Woolbury
51°06′57″N 1°27′26″W / 51.1157°N 1.4571°W / 51.1157; -1.4571
Woolbury, or Woolbury Ring, is the site of an Iron Age univallate hill fort on Stockbridge Down, Hampshire, England.
Description
The site is described as a strong hilltop camp covering 20 acres, with a single bank and ditch, and has commanding views over the surrounding area. The bank and ditch are well preserved to the west, the bank being 9 ft. high and 16 ft. above the bottom of the ditch. The eastern side has been ploughed out, and the ditch only remains to the north and south. The entrance is on the west side, the interior is down to permanent pasture.[1] Only the southwest rampart (which includes the original entrance) is in National Trust ownership; the rest is private land.[2]
The site is listed as a scheduled ancient monument no.52.
There are a number of other archaeological sites in the area, including a Bronze Age bowl barrow mound of approximately 40m in diameter and 1.5m in height. Located at grid reference SU395363 and recorded in an Anglo-Saxon charter as Heardulfe's Hlaewe or Heardulfe's Barrow.[1][3][4] The area is now subject to ploughing. In addition, several other tumuli are to be found to the south of the hill fort.
Location
The site is located at grid reference SU381353, and to the east of the village of Stockbridge, in the county of Hampshire. Danebury hill fort lies close by to the West, over the River Test. The hill has a summit of 158m AOD.
White horse and cross
On the southern ramparts of Woolbury Ring is a hill figure of a horse. Whilst there are 17 white horse hill figures in England, with nine being nearby in Wiltshire, this is the only example in Hampshire. The horse was constructed crudely of rough flints, painted white and pushed into the ground to form the shape of the horse. The earliest documentation of the horse is in 1846. The horse for many years was covered by the surrounding bushes but in 1999, the site was cleared so the horse become visible again.[5]
There was also a hill figure of a cross nearby, only a few yards from Winchester Road, constructed using the same method.[6] This was lost in 1944.[7]
References
- ^ a b https://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/vol09/page075.html Hampshire Treasures website
- ^ http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?x=438100&y=135300 The Megalithic Portal
- ^ Arch. J. Vol. 83, 1926, (Grundy), p.173.
- ^ P.H.F.C., Vol. 14, 1938-40, (Grinsell), pp.31, 351
- ^ Hows, Mark. "Woolbury Horse".
- ^ "Wiltshire White Horses: Other non-Wiltshire white horses".
- ^ Hows, Mark. "Woolbury Cross".
See also
- v
- t
- e
- Mowsbury Hill
- Maiden Bower
- Black Head
- Cadson Bury
- Caer Bran
- Castallack Round
- Castle an Dinas
- Castle Dore
- Castle Goff
- Chûn Castle
- Dodman Point
- Giant's Castle
- Kelly Rounds
- Kelsey Head
- Lescudjack
- Lesingey Round
- Maen Castle
- Padderbury Top
- Prideaux Castle
- Rame Head
- The Rumps
- Trencrom Hill
- Trereen Dinas
- Treryn Dinas
- Trevelgue Head
- Warbstow Bury
- Ashleys Copse
- Buckland Rings
- Bury Hill
- Caesar's Camp
- Castle Hill
- Chilworth Ring
- Danebury
- Dunwood Camp
- Frankenbury Camp
- The Frith
- Gorley Hill
- Hamble Common Camp
- King John's Hill
- Knoll Camp
- Ladle Hill
- Lockerley Camp
- Norsebury Ring
- Old Winchester Hill
- Oram's Arbour
- Quarley Hill
- St. Catherine's Hill
- Tidbury Ring
- Toothill Fort
- Whitsbury Castle
- Woolbury
- Bayston Hill
- Bury Ditches
- Bury Walls
- Caer Caradoc, Church Stretton
- Caer Caradog, Chapel Lawn
- Caus Castle
- Coxall Knoll
- Nordy Bank
- Old Oswestry
- The Wrekin
- Carl Wark
- Wincobank
- Ashleys Copse
- Barbury Castle
- Battlesbury Camp
- Bratton Castle
- Bury Camp
- Castle Ditches
- Casterley Camp
- Castle Rings
- Chisbury
- Chiselbury
- Chisenbury Camp
- Clearbury Ring
- Cley Hill
- Fosbury Camp
- Grovely Castle
- Knook Castle
- Liddington Castle
- Membury Camp
- Old Sarum
- Ringsbury Camp
- Roundway Down
- Scratchbury Camp
- Sidbury Hill
- Vespasian's Camp
- Winkelbury Camp
- Yarnbury Castle