The desirability of a view is not new. Ancient peoples valued them as much as we do!
The ability see a long distance over water or land today is visually aesthetic, a sought after asset giving pleasure to the owners. In earlier centuries it was defence. Small populations organised the building of forts overlooking a distant expanse in order to protect themselves from invaders.
HILL
That odd looking bump on a hill in the British countryside could well be a hill fort. A hill upon a hill, covered now in grass and trees.
The earliest hill forts in Britain are of the Bronze Age which is about three to four thousand years ago. Mostly these forts are of the following Iron Age which lasted until the Roman invasion.
(The population of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion would be around the four million mark. Sparsely populated by today's standards.)
The Romans found some of the forts useful and took them over, others were abandoned. Quite a few were taken over again after the Romans left and Celts and Saxons fought over them. King Alfred the Great repaired and reorganised many in southwest England as camps and way stations along herepaths (military roads) in his campaign against the Vikings.
Many of these forts can still be seen and visited being protected by English Heritage or The National Trust. The largest and the most intricate in Europe is Maiden Castle in Dorset started well over 6000 years ago in Neolithic times, well before the Bronze Age. It is still in use today as a major tourist attraction.
A major battle took place here between the Romans under their great general, Vespasian, and the obdurate Celts. Dorchester Museum has the story and the artefacts. It must have been a terrible battle. Stand in the middle of the fort and just imagine that Durotrige Tribe trying to defend their home against a highly organised army. They did not let it go easily, but it was not built for that warfare. Nor did they have the weapons the Romans did.
The actual management needed to build those forts and keep them repaired would have been considerable whether it was a small one for the defence of a local population or a large one in a vulnerable or important position. All done by hand, no machines!
Everyone must have had to do their bit. Obviously they were built over time, gradually adding to the defences as needs arose. Time for many of these forts was centuries. Generation after generation called these structures home and added their contribution.
Some forts are actually animal enclosures, farmers feeding and protecting their herds and flocks.
Typically the hill fort is a complex and sometimes elaborate earthwork following the curves of the chosen site. They are sited so that the best view of the surrounding countryside is obtained in order to see the enemy coming and so be prepared for attack.
How big they were depended on whether the fort had to defend a small settlement, or in times of real trouble most of the tribe.
Not all are on the tops of actual hills, some are on ridges with steep slopes, very hard to attack. Two or more major tracks or major rivers leading to a settlement would be another. Perhaps protected by marshland or other natural obstacle. On the coast it was necessary to defend the shore from attack from the sea, here hill forts can be found on cliffs.
Most are multipart compounds with lines and circles of massive earthen ramparts. Stockades made of upright logs with sharpened spikes harvested from the local forest were used for further defence. The logs were placed side by side and stood right round the fort.
In later times a few forts had mud covering to the stockade to protect from the elements as well. Even later if the materials were to hand, stone walls were created. Might have spoilt the view however. Sentries perhaps? Certainly the beginnings of the castles. Some are known as castles.
Ditches, probably from where the earth had been taken, surrounded the stockade. This suggests considerable planning and working out of the whole site through the ages. Do not discount the wisdom of the ancients! Marvel at it. Marvel too at their industry.
That these forts were successful for their purpose is evident. The techniques lasted so long and over two thousand have been found in the country. Over one hundred of the larger, more important sites have been excavated.
Iron Age Hill Forts in Britain HILL
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