Featured: Current Archaeology Book of the Year 2019!

Current Archaeology Book of the Year 2019!

Random Image


Crook Staff Hill

A New Dimension to Ancient Measures - from many years of research and fieldwork

A New Dimension to Ancient Measures - from many years of research and fieldwork

Who's Online

There are currently, 245 guests and 4 members online.

You are a guest. To join in, please register for free by clicking here

Sponsors

More Choices

Contribute to our running costs
Webrings
News Feeds
Megalithic Mysteries
Our Online Shop

<< Our Photo Pages >> Hunsbury - Hillfort in England in Northamptonshire

Submitted by LizH on Friday, 08 September 2017  Page Views: 25251

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Hunsbury Alternative Name: Danes Camp
Country: England County: Northamptonshire Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Northampton
Map Ref: SP738584  Landranger Map Number: 152
Latitude: 52.218877N  Longitude: 0.921148W
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
 2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 2 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.
 4 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
 4

Internal Links:
External Links:

I have visited· I would like to visit

SolarMegalith would like to visit

lizh has visited here

Hunsbury
Hunsbury submitted by LizH : Site in Northamptonshire This picture shows the ditch with the banking on each side. However there has certainly been both silting and digging in the past so it is not clear how deep it originally was. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Hillfort in Northamptonshire. Northampton is a new town of the 1970s but it has much older roots. It doesn’t always seem this way because a great fire burnt many interesting structures down. There certainly are pre-historic foundations. Hunsbury camp is on the southern side of Northampton.

It is of course a misnomer (as is the local name for parts of the area as ‘Danes camp’ because it is in fact an Iron age hillfort. Interest was regained in it when the area around it was used for ironstone mining in the nineteenth century. This certainly means that the internal floor of the camp has fallen considerably (by more than two metres) which makes the ramparts appear larger since then.

During the quarrying and in subsequent excavations, iron age pits containing tools, pottery and weapons were found. Hunsbury is surrounded by a ditch and a bank. Some ‘restoration’ was probably done when the ironstone mining was finished. The names of roads in the area reflect the names of the engines used for the ironstone tramway ‘Hunslet’ and ‘Sentinel’.

One mile north, towards the bottom of the hill and now completely covered by modern housing, a Neolithic causewayed camp was found. Nothing now remains of it except street names which reflect some of the findings such as ‘Axehead’, and ‘Arrowhead’, along with other names of camps ‘Cissbury’ and ‘Hembury’ and ‘Rainsborough’.

Hunsbury Hill is now in a country park. Inside the bank it is surprisingly peaceful, although the M1 can be heard at almost all times of day and night. There isn’t much of a sense of atmosphere however in my opinion, possibly because it is also used by teenaged bikers and other TWOCers (as I know to my cost) and the inside can be churned up and muddy.

From inside the country park it is relatively easy to find, if you are looking for ramparts, although all signage and information have been kindly removed – presumably by local youth who have nothing better to do. The country park car park is notorious for break ins – if you visit don’t leave anything of value in your car.

Note: Hunsbury Hill Fort Tours and Open Day, Sat/Sun 9/10th September
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.


Hunsbury
Hunsbury submitted by LizH : This shows the centre of the camp, with the trees on the ramparts. It is clear from this how much the site now slopes, although it may not always have done so because of the digging. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Hunsbury
Hunsbury submitted by LizH : One of the entrances to the central area at Hunsbury. This is probably a later, rather than an original, entrance. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
SP7358 : Hunsbury Hill Country Park by Burgess Von Thunen
by Burgess Von Thunen
©2012(licence)
SP7358 : Danes Camp by Stephen McKay
by Stephen McKay
©2006(licence)
SP7358 : Hunsbury Hill Country Park by Burgess Von Thunen
by Burgess Von Thunen
©2012(licence)
SP7358 : Footpath by the tracks by Philip Jeffrey
by Philip Jeffrey
©2018(licence)
SP7358 : Ironstone railway line by Philip Jeffrey
by Philip Jeffrey
©2018(licence)

The above images may not be of the site on this page, they are loaded from Geograph.
Please Submit an Image of this site or go out and take one for us!


Click here to see more info for this site

Nearby sites

Click here to view sites on an interactive OS map

Key: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed

Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)

To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.


Turn off the page maps and other distractions

Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.6km WNW 296° Upton Bowl Barrow Barrow Cemetery (SP72355909)
 2.7km NE 43° Northampton Museum and Art Gallery* Museum (SP7559260400)
 2.9km NE 53° Becket's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP761602)
 7.5km N 8° Boughton bowl barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SP74706589)
 7.6km NNE 21° Shepherd's Race (Boughton) Turf Maze (SP764655)
 7.7km NNE 21° St John's Well (Boughton)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP765656)
 9.4km N 9° Longmans Hill Long Barrow* Long Barrow (SP751677)
 9.8km NW 314° Great Brington Medieval Cross Ancient Cross (SP6667765176)
 10.6km W 262° The Larches Ancient Village or Settlement (SP633567)
 12.2km ENE 56° Mears Ashby Tumulus* Misc. Earthwork (SP839653)
 13.3km SE 125° Holy Well (Ravenstone)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP849510)
 13.5km ESE 112° Holy Well (Olney)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP864535)
 13.8km ENE 77° Grendon Cursus Cursus (SP87256174)
 15.5km WNW 287° Borough Hill (Daventry)* Hillfort (SP588626)
 16.2km NW 324° Oster Hill (West Haddon) Cairn (SP64157145)
 17.2km SSE 163° St. Vincent's Well Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP7942)
 17.9km SE 140° Gayhurst Barrow cemetery Barrow Cemetery (SP855448)
 19.7km SSE 166° Gorrick’s Well Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP78803930)
 19.7km W 272° Arbury hill Hillfort (SP540587)
 21.1km ESE 108° Nell's Well* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP941523)
 21.4km E 95° Harrold Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SP95245702)
 21.5km WNW 292° Holy Well, Braunston* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (SP537662)
 22.3km NE 54° Finedon Stone Marker Stone (SP9161871928)
 22.6km SE 143° Millennium Medicine Wheel* Stone Circle (SP8758740483)
 22.7km WSW 258° Byfield Cross Plinth Ancient Cross (SP516532)
View more nearby sites and additional images

<< Garstad standing stone

Naustvollen >>

Please add your thoughts on this site

Contribute!

· NEW: I have visited
· I would like to visit
· Submit an Image
· Add a description
· Give accurate position
· Add a comment or news about this site

Avebury Archaeology Map - Worldwide Delivery

Avebury Archaeology Map - Worldwide Delivery

Sponsors

Auto-Translation (Google)

Translate from English into:

"Hunsbury" | Login/Create an Account | 12 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Re: Hunsbury by Yorick on Sunday, 27 August 2023
(User Info | Send a Message)
I lived in Northampton Town for eight years up to 2012. Visiting Hunsbury Hill often, it was one of my favourite places. During weekday mornings and early on a Sunday morning were the best times to visit. I mostly had the place to myself it seemed, it is not a very busy place at all.

My first few visits made a big impression on me. The area surrounding the hillfort is covered with tall trees, bushes, vegetation. lots of wildlife, including birds, rabbits, and elusive woodpeckers tapping away somewhere nearby.
There is a large open oval shaped area, slanted from one side to the other and surrounded by trees. The trees grow at the edge of the open space, then down a steep bank and into the ditch, and up the steep bank on the other side. On a hot sunny day there is plenty of dappled shade to take in your surroundings.

The ditch is deep and wide in places, and continues around the circumference of the fort. It's a lovely walk in the ditch, a well trodden path, maybe the odd fallen tree to navigate. Lots of colourful leaves in autumn.

I found Hunsbury Hill to be a magical place, peaceful, ancient, spiritual even. Sitting in the central opening of the Hillfort surrounded by nature, I could easily transport my imagination back to a time when the only sounds you would hear were the soft sounds of settlement life, people and animals, wood chopping in the distance. You certainly get the feeling that the place was once a hive of activity, an island with countless miles of forests in every direction beyond it’s borders.

In Northampton town the very good local museum has displays and information about Hunsbury Hill and its long history, well worth a visit.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunsbury by Yorick on Sunday, 27 August 2023
(User Info | Send a Message)
If visiting Hunsbury Hill by car, it would be an idea to park in the surrounding streets. I lived 10 minutes by foot from Hunsbury Hill, the surrounding streets are safe to park. The streets to the East of Hunsbury Hill, near Queen Elanor's Cross, are long and wide, a good place to park. Isolated car parks are always subject to break ins, especially if surrounded by trees on all sides.
The kids homemade adventure bike track pictured in the hillfort ditch, is a very small section of the ditch, compared to the overall size. It is by no means representative of the ambience of the hillfort. I visited Hunsbury Hill countless times and never saw any kids on bikes using it. In fact I hardly ever saw another person at all on Hunsbury Hill, it's a quiet peaceful place.

[ Reply to This ]

Hunsbury Hill Fort Tours and Open Day, Sat/Sun 9/10th September by Andy B on Friday, 08 September 2017
(User Info | Send a Message)
Hunsbury Hill Fort, Hunsbury Hill Country Park, Hunsbury Hill Road, West Hunsbury, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN4 9QX

Members of the Friends of West Hunsbury Country Park will be available to show visitors the site of the Hill Fort which is an Iron Age Hill Fort and a Historic England Scheduled Monument currently on the 'At Risk Register'. There will be a presentation & information available regarding the history of the Hill Fort and how important it is to have community involvement in its future management and its surroundings.

The Friends of West Hunsbury Parks together will have submitted a Heritage Lottery bid to preserve the Hill Fort. Information will be available as to how to volunteer for activities associated with the bid.

Opening Times
Saturday 9 September: 1000 - 1600
Sunday 10 September: 1000 - 1600

No booking required

http://www.northampton.gov.uk/heritageopendays
http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunsbury by Anonymous on Wednesday, 11 November 2015
I'd like to know why and for how long it has been called Hunsbury. The name is strange, as is the Danes Camp name too.

I'm pretty sure that the Hun's never made it this far west, let alone across the sea?!

Then there's Dane's camp, it's feasible that Scandinavian vikings may have camped here, but I don't believe there's any evidence, is there?
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunsbury by LizH on Friday, 08 April 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
Of course Northampton itself is a very old town indeed, I wasn't trying to say that, it's a New Town along with Milton Keynes and others, it was redeveloped around the much older centre by massive new housing etc being built round it, including round Hunsbury and the Hillfort. I think the article says that if you read it- 'much older roots'. It was designated a New Town in the 70s when all the building and development began, that's what it means. People think it's newer than it is because of the fire when the castle and so on burnt down, not recognising the round church and other older features.
Liz
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunsbury by Anonymous on Monday, 17 January 2011
The article states Northampton being a "New Town of the 1970s". This is far from the truth. The town was given its borough charter in 1289 by Richard 1 and was one of the major towns of England where the castle was a royal seat and the venue of many parliaments. etc etc Richard Matthews, Borough Councillor for West Hunsbury
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Briar Hill Causewayed enclosure by LizH on Tuesday, 08 June 2010
(User Info | Send a Message)
Indeed it is lost under housing. I live there! I didn't know when I moved in, and it's not altogether a salubrious area. However, the street names; Hembury, Cissbury, Rainsborough, Axehead and Arrowhead etc. are rather good. And it's exciting to know I live on this ancient development, although sad to think that it destroyed it. Would anyone like a picture posting of my house? it only looks ruinous, (insufficient gardening and painting) doesn't really date to 3380BC.
[ Reply to This ]

Briar Hill Causewayed enclosure by Andy B on Wednesday, 16 December 2009
(User Info | Send a Message)
Also nearby:
Briar Hill Causewayed enclosure, Northampton (NGR SP 73625923)

Extensive area excavation 1974-78 prior to development for housing (Bamford 1976, 1979 and 1985). The
enclosure comprised an inner ditch and a double outer circuit. A programme of radiocarbon dating produced an
extended chronology; the formation of the enclosure may have been as early as 4480 BC, while the ditches were still
being recut at around 3380 BC. A continuation of activity into the later Neolithic/ early Bronze Age is denoted both
by further radiocarbon dates and by the presence of impressed wares and Beaker pottery, recovered either from pits
cut into the ditch segments or from some internal pit groups and a timber structure.

Current condition: lost under housing development.
[ Reply to This ]

Hunsbury Fort PDF Download by coldrum on Wednesday, 20 February 2008
(User Info | Send a Message)
This is from the council website:

http://www.northampton.gov.uk/downloads/WebHunsbury.pdf

http://www.northampton.gov.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=411
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Hunsbury Fort PDF Download by Anonymous on Wednesday, 17 June 2015
    I was evacuated to Northampton during the last war . We walked from an area called Far Cotton over the fields to Danes Camp. It was a beautiful spot. On a hill.
    Gipsy's were there with their caravan pulled by horses, and their dogs lay around on the grass , their wagons were many colour.

    I think of Northampton , I liked , was happy there .
    Now I think of Danes Camp as it was called and wonder what happened to it 80 years latter .
    I W F.
    Can anyone tell me please ?
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunsbury by Anonymous on Wednesday, 27 June 2007
hunsbury hill is hot!
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hunsbury by LizH on Saturday, 15 January 2005
(User Info | Send a Message)
In response to the access and condition ratings above, I would have to say that the access is very reasonable for people with no walking difficulties and there is a car park within five minutes. For people with walking difficulties it would be harder. Although the condition is scored as 4 I think this is unlikely to be the case; there has been both digging and restoration, so although it looks good, it's not really original. As for ambience rating, it is peaceful in there but noisy from the road, and it doesn't to me give a feeling of being ancient. I would only say a 2 on the best of days.
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.