ancient site? I found the following opportunity as part of the National Trust Employee volunteering programme at nationaltrust.org.uk/employeevolunteering
"Leigh Woods is well-known to many as the backdrop to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and is used as an escape from the bustling city of Bristol by thousands of people every year. Come and help the National Trust to remove encroaching vegetation from the Iron Age hill-fort of Stokeleigh Camp within the heart of the woods. Overlooking the Avon Gorge, volunteers will work alongside National Trust wardens to conserve this important archaeological feature and show these impressive ramparts at their best! Suitable for groups of ten people."
WHAT: practical work and diy
WHERE: Leigh Woods, near Bristol
WHEN: November – March
YOU NEED: Old clothes and stout footwear
Interested? Call the EVP Team 01793 462787 or email to – [email protected]
[visited 25/04/10] This is a peach of a fort. Very well preserved banks, with lovely views, in the middle of a walk in a wood and no massive hill to climb. The latter of which meant my belly didn't thank me but I cared not.
Massive bivallate defenses stand out through the trees as you approach from the south-west. We traced the elongated horseshoe but mostly strolled near the cliff edge after going up and over the inner rampart which must be 3 metres high and maybe 6 from the lowest point of the ditch between the banks. Inside it's grassy with several trees to stroll between.
The thing that stands out for me is just how close Clifton Down Camp is on the other side of the ravine. I had wondered whilst stood at Clifton Down Camp, not knowing where Stokeleigh was, whether they could have easily communicated. Standing at Stokeleigh you can see they could have shouted and just about be understood. They could have definately fired lines across attached to arrows and passed stuff back and forwards. It seems hard to believe the two camps were not occupied by the same tribe, unless it was some kind of iron age Joint Security Area. Of course Burgh Walls is just across the ravine to the South East as well. Whilst on the subject of inter-visibility of hill forts in the Avon Valley, from here you can also see North Stoke, Freezing Hill and Stantonbury, whilst Maes Knoll is possibly visible through the trees (definately visible along with possibly Tunley from Clifton Camp). As an aside, is Clifton Suspension bridge the only suspension bridge in the world you can see at least 6 hill forts?
Access is along well defined paths through a light forest. Its mostly flat and less than 1/2 a mile from where we parked (ST 555 730)
Sat 21st May 2005.
Approached from "Pill cycle track" in the Avon Gorge, up through Leigh Woods/Nightingale Valley – hurt my back carrying bike. Probably easier to approach from the other side of the woods just off A369!
Volunteers have done a great job clearing some of the bank and ditch of trees – you can get a good idea of the scale now, but most of the site remains wooded, giving the kind of "enchanted ruin" feel you don't often get. At one time, I guess, there would have been less trees around.
It's very peaceful, with only the odd walker or squirrel to disturb you, and there are great views to be had.
This is one of a string of iron age forts (circa 350 bce) in the Gorge, which says something for the strategic importance of the area – a kind of watery, celtic Khyber Pass.
Neolithic and Bronze Age finds have been made in the area, and can be seen at the Ashton Court Visitor Centre and Bristol Museum (which is good and free to enter).
The "Kyber Pass".. Close to Clifton Suspension Bridge, 3 promontories have been fortified by earthworks, these three camps are within 800 yards of each other. Apparently all were identical in design, which could point to them being contemporary. Dated to 300bc to 100 ad, some use in medieval period.
Stokeleigh Camp faces Borough Walls across a short valley. Two bank and ditches, with additional banks on the N.W, and also at the S.E. overlooking Nightingal Valley. Entrance close to S.W. corner, area enclosed about 6 acres. Taken from....
Guide To Prehistoric England – Nicholas Thomas
Reverend Skinner had a theory that the Wansdyke might have been extended in this direction.
Topics
Sites within 20km of Stokeleigh Camp
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Clifton Down Camp
photo 26 link 1 -
Burgh Walls
photo 1 description 2 -
Ashton Court
photo 7 -
Seven Sisters
photo 6 description 4 -
Redland Park
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Druid Stoke
photo 9 forum 1 description 6 -
Kings Weston Hill
photo 14 forum 1 description 1 -
Kings Weston Hill Barrows
photo 3 description 1 -
Blaise Castle
photo 12 forum 1 description 1 -
Badock’s Wood
photo 8 forum 1 description 3 link 1 -
Portbury
photo 2 description 4 -
Maes Knoll
photo 28 forum 1 description 5 link 1 -
Winford Big Barrow
description 1 -
Durley Hill
description 1 -
King Offa’s Tomb
photo 1 description 2 -
Winford Twin Barrows
description 1 -
Felton Hill Longbarrow
photo 2 description 3 -
Nempnett Thrubwell Horse Barrow
description 1 -
Middle Ham, Tynings
description 2 -
Cadbury Camp (Nailsea)
photo 4 description 3 -
Hautville’s Quoit
photo 8 forum 1 description 5 link 1 -
The Water Stone
photo 6 description 2 link 1 -
Redhill
description 2 -
Almondsbury Fort
photo 1 description 3 -
The Great Circle, North East Circle & Avenues
photo 159 forum 3 description 38 link 8 -
The Cove
photo 48 forum 1 description 12 link 1 -
Bury Hill Camp
photo 2 description 3 -
The South West Circle
photo 29 description 5 -
Bicknell Farm Round Barrow
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Redhill
description 2 -
Cleeve Toot
photo 4 description 1 -
Knowle Hill Settlement
description 1 -
Nempnett Thrubwell
photo 3 forum 1 description 8 link 1 -
Bitton
photo 2 description 8 -
Walton Common
photo 1 -
Shortwood Hill
description 2 link 1 -
Nempnett Thrubwell Round Barrow
description 1 -
Cadbury Hill (Congresbury)
photo 3 description 2 -
Wick
photo 9 forum 1 description 6 -
Stantonbury
photo 7 forum 1 description 4 -
Sudbrook
photo 30 description 4 -
Burledge Hill
photo 3 description 2 -
Herriotts Bridge
description 1 -
Red Hill (Elberton)
photo 1 description 2 -
North Stoke
photo 13 description 3 -
Little Down Camp Barrow
photo 1 description 1 -
Elberton Fort
photo 4 description 3 -
Lansdown Golf Course Barrows
description 1 -
Lansdown Flint Working Site
photo 2 description 1 -
Windmill Tump Cairn
description 1 -
Heston Brake
photo 28 description 8 link 2 -
Freezing Hill
photo 2 description 3 -
Beech Wood Barrows
description 1 -
Alveston Down
photo 2 description 1 -
Lansdown Camp
photo 1 description 4 -
Lansdown Race Field Barrows
photo 1 description 1 -
Aveline’s Hole
photo 7 forum 1 description 7 link 4 -
Burrington (Black Down)
photo 8 description 2 -
Tog Hill Camp
description 2 -
Lansdown Barrows
photo 4 forum 1 description 6 -
Read’s Cavern
photo 3 description 2 -
Langridge
photo 9 description 4 -
Hazle Barrow
description 1 -
Rowberrow Warren
photo 5 description 2 -
Titters Hill
photo 2 description 2 -
Beacon Batch
photo 19 description 4 -
Little Abbey Camp
description 2 -
Dolebury Warren
photo 18 description 6 link 1 -
Wallmead I and II
description 1 -
Rowberrow Cavern
description 1 -
Gwent Levels
photo 3 description 1 link 1 -
Flock Down Field Barrows
description 1 -
Black Down (Priddy)
photo 9 description 2 -
Llanfihangel Rogiet
photo 7 description 5 link 1 -
Thornwell
photo 15 forum 2 description 5 -
The Castle, Tytherington
description 2 -
Crick Barrow
description 2 link 1 -
Rowbarrow
description 2 -
Hinton Hill
photo 12 description 5 -
Whitestown Farm
description 5 -
Englishcombe Manor Barrow
description 1 -
Tunley Farm
description 4 -
Gorsey Bigbury
photo 5 description 3 -
Tunley Long Barrow
description 1 -
Henley Hill
description 1 -
Tyning’s Farm
description 1 -
St Arilda – Oldbury-on-Severn
photo 6 forum 1 description 4 -
Rhino Rift Barrow
photo 3 description 3 -
Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet
photo 1 description 2 link 1 -
Pool Farm Cist
photo 3 forum 1 description 7 -
High Barrow Hill
description 1 -
The Wimblestone
photo 7 description 4 -
Willis Hill
photo 3 description 3 -
Bulwarks Camp (Chepstow)
photo 8 description 2 -
Harptree Barrows
description 1 -
King Down Farm
description 1 -
Priddy Henges (incomplete 4th circle)
photo 1 description 2 -
Ashbridge Farm
description 1 -
Charmy Down Barrows
description 1 -
Monkswood
description 1