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<< Our Photo Pages >> Dyke Hills - Hillfort in England in Oxfordshire

Submitted by vicky on Saturday, 09 August 2003  Page Views: 21004

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Dyke Hills
Country: England County: Oxfordshire Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Dorchester-on-Thames
Map Ref: SU57389358  Landranger Map Number: 164
Latitude: 51.638107N  Longitude: 1.172257W
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
3

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I have visited· I would like to visit

JohnLindsay visited on 7th Apr 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 The bus X39 or X40 from Reading Station, or from Oxford, stop called the Dorchester layby, on the main road which lies over the Dorchester Cursus. I think the bus stops and foot bridge at the endpoint of the cursus, and it lies, or lay, under the road. There is a short walk into the village, then the abbey, and Watling Lane, which takes to a view of Wittenham Clumps and suddently the Dyke Hills comes into view. The footpath continues and the site is open and walkable, with a footpath to the Thames, the lock, and the Clumps. So this is really quite a combination. There is a good local museum though most of the stuff has gone to the Ashmolean. The museum has a good local booklet with bibliography which is more than enough for a walk and a read.

SolarMegalith visited on 3rd Mar 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Bird_nerd29 visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 A great site, although you can only access half of it. There's a large WWII pillbox at the bottom of the site, which is accessible. You can get to the open part of the hills via a number of footpaths.

Andy B have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.33 Ambience: 4 Access: 4

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by Andy B : Ripping Up History English Heritage campaign on archaeology under the plough. Dyke Hills, Dorchester on Thames, Oxfordshire. An Iron Age site, one of the earliest to be scheduled but still being ploughed. Copyright: EH/NMR (Vote or comment on this photo)
Dyke Hills, Dorchester on Thames, Oxfordshire. An Iron Age site, one of the earliest to be scheduled but still being ploughed. Highlighted by English Heritage campaign on archaeology under the plough.

Dyke Hills is recorded as Pastscape Monument No. 238029 which has a page of notes on this settlement, an extract of which reads: "The earthwork remains of an Iron Age settlement of possibly defensive function is well preserved despite extensive damage in the 19th century. It consists of a two banks and ditch connecting the Rivers Thames and Thame and has also been interpreted as an oppidum. Gullies, pits and hutcircles were reportedly visible as cropmarks within the interior of the enclosure although these have not been seen since. It is thought that the site had a long occupation history with multiple phases, although it is not clear to when the phases date. Five barrows, thought to be of Bronze Age date, are also present at the east end of the site."

The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) also feature a page on this site - see their entry for Dyke Hills, Dorchester, Oxfordshire, which includes directions for finding the site together with a brief archaeology & history, a plan of the site and drawings from the 1870s.
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Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Earthworks in eastern part of Dyke Hills oppidum seen through embrasure of the 28a type 2nd WW pillbox (photo taken on March 2012). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by h_fenton : Aerial view of the banks and partially flooded ditches of the Dyke Hills. Kite Aerial Photograph 11 January 2014 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Two banks in eastern part of Dyke Hills - view from the SE (photo taken on March 2012). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Dyke Hills, eastern part of the earthworks with two well preserved banks - view from the east (photo taken on March 2012). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by DavidCWoods : Dyke Hills looking ESE from the footpath between Day's Lock, Long Wittenham and Dorchester. SU 573937

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by Junreisha : Taken from the east end South East, on a lovely frosty morning

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by Junreisha : Taken from the east end facing South West, with the Sinodun Hills/Wittenham Clumps in the background on a lovely frosty morning

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by Junreisha : Taken from the east end facing west, on a lovely frosty morning

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by Junreisha

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by JimChampion : Looking between the Dyke Hills from the eastern end. This is the better preserved end of the monument, closest to Dorchester-on-Thames.

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Sunshine over Dyke Hills illuminating two banks of the Late Iron Age oppidum and a 28a type anti-tank pillbox near their eastern end (photo taken on March 2012).

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Northern bank of Dyke Hill oppidum (photo taken on March 2012).

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : In the foreground partly leveled central part of the cross dyke (you can clearly see the southern bank), in the background Sinodun Camp and Round Hill (photo taken on March 2012).

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Late Iron Age oppidum, top part of the southern bank - view from the NW (photo taken on March 2012).

Dyke Hills
Dyke Hills submitted by SolarMegalith : Western part of the earthworks - view from the SE (photo taken on March 2012).

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.2km SSW 201° Sinodun Camp* Hillfort (SU5694592434)
 1.4km NNE 31° Dorchester Cursus Cursus (SU581948)
 1.6km ENE 64° Dorchester; Overy Cursus (SU588943)
 1.6km NNE 14° Woodhenge (Dorchester) Henge (SU57759513)
 1.7km S 173° Brightwell Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SU576919)
 1.8km N 355° Dorchester Big Rings* Henge (SU57209537)
 1.9km N 1° Dorchester Cursus Cursus (SU57389546)
 1.9km E 81° Dorchester; Overy Cursus (SU593939)
 2.2km NNW 348° Dorchester-on-Thames 4 Timber Circle (SU569957)
 2.2km NNW 348° Dorchester-on-Thames 5 Timber Circle (SU569957)
 2.3km NNW 348° Dorchester-on-Thames 6 Timber Circle (SU569958)
 2.4km NNW 348° Dorchester Cursus* Cursus (SU56859595)
 2.5km NNE 32° Dorchester-on-Thames 3 Timber Circle (SU587957)
 2.5km ESE 109° Shillingford Cursus Cursus (SU598928)
 2.9km ESE 110° Warborough Cursus Cursus (SU60119260)
 3.0km ESE 112° Shillingford Cursus Cursus (SU602925)
 3.3km NNE 17° Mount Farm (Oxfordshire) Timber Circle (SU583968)
 4.4km NE 38° Drayton St. Leonard Cursus Cursus (SU601971)
 4.6km NE 38° Drayton St. Leonard Cursus Cursus (SU602972)
 5.6km ESE 118° Benson Cursus Cursus (SU624910)
 5.7km S 181° Cholsey Hill Camp* Hillfort (SU5735387927)
 5.7km NNE 26° Stadhampton Cursus Cursus (SU59799875)
 5.8km ESE 108° Benson Cursus Cursus (SU629919)
 6.1km NNE 25° Stadhampton Cursus Cursus (SU59909910)
 7.3km WSW 249° Great Western Park* Ancient Village or Settlement (SU50629091)
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"Dyke Hills" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
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Re: Dyke Hills by Andy B on Friday, 27 January 2017
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Louise A writes: I am not sure if you are aware, but this land is now under new ownership and the owner is currently fencing off most of the area surrounding the dyke hills, including the dykes themselves and preventing public access. He has recently submitted a definitive map to OCC. I am a resident of Dorchester, and in response to recent notices from OCC am trying to organise a public meeting to discuss the changes to access. I am working on a display to go up in the village hall.
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Re: Dyke Hills by TheCaptain on Sunday, 04 March 2012
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see here on streetview

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Re: Dyke Hills by coldrum on Monday, 30 August 2010
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Pastscape:

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=238029

http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=238046
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Re: Dyke Hills by DavidCWoods on Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Condition:
Ambience:
Access:
Visited 31st May 2004. From ground level, walking across the field towards Dorchester and looking east between the dykes, there appear to be a number of small mounds in the ditch (see picture)
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