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Old Winchester Hill

Hillfort

<b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by GLADMANImage © Robert Gladstone
Nearest Town:Petersfield (11km ENE)
OS Ref (GB):   SU641205 / Sheet: 185
Latitude:50° 58' 47.11" N
Longitude:   1° 5' 12.48" W

Added by Cursuswalker


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<b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by juamei <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by A R Cane <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by A R Cane <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by A R Cane <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by A R Cane <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by GLADMAN <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by wickerman <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by wickerman <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by wickerman <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by jimit <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by jimit <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by jimit <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by jimit <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by jimit <b>Old Winchester Hill</b>Posted by Cursuswalker

Fieldnotes

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I had to wait in the car today for a rare (for this area) snowstorm to pass before I could walk to the fort. The light dusting showed the ditch and bank clearly from afar. What is more obvious is that the barrows clearly dominate the skyline for miles around. The fort builders obviously lived in harmony with these relics from an earlier age. The three tumuli in the top look as though they have been robbed in the past, the usual depression in the top, but next door there is a peculiar circular depression with a small bank about 10 M across. Is this the remains of a Bowl barrow or could it be a dew pond? Near the E entrance there is a new (?) circular pond. Near the two entrances are scattered about 13 other barrows. Geophys has found nearly 70 hut platforms on the site. After the blizard had gone the sky cleared and the views were spectacular, I could see Beacon Hill, another fort just outside Newbury and with better eyesight perhaps the barrows on St. Catherines Down on the I.O.W!
Must come here again when the wind chill is not -10 and explore the whole National Nature Reserve.
jimit Posted by jimit
30th January 2003ce
Edited 2nd February 2003ce

This large hill fort is situated on a spur of chalk downland just to the E of the River Meon and was probably built as a tribal centre for the valley. It covers an area of about 14 acres with the ramparts following the contours of the hill. The ditch and bank are well preserved and have two entrances E and W where the bank is also higher and incurved. The ground falls steeply on all sides except the E.

Within the fort are three large barrows and a possible Bowl barrow. A long barrow is situated at the bottom of the hill to the SW. The fort has never been excavated but is probably Iron Age.

The views are magnificent covering most of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Disabled: Dedicated parking, gently sloping access on grass and tracks to centre of site.
jimit Posted by jimit
30th January 2003ce
Edited 8th December 2003ce

Folklore

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In the 2nd century BC it may have been a tribal centre, and a tradition grew up that it was intended to be the original site of Winchester, but the building materials brought here were mysteriously transported 10 miles to the north-west, where Winchester was finally built. pure joy Posted by pure joy
19th March 2003ce

Links

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Old Winchester hillfort video on youtube


wickerman Posted by wickerman
25th April 2009ce

An EBook giving the history of Old Winchester Hill


jimit Posted by jimit
28th September 2004ce

Multimap


A good aerial view of the site.
Cursuswalker Posted by Cursuswalker
18th February 2004ce