Holmbury Hill is a wooded area of 261 metres (856 ft) above sea level inSurrey,England, and the site of anIron Age-periodhillfort. The Old Saxon word "holm" can be translated as hill[1] and "bury" means fortified place.[2] It sits along the undulatingGreensand Ridge, its summit being 805 feet (245 m) from the elevated and tightlyclustered small village ofHolmbury St. Mary which was traditionally part ofShere, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away.
Excavation of the hillfort in 1929 by classicist and amateur archeologistS. E. Winbolt indicated that it dated to the 1st Century AD and may have been constructed byBelgic tribes ofCelts who were settling this part ofBritain in the period prior to theRoman invasion of Britain. Later research, however, suggests that the fort was occupied earlier from 100 to 70 BC.[3] The fort was defended by two layers oframparts 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. These earthworks may have had a symbolic function in addition to a purely military one. The hard band ofchert on which the hill fort sits gives it a prominence over theweald that may have served as an assertion of control and security over the trade routes through the area. There is no evidence to suggest long-term occupation of the fort but it would have offered a safe and obvious place to meet, trade and host communal activity.[3]
At 261 metres (856 ft) Holmbury Hill is the fourth highest point in the county. It is 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west ofLeith Hill, the highest point in Surrey at 294 metres (965 ft), separated by a deep ravine draining north and south. It is 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) north-east ofGibbet Hill, Hindhead, the second highest point in Surrey at 272 metres (892 ft). The third highest point in the county isBotley Hill (269.6 metres (885 ft)) 32 kilometres (20 mi) to the north east inWoldingham civil parish on theNorth Downs, one of the two main hill ridges in Surrey. All of the other six highest peaks are in theGreensand Ridge, which is separated by theVale of Holmesdale from the North Downs.
The hills between Botley Hill and Gibbet Hill together comprise theSurrey HillsArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[4]
In total 3,000 acres (12 km2) of surrounding forest, the HurtwoodSSSI, is maintained by the Friends of the Hurtwood which comprises: Holmbury Hill, Pitch Hill, Winterfold, Shere Heath, Farley Heath and part ofBlackheath Common. The villages ofPeaslake andEwhurst are close by.
The sedimentary sandstone bedrock of Holmbury Hill is part of theHythe Beds, laid down in shallow seas approximately 113 to 126 million years ago in theCretaceous Period. The sandstone mass overlays the weakerAtherfield Clay Formation, a sedimentary mudstone also laid down in the shallow seas of the Cretaceous. This combination is very prone to vertical landslip and gives rise to steep escarpments.[5] The southern face of Holmbury Hill on which the fort is situated is made more imposing by the erosion resistant chert bands running through the Greensand.
The chert was particularly valued in the 18th and 19th century as a building stone locally and quarries are found around the site of the fort. Quarrying added significantly to the other principal economic activity taking place on the hill such as timber production, turf cutting and gathering bracken and heather.[6]
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Places listed are articlesnotable as settlements, arranged bypost town The two principal towns are emboldened | ||||||||||||||||||
51°10′32″N0°25′17″W / 51.1756°N 0.4213°W /51.1756; -0.4213
