Abbotsbury Castle, Iron Age hill fort in Abbotsbury, England.
Abbotsbury Castle is an Iron Age hill fort on Wears Hill near the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, England. It has double earthen ramparts and ditches enclosing a central area along the ridge of the hill.
The fort was built and occupied by the Celtic Durotriges until AD 43, when the Roman Second Augustan Legion, led by the future emperor Vespasian, captured it during the Roman invasion. This brought the Iron Age use of the hill to an end.
The remains of ancient hut foundations within the enclosure show how people lived and organized their community during the Iron Age. Walking through the site gives a direct sense of how daily life functioned in this fortified settlement.
The site is reached on foot from Abbotsbury village, with a moderate climb up to Wears Hill along an uneven path. Sturdy footwear is a good idea, as the ground can be slippery after rain.
A Tudor-period beacon post survives on the site, used to send warning signals along the coast, including during the threat of the Spanish Armada. This post was part of a nationwide network of signal stations that communicated with each other in times of danger.
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