holmbury hill by johan ingles-le nobel

This is the view on 19 March 2011 from the wonderful Holmbury Hill looking south, the second highest point in Surrey, England.

What's so incredible (other than this gorgeous view nestled amidst the low profile forest just south of London, the Hurtwood), is its history. Holmbury Hill is in fact the site of an Iron Age hillfort. Excavation of the site in 1929 by S.E. Winbolt indicated that it dated to the 1st Century AD and may have been constructed by Belgic tribes of Celts who were settling this part of Britain in the period prior to the Roman invasion of Britain.

The hillfort was defended by double ramparts to the west and north with escarpments on the eastern and southern slopes. The outer ditches were originally about three metres deep and six metres wide. The inner ditches were considerably larger, some four metres deep and nine metres wide.

So, pretty cool stuff, c.2000 years ago people were looking out from the same view over to the south, a natural defence point.