Entrance to Danebury Hill Fort

This is Danebury Hillfort in Hampshire, which was built in the 6th Century BC at the same time as several other hill forts in the area.

It sits in an impressive position on the chalk downs, with skylarks singing this afternoon, in the Spring sunshine.

This view shows the complex gateway which was designed to delay attackers and allowed the defenders to fire and throw missiles from the ramparts.

The gates were burnt probably during an attack, and the charnel pits which have been excavated contain 100 bodies, many with injuries from spears and swords.

Surrounding the hill fort were many small farmsteads, that probably supplied the fort and its chieftan and nobles, if it functioned on the model of Iron Age society described by Caesar in the 1st Century BC.

Danebury was evacuated around 100 AD when the area would be becoming increasingly Romanised after the invasion of AD43 and the spread of the Pax Romana.