Clifton Down Camp

Also known as:
St Vincent's Rocks
Nearest town:
Bristol (2km E)
OS reference:
ST565733
OS sheet:
172
Latitude:
51° 27' 23.28 N
Longitude:
2° 37' 34.15 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Clifton Down Camp from across the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Nice strata and a long drop.

Image credit: A. Brookes (11.2.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 7, 2024
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

My previous visits have been in the summer, but even in January parts of the rampart are densely overgrown.

Image credit: A. Brookes (28.1.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jan 24, 2024
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Outer rampart in the foreground, much larger inner rampart behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (28.1.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jan 24, 2024
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Looking across the river and gorge towards the location of the mostly destroyed Burgh Walls camp on the other side.

Image credit: A. Brookes (11.8.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 25, 2018
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The fort is located at the top of daunting cliffs dropping straight down to the river.

Image credit: A. Brookes (11.8.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 25, 2018
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by juamei

Image Credit: Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015.

Image credit: Open Source Environment Agency LIDAR
juamei
juamei Mar 25, 2018
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Standing on the inner bank, north side of the fort. The figures on the path below are just passing through the much slighter outer bank.

Image credit: A. Brookes (31.8.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 3, 2013
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

There appears to be a slight counter-scarp around the inside of the northern arc of defences.

Image credit: A. Brookes (31.8.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 3, 2013
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The cliffs fall precipitously down to the Avon Gorge on the SW side of the fort. Tunnels and a cave honeycomb the rock beneath the fort.

Image credit: A. Brookes (31.8.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 3, 2013
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

Any signs of the original habitation inside the fort have been lost under landscaping and the building of the striking observatory building.

Image credit: A. Brookes (31.8.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 3, 2013
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by thesweetcheat

The slight (and rather manicured) outer bank on the NE side of the fort.

Image credit: A. Brookes (31.8.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 3, 2013
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

From the bridge.... not often one gets an aerial – well, sort of – view of a promontory fort.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Sep 4, 2012
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The Avon Gorge..... no need for powerful artificial defences here. Perhaps – if this was indeed a tribal boundary – there was no defence against insults hurled across the water from Stoneleigh Camp, however?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Sep 4, 2012
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

The rampart is overgrown, covered with litter.... and generally treated badly. But it’s still substantially here.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Sep 4, 2012
Image of Clifton Down Camp (Hillfort) by GLADMAN

From across the Avon Gorge, Clifton Suspension Bridge to far right. The skyline treeline conceals a very powerful rampart...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Sep 4, 2012

Articles

Link

Clifton Down Camp
Hillfort
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Jun 10, 2009
St Vincent's Rock

Eugene Byrne and Simon Gurr tell a modern version of the landscape and legends of the area in graphic novel style.

There’s also a page that explains how Vincent – perhaps the name of the giant here at St Vincent’s Rock – dug out the Avon gorge.

Sites within 20km of Clifton Down Camp

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