Hascombe Hill
Encyclopedia
Hascombe Hill is the site of an Iron Age
hillfort close to the village of Hascombe
in Surrey
, England
. The site was excavated in 1931 by S. E. Winbolt, who dated the occupation of the site to the 1st century BC. The hillfort encloses a thickly wooded area of approximately 2.4 hectares (5.9 acre). The sides of the fort, which are naturally very steep, were scarped at the top to make them almost unassailable. Encircling the crest of the hill is a defensive ditch 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) deep. The defences are reinforced on the northeast side (where the hillfort joins the rest of the hill) with a strong line of ramparts and ditches broken by a single entrance passage some 24 metres (78.7 ft) long.
In the early 19th century it became an important naval telegraph station, using a mechanical form of semaphore to communicate with Netley Heath in Surrey
on one side and Blackdown
in Sussex
on the other. A chain of such stations linked London
with Portsmouth
.
The height of Hascombe Hill is 644 feet.
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 close to the village of Hascombe
Hascombe
Hascombe is a village in Surrey, England. It contains a cluster of cottages and country estates, St Peter's church, the village green and The White Horse pub, all nestling between wooded hillsides in Surrey, England....
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The site was excavated in 1931 by S. E. Winbolt, who dated the occupation of the site to the 1st century BC. The hillfort encloses a thickly wooded area of approximately 2.4 hectares (5.9 acre). The sides of the fort, which are naturally very steep, were scarped at the top to make them almost unassailable. Encircling the crest of the hill is a defensive ditch 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) deep. The defences are reinforced on the northeast side (where the hillfort joins the rest of the hill) with a strong line of ramparts and ditches broken by a single entrance passage some 24 metres (78.7 ft) long.
In the early 19th century it became an important naval telegraph station, using a mechanical form of semaphore to communicate with Netley Heath in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
on one side and Blackdown
Blackdown, Sussex
Blackdown, or Black Down, is the highest hill in the historic county of Sussex, at 280 metres , and is second only to Leith Hill in southeastern England....
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
on the other. A chain of such stations linked London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
.
The height of Hascombe Hill is 644 feet.
Sources
- Surrey Archaeological Society Journal 40, p. 78
- Dyer, James The Penguin Guide to Prehistoric England & Wales (1981), p. 237