Woolbury

Iron Age hillfort in Hampshire, England

Woolbury

Woolbury Ring

Shown within Hampshire

Location| Hampshire
Coordinates| 51°06′57″N 1°27′26″W﻿ / ﻿51.1157°N 1.4571°W﻿ / 51.1157; -1.4571
Area| 16 acres
History
Periods| Iron Age
Site notes
Public access| part National Trust, part private land

Scheduled monument

Official name| Woolbury Ring, Stockbridge
Reference no.| 1003531[1]

Woolbury, or Woolbury Ring, is the site of an Iron Age univallate hillfort on Stockbridge Down, Hampshire, England.

## Description

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The site is described as a strong hilltop camp covering 20 acres (8.1 ha), with a single bank and ditch, and has commanding views over the surrounding area. The bank and ditch are well preserved to the west, the bank being 9 ft (2.7 m) high and 16 ft (4.9 m) above the bottom of the ditch. The eastern side has been ploughed out, and the ditch only remains to the north and south. The entrance is on the western side; the interior is down to permanent pasture.[2] Only the southwest rampart (which includes the original entrance) is in National Trust ownership; the rest is private land.[3]

The site is designated as a scheduled monument.[1]

There are a number of other archaeological sites in the area, including a Bronze Age bowl barrow mound of approximately 130 ft (40 m) in diameter and 4 ft 11 in (1.5 m) in height at grid reference SU395363 and recorded in an Anglo-Saxon charter as Heardulfe's Hlaewe or Heardulfe's Barrow.[2][4][5] The area is now subject to ploughing. In addition, several other tumuli are to be found south of the hillfort.

## Location

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The site is at grid reference SU381353, east of the village of Stockbridge, in the county of Hampshire. Danebury hillfort lies close by to the west, over the River Test. The hill has a summit of 518 ft (158 m) above ordnance datum (AOD).

## White horse and cross

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On the southern ramparts of Woolbury Ring is a hill figure of a horse. Whilst there are 17 white horse hill figures in England, with nine being nearby in Wiltshire, this is the only example in Hampshire. The horse was constructed crudely of rough flints, painted white and pushed into the ground to form the shape of the horse. The earliest documentation of the horse is in 1846. The horse for many years was covered by the surrounding bushes but in 1999, the site was cleared so the horse become visible again.[6]

There was also a hill figure of a cross nearby, only a few yards from Winchester Road, constructed using the same method.[7] This was lost in 1944.[8]

## References

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1. ^ a b Historic England. "Woolbury Ring, Stockbridge (scheduled monument) (1003531)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
2. ^ a b "Volume 9 (Test Valley South)". Hampshire Treasures. Hampshire County Council. 3 December 2010 [2007]. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
3. ^ "Woolbury – Hillfort in England in Hampshire". The Megalithic Portal. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
4. ^ Grundy, G. B. (1926). "Saxon Land Charters of Hampshire, with notes on Place and Field names (3rd series)" (PDF). Archaeological Journal. 83: 173. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
5. ^ Grinsell, L. V. "Hampshire Barrows" (PDF). Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club & Archaeological Society. 14: 31, 351. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
6. ^ Hows, Mark. "Woolbury Horse". Retrieved 22 December 2024.
7. ^ "Wiltshire White Horses: Non-Wiltshire white horses". Retrieved 22 December 2024.
8. ^ Hows, Mark. "Woolbury Cross". Retrieved 22 December 2024.

## See also

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* List of places in Hampshire
* List of hillforts in England

* v
* t
* e

Iron Age hillforts in England

Bedfordshire|

* Mowsbury Hill
* Maiden Bower

Berkshire|

* Bussock Camp
* Caesar's Camp
* Grimsbury Castle
* Membury Camp
* Perborough Castle
* Walbury Camp

Bristol|

* Clifton Camp
* Kings Weston Hill

Buckinghamshire|

* Boddington Camp
* Cholesbury Camp
* Desborough Castle

Cambridgeshire|

* Stonea Camp
* Wandlebury Ring

Cheshire|

* Bradley
* Eddisbury
* Helsby Hill
* Kelsborrow Castle
* Maiden Castle
* Oakmere
* Woodhouse Hill

Cornwall|

* Black Head
* Cadson Bury
* Caer Bran
* Castallack Round
* Castle an Dinas
* Castle Dore
* Castle Goff
* Chûn Castle
* Dodman Point
* Giant's Castle
* Kelly Rounds
* Kelsey Head
* Lescudjack
* Lesingey Round
* Maen Castle
* Padderbury Top
* Prideaux Castle
* Rame Head
* The Rumps
* Trencrom Hill
* Trereen Dinas
* Treryn Dinas
* Trevelgue Head
* Warbstow Bury

Cumbria|

* Carrock Fell
* Castle Crag

Derbyshire|

* Fin Cop
* Mam Tor

Dorset|

* Abbotsbury Castle
* Badbury Rings
* Banbury Hill
* Buzbury Rings
* Chalbury Hillfort
* Coney's Castle
* Dudsbury Camp
* Dungeon Hill
* Eggardon Hill
* Flower's Barrow
* Hambledon Hill
* Hod Hill
* Lambert's Castle
* Lewesdon Hill
* Maiden Castle
* Pilsdon Pen
* Poundbury Hill
* Woodbury Hill
* Woolsbarrow

East Sussex|

* Hollingbury Castle
* Mount Caburn

Essex|

* Ambresbury Banks
* Danish Camp
* Loughton Camp

Gloucestershire|

* Cleeve Hill
* Kimsbury Camp
* Uley Bury

Greater Manchester|

* Mellor hill fort

Hampshire|

* Ashleys Copse
* Buckland Rings
* Bury Hill
* Caesar's Camp
* Castle Hill
* Chilworth Ring
* Danebury
* Dunwood Camp
* Frankenbury Camp
* The Frith
* Gorley Hill
* Hamble Common Camp
* King John's Hill
* Knoll Camp
* Ladle Hill
* Lockerley Camp
* Norsebury Ring
* Old Winchester Hill
* Oram's Arbour
* Quarley Hill
* St. Catherine's Hill
* Tidbury Ring
* Toothill Fort
* Whitsbury Castle
* Woolbury

Herefordshire|

* Aconbury Camp
* Brandon Camp
* British Camp
* Capler Camp
* Croft Ambrey
* Dinedor Camp
* Garmsley Camp
* Ivington Camp
* Poston Camp
* Sutton Walls
* Wapley Hill

Hertfordshire|

* Arbury Banks
* Wilbury Hill Camp

Kent|

* Bigbury Camp
* Oldbury Camp

Lancashire|

* Castercliff
* Portfield
* Warton Crag

Leicestershire|

* Burrough Hill

Norfolk|

* Bloodgate Hill
* Holkham Camp
* Warham Camp

North Yorkshire|

* Eston Nab
* Maiden Castle
* Stanwick Camp

Northamptonshire|

* Borough Hill
* Hunsbury Hill
* Rainsborough Camp

Northumberland|

* Castle Knowe
* Humbleton Hill
* Yeavering Bell

Oxfordshire|

* Blewburton Hill
* Cherbury Camp
* Hardwell Castle
* Uffington Castle

Shropshire|

* Bayston Hill
* Bury Ditches
* Bury Walls
* Caer Caradoc, Church Stretton
* Caer Caradog, Chapel Lawn
* Caus Castle
* Coxall Knoll
* Nordy Bank
* Old Oswestry
* The Wrekin

Somerset|

* Cadbury Castle, South Cadbury
* King's Castle, Wiveliscombe

South Yorkshire|

* Carl Wark
* Wincobank

Staffordshire|

* Berry Ring
* Berth Hill
* Bury Bank
* Castle Ring
* Kinver Edge Hillfort

Surrey|

* Caesar's Camp
* Hascombe Hill
* Holmbury Hill

West Sussex|

* Chanctonbury Ring
* Cissbury Ring
* Goosehill Camp
* Harting Beacon
* Highdown Hill
* Thundersbarrow Hill
* The Trundle
* Torberry Hill

West Yorkshire|

* Castle Hill

Wiltshire|

* Ashleys Copse
* Barbury Castle
* Battlesbury Camp
* Bratton Castle
* Bury Camp
* Castle Ditches
* Casterley Camp
* Castle Rings
* Chisbury
* Chiselbury
* Chisenbury Camp
* Clearbury Ring
* Cley Hill
* Fosbury Camp
* Grovely Castle
* Knook Castle
* Liddington Castle
* Membury Camp
* Old Sarum
* Ringsbury Camp
* Roundway Down
* Scratchbury Camp
* Sidbury Hill
* Vespasian's Camp
* Winkelbury Camp
* Yarnbury Castle

Worcestershire|

* Berrow Hill Camp
* Berry Mound
* Bredon Hill
* British Camp
* Conderton Camp
* Drakelow
* Gadbury Bank
* Hanbury Hill
* Headless Cross
* Midsummer Hill
* Woodbury Hill
* Wychbury Ring

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