![]() Aerial image of Danebury | |
Location | Hampshire, England |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51°08′12″N 1°32′15″W / 51.136681°N 1.537569°W |
Type | Hillfort |
Area | 5 hectares (12 acres) |
History | |
Founded | c. 550 BC |
Abandoned | c. 100 BC |
Periods | Iron Age |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1969 – 1988 |
Public access | Yes |
Official name | Danebury Hill camp |
Reference no. | 1001949 |
Danebury Hillfort | |
---|---|
![]() Entrance to the hillfort | |
![]() | |
Type | Local Nature Reserve |
Location | Nether Wallop, Hampshire |
OS grid | SU 326 376 |
Area | 39 hectares (96 acres) |
Managed by | Hampshire Countryside Service |
Danebury is an Iron Age hillfort in Hampshire, England, about 19 kilometres (12 mi) north-west of Winchester (grid reference SU323376).[1] The site, covering 5 hectares (12 acres), was excavated by Barry Cunliffe in the 1970s. Danebury is considered a type site for hillforts,[2] and was important in developing the understanding of hillforts, as very few others have been so intensively excavated.
Built in the 6th century BC, the fort was used for almost 500 years, during a period when the number of hillforts in Wessex greatly increased. Danebury was remodelled several times, making it more complex and resulting in it becoming a "developed" hillfort. It is a Scheduled Monument and a Local Nature Reserve called Danebury Hillfort.[3][4][5] The Scheduled Monument is surrounded by a Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated as Danebury Hill.[6][7]