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<< Our Photo Pages >> Herefordshire Beacon - Hillfort in England in Herefordshire

Submitted by AJK on Wednesday, 27 September 2023  Page Views: 37040

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Herefordshire Beacon Alternative Name: British Camp
Country: England County: Herefordshire Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Great Malvern  Nearest Village: Little Malvern
Map Ref: SO75974003  Landranger Map Number: 150
Latitude: 52.058125N  Longitude: 2.351891W
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
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 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
5

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MercuryMars visited on 1st Jan 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3

ForestDaughter visited on 1st Jan 1970 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 3

Jimwithnoname h_fenton SteveC have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 3

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Humbucker : On The Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp), looking North. The Worcestershire Beacon can just be seen in the background. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The Herefordshire Beacon (aka British Camp) was constructed around the 4th century BC and more banks and ditches were built lower down the hillside in the following centuries. It's unlikely that it could have withstood a long-sustained siege due to there being no natural water supply within its defences. The fort probably ceased to be occupied about 50 AD at the time of the Roman invasion.

This iron age hillfort is one of a remarkable series of such sites that extend in a belt from the Dorset coast into north-eastern Wales. It is larger than many and also one of the most imposing of these ancient structures.
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Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Jimwithnoname : Snow on the freezing top of the camp a week ago. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by camperman : British Camp from the north. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by TimPrevett : Looking out of The Giant's Cave along the southern end of the earthworks, faces west; worth a visit, especially if you're up there anyway. I enjoyed the acoustics and vibes in here a lot. Visited 23rd August 2021. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Jimwithnoname : A view Southwards to British Camp. I don't think anyone has actually firmly established what the original purpose of this site was. Today it stands as probably the windiest and most exposed hills along the Malvern ridge. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Western side looking north. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by h_fenton : Looking north over Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp) Iron Age hillfort and Norman motte and bailey castle on the Malvern Hills. Kite Aerial Photograph, 23 May 2009

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by AJK : The Herefordshire Beacon (aka British Camp) was constructed around the 4th century B.C. and in the centuries following, more banks and ditches were built lower down the hillside. This iron age hill fort is one of a remarkable series of such sites that extend in a belt from the Dorset coast into north-eastern Wales. It is larger than many and also one of the most imposing of these ancient struct... (3 comments)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Millenium Hill from the top of British Camp, just visible behind it right of centre is Midsummer Hill hillfort with the Eastnor obelisk on the far right.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Midsummer Day sun lighting up Millenium Hill and outlining the Shire Ditch - this feature is now believed to have its origins in the Bronze Age.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : British Camp at dawn on Midsummer day.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Midsummer Day sunrise 4 with the British Camp on the left, complete with crowd of people standing on top of it watching the event.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Midsummer Day sunrise 2

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Stone on the way up to the camp.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by HarryTwenty : Stood on the steps up to the top looking NE with the Worcestershire Beacon in the background. (2 comments)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Jimwithnoname : Viewing the Northern approach, this climb will get your heart pumping.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Jimwithnoname : Picture taken facing North. The sheer enormity of this site is difficult to comprehend. This is probably the windiest and coldest of all the hills on the Malvern's, in all seasons, and so the thought of anybody living there, let alone building a castle on the top.. These hills are of some of the oldest granite in the world. Malvern is famed for it's spring water cures in the Victorian era; it'... (2 comments)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by h_fenton : looking south over the Millennium Hill section of Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp) Iron Age hillfort on the Malvern Hills. Kite Aerial Photgraph 23 May 2009 (2 comments)

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by AJK : This is the view from Hangman's Hill, looking towards the Herefordshire Beacon (aka British Camp) iron age hill fort on the Malvern Hills. You can see a round direction stone at the centre of the image and there are many of these dotted around the hills to ensure you can find the places of interest.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Humbucker : Part of the Western curve of the motte and bailey of the Norman Castle atop The Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp).

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Humbucker : On The Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp), Looking South along the earthworks towards Summer Hill.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by Humbucker : Just after dawn on the West side of The Herefordshire Beacon (British camp), looking South, South East.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by TimPrevett : A hand imprint, sprayed around inside the cave. The Giant's Cave is along the southern end of the earthworks, faces west; worth a visit, especially if you're up there anyway. I enjoyed the acoustics and vibes in here a lot. Visited 23rd August 2021.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by TimPrevett : I descended to The Giant's Cave along the southern end of the earthworks from the top right of this picture. The cave faces west; worth a visit, especially if you're up there anyway. I enjoyed the acoustics and vibes in here a lot. Visited 23rd August 2021.

Herefordshire Beacon
Herefordshire Beacon submitted by TimPrevett : The Giant's Cave along the southern end of the earthworks, faces west; worth a visit, especially if you're up there anyway. I enjoyed the acoustics and vibes in here a lot. Visited 23rd August 2021.

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"Herefordshire Beacon" | Login/Create an Account | 9 News and Comments
  
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Re: Herefordshire Beacon by HarryTwenty on Thursday, 03 January 2019
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Hi admin. Have uploaded some resized images of the site but am being prevented from uploading others with a message that the selected media already exists.
If you can let me round this I will upload the rest.
Thanks
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    Re: Herefordshire Beacon by TheCaptain on Friday, 04 January 2019
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    My guess is that the photos have the same filename. You will need to ensure the files all have different names. Perhaps add a b to the original filenames. Thanks
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: The Herefordshire Beacon by coldrum on Tuesday, 30 March 2010
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Street View


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The Herefordshire Beacon - A Labyrinth site? by coldrum on Wednesday, 21 May 2008
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By Paul Remfry

The Herefordshire Beacon - A Labyrinth site?

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inform you of the publication of The Herefordshire Beacon of King Harold II and the Earls of Hereford and Worcester (ISBN 1-899376-73-5). Since my first book on the Herefordshire Beacon and its castle was written in 1998 I have spent a further ten years examining the site and its environs. The time spent doing this has uncovered much further information about the castle and the supposed hillfort. I advisably say supposed as examination of the current remains show that this structure has little similarity with the nearby Midsummer Hillfort which it is supposed to be like in style and design. Midsummer Hillfort is a traditional hillfort having a rampart as the main inner defence. No such structure is to be found at the British Camp on the Herefordshire Beacon. Instead there are a series of earthworks belonging to at least four phases and sporting a castle on top which itself appears to have at least two phases. In short the British Camp is much more complex than previously envisioned.
The conclusion reached in this book is that the British Camp began life as a large ritual earthwork and was then expanded repeatedly. It also seems to have been used to control the salt trade to the south of Droitwich, the Saltway being diverted to pass through the site in prehistory.
The book also looks at the prehistoric landscape of the Malvern Hills in which the British Camp is set. This concludes a new origin for the so-called Red Earl's Dyke as a probably Bronze Age ritual trackway stretching some six miles. It also suggests a much more prominent role for the Malvern Hills in the life of prehistoric man. There would seem to be some evidence of the use of local hills in the vicinity with a rounded shape for religious purposes. Certainly the British Camp seems to be set within a ritual landscape.
Further documentary evidence has been uncovered concerning the castle upon the Herefordshire Beacon. This shows that a fortress was standing here in 1148 when it was under the control of the earl of Worcester. The castle had previously been held by the bishop of Hereford, which again suggests its pre-conquest foundation by one of the Saxon earls of Hereford. The castle appears to have been besieged and possibly changed hands several times in the early 1150's, before a local record states it was destroyed by King Henry II in 1155.
The new book consists of 212 A4 pages with 202 figures and photographs explaining both the prehistoric site and the castle.
http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/herebeac.html

My web page is at http://www.castles99.ukprint.com where you will find information on me, the Herefordshire Beacon and other sites.

Best wishes, Paul Remfry.
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Re: Historic hill fort to appear on TV's Time Team by knap on Tuesday, 21 August 2007
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Any ideas when this is due to broadcast?
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    Re: Historic hill fort to appear on TV's Time Team by Anonymous on Sunday, 14 October 2007

    Laurence Vulliamy, Producer writes: The programme is one of four special Time Team programmes to be broadcast in 2008, looking in depth at historical or archaeological subjects of great interest. The programme that will feature British Camp is one of these special documentaries about Iron Age Hill Forts, that will follow the new Time Team series, to begin early in the New Year.

    The programme has visited Iron Age Hill Forts in England and Wales, particularly Maiden Castle, Danebury, British Camp, Castell Henllys, Yeavering Bell, Mam Tor and many others. We have spoken to celebrated experts about the Iron Age including Sir Barry Cunliffe, J D Hill, Prof Miranda Green, Dr Niall Sharples, and many other contributors. To understand what Hill Forts represented, and why they were built - is to understand what was going on in society in the Iron Age.
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      Re: Historic hill fort to appear on TV's Time Team by Andy B on Sunday, 14 October 2007
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      Sounds like a good new avenue for Time Team, I'll look forward to it. Thanks Lawrence
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Historic hill fort to appear on TV's Time Team by Andy B on Friday, 17 August 2007
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ARCHAEOLOGY telvision show Time Team is to feature British Camp on the Malvern Hills.

A crew will be filming for a special programme on Iron Age hill forts on Wednesday (August 22), probably in the afternoon, although this depends on the weather conditions.

Time Team producer Laurence Vulliamy said that Malvern's unmistakable British Camp was "one of the most significant Iron Age hill forts in the country" and was "reputed to be the place where Caractacus was captured by the Romans", Caractacus being a chieftain comparable to Boudicca.

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The programme will highlight the historical importance of British Camp, also called the Herefordshire Beacon, which later had a Norman fortress built on it.

Time Team's Phil Harding, one of the expert archaeologists, will be at the site accompanied by Dr Keith Ray, the Herefordshire county archaeologist.

Mr Vulliamy said the idea behind the programme was to investigate what Iron Age hill forts were really all about.

He added that the show would "really get under the skin of the period" and that to understand Iron Age hill forts, people had to look at the changes in society between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

Presented by Tony Robinson, the popular programme features a team of archaeologists who perform televised archaeological digs around the country. The show featuring British Camp is due to be broadcast in the spring.

Source: Malvern Gazette.
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Re: Herefordshire Beacon by Anonymous on Wednesday, 05 May 2004
Condition:Quite alot of erosion at the top
Ambience:Pretty good - even better on an early morning or late summer evening... Is a good example of how to defend a hilltop.
Access:Good provided you don't mind a steep climb (although this keeps hordes of screaming numpties away), car park is good, and £2 for a whole days parking is great value for money
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