Earthwork on western side of road. It looked better in the flesh.
Image credit: Ian Freeman
ginger tt
Visited the site today and although obvious to see the earthworks the dry bracken and leafs made it hard to get a decent picture. However they were all easy to spot, particularly the one running north to south which was up to 8ft high in places. There are 2 earthworks at bridles copse , one runs southwest to northeast along the northern edge of the river and the other one starts the other side of the river running south then bending round to the south east.
From a distance you wouldn’t notice that Bullsdown Camp was the site of an Iron Age fort as it is so heavily wooded. On closer inspection it is a very large multilavatte fort with 3 banks and ditch’s. Although eroded heavily the earthworks are still impressive.
It is what i would call a valley/plateau fort as it is on rising ground on Bulls down where it gets its name from.
Visited the site today and it is a big ditch about 100 meters by 20 and a good 5 meters deep in the middle. There is a pond at the eastern end which is dry but boggy as I found out to my cost. No real idea as to its original use maybe linked to the other Iron Age earthworks in the area
The Frith is a small univallate Iron Age hillfort to the north of Silchester Roman/Iron Age town. The single bank covers all sides apart from the south east and at the most is about 5 feet high on the western edge. The ditch is also traceable for the length of the bank all be it at varying states.
2nd undamaged bell barrow near substation
Image credit: Ian Freeman
Remains of bowl barrow can be seen in front of tree
Image credit: Ian Freeman
Large bell barrow in corner of school field
Image credit: Ian Freeman
Visited the site today and managed to locate 4 of the barrows shown on the map. 2 large undamaged bell barrows, a badly dug away bell barrow and the low almost ploughed out remains of a bowl barrow.
The 1st bell barrow is situated in the south west corner of a school playing field and is in good condition but rather overgrown with ferns.
The 2nd well preserved bell barrow can be found to the north along the bridleway near the electricity substation. Next to this is the badly dug away bell barrow.
The ploughed out remains of the bowl barrow can be seen to the north of the sports field beneath the in the middle of the sports field.
Linear earthwork. One of several associated with a late Iron Age, precursor to the Roman town of Calleva. The earthwork is in Bridle’s Copse,.
Borough hill is a small hillfort, only an acre in size, standing on plateau gravel at the top of Borough Hill between the villages of Winterbourne and Boxford.It was discovered in 1962 and is not marked as a fort on any maps. There are some signs of man made earthworks but these might be contemporary. More of a large mound to look at, quiet flat on the top and now used as a pheasant pen.
Not much left of the earthworks but you can still follow the outside of the ramparts all the way round and in places on the south of the camp there is still traces of the ditch. Nice in the spring as it is covered in bluebells.
View of the Punchbowl from Segsbury Camp
Image credit: Ian Freeman
Druids delight as Stonehenge road closure gets go ahead
Simple site showing the hill forts in and around the Vale Of The White Horse.
Two Bronze Age bell barrows known locally and in early archaeological publications as ‘The Warrior Mounds’ or ‘The Warrior Barrows’ situated at SU 5196 8326. The barrow mounds both survive as upstanding stone and earth mounds measuring 23 metres in diameter and standing up to 2.5 metres high. The mounds were originally surrounded by gently sloping berms 5 metres wide which have been obscured by later ploughing. Beyond the bern edges lie quarry ditches from which material was obtained during the mounds’ construction. These have become infilled over the years but are known from earlier excavation and aerial photographs to survive as buried features 3 metres wide. Excavations carried out in 1848 and 1935 in the vicinity of the barrows produced finds from several periods including Iron Age and Roman pottery fragments, the cremated bones of a woman and child, a male skeleton, and Early Bronze Age dagger and an important selection of early Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery.
Source Pastscape
Tynron Doon is situated one and a half miles from the hamlet of Tynron in Dumfries and Galloway. Access to it is via a steep climb through a Juniper wood to the west and then along a sheep track up to the fort (there is a shorter route but the views approaching the fort are not as worthwhile). It is a multilavate fort with 2 ramparts and 3 ditch’s on all sides apart from the south which is a steep cliff face partially covered in trees and the east which has just one rampart and relies on the steepness of the hill for defence. The entrance to the fort is on the west of the fort looking down towards the juniper woods and the village of Tynron. The views from the top are stunning and you can look down on the nearby Grennan hill fort to the east of the Doon. I would recommend a visit to everyone its a lovely spot.
Another good site for researching Scottish sites
Bronze Age multivallate hill fort believed to have been in use between the 4th and 8th centurys Bc.
Springfield Hill is a multivallate iron age hill fort west of the village of Dunscore. It is one of many such forts in the area.
The Doons is a Bronze Age univallate hillfort situated on Doon hill to the north of Shawhead. it is within the grounds of the Barsoul campsite and can be Seen easily fron the road out of Shawhead.
Hall hill is a small Iron Age univallate hillfort near Irongray in Dumfries and Galloway. It should not be confused With Inglestone Motte which is the remains of a norman fort on the hill to the south west of Hall Hill.
Beacon hill is a univallate iron age hill fort situated between the villages of Shawhead and Terregles. It commands great views and can be seen from miles around. the best view is probably from a layby on the A75 near Drummore heading down towards Dumfries
Looking down from the top of the fort hrough the probable entrance on the western side.
Image credit: Ian Freeman
Inner and outer ramparts looking north form the western side of the fort
Image credit: Ian Freeman
