A Guide to Hillforts of Britain, An Aerial View

Hillforts in modern day Britain occupy often, but not always, isolated, windswept locations on the edge of modern day society. For the Iron Age tribes of that turbulent period 2-3000 years ago, hillforts or defended settlements were built for a number of reasons, they were seen as a statement of wealth and power by local chiefs and warlords, places of refuge for the local population in times of need as well as meeting points for trade, markets and religious festivals. With the advent of aerial drone photography these obscure locations are brought to life spectacularly from above to provide an unparalleled view of the subject matter. The Iron Age Dobunni Tribe occupied the modern day counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire in the centuries leading up to the Roman invasion of AD 43. The different types, classifications and construction of hillforts are explained with aerial photographs illustrating these differences. Questions are answered on who were the Dobunni tribe and where did they come from, what social structure existed and what were their religious beliefs. This new, fully illustrated study puts forward a thesis to establish the frontiers of the tribal area using local topography and the location of hillforts. A chapter is given over to each county with individual hillforts discussed as to their location, structure, type and classification, myths and excavated finds. For each hillfort there are what3word locations on where to park, Ordnance Survey six figure map references, information on the length of walk in kilometres and a grading of the difficulty of the walk, making this book essential reading for historians, tourists, and photographs enthusiasts alike.

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