Bury Hill
Encyclopedia
Bury Hill, is the site of a former Iron Age
hillfort about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the centre of Andover, Hampshire
. The site encloses about 22 acres (8.9 ha). There are evident two stages to the construction of the fort, the first is a low single rampart and ditch, to the north and west of the second, stronger double rampart and ditch earthworks, part of which overlies the earlier work. The banks and the ditch are apparently in good condition, although fairly heavily wooded. A footpath encircles the hill fort on the inner rampart, accessible from the northeast and southwest. The centre is left to grass and very secluded, but is not accessible to the general public. The site was used well into the Roman era
and was used as a camp by King Canute in 1016, when he fought Edmund Ironside
in the Battle of Andover.
, west of the village of Upper Clatford
and east of the River Anton
. To the south is open farmland. The hill summit is 100 metres (328.1 ft) above Ordnance Datum
.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southwest of the centre of Andover, Hampshire
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
. The site encloses about 22 acres (8.9 ha). There are evident two stages to the construction of the fort, the first is a low single rampart and ditch, to the north and west of the second, stronger double rampart and ditch earthworks, part of which overlies the earlier work. The banks and the ditch are apparently in good condition, although fairly heavily wooded. A footpath encircles the hill fort on the inner rampart, accessible from the northeast and southwest. The centre is left to grass and very secluded, but is not accessible to the general public. The site was used well into the Roman era
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
and was used as a camp by King Canute in 1016, when he fought Edmund Ironside
Edmund Ironside
Edmund Ironside or Edmund II was king of England from 23 April to 30 November 1016. His cognomen "Ironside" is not recorded until 1057, but may have been contemporary. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, it was given to him "because of his valour" in resisting the Danish invasion led by Cnut...
in the Battle of Andover.
Location
The site is south of of Hillpill Brook and Anna ValleyAnna Valley
Anna Valley is a village in Hampshire, United Kingdom. The settlement is a suburb of Andover, and is located approximately south-west of the town centre....
, west of the village of Upper Clatford
Upper Clatford
Upper Clatford is a village in Hampshire, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Anton, several miles upstream of the point where it joins the River Test, just to the south of Andover....
and east of the River Anton
River Anton
The River Anton is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Test.The river rises just to the north of the town of Andover, and flows through the centre of the town...
. To the south is open farmland. The hill summit is 100 metres (328.1 ft) above Ordnance Datum
Ordnance Datum
In the British Isles, an Ordnance Datum or OD is a vertical datum used by an ordnance survey as the basis for deriving altitudes on maps. A spot height may be expressed as AOD for "above ordnance datum". Usually mean sea level is used for the datum...
.