Burgh Walls Camp facts for kids

Burgh Walls Camp is an ancient hill fort from the Iron Age in Somerset, England. A hill fort is a type of fort built on a hill, often using natural slopes for defense. This one is called "multivallate," which means it had several layers of defensive walls or ditches. You might also hear it called Bower Walls Camp, Burwalls, or Bowre Walls.

This historic site is located inside the Leigh Woods National Nature Reserve. It's about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) northeast of a village called Long Ashton, near the city of Bristol. It sits high up, looking over the River Avon.

What is a Hill Fort?

A hill fort was like a fortified village or a safe place for people to live during the Iron Age. This period was from about 800 BC to 100 AD. People built these forts on hills because the high ground made them easier to defend. They would dig deep ditches and build tall earth banks or walls around their settlements. This helped protect them from enemies or wild animals.

Burgh Walls Camp's Location

Burgh Walls Camp is special because it's one of three Iron Age forts that overlook the Avon Gorge. The Avon Gorge is a deep valley carved by the River Avon. The other two forts are Stokeleigh Camp and Clifton Camp. These two are on the other side of the gorge, on a place called Clifton Down, near the Observatory. Imagine how important this area must have been, with three strongholds watching over the river!