Maiden Castle Iron Age Hillfort, near Dorchester, Dorset

Photograph taken October 1997 © Crown copyright. Historic England Archive ref: nmr 15852/03

Maiden Castle was one of the largest hillforts in Europe. Excavations in the 1930s found that it was the site of a stand against the Roman invasion of 43 AD. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2010).

Location

Dorset Dorchester

Period

Prehistoric (to AD42)

Themes

This is a reconstruction drawing of what Old Oswestry Hillfort might have looked like. The hillfort has ramparts made of five earthen banks and ditches. There are two entrances, one on the east and one on the west. The inner two banks and ditches are the earliest and probably dating to around the sixth century BC. The visible earthworks represent several phases of construction. Each phase increased the defensive capabilities and status of the site. Excavations during the 1940s revealed that the site was in use from the Late Bronze Age through to the end of the Iron Age. The earliest occupation of the site being a Late Bronze Age settlement of round huts. A Roman phase at the site is indicated by finds of pottery and tile, but exactly where their activity was concentrated is uncertain. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (20100. Read detailed archaeological description.

Maiden Castle Iron Age Hillfort, near Dorchester, Dorset

Location

Period

Themes

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