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<< Our Photo Pages >> Maiden Bower - Hillfort in England in Bedfordshire

Submitted by bec-zog on Wednesday, 09 June 2004  Page Views: 28085

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Maiden Bower Alternative Name: Maidenbower
Country: England County: Bedfordshire Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Dunstable
Map Ref: SP995225  Landranger Map Number: 165
Latitude: 51.892181N  Longitude: 0.555514W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
3 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
3

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Maiden Bower
Maiden Bower submitted by JoAtherton : The evocative Maiden Bower hillfort, Bedfordshire. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort and Neolithic Causewayed Camp. Parking at SP993228 at end of minor road off the A5.

Note: The hillfort is now under threat from new housing development - see comment below.
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Maiden Bower damaged Bank 14
Maiden Bower damaged Bank 14 submitted by bec-zog : Maiden Bower Mesolithic to Iron age site (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Maiden Bower Left of Caus 21A
Maiden Bower Left of Caus 21A submitted by bec-zog (Vote or comment on this photo)

Maiden Bower
Maiden Bower submitted by JoAtherton : The evocative Maiden Bower hillfort, Bedfordshire. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Maiden Bower
Maiden Bower submitted by JoAtherton : The evocative Maiden Bower hillfort, Bedfordshire. On the tythe map, fields to the east were named Bunhill Pieces, possible reference to the bones from burials discovered around this monument, a name repeated at London's Bunhill Fields cemetery (Vote or comment on this photo)

Maiden Bower 2nd Entrance 05
Maiden Bower 2nd Entrance 05 submitted by bec-zog : Maiden Bower Mesolithic to Iron age site (2 comments)

Maiden Bower bank and edge 03
Maiden Bower bank and edge 03 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower bank by Entrance
Maiden Bower bank by Entrance submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower banking near entrance 15
Maiden Bower banking near entrance 15 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Central Area 24A
Maiden Bower Central Area 24A submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Centre 06
Maiden Bower Centre 06 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Centre 07
Maiden Bower Centre 07 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Centre 23A
Maiden Bower Centre 23A submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower curve of bank 11
Maiden Bower curve of bank 11 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower entrance 09
Maiden Bower entrance 09 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Extended ESE 19A
Maiden Bower Extended ESE 19A submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Exterior 15A
Maiden Bower Exterior 15A submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower Exterior 16A
Maiden Bower Exterior 16A submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower facing causeway 08
Maiden Bower facing causeway 08 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower far bank 12
Maiden Bower far bank 12 submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower from Causeway to Centre 22A
Maiden Bower from Causeway to Centre 22A submitted by bec-zog

Maiden Bower quarry 04
Maiden Bower quarry 04 submitted by bec-zog (1 comment)

Maiden Bower RHS 02
Maiden Bower RHS 02 submitted by bec-zog

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 162m ESE 102° Maiden Bower Causewayed Enclosure Causewayed Enclosure (SP99662247)
 1.9km SE 144° Five Knolls* Barrow Cemetery (TL00632103)
 4.3km SW 217° Edlesborough* Artificial Mound (SP970190)
 6.0km SSW 206° Ivinghoe Beacon Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SP96931709)
 6.6km NNE 15° Conger Hill* Hillfort (TL011289)
 6.6km SSW 213° Ivinghoe Beacon* Hillfort (SP960169)
 7.0km ENE 73° Waulud's Bank* Henge (TL062247)
 7.1km SSW 211° Ivinghoe Beacon Hill Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SP95961638)
 7.2km SSW 201° Mead's Plantation Ancient Village or Settlement (SP97021576)
 8.7km WNW 302° Shepherd's Race (Heath)* Turf Maze (SP9227)
 9.2km SSW 196° Moneybury Hill Bell Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SP97111361)
 9.5km SSW 210° Pitstone Hill Causewayed Enclosure (SP949142)
 9.6km SSW 213° Northfield Settlement Ancient Village or Settlement (SP944143)
 9.7km SSW 196° Moneybury Hill Round Barrow(s) (SP97031309)
 9.8km WNW 299° Linslade Holy Well Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP908270)
 9.9km ENE 68° Dray's Ditches* Misc. Earthwork (TL08642641)
 10.1km NE 48° Sharpenhoe Burial Mound* Round Barrow(s)
 10.3km SSW 207° Aldbury Nowers Round Barrow(s) (SP95071324)
 10.5km NE 43° Sharpenhoe Clappers* Hillfort (TL065304)
 10.7km ENE 66° Galley Hill (Streatley)* Round Barrow(s) (TL092270)
 11.7km SSE 164° Great Gaddesden church puddingstones* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TL02871127)
 11.8km SSE 164° Great Gaddesden Puddingstone* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (TL029112)
 12.1km WNW 293° Soulbury Stone* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SP88292709)
 12.5km ENE 57° Ravensburgh Castle* Hillfort (TL099295)
 13.3km NE 55° St Faith's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (TL103303)
View more nearby sites and additional images

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Ritual and Domestic Life in Prehistoric Europe, Bradley

Ritual and Domestic Life in Prehistoric Europe, Bradley

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"Maiden Bower" | Login/Create an Account | 7 News and Comments
  
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Maiden Bower Survey Report from 1994 by Andy B on Sunday, 10 May 2015
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M Barber, P Topping (1994) Maiden Bower, Bedfordshire. RCHME Survey Report.

RCHME survey of the earthworks at Maiden Bower, Bedfordshire, where an Iron Age hillfort overlies a probable Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The report also summarises earlier work at the site, including Smith's 1878-1915 investigations. The survey was undertaken as part of RCHME's national survey of early Neolithic enclosures, which culminated in the publication of A Oswald et al (2001) The Creation of Monuments.

https://www.academia.edu/12242659/M_Barber_P_Topping_1994_Maiden_Bower_Bedfordshire._RCHME_Survey_Report
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Re: Maiden Bower by coldrum on Tuesday, 16 February 2010
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Pastscape entry.

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=346554
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Re: Maiden Bower by Anonymous on Thursday, 22 November 2007
Sad to hear of the threat to Maiden Bower, ancient sites need to be left alone. I would like to know more of the history of the site: when? who? how?

regards

Clive
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Maiden Bower by Anonymous on Sunday, 23 July 2006
This is very sad news. I myself and friends of ages of 18 to 23 have been heading to the fort over the last few months and its an amazing site. The sunsets are truly stunning. I wish I could find more history on this fort.

As for the kids with bikes and cars, we have had a few run-ins with some and luckily have been able to scare some of them off. But now hearing there going to 'build houses' near the site is a further incringement on the beauty of the landscape. We're young lads who actually instead of wanting to ruin the land and heritage, we instead are all for preservation of these sites. Its just a shame the the power hungry people cant leave history be..

Thanks - Chris
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Maiden Bower by Vicky on Monday, 06 October 2003
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From Bedford Today 06/10/2003

Building boom could be a threat to historic site

History experts fear the setting of a nationally important Iron Age fort near Dunstable could be affected by government plans for houses.

The Manshead Archaeology Society is objecting to the plans to build up to 20,000 new homes by 2021 in South Beds, and a similar number by 2031.

They fear the part of the planned development is too near to the Maiden Bower fort, near Sewell.

Secretary of the society Barry Horne said: "We're not very happy about this.

"It's going to be very close to the hill fort and will rather encroach on it."

Dave Warren, also from the society, said: "Part of the attraction of Maiden Bower is its setting . The present proposal is right up to its front door."

Dunstable Town Council has had a series of letters from local residents unhappy about the proposed new housing – some particularly concerned about its closeness to the fort.

English Heritage has already stressed the importance of the ancient fort. Inspector of ancient monuments John Ette said: "They are not that common in this part of the region, they are more common in Wessex. It is an important site both nationally and regionally."

As well as Maiden Bower, the Manshead Archeological Society believes other areas being proposed in the development might also have historical value.

Barry Horne said: "We only know about what we've found. We don't know how much hasn't shown up yet."

And Mr Warren added: "There may be even earlier monument under the ground nearing the visible monument although we can't confirm it. At the very least, if things prove to be unstoppable there should be a lot of archaeological investigation ahead of the development."



[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Maiden Bower by Anonymous on Tuesday, 07 October 2003
    Thank you for bringing this item to website members attention. Maiden Bower has been methodically "vandalised" over the last few years, with little action being taken by local authorities. Development planners may be assuming that local apathy gives them the go ahead.
    Official objections, in writing, to the Dunstable Local Gov, and to The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are needed.
    (bec-zog)
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Maiden Bower by Anonymous on Saturday, 11 January 2003
Archaeologists in Bedfordshire are angry after discovering serious damage to the remains of an Iron Age fort near Dunstable just before Christmas, apparently caused by a mechanical digger.

Considered to be one of the most significant Iron Age monuments in the county, the Maiden Bower site was left scarred in what appears to be an act of vandalism.

It is believed a mechanical digger found at the scene was used to cause severe damage to surrounding earthworks and create a number of holes inside the fort.

Local police have been informed of the damage, which is believed to have been caused by off-road motorcyclists, who, according to local sources, have been using the site for some time.

The incident comes in the wake of growing concern over the safety of the UK's many archaeological sites. Only last October a hill fort at Yeavering Bell in Northumberland was left littered with holes after being ransacked overnight, apparently by metal detector-equipped illicit collectors of relics. 24 hour Museum
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