hillfort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
on
Bloxworth Heath
Bloxworth Heath is a four-square-mile area of heathland north of the town of Wareham in the county of Dorset, England. It is part of Wareham Forest.district of Purbeck in the county of
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It dates to the period from the
Late Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
to the
Early Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
(8th–5th centuries BC) and is classed as an
ancient monument
In British law, an ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument (e.g. an archaeological site) worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. The '' Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 197 ...
. Despite the hillfort only being at an altitude of it is said to "dominate the surrounding heathland."
Location
Woolsbarrow Hillfort is located in a clearing in the forests of
Bloxworth Heath
Bloxworth Heath is a four-square-mile area of heathland north of the town of Wareham in the county of Dorset, England. It is part of Wareham Forest.Bere Regis
Bere Regis () is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated north-west of Wareham. In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 1,745.
The village has one shop, a family-owned cheese barn, a post office, and two pubs ...
, about to the west-northwest of the hillfort.''Woolsbarrow: Hillfort'' at www.themodernantiquarian.com. Retrieved 5 November 2016. The heath is a popular walking area and the site can be reached by
public footpath
A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide ...
.
Description
Woolsbarrow is a slight
univallate hillfort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Rom ...
on a flat-topped
knoll
In geography, knoll is another term for a knowe or hillock, a small, low, round natural hill or mound.
Knoll may also refer to:
Places
* Knoll Camp, site of an Iron Age hill fort Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
* Knoll Lake, Leonard Canyon, A ...
on the plateau of Bloxworth Heath, which separates the rivers Sherford to the east and Piddle to the west. The hillfort is marked by a single rampart about below the top of the gravel knoll and covers an area of around . The eastern part of the hillfort has been damaged by sand and gravel extraction, but much of it survives well and has the potential for further archaeological evidence to be uncovered.
It is one of only about 150 slight univallate hillforts nationally and is of national importance.