Discovering the British Iron Age

by Marilyn Loeser

Just as you can find plenty of proof the Roman’s lived in the United Kingdom, there are also plenty of places to explore that offer three dimensional clues about the men and women who lived here before the Roman invasion during the Iron Age. The British Iron Age began around 800 BC — the first significant use of iron for tools and weapons in Britain — and lasted until the Roman Conquest in the 5th century.

This prehistoric period is identified by the use of cutting tools and weapons mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.

I was surprised when friends I was visiting in Abbeymead, Gloucestershire suggested we take a walk around an Iron Age Fort. Although, at the time, I had no idea what I was in for, I would soon discover Iron Age sites, reconstructions and museums are scattered all across England, Wales and Scotland. Many of the sites are under the guardianship of English Heritage, Historic Scotland, the National Trust and Cadw — the Welsh word meaning 'to keep.'

Some of these sites are accessible to the public while others are on private land.

Kimsbury Camp on Painswick Beacon Hillfort, less than five miles from my friends’ home, is a popular spot for locals, tourists, walkers on the Cotswold Way and Wysis Way, and golfers. Four Painswick Golf Course holes are located within the fort.

A restoration project to protect Kimsbury Camp was recently completed to stop the erosion of the ramparts built between 500 and 100 BC. The restoration included repairing the ramparts, scrub clearance, seed planting and the erection of information boards. The hillfort had been badly damaged by quarrying and the golf course which was created in 1891.

We parked the car and began walking up a steep hill. The 7-acre triangular site has close-set double ramparts and ditches.

Information boards help visitors better understand the history of the site. The fort outline is easy to identify and the view of rural Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds is breathtaking.

To the west are River Severn and the Forest of Dean beyond. To the south are Robinswood Hill and the Cotswolds.

There is a deep, circular hollow in the centre of the fort that may have served some ritual purpose. In the past it was mistakenly identified as a well. Both the Wysis Way and the Cotswold Way meet at the centre of the fort. {place iron age fort - view 3 photo here}

There are more than 1,350 hillforts in England, mostly concentrated in the south and west especially in Devon and Cornwall. There are also 570 hill forts in Wales, and a few in Scotland.

You’ll find no gifts shops or museum buildings at Kimsbury Camp on Painswick Beacon Hillfort, but what you will find are the spirits of English ancestors and glorious views of the Severn valley and Cotswolds.

It’s worth the trip.

If you go:

From Abbeymead, take Abbeymead Ave to Lobley’s Drive; left on Upton Lane; left of Bondend Rd; continue on local road and continue right on Bondend Rd.

Take a left on The Stanley; left on High Street and bear left on Portway. Turn Right on A46.

Total trip: 4 miles.

For more information on visiting England, call 1-800-462-2748 or check the website http://www.visitbritain.us/.\