Seen from the Gloucestershire Way to the west, on the slopes below Oxenton Hill just after a close encounter with some very nosy bullocks. Langley Hill is the prominent hill on the right.
Images
Seen from the Gloucestershire Way to the southeast.
Dixton Hill, in poor January visibility, seen from Nottingham Hill fort to the south.
Articles
Visited 24.8.13
Directions:
From Bishops’s Cleeve (not much there) take the minor road north to Gotherington. From Gotheringto follow the signs east for Dixton. The Hillfort is to the north of Dixton House, east of Manor Farm.
I chose to opt for access via the Goucestershire Way (approaching from the east). You can park next to the metal field gate where the road turns sharply to the right. The sun was shining and the air was still. A pleasant walk across the field and then through another gate. At this point the ground starts to rise as you head towards the trees. If you want to go blackberry picking, this is the place for you!
I followed the path uphill and it was apparent there was no way through the chest high nettles and masses of brambles – particularly when wearing shorts. I then came across a newly cut path through the nettles to my right; so I followed it hoping for the best.
I then came to a padlocked rusty gate and jumped over it. This brought me out into the trees and a very steep climb – but few nettles. I scrambled my way up the bare slope but on several occasions had to use the trees to pull myself up it was so steep. This was not easy as all the trees seemed to be hawthorns and the spikes were sticking into me. Eventually I got to the top but was confronted by a ‘sea of nettles’, chest high and no way through. The entire top of the Hillfort (open field) appeared to be covered in nettles. This was as far as I was going today.
I didn’t have time to try the other approach, via Manor Farm to the west, but I would imagine you would have hit the same problem with the nettles? No wonder no-one has added fieldnotes to this site before!
If you are planning to come I would suggest a winter visit, approaching from the west.
The approach I took was a difficult climb up the steep hill and I wouldn’t fancy attempting it in the winter. Not sure there is actually anything to see though?
These earthworks (probably an Iron Age hillfort reused in medieval times) – are where the giant threw the Tibblestone from.
I haven’t found an older reference for this, but Danny Sullivan claims the giant was aiming at Tewkesbury:
hoap.co.uk/aatf1.rtf.
whilst Celia Haddon says he was aiming at the boats on the Severn:
celiahaddon.co.uk/standing%20stones/gloucestershire.html
That’s really the wrong direction! but then, it is said that he slipped mid-throw.
The ‘Tibblestone’ page quotes ‘The Old Straight Track’: “A long time ago, a giant lived in these parts, and he went up the hill to fetch a large stone to destroy his enemy’s house. When he was carrying it down, his foot slipped, and his heel made a great furrow in the hillside, and you can see it to this day, and he had to drop the stone just where you see it. It is quite true because you can see for yourself the holes where the giant’s fingers had hold of it.”
tibblestone.users.btopenworld.com/tibblestone.htm
Sites within 20km of Dixton Hill
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Oxenton Hill Camp
photo 3 description 3 -
Odo and Dodo
description 1 -
Nottingham Hill
photo 23 description 2 link 4 -
The Tibblestone
photo 9 description 6 link 1 -
The Warren
photo 8 description 1 -
The Ring, Cleeve Hill
photo 9 description 2 -
Cleeve Common cross dyke
photo 20 description 1 -
Cleeve Cloud
photo 39 description 4 -
Belas Knap
photo 104 forum 6 description 29 link 3 -
Hailes Wood Camp
photo 10 description 1 -
Beckbury
photo 25 description 3 -
Conderton Camp
photo 20 description 2 -
Farmcote
photo 1 -
Erves Leasowe
photo 1 -
Battledown Camp
photo 1 forum 1 description 1 -
Roel Hill Camp
photo 14 description 1 -
Stumps Cross
photo 7 description 2 -
King and Queen Stone
photo 4 description 2 -
Wood Farm
photo 9 description 3 link 1 -
Bredon Hill
photo 2 description 6 -
Shenberrow Hill Camp
photo 17 description 1 -
Kemerton Camp
photo 29 ondemand_video 1 description 1 -
Bambury Stone
photo 6 forum 1 description 5 -
St Katherine’s Well
description 1 -
Snowshill
photo 1 description 1 -
Burhill Farm
photo 13 forum 1 description 2 -
The Waste
description 1 -
Dowdeswell
photo 17 description 3 -
Lineover
photo 32 description 5 -
Towbury Hill
photo 1 description 1 -
St Paul’s Epistle
photo 13 description 3 -
Leckhampton Hill
photo 85 description 6 link 2 -
Cutsdean Hill
photo 3 description 1 -
Foxcote Hill Farm
photo 2 description 2 -
Salperton Park
photo 6 description 2 -
Naunton Barrow
description 1 -
Crippets Long Barrow
photo 45 description 8 -
Notgrove
photo 33 forum 2 description 16 link 1 -
Hazleton Long Barrows
photo 7 description 7 link 3 -
Oak Piece
description 2 -
Willersey Camp
photo 8 description 2 link 1 -
Willersey Long Barrow
photo 1 forum 1 description 1 link 1 -
Coberley
photo 33 description 5 -
Emma’s Grove
photo 18 description 6 -
Crickley Hill
photo 55 forum 1 description 14 link 1 -
Henley Bank
photo 5 description 1 -
Cow Common
photo 9 description 3 -
Churchdown Hill
photo 16 description 4 link 1 -
Norbury Camp (Upper Coberley)
photo 22 description 2 -
Eyford Park
description 1 -
Saintbury Barrow
photo 5 description 2 -
Sales Lot Long Barrow
description 1 -
Swell Wold Round Barrow
photo 1 description 1 -
Eyford
description 2 link 1 -
Sezincote Warren
description 1 -
Withington Woods West
photo 7 description 1 -
Birdlip Camp
photo 21 forum 1 description 4 link 1 -
Swell Hill Farm
photo 2 description 1 -
Condicote Henge
photo 7 description 3 link 2 -
Withington Long Barrow
photo 6 description 2 -
Kiftsgate Stone
photo 5 forum 1 description 3 -
Eubury Camp
description 1 -
Hampnett barrows
photo 2 description 2 -
Boy’s Grove
photo 4 description 1 -
Sezincote
description 1 -
Wagborough Bush
description 1 -
Bourton on the Hill
description 1 -
Pegler’s Knob, Donnington
photo 4 description 3 -
Cleeve Hill Tumulus
description 2 -
Hangman’s Stone, Hampnett
photo 7 description 5 link 1 -
Pole’s Wood South
photo 10 description 4 link 1 -
Cold Aston
photo 10 forum 1 description 3 -
The Tump
photo 5 description 2 -
West Tump
photo 35 description 6 link 1 -
Cooper’s Hill
photo 8 description 2 link 1 -
Ganborough
description 2 -
Combend Farm
photo 7 forum 1 description 2 -
Upper Swell
photo 6 description 5 -
Lower Swell
photo 9 description 5 -
Shawswell Farm
photo 4 description 2 -
Gadbury Bank
description 1 -
The Horestone (Swell)
photo 15 description 4 -
Buck’s Head Barrow
photo 3 forum 1 description 2 -
Whittlestone
photo 10 description 7 -
High Brotheridge Camp
photo 11 description 2